Researchers from Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of semaglutide under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, analyzed a nationally representative insurance claims database and conducted two studies on the healthcare costs of individuals who initiated semaglutide 2.4mg treatment after June 15, 2021. Costs were analyzed for the 12 months before and after initiation of treatment.
Here are five takeaways from those studies:
- The costs for 806 patients with overweight or obesity and heart failure were analyzed in one study. For those patients, the average total annual medical costs dropped from $29,654 before treatment began to $22,152 after treatment, for a total reduction of $7,502.
- Per patient per year, inpatient costs decreased by $4,372, outpatient costs decreased by $2,634 and emergency department costs decreased by $496.
- In another study, 1,282 patients with overweight or obesity and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease were analyzed using the same insurance claims database for the same period. Total medical costs dropped from a mean of $25,233 before treatment to $15,957 after treatment, for a total reduction of $9,276.
- Per patient per year, inpatient costs decreased by $5,800, outpatient costs decreased by $2,639 and emergency department costs fell by $837.
- Researchers said the savings identified in both studies occurred despite the additional cost of semaglutide medication.
