Evidence mapPaperPMID 42008191Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of clinical pharmacology2026

A systematic literature review of economic evaluations of setmelanotide.

Andrej Belančić, Elvira Meni Maria Gkrinia, Eda Kübra Sel, Rossana Roncato, Slobodan Janković, Dinko Vitezić

Abstract readSystematic ReviewReview
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In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of clinical pharmacology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Andrej BelančićDepartment of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, Rijeka, 51000, Croatia. andrej.belancic@uniri.hr.
Elvira Meni Maria Gkrinia, Athens, Greece. elvira.gkrinia20@alumni.imperial.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-1255-8653
Eda Kübra SelDepartment of Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye.
Rossana RoncatoDepartment of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
Slobodan JankovićFaculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia.
Dinko VitezićDepartment of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, Rijeka, 51000, Croatia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis systematic literature review (SLR) aimed to assess the economic value of setmelanotide, a selective melanocortin-4 receptor agonist, in the treatment of rare genetic diseases of obesity (RGDOs), specifically Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) deficiency, and leptin receptor (LEPR) deficiency.

methodsThe SLR was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and registered on PROSPERO. Systematic searches were performed in Embase, MEDLINE/PubMed, and Global Health, supplemented by manual searches and reference screening. Inclusion criteria included full economic evaluations (cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses) published in English since 2019. Data extraction and quality assessment followed established checklists (BMJ, CHEERS 2022), with findings synthesised descriptively due to heterogeneity in study designs and settings.

resultsFour studies (one CEA, three CUAs) met inclusion criteria, all employing model-based frameworks from a healthcare payer perspective with a lifetime horizon. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) varied: NICE appraisals in the UK suggested potentially favorable or even negative ICERs, while the Canadian CADTH review reported ICERs exceeding CAD $2 million/QALY, far above conventional willingness-to-pay thresholds. Key drivers included drug acquisition cost, severity of hyperphagia, and caregiver burden. All studies noted significant uncertainty due to limited long-term data and small patient populations.

conclusionsWhile setmelanotide demonstrates clinical benefit in RGDOs, its high cost poses substantial challenges to conventional pharmacoeconomic evaluations. Adoption may require significant price reductions or alternative value assessment frameworks, particularly for rare diseases. Further research is needed to address long-term effectiveness and ethical considerations in economic evaluations.

Indexed as

alpha-MSHObesityCost-Benefit AnalysisCost-Effectiveness AnalysisHumansPro-OpiomelanocortinReceptor, Melanocortin, Type 4alpha-MSHPro-OpiomelanocortinReceptor, Melanocortin, Type 4setmelanotideCost-effectiveness analysisCost-utility analysisEconomic evaluationObesitySetmelanotide

Identifiers

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.