FDA approves weight loss drug Zepbound to treat obstructive sleep apnea

The burden loss drug Zepbound has grow to be the primary prescription remedy accepted to deal with obstructive sleep apnea.

The Meals and Drug Administration on Friday approved using Zepbound, made by Eli Lilly & Co., for adults with weight problems and reasonable to extreme obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a standard situation the place an individual struggles to breathe correctly throughout sleep. The federal company advises that the drug is utilized in mixture with a reduced-calorie food regimen and elevated train.

Sleep apnea happens when an individual’s higher airway turns into blocked. Whereas it might have an effect on anybody, it’s extra prevalent amongst those that are chubby.

The FDA mentioned research have proven that by aiding weight reduction, Zepbound helps scale back sleep apnea signs in some sufferers.

In two research with adults who had weight problems and reasonable to extreme OSA over a 52-week interval, individuals who obtained Zepbound skilled a “statistically important and clinically significant discount” in episodes of shallow respiratory or short-term pauses in respiratory whereas asleep in comparison with those that obtained a placebo, the FDA mentioned.

That was true for each individuals who used a CPAP machine and people who don’t.

“It is a main step ahead for sufferers with obstructive sleep apnea,” mentioned Dr. Sally Seymour, director of the Division of Pulmonology, Allergy, and Important Care within the FDA’s Middle for Drug Analysis and Analysis, in an announcement.

The federal approval doesn’t come as an entire shock, as medical doctors have lengthy advisable that sustaining a wholesome weight is essential for stopping or easing sleep apnea signs.

It comes amid rising discussions concerning the potential makes use of of weight reduction medication past treating weight problems and diabetes. Along with sleep apnea, there was rising curiosity in exploring their potential to deal with habit and sure cancers.

Though this class of medicine, known as GLP-1 agonists, was developed 20 years in the past, analysis into their potential makes use of continues to be within the early levels.

Zepbound, generically often known as tirzepatide, was accepted by the FDA in November 2023 to deal with weight problems — turning into a brand new competitor to Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster Wegovy.

Final March, the FDA accepted Wegovy for use to scale back the chance of strokes, coronary heart assaults, and different cardiovascular issues in sufferers who’re chubby.