FDA approves weight loss drug Zepbound to treat sleep apnea : NPR

The load loss drug Zepbound has change into the primary prescription remedy accepted to deal with obstructive sleep apnea.

The Meals and Drug Administration on Friday licensed using Zepbound, made by Eli Lilly & Co., for adults with weight problems and reasonable to extreme obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a typical 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 plan and elevated train.

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

The FDA stated 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 acquired Zepbound skilled a “statistically vital and clinically significant discount” in episodes of shallow respiratory or momentary pauses in respiratory whereas asleep in comparison with those that acquired a placebo, the FDA stated.

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

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

The federal approval doesn’t come as a whole shock, as docs have lengthy really useful that sustaining a wholesome weight is essential for stopping or easing sleep apnea signs.

It comes amid rising discussions in regards to the potential makes use of of weight reduction medicine 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, referred to as GLP-1 agonists, was developed 20 years in the past, analysis into their potential makes use of remains to be within the early levels.

Zepbound, generically often called 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 cut back the chance of strokes, coronary heart assaults, and different cardiovascular issues in sufferers who’re obese.