FDA Approved First Medication for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
On Dec. 20, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Eli Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide) for the treatment of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults with obesity, to be used in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
OSA occurs when a person’s upper airway becomes blocked, causing pauses in breathing during sleep. While OSA can affect anyone, it is more common in people who have overweight or obesity. Zepbound works by activating receptors of hormones secreted from the intestine (glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP)) to reduce appetite and food intake. By reducing body weight, studies show that Zepbound also improves OSA.
Zepbound’s approval for moderate to severe OSA in adults with obesity is based on two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of 469 adults without type 2 diabetes. Participants treated with Zepbound had a significant decrease in body weight compared with placebo at 52 weeks. The improvement in AHI in participants with OSA is likely related to body weight reduction with Zepbound.
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Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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