Hormonal
Subcutaneous tirzepatide is the most cost-effective anti-obesity medication for adults without diabetes over a 68-week period, demonstrating superior incremental cost-effectiveness compared to oral semaglutide, subcutaneous semaglutide, and subcutaneous liraglutide.
For adults without diabetes seeking weight loss, subcutaneous tirzepatide offers the best value for money among current GLP-1 based therapies over a 68-week period. It is more cost-effective than oral semaglutide, subcutaneous semaglutide, and subcutaneous liraglutide. While oral semaglutide is a good alternative for those who dislike injections, tirzepatide provides superior cost-effectiveness. Patients should discuss these options with their healthcare provider, considering factors like injection preference, insurance coverage, and potential side effects.
In the base-case analysis, subcutaneous tirzepatide and oral semaglutide emerged as cost-effective vs subcutaneous liraglutide and subcutaneous semaglutide. Compared with oral semaglutide, subcutaneous tirzepatide is cost-effective, with an ICER of $34,212 per QALY gained at 68 weeks. Based on a WTP threshold of $150,000 per QALY, subcutaneous tirzepatide was most cost-effective among the 4 medications.
Why this rating
Based on a decision tree model using data from multiple randomized controlled trials (SURMOUNT-1, SURMOUNT-3, STEP 1, etc.), though limited to short-term (68 weeks) and indirect comparisons.
Source
Tirzepatide vs semaglutide and liraglutide for weight loss in patients with overweight or obesity without diabetes: A short-term cost-effectiveness analysis in the United States
Ligang Liu et al. · Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy · 2025
DOI 10.18553/jmcp.2025.31.5.441
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
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