Victoria Divino

Aims: To evaluate the relative importance of attributes driving obesity medication (OM) choice and preferences among individuals with overweight or obesity. Materials and Methods: US adults with obesity or overweight and ≥ 1 obesity‐related complication completed an online survey including a discrete‐choice experiment (DCE) in October–November 2025. In the DCE, participants chose between 2 hypothetical, experimentally designed OM profiles with attributes/levels related to efficacy, cardiovascular (CV) risk reduction, side effects, administration (route/frequency), and dosing instruction requirements. In a fixed‐choice comparison, participants chose between 2 predefined oral OM profiles. Relative preference weights for the DCE attribute levels were estimated using a random‐parameters logit model to estimate attribute importance, tradeoffs, and predicted treatment choice. Results: Among 800 participants (400 OM‐naïve/400 OM‐experienced, 400 injection‐naïve/400 injection‐experienced), the most important attributes were route of administration, average weight‐loss percentage, CV risk reduction, and the proportion of people achieving ≥ 20% weight loss. Dosing instructions had the lowest relative importance. There was a preference for 1 OM profile (Treatment A—a hypothetical oral semaglutide‐like profile) over the alternative OM profile (Treatment B—a hypothetical orforglipron‐like profile), according to the responses from the DCE (84.2% vs. 15.8%) and the fixed‐choice question (90.0% vs. 10.0%). Only 23.4% indicated that taking an OM treatment on an empty stomach and waiting 30 min to eat would be disruptive to their lives. Most (73.3%) OM‐naïve participants were open to taking an oral OM. Conclusions: Individuals with overweight or obesity prioritise weight‐loss efficacy, CV risk reduction, and oral administration in OM treatment decisions; dosing instruction requirements were of low importance.

Introduction Clinical trials have demonstrated greater glycemic control and weight loss with once-weekly (OW) semaglutide versus other anti-diabetes medications, including sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D), yet real-world evidence is limited. Methods This observational study of adults with uncontrolled T2D (HbA1c ≥ 7.0%) initiating semaglutide OW or SGLT2is (January 2018–February 2022; first prescription = index) utilized linked data from IQVIA PharMetrics® Plus adjudicated claims and Ambulatory Electronic Medical Records databases. Among the all semaglutide OW cohort and subgroups (1: persistent [≤ 60-day gap in semaglutide OW supply]; 2: receiving maximum dose ≥ 1 mg; and 3: persistent and ≥ 1 mg dose), changes in weight, body mass index (BMI), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) outcomes from baseline to 1 year post index were descriptively compared. For the main analysis, changes in weight, BMI, HbA1c, and all-cause healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) after 1 year were compared among adjusted semaglutide OW and comparator SGLT2i cohorts, following inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Results The all semaglutide OW cohort included 772 patients, and IPTW adjusted cohorts included 416 semaglutide OW patients and 1093 SGLT2i patients. Significant (P < 0.0001) mean changes from baseline were observed in the all semaglutide OW cohort and all subgroups, in weight (kg [all: − 4.4; 1: − 5.0; 2: − 4.9; 3: − 5.2]), BMI (kg/m² [all: − 1.5; 1: − 1.8; 2: − 1.8; 3: − 1.9]), and HbA1c (% [all: − 1.5; 1: − 1.7; 2: − 1.5; 3: − 1.6]). Post-IPTW adjustment, the semaglutide OW cohort had significantly greater mean reductions versus the SGLT2i cohort in weight (− 4.4 versus − 3.4 kg, P = 0.0061), BMI (− 1.5 versus − 1.1 kg/m², P = 0.0013), and HbA1c (− 1.6 versus − 1.2%, P < 0.0001), with similar all-cause HCRU. Conclusion Adults with T2D initiating semaglutide OW in the real-world had significant decreases in weight, BMI, and HbA1c after 1 year, with greater improvements versus SGLT2i, and similar HCRU.

