Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide versus polyethylene glycol loxenatide (PEG-loxenatide) in patients with type 2 diabetes uncontrolled on metformin, from a Chinese healthcare systems perspective. Methods:The study applied the Swedish Institute of Health Economics Diabetes Cohort Model to evaluate the long-term clinical and economic outcomes of once-weekly treatment of semaglutide at 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg, respectively, versus PEG-loxenatide 0.2 mg, over a 40-year time horizon. Baseline cohort characteristics were collected from the SUSTAIN China trial. A network meta-analysis was conducted to obtain comparative treatment effects of onceweekly semaglutide and PEG-loxenatide based on two phase 3a clinical trials. Drug costs were sourced from the national bidding price of China. Outcomes were discounted at 5.0% per Lei Liu and Zhen Ruan share co-first authorship.

AimsThe cost of drug regimens prescribed to Chinese patients has not been evaluated. This study aims to evaluate the medical costs and hypoglycemic agents for diabetes mellitus patients with or without chronic respiratory disease in Beijing, and to investigate the changes in the costs and number of antidiabetic medications used for diabetes patients with chronic respiratory disease from 2016 to 2018.MethodsThis observational, retrospective study included diabetes patients with outpatient medication records from Beijing Medical Insurance between 2016 and 2018. The medications, including hypoglycemic and nonhypoglycemic drugs, insulin dosage, comorbidities, diabetes-related complications, treatment strategies, and annual medical costs, were recorded.ResultsThis study included 2,853,036 diabetes patients from 2016 to 2018. About 18.95%–20.53% of patients with chronic respiratory disease were predominantly distributed among those aged 45–84 years (88.7%–89.1%). Diabetes patients with chronic respiratory disease used more medications (4.48 ± 2.41 vs. 3.76 ± 2.33) and had higher total annual drug costs (¥12,286 ± 10,385 vs. ¥9700 ± 9202) to treat more comorbidities (2.52 ± 1.53 vs. 2.05 ± 1.85) than those without chronic respiratory disease (p <.0001, respectively). From 2016 to 2018, diabetes patients with chronic respiratory disease had a 4.2% increase in medication, a 1.9% decrease in comorbidities, and a 5.4% decrease in total annual drug costs.ConclusionsIn summary, diabetes patients with chronic respiratory disease had more comorbidities, required more hypoglycemic drugs, and had higher medical costs. During 2016–2018, diabetes patients with chronic respiratory disease used more medications and spent less money on medical care.