Lilly’s Weight Loss Drug Found to Lower the Severity of Sleep Apnea

Eli Lilly revealed on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, that its weight loss drug lowered irregular breathing episodes in patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea in two late-stage trials. The outcome of the trials adds to growing clinical evidence that suggests GLP-1 drugs offer medical benefits beyond weight loss and diabetes.

Wall Street analysts predict that the new data could boost the drugmaker’s chance of getting U.S. government insurance coverage and pave the way for the expansion of the use of its GLP-1 drug, sold under the name Zepbound. Following the announcement, the shares of the drugmaker rose 2.3% to hit $763.9 in premarket hours. So far this year, the value of Lilly’s shares has risen by 28%.

During the trial, one group of patients received tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Lilly’s weight loss drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro. The second group of patients received a placebo. The patients that received tirzepatide recorded a 55% improvement in obstructive sleep apnea symptoms while those that received the placebo recorded only a 5% improvement. 

Lilly’s weight loss drug was more effective in combination therapy

The second trial was a combination therapy where Lilly’s weight loss drug was tested in combination with continuous positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy. The outcome was an average of 62.8% drop in irregular breathing among patients.

Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by brief interruptions in breathing while sleeping. According to a 2019 study published in The Lancet, the condition affects around 1 billion people around the globe.

Lilly’s drug performed better than the 30% to 50% improvement predicted by analysts. Analysts are closely watching the secondary goals of the study which include improvements in the blood pressure levels of patients. However, Lilly has yet to provide a detailed result for the secondary goals of the studies.

Lilly’s detailed data for the studies will be presented in June

Lilly plans to present detailed data from the studies at a medical conference in June. After that, the drugmaker plans to submit the drug to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory agencies around the same time.

The FDA has yet to approve a any drug for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. So far, the condition is commonly treated using PAP therapy. PAP therapy works by delivering constant air pressure which prevents the collapse of the airways. One of the continuous PAP therapy devices that has received a nod from the FDA is the one created by Redmed.

Inspire Medical Systems also has a device used for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Unlike other devices that require the use of a mask or hose, the device created by Inspire is implantable and helps to keep the airways of the patient open during sleep.