Zepbound a popular medicine for lost of Weight can also help people with obstructive sleep apnea, according to a statement from drug manufacturer Eli Lilly, made this Wednesday (17).
Based on results from tests performed on people with sleep apnea, the company said it plans to submit the material to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to potentially expand the use of Zepbound for obstructive sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder that causes people to briefly stop breathing while sleeping, eventually several times an hour. This condition can prevent a person from feeling completely rested as their brain wakes them up when the body realizes they are no longer breathing.
The disorder can also make people much more likely to develop other serious health problems, such as coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke. The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that around 100 million people have this disorder globally.
Although people are more prone to obstructive sleep apnea as they age, the condition often develops when patients gain weight and are overweight or obese. Fat deposits around the upper airways end up obstructing them, which interrupts normal breathing. Previous studies showed that when people lose weight, it can help improve their sleep apnea.
The FDA approved Zepbound to treat obesity in November*. The medicine contains the active ingredient tirzepatide, which was originally approved in 2021 to treat type 2 diabetes under the name Mounjaro. Some doctors have been prescribing the weekly shot off-label for people with obstructive sleep apnea, and Lilly has been testing the drug for obstructive sleep apnea since June 2022.
The company released preliminary results of studies on Wednesday (17) that showed that adult patients with obesity and obstructive sleep apnea who were treated with the drug showed an improvement in sleep apnea compared to adults who did not receive the medicine. The study involved the participation of more than 400 people.
One study looked at the drug's effect on people who were unwilling or unable to use positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, a machine that pumps pressurized air into a person's airways to keep them open and prevent breathing problems. while they sleep. People using the machine must wear a mask or nasal device, and some people find it difficult to sleep with the device on. The other study looked at a group that used or planned to continue using the PAP machine.
You advanced stage testing showed that people had fewer breathing events while sleeping when they were using the medicine, compared to those who did not receive the medicine. There was only a slight difference between those who were using PAP therapy.
Those who took the drug in this part of the study also lost weight. They saw an average reduction of more than 18% in body weight since the start of the study. Those in the placebo group lost 1.3%, according to the company.
After one year, those with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea who were taking the medication and not using PAP therapy saw a reduction of 27.4 events per hour, compared to a reduction of 4.8 events per hour in participants who received the placebo.
In the second study, researchers found that people who used or planned to use PAP therapy and took the medication had a slightly greater reduction in the number of events while sleeping. At 52 weeks, those taking the drug saw an average reduction of 30.4 events per hour, compared to an average reduction of six events per hour in people receiving a placebo. In the second study, people who took the drug saw a 20.1% weight reduction from baseline, compared to 2.3% among those who took the placebo.
The results have not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal. Eli Lilly told CNN it is still evaluating the results and will share details at an American Diabetes Association meeting in June.
*Editor's Note: In Brazil, tirzepatide, the main component of Zepbound, was approved by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) in October 2023, under the trade name Mounjaro, also from Eli Lilly. The medication is indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Source: CNN Brasil
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