Introduction In people with type 2 diabetes (PwT2D) who also have obesity, efforts targeting weight loss, including lifestyle, medication and surgical interventions, are recommended. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between glycemic control and obesity among PwT2D in Europe and Australia using recent real-world data and applying consistent methodology across countries. Methods Retrospective study utilizing IQVIA electronic medical records (EMR) databases grouped into panels based on specialty of contributing physicians. General practitioner (GP) and endocrinologist/diabetologist (E/D) panels were used in Germany and France, while GP panels were used in Italy, UK and Australia. The Spanish database included all physician specialties. The sample included PwT2D with glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and body mass index (BMI) values measured within 90 days of each other between January 2015 and December 2018 (second record termed the ‘index date’). PwT2D had a 1-year baseline period and a recorded HbA1c at the end of the 1-year post-index period. Results The final sample comprised 194,729 PwT2D. At baseline, across countries/panels, 36.8–58.0% were above HbA1c target (HbA1c ≥ 7%) and 39.4–56.7% had obesity (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m²). Mean HbA1c ranged from 6.9 to 7.6% and mean BMI ranged from 29.3–31.6 kg/m². At baseline, a higher proportion of PwT2D with obesity (40.8–64.2%) were above HbA1c target compared to their counterparts without obesity (32.2–52.4%). A higher proportion of patients with obesity at baseline (38.1–60.6%) had post-index HbA1c above target compared to their counterparts without obesity (30.9–56.0%). In logistic regression, patients with obesity had substantially lower odds of post-index HbA1c below target compared to those without obesity in all countries/panels except for France (E/D), Spain and Australia. Conclusions This study presents data on HbA1c and BMI among type 2 diabetes (T2D) populations in Europe and Australia. A notable proportion of PwT2D had obesity and were above HBA1c target. Higher BMI was associated with poorer glycemic control.

Background The efficacy of once-weekly (OW) glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) has been established in several trials in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, real-world evidence on their effectiveness is limited. This study evaluated the effectiveness of OW GLP-1RA regarding glycemic and weight outcomes, and relative to DPP-4i in a comparator analysis. Methods This observational cohort study evaluated glycated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) and weight outcomes in people with T2DM with two or more prescription claims for the same OW GLP-1RA using a pre-post study design (including for a semaglutide OW T2DM subgroup, hereafter referred to as semaglutide). Comparator analysis for the same outcome was performed for OW GLP-1RAs versus DPP-4i and semaglutide subgroup versus DPP-4i. A linked patient population from the IQVIA PharMetrics^® Plus database and the Ambulatory Electronic Medical Records (AEMR) database was analyzed using data from January 2017 to April 2022. HbA_1c and weight were assessed at baseline and at the end of the 12-month post-index period. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to adjust for imbalances in baseline patient characteristics in the comparator analysis. Results In the pre-post analysis, a greater numerical reduction in HbA_1c and weight was observed for the semaglutide subgroup (N = 354) relative to the OW GLP-1RA cohort (N = 921). In the semaglutide subgroup, 52.5% and 34.2% of patients achieved HbA_1c of < 7.0% and ≥ 5% weight loss, respectively. For the comparator analysis, the OW GLP-1RAs (N = 651) were significantly more effective (p < 0.001) in reducing HbA_1c (− 1.5% vs. − 1.0%) and weight (− 3.2 kg vs. − 1.0 kg) than the DPP-4is (N = 431). Similarly, the semaglutide cohort (N = 251) also displayed more effectiveness (p < 0.001) in reducing HbA_1c (− 1.7% vs. − 0.9%) and weight (− 4.1 kg vs. − 1.3 kg) than the respective DPP-4i cohort (N = 417). Patients initiating OW GLP-1RAs, including the semaglutide cohort, were at least twice as likely to achieve HbA_1c and weight outcomes as well as composite outcomes compared with those initiating DPP-4is. Conclusion The study reinforces that OW GLP-1RAs are more effective in glycemic control and weight reduction compared with DPP-4is in people with T2DM in the real-world setting. These findings align with the recommendation in the current guidelines for utilizing glucose-lowering treatment regimens that support weight-management goals in people with T2DM.

This retrospective cohort study described real-world treatment patterns and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) of patients with warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (wAIHA) initiating treatment with first-line (1L) oral corticosteroids (OCS) + rituximab (R) compared to 1L OCS. Patients with a wAIHA diagnosis code (D59.11) between 8/2020–3/2022 were identified using US pharmacy and medical claims databases. Patients initiating 1L OCS ± R were identified (date of initiation = ‘index date’) with a 1-year pre-index period and a variable (minimum 1-year) follow-up period. The final sample comprised 77 1L OCS + R patients and 400 1L OCS patients (~ 60% female, mean age > 64 years). Over the 1-year follow-up, HCRU was higher in the OCS + R cohort with higher mean number of physician office visits (22.9 and 14.4; p < 0.01), including hematology/oncology office visits, and higher utilization of rescue therapy (59.7% and 33.3%; p < 0.01), driven by higher use of injectable corticosteroids. Patients in OCS + R and OCS groups completed 1L therapy after a similar mean duration of 103.5 and 134.6 days, respectively (p = 0.24). In the majority of patients, second-line (2L) therapy was initiated at a similar timepoint: 66.2% OCS + R and 72.0% OCS cohorts (p = 0.31) initiated 2L in a mean of 218.3 and 203.2 days (p = 0.76) after the end of 1L treatment, respectively. The addition of rituximab in 1L did not extend the remission period, with most patients in both cohorts initiating 2L therapy within less than 1 year of completing 1L treatment. 1L OCS + R patients also had substantial HCRU burden. More effective novel therapies are needed to address the high unmet need in wAIHA.

