Eli Lilly said the Food and Drug Administration approved Zepbound (Tirzepatide) for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity.
Zepbound, or tirzepatide, is the first and only prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. The drug is already approved treatment of adults with obesity or who are overweight with weight-related comorbidities.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep-related breathing disorder which can cause complete or partial collapses of the upper airway during sleep. Sleep apnea is much more common in patients who are overweight.
Adults taking Zepbound averaged up to 20% of weight loss, and had at least 25 fewer breathing interruptions each hour as they slept, the company said. Up to 50% of adults taking Zepbound no longer had symptoms associated with OSA after one year, according to the company.
