JAMA Netw Open

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty vs. semaglutide: Which is more cost effective?

April 17, 2024

This study suggests that endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is cost saving compared with semaglutide in the treatment of class II obesity. On price threshold analyses, to achieve nondominance, the annual price of semaglutide, currently $13,618, would need to be $3,591.

• This economic evaluation study, conducted from September 2022 to May 2023, used a Markov cohort model to compare ESG and semaglutide, with a no-treatment baseline strategy. The study comprised adult patients in the U.S. health care system with class II obesity. The base case was a 45-year-old patient with class II obesity, and patients undergoing ESG were subjected to risks of perioperative mortality and adverse events with resultant costs and decrement in quality of life.
• The model found that ESG was more cost-effective than semaglutide over a 5-year time horizon, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of -$595,532/quality-adjusted life-years (QALY).
• ESG added 0.06 QALYs and reduced total cost by $33,583 relative to semaglutide. The results remained robust on one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses.
• ESG sustained greater weight loss over 5 years vs. semaglutide (BMI of 31.7 vs. 33.0).

Source:

Haseeb M, et al. (2024, April 1). JAMA Netw Open. Semaglutide vs Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty for Weight Loss. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38607627/