Many people struggling with apnea will now have a new way to help them sleep more soundly.
In two large-scale clinical trials, the drug successfully helped people lose weight and reduced their apnea symptoms.
Apneahappens when our bodies temporarily stop breathing during sleep.
Zepbound is the first prescription drug approved to treat sleep apnea.© Ciara Kimsey via Shutterstock
So Eli Lilly wanted to test whether the drug could effectively treat apnea as well.
Acrossboth trials, tirzepatide did as well as expected in outperforming a placebo.
People lost between 18% and 20% of their body weight.
And up to 50% of people taking tirzepatide were free of any symptoms after one year.
This is a major step forward for patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
So CPAP will remain a gold standard option for many, particularly for those with apnea who arent obese.
By contrast, the weekly injection needed to take Zepbound might be much more convenient for some eligible patients.
Zepbound and similar GLP-1 drugs arent entirely hassle-free, though.
Their most common side-effects include vomiting, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
These drugs also arent cheap, with list prices hovering over $1,000 a month.
So as with obesity, this approval could very well open up a new era for sleep apnea treatment.
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