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Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Semaglutide for treating T2D and obesity

5. Therapeutic choices equitable access, and limited resources. Central to this issue
is the rising cost of healthcare services. Simultaneously, the
For patients with diabetes, lifelong dependence on glucose demand for new health technologies continues to grow.
management (Hu et al., 2023) and maintaining glycemic As a result, policymakers turn to the scientific community
control on a daily basis remains a significant challenge, to determine which healthcare interventions offer the
despite the availability of various therapeutic options greatest economic benefit. The evaluation of available
(Patel et al., 2023). Recent advancements in treatment options is crucial, as health technology encompasses any
include dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP-4i),
sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i), and intervention aimed at promoting health, rehabilitation,
treatment, or disease management, including, but not
glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) as limited to, the use of medications.
second-line treatments (Laursen et al., 2023, Patel et al.,
2023). Among these, GLP-1RA are particularly notable for 7. The role of Health Technology
their cardiorenal protective effects in patients with T2D Assessment (HTA)
(D’Andrea et al., 2023), as well as their benefits in weight
loss and cardiovascular protection, particularly in ischemic The HTA encompasses a comprehensive review of the
heart disease (Patel et al., 2023). Consistent with these medical, economic, social, and ethical implications of
findings, GLP-1RA has been shown to reduce the risk of drug use. This approach allows for the management of
major adverse cardiac events and is recommended for the the financial impact of treatments and facilitates rational
treatment of both T2D and obesity (Wu et al., 2022). For decision-making by considering all relevant value elements:
individuals with higher BMI, they are considered a perfect costs, risks, and benefits (Morfonios et al., 2013). HTA
treatment option (Guan et al., 2022). In addition, GLP- promotes better cost allocation and increased patient access
1RA is effective in managing fatty liver disease (Gu et al., to innovative treatments (Turchetti et al., 2010), providing
2023), and they have been shown to reduce cardiovascular guidance to decision-making bodies, such as state health
and renal events in high-risk patients with both diabetes policy-makers, healthcare professionals, hospitals, private
and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (Ma et al., health insurers, patients, and the pharmaceutical industry
2023). Moreover, they have demonstrated significant (MorfonIos et al., 2013). HTA systems base their decision-
improvements in the quality of life for individuals with making process on cost-outcome evaluations (e.g., cost
obesity by achieving significant weight reduction (Ma per quality-adjusted life years [QALY]), incorporating
et al., 2023, Gao et al., 2022). Among the medications in additional value parameters to form a more comprehensive
this class, semaglutide has emerged as the most effective assessment. The applications of these systems are adapted
option, based on cost-effectiveness analysis, and has been based on factors such as healthcare systems financing
assessed for modeling practices, potential treatment shifts, (taxation vs. social security), healthcare organization
and long-term effects (Zhang et al., 2023, Laursen et al., (centralized vs. regional), the type of HTA (economic
2023). evaluation vs. clinical benefit), and the perspective taken
(health system vs. society). While some decisions may be
6. Healthcare systems and challenges driven by financial constraints, certain treatment options

Globally, healthcare systems can be categorized into three can limit patient access, potentially undermining the
main types: those financed by national resources, those equitable provision of care and social justice (Angelis et al.,
based on social health insurance and insurance funds, and 2018).
those with a mixed model combining public funding and Moreover, the applied pharmaceutical policy – defined
private expenditure. The Greek healthcare system follows a as the state’s interventions to provide effective treatments –
mixed model, with funding derived from public resources must ensure universal access to healthcare, guarantee the
(public budget and insurance contributions) and private availability of necessary medicines, and safeguard public
payments. This system is divided into three domains: the health. Given the constraints of limited resources and
public sector, the insurance organizations, and the private ever-increasing costs, the formulation of health policies
sector, and aligns with the Southern European model, must take into account of striking a balance between
which blends elements of the German insurance model cost containment and increased funding for health
with the Anglo-Saxon approach to universal healthcare services. Given the constraints of limited resources and
access (Vosoughi et al., 2021). ever-increasing costs, the formulation of health policies
All countries in the world, unfortunately, are grappling must consider cost containment, increased funding for
with similar healthcare challenges, such as an aging health services, or a combination of both (Mossialos & Le
population, the need for high-quality health services and Grand, 2019). In the context of choosing semaglutide as a

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 22 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.8547