Eli Lilly's weight loss drug reduces sleep apnea, study shows

Eli Lilly's weight loss-related drug Zepbound could potentially be used to reduce the severity of sleep apnea in adults with obesity, according to a recent study. 

Results of a phase three clinical trial, published Wednesday, showed that injections of the drug, either 10 mg or 15 mg, "significantly reduced the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) compared to placebo." 

Specifically, Lilly noted that tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound, reduced sleep apnea severity by up to nearly two-thirds in adults that have both obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep-related breathing disorder, and obesity.

OSA is caused by a complete or partial collapse of the upper airway during sleep. Its effects can lead to "apnea or hypopnea and a potential decrease in oxygen saturation and/or waking from sleep," according to Lilly.

The disorder impacts 80 million adults in the U.S. and can result in "serious cardiometabolic complications, contributing to hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and type 2 diabetes," Lilly said.

"Addressing this unmet need head-on is critical, and while there are pharmaceutical treatments for the excessive sleepiness associated with OSA, tirzepatide has the potential to be the first pharmaceutical treatment for the underlying disease," Dr. Jeff Emmick, senior vice president of product development at Lilly, said in a statement.

Based on these results, Lilly said it plans to submit this data for global regulatory review.

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The adults who were evaluated were not on positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, which uses a machine to pump air under pressure into the lungs, for 52 weeks during the trial. 

Currently, tirzepatide is approved for chronic weight management and sold under the brand name Zepbound. It's also approved for treatment of Type 2 diabetes and sold under the brand name Mounjaro.

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