The burden loss drug Zepbound has change into the primary prescription remedy accredited 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 weight loss plan and elevated train.

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

The FDA mentioned research have proven that by aiding weight reduction, Zepbound helps cut 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 non permanent pauses in respiratory whereas asleep in comparison with those that acquired a placebo, the FDA mentioned.

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,” mentioned 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 medical doctors have lengthy beneficial that sustaining a wholesome weight is essential for stopping or easing sleep apnea signs.

It comes amid rising discussions concerning the potential makes use of of weight reduction medication past treating weight problems and diabetes. Along with sleep apnea, there was growing curiosity in exploring their potential to deal with dependancy and sure cancers.

Though this class of medication, 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 phases.

Zepbound, generically referred to as tirzepatide, was accredited by the FDA in November 2023 to deal with weight problems — changing into a brand new competitor to Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster Wegovy.

Final March, the FDA accredited Wegovy for use to scale back the chance of strokes, coronary heart assaults, and different cardiovascular issues in sufferers who’re obese.