Will semaglutide help people with heart disease and extra weight live healthier longer without costing too much?
Cost-Effectiveness of Semaglutide in Patients With Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
A 50% price cut makes semaglutide much more likely to be considered cost-effective
Most people assume drug effectiveness is the main factor in value—but here, price alone shifts the verdict from 'probably not worth it' to 'likely worth it.'
Practical Takeaways
Advocate for lower drug pricing or generic alternatives to improve access to treatments like semaglutide.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
A 50% price cut makes semaglutide much more likely to be considered cost-effective
Most people assume drug effectiveness is the main factor in value—but here, price alone shifts the verdict from 'probably not worth it' to 'likely worth it.'
Practical Takeaways
Advocate for lower drug pricing or generic alternatives to improve access to treatments like semaglutide.
Publication
Journal
The Canadian journal of cardiology
Year
2025
Authors
Elissa Rennert-May, Braden Manns, F. Clement, E. Spackman, David Collister, G. Sumner, Jenine Leal, R. Miller, Derek S. Chew
Related Content
Claims (4)
If you're obese and have heart disease but not diabetes, taking semaglutide might lower your chances of having a serious heart problem by 20%.
For people who are overweight or obese, have heart disease but not diabetes, the biggest things that decide whether semaglutide is worth the cost are how well it prevents death and how much the drug itself costs.
If the price of semaglutide is cut in half, it might become a good value for treating people with heart disease who are overweight or obese—even if they don’t have diabetes—because it could add healthy years of life for less than $50,000 per year of quality life gained.
For people who are overweight or obese, have heart disease but not diabetes, taking a weekly semaglutide shot might help them live healthier, longer lives — and it would cost about $73,000 for each extra year of good-quality life, according to computer modeling.