Cost-effectiveness of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in the treatment of chronic kidney disease: a systematic review.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a severe, progressive condition with a significant economic burden. We performed a systematic review to assess the cost-effectiveness of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in treating CKD.

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, INAHTA, NHS EED, and relevant websites. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, extracted data, and assessed study quality using CHEERS 2022 and Phillips's checklist.

Results: Thirteen model-based cost-utility studies met the inclusion criteria, evaluating Empagliflozin (n = 3), Canagliflozin (n = 3), and Dapagliflozin (n = 8). Empagliflozin or Dapagliflozin plus standard care (SoC) was cost-effective compared to SoC alone in CKD patients, regardless of type 2 diabetes (T2D) status. In CKD patients with T2D, SGLT2 inhibitors combined with SoC were cost-saving in high-income countries under health system perspective whereas Dapagliflozin was not cost-effective compared to Canagliflozin. No study met all criteria of the CHEERS 2022 checklist, and most did not fully satisfy Phillips's checklist for economic models.

Conclusion: Adding SGLT2 inhibitors to SoC is cost-saving for treating CKD with T2D and cost-effective for CKD patients with or without T2D.

Registration: The review protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under registration number CRD42023469005.