FDA approves first medication for obstructive sleep apnea — which also promotes weight loss

The first medication for obstructive sleep apnea has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

On Dec. 20, the FDA announced that the agency has approved Eli Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide) to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults with obesity.

The drug is to be paired with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, the FDA noted.

Sally Seymour, M.D., director of the Division of Pulmonology, Allergy and Critical Care in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in Washington, DC, applauded the approval in an announcement.

“Today’s approval marks the first drug treatment option for certain patients with obstructive sleep apnea,” Seymour wrote.

“This is a major step forward for patients with obstructive sleep apnea.”

OSA occurs when the upper airway becomes blocked and causes pauses in breathing during sleep, according to the FDA.

The condition is more common in people who are overweight or obese.

Similar to semaglutide treatments like Ozempic and Wegovy, Zepbound activates receptors of hormones secreted from the intestine (GLP-1 and GIP) to reduce appetite and food intake.

Studies show that by reducing body weight, Zepbound “also improves OSA,” the FDA noted.

In a 52-week study, participants treated with Zepbound experienced “statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in events of apnea or hypopnea,” and a large share of participants achieved remission or “resolution of symptoms.”

Zepbound-treated patients also reported a significant decrease in body weight, the FDA mentioned.

The drug can reportedly cause side effects like nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach discomfort and pain, injection site reactions, fatigue, allergic reactions (typically fever and rash), burping, hair loss and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

While Zepbound causes thyroid C-cell tumors in rats, it’s unknown whether it causes these tumors in humans, so it should not be used by patients with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, per the FDA.

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