A new study shows that semaglutide—the main ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy—can help prevent serious heart problems in some people without diabetes.
But the drug is very expensive, and experts say its price needs to come down to make it a better deal for patients and the healthcare system.
Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) looked at how semaglutide could help about 4 million adults in the U.S. who are overweight or obese and already have heart disease, but do not have diabetes.
Their study, published in JAMA Cardiology, found that using semaglutide long-term in this group could prevent over 358,000 heart attacks, strokes, and deaths related to heart problems.
These health benefits could save nearly $15 billion in heart-related medical costs and another $8 billion in general health care costs. However, the cost of giving semaglutide to this group of people over their lifetimes would total $344 billion. So, while the drug helps people live longer and avoid serious illness, it still costs a lot more than it saves.
Dr. Dhruv Kazi, the study’s senior author, said, “Semaglutide saves lives, but it won’t save money.” He explained that the drug clearly works, but it’s not cheap enough to be considered a good value right now.
To figure out if a treatment is worth its cost, experts use something called the cost per quality-adjusted life-year, or QALY. This takes into account both how much longer people live and how much better their lives are with the treatment.
In this study, semaglutide was estimated to cost $148,100 per QALY. That’s higher than the $120,000 limit often used to decide if a treatment is cost-effective.
Even after applying discounts and rebates, semaglutide still costs $8,604 per year for insurers. The researchers say the price would need to drop to $7,055 per year to meet the cost-effective range.
The study used data from the SELECT trial and applied it to a simulation model that predicts long-term health results and costs for adults in the U.S. This kind of model helps experts understand what might happen if a treatment is used across the whole country.
There is some good news. The company that makes semaglutide has recently lowered the price for people who pay out of pocket and for those on Medicare. Similar pricing research by Dr. Kazi’s team in the past helped lead to major price cuts for other heart drugs, saving millions of dollars each year.
Dr. Kazi says semaglutide and similar drugs are “once-in-a-generation breakthroughs” that could greatly improve heart and metabolic health across the U.S. But to make that happen, he says the drugs must be affordable and fairly priced for the value they bring to society.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies that herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm, and how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that apple juice could benefit your heart health, and results showing yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease.
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