Abstract 15300: Tirzepatide vs. Semaglutide for Weight Loss in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - A Value for Money Analysis

Introduction: Higher doses of the glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist (GLP-1RA) semaglutide and, more recently, the GIP and GLP-1RA tirzepatide demonstrated a significant reduction in body weight in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). However, their comparative value for money for this indication is unclear. Hypothesis: Tirzepatide provides better value for money than semaglutide in facilitating weight loss. Methods: We calculated the cost needed to treat (CNT) to achieve a one percent reduction in body weight using high-dose tirzepatide (15mg) versus semaglutide (2.4mg). The body weight reductions were extracted from published results of SURMOUNT-1 and STEP 1 trials, respectively. We performed a scenario analysis to mitigate the primary differences between the two studies' populations (Table 1). Drug costs were based on US GoodRx prices as of June 2022. Results: Using tirzepatide resulted in weight loss of 17.8% (95% CI: 16.3%-19.3%) compared to 12.4% (95% CI: 11.5%-13.4%) for semaglutide. The total annual cost of therapy with tirzepatide was estimated at $17,554 compared with $22,899 for semaglutide. Accordingly, the CNT per one percent of body weight reduction with tirzepatide is estimated at $987 (95% CI:$910-$1,077) compared to $1,847 (95% CI: $1,708-$1,991) with semaglutide. Scenario analysis confirmed these findings. Conclusions: Tirzepatide provides better value for money than semaglutide for weight reduction at high doses.