FDA approves weight loss drug Zepbound to treat obstructive sleep apnea

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5184x3456+0+0/resize/1100/quality/85/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fab%2Fa9%2F512a1cf245a9b809bb103dd29394%2Fgettyimages-148440835.jpg" class="img" alt="Photo of a man sleeping while wearing a CPAP mask." data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5184x3456+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fab%2Fa9%2F512a1cf245a9b809bb103dd29394%2Fgettyimages-148440835.jpg" data-format="jpeg"/> The Meals and Drug Administration has licensed the usage of Zepbound for adults with weight problems and reasonable to extreme obstructive sleep apnea. Getty Photographs/iStockphoto conceal caption

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Getty Photographs/iStockphoto The burden loss drug Zepbound has develop into the primary prescription medicine accepted to deal with obstructive sleep apnea.

The Meals and Drug Administration on Friday licensed the usage of Zepbound, made by Eli Lilly & Co., for adults with weight problems and reasonable to extreme obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a standard 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 food regimen and elevated train.

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

The FDA stated 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, members who obtained Zepbound skilled a "statistically vital and clinically significant discount" in episodes of shallow respiration or momentary pauses in respiration whereas asleep in comparison with those that obtained a