Eli Lilly's weight-loss drug trials successful against sleep apnea

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana: This week, Eli Lilly said that after conducting two late-stage trials, its weight-loss drug Zepbound has been proven to reduce sleep apnea episodes, paving the way for its expanded use.

The company added that the GLP-1 drug cut the frequency of irregular breathing episodes associated with a common sleep-related disorder by as much as 63 percent across the two studies.

Popular GLP-1 drugs, such as Lilly's Zepbound and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, are thought to have medical benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss, and the latest trial results add to a growing body of related clinical evidence.

Lilly evaluated Zepbound, also known as tirzepatide, sold for obesity and Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and obesity, and in the first study, patients who received tirzepatide showed a 55 percent reduction in the frequency of irregular breathing episodes.

In the second study, which tested Zepbound in combination with continuous positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, patients experienced an average drop of 62.8 percent in events of irregular breathing.

Wall Street analysts said the trial data could boost Lilly's chances of insurance coverage for seniors under U.S. government-backed Medicare plans.

According to a 2019 study published in The Lancet, obstructive sleep apnea, characterized by brief interruptions in breathing while sufferers are sleeping, affects some one billion people worldwide.

Other than the use of PAP therapy devices, which deliver constant air pressure to prevent airways from collapsing, no drug-based treatment is currently approved to treat the disease.

From mid-2024, Lilly will submit related data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory agencies.

Leerink analyst David Risinger said the data could help Lilly gain approval for Zepbound as a treatment for sleep apnea and obesity by early 2025.

After being approved for chronic weight management at the end of 2023, Zepbound can be prescribed to overweight patients with at least one co-morbid condition, such as obstructive sleep apnea or cardiovascular disease.