Aim: This study aimed to assess physician preferences for later lines (third to fifth) of therapy in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) in the USA. Materials & methods: Facto... Plain language summary When deciding which treatment patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma should receive, physicians have to weigh the benefits of each treatment against the risk o... Graphical abstract

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), during the 2019-20 U.S. influenza season, influenza resulted in almost 180,000 hospitalizations and over 13,000 deaths in adults ≥ 65 years. The current study evaluated the relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) of adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine (aTIV) compared to high-dose trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV-HD), against influenza-related hospitalizations/emergency room (ER) visits, all-cause hospitalizations and hospitalizations/ER visits for cardio-respiratory disease (CRD) among adults ≥65 years for the 2019-20 influenza season. A retrospective cohort analysis of older adults (≥ 65 years) was conducted using IQVIA’s professional fee, prescription claims and hospital charge master data in the U.S. Baseline characteristics included age, gender, payer type, geographic region, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), comorbidities, indicators of frail health status, and pre-index hospitalization rates. To avoid any influenza outcome misclassification with COVID-19 infection, the study period ended March 7, 2020. Adjusted analyses were conducted through inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to control for selection bias. Poisson regression was used to estimate the adjusted pairwise rVE against influenza-related hospitalizations/ER visits, all-cause hospitalizations and any hospitalization/ER visit for CRD. An unrelated negative control outcome, urinary tract infection (UTI) hospitalization was included. During the 2019-20 influenza season, following IPTW, 798,987 recipients of aTIV and 1,655,979 recipients of TIV-HD were identified. After IPTW adjustment and Poisson regression, aTIV was statistically comparable to TIV-HD for prevention of influenza-related hospitalizations/ER visits (3.1%; 95% CI: -2.8%-8.6%) and all-cause hospitalizations (-0.7%; 95% CI: -1.6%-0.3%). Similar comparable outcomes were found for reduction of any hospitalization/ER visit for CRD (0.9%; 95% CI: 0.0%-1.7%). No treatment effect was identified for the negative control outcome. aTIV and TIV-HD demonstrated comparable reductions in influenza-related hospitalizations/ER visits, all-cause hospitalizations and hospitalizations/ER visits for CRD. myron J. levin, MD, GSK group of companies (Employee, Research Grant or Support) Victoria Divino, PhD, Seqirus (Consultant) Stephen I. Pelton, MD, Seqirus (Consultant) Maarten Postma, Dr., Seqirus (Consultant) Drishti Shah, PhD, Seqirus (Consultant) Joaquin F. Mould-Quevedo, PhD, Seqirus (Employee) Mitchell DeKoven, PhD, Seqirus (Consultant)

Background: Cell-derived influenza vaccines are not subject to egg-adaptive mutations that have potential to decrease vaccine effectiveness. This retrospective analysis estimated the relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) of cell-derived quadrivalent influenza vaccine (IIV4c) compared to standard egg-derived quadrivalent influenza vaccines (IIV4e) among recipients aged 4–64 years in the United States during the 2019–2020 influenza season. Methods: The IQVIA PharMetrics Plus administrative claims database was utilized. Study outcomes were assessed postvaccination through the end of the study period (7 March 2020). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was implemented to adjust for covariate imbalance. Adjusted rVE against influenza-related hospitalizations/emergency room (ER) visits and other clinical outcomes was estimated through IPTW-weighted Poisson regression models for the IIV4c and IIV4e cohorts and for the subgroup with ≥1 high-risk condition. Sensitivity analyses modifying the outcome assessment period as well as a doubly-robust analysis were also conducted. IPTW-weighted generalized linear models were used to estimate predicted annualized all-cause costs. Results: The final sample comprised 1 150 134 IIV4c and 3 924 819 IIV4e recipients following IPTW adjustment. IIV4c was more effective in preventing influenza-related hospitalizations/ER visits as well as respiratory-related hospitalizations/ER visits compared to IIV4e. IIV4c was also more effective for the high-risk subgroup and across the sensitivity analyses. IIV4c was also associated with significantly lower annualized all-cause total costs compared to IIV4e (–$467), driven by lower costs for outpatient medical services and inpatient hospitalizations. Conclusions: IIV4c was significantly more effective in preventing influenza-related hospitalizations/ER visits compared to IIV4e and was associated with significantly lower all-cause costs.