Eli Lilly’s Zepbound Reduces Sleep Apnea in Obese Adults

Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, a weight loss drug, showed promise in treating sleep apnea in obese adults, the company announced Wednesday. Results from late-stage trials indicated that participants using Zepbound experienced fewer sleep apnea events per hour compared to those using a placebo.

Participants in two studies who used Zepbound experienced fewer apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) events per hour compared to those who used a placebo after 52 weeks. All participants were adults with obesity and moderate to severe sleep apnea.

In the first study, Zepbound led to an average reduction of 27.4 AHI events per hour among participants who did not use a positive airway pressure (PAP) machine, compared to 4.8 events per hour among those who took a placebo. In the second study, where participants used PAP machines, Zepbound resulted in an average reduction of 30.4 events per hour compared to 6 events per hour for the placebo group.

Eli Lilly attributed Zepbound’s success in reducing sleep apnea events to its ability to help participants lose weight, as they lost about 20% of their body weight in either trial.

Eli Lilly plans to submit its research to the FDA for regulatory approval to treat obstructive sleep apnea. According to the National Council on Aging, an estimated 39 million adults in the U.S. are affected by obstructive sleep apnea, though Eli estimates about 85% of cases are undiagnosed.

In 2022, the FDA granted Zepbound “fast track” approval to study the drug’s uses for overweight or obese adults with comorbidities like sleep apnea. People with sleep apnea face an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, according to the CDC. Obese adults are at a higher risk of developing sleep apnea symptoms, the CDC said.

GLP-1 agonists like Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and other drugs have gained popularity for weight loss or diabetes. Studies have suggested they could be useful for other conditions. A study published last month found that a weekly injection of semaglutide, the generic name for Ozempic and Wegovy, reduced the severity of liver disease in people with HIV. Eli Lilly also indicated promising results for treating fatty liver disease in a midstage trial of Zepbound.