Eli Lilly’s Zepbound Shows Promising Results in Reducing Sleep Apnea Severity in Pivotal Trials

- Eli Lilly's Zepbound, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, demonstrated promising results in reducing sleep apnea severity in two late-stage clinical trials.
- The trials enrolled adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea and obesity who were not using positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy.
- In the first trial, patients receiving tirzepatide showed a 55% improvement in obstructive sleep apnea symptoms compared to a 5% improvement in the placebo group.
- In the second study, patients using tirzepatide with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy experienced an average 62.8% reduction in irregular breathing events.
- Zepbound, also known as tirzepatide, is currently approved for type 2 diabetes and obesity treatment.
- Eli Lilly plans to present comprehensive data from the trials at a medical conference in June and submit data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies starting mid-year.
- Zepbound's success in targeting OSA in obese patients is significant, as obesity is a well-established risk factor for the development and exacerbation of OSA.
- There are currently no approved drugs to treat obstructive sleep apnea, although positive airway pressure therapy is a common treatment.
- The potential approval of Zepbound for OSA treatment could have broader implications for the management of obesity and related conditions.