Cardiometabolic & kidneyCohort study
Cost-Effectiveness of Semaglutide for Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in US Adults
- Cost-effectiveness analysis (population-based cohort simulation study)
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) Policy Model
- lifetime horizon
- health-system perspective
- sensitivity analyses
- Data analyzed from January 2024 and June 2025
Authors' conclusion
Semaglutide for secondary prevention of CVD in US adults with overweight or obesity but without diabetes is projected to yield meaningful health benefits.
Study context
- Population
- US adults aged ≥45 years with BMI ≥27 and history of MI or stroke, without diabetessimulated ≈4 million US adults
- Exposure
- Semaglutide + usual care vs usual care alone
- Outcome
- Lifetime MACE (CV death, MI or stroke), incremental cost per QALY and change in annual US health care spending
- Follow-up
- Lifetime
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
MACE averted and incremental cost per QALY gained
Incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained
$148 100 per QALY gained
95% UI $127 100-$173 400
- Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) averted (projected)
- 358 400
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Change in annual US health care spending
- Projected increase in annual health care spending
- $23 billion
Price threshold for cost-effectiveness at $120 000 per QALY gained
- Annual cost would need to be lowered an additional 18% to
- $7055
ICER at cash price for self-paying customers ($5988)
- ICER per QALY gained (cost-effective)
- $99 600
Original publication
Cost-Effectiveness of Semaglutide for Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in US Adults. JAMA Cardiol. Published 1 March 2026. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2025.5243
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it