Neeti Kulkarni
Utility Estimation in an Evolving Health Landscape of GLP-1 Agonist Treatment for Obesity
Abstract
GLP-1 agonists have received significant attention as a treatment for obesity. Spending on GLP-1 agonists has rapidly risen, but less is known about societal preferences towards these medications compared to alternative treatments such as bariatric surgery. Utility values capture the overall benefits that individuals perceive in GLP-1 agonists and are a central component of economic evaluations of such treatments. However, current methodology of utility valuation might not account for all relevant health dimensions for obesity and treatment-specific preferences. This study will address these issues through updating utility estimates of obesity-related health states to reflect a broader definition of health, while also incorporating treatment-specific pathway sensitivity and subgroup risk aversion that may affect utility. Ultimately, these updated estimates can be used in economic evaluations to accurately represent societal valuation of GLP-1 agonists to impact policy decisions.
I am grateful to the PhRMA Foundation for recognizing my research efforts and supporting my work on evolving preferences around obesity-related health and GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment during this pivotal time in health and medicine.
