The weight-loss medication Zepbound (tirzepatide) has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for treating obstructive sleep apnea, effective December 20th.
In April, Lilly, the drug’s manufacturer, submitted data to the FDA showing that Zepbound helped overweight or obese individuals with sleep apnea reduce a standard measure of restricted breathing by 63%, resulting in an average reduction of 30 interrupted sleep events per night compared to a placebo. The year-long study included two analyses: one comparing Zepbound to a placebo, and another comparing Zepbound combined with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy to a placebo plus PAP.
“This is the first pharmacological treatment capable of addressing obstructive sleep apnea in this manner,” states Dan Skovronsky, Eli Lilly’s chief scientific officer.
This new indication applies to overweight or obese individuals with obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where throat muscles relax, blocking airways. (Central sleep apnea, a different type, involves the brain failing to properly signal the respiratory system.) Excess fat can contribute to airway blockage; thus, Zepbound’s weight-loss effect reduces breathing obstructions. “Our hypothesis, now confirmed, is that tirzepatide treatment reduces fat, keeping airways open,” explains Skovronsky.
The study showed that individuals using both Zepbound and PAP reported fewer breathing interruptions than those using Zepbound alone—however, Skovronsky notes that the analyses involved different groups, with the PAP users likely having more severe sleep apnea.
Many obese individuals with sleep apnea already using Zepbound likely experience fewer breathing interruptions, but this FDA approval should improve treatment for both conditions, says Skovronsky. Other Lilly studies demonstrate the drug’s effectiveness in reducing heart failure and kidney disease progression.
“Obstructive sleep apnea remains underdiagnosed,” says Skovronsky. “Yet it, along with obesity, poses cardiovascular risks, making this combined treatment highly beneficial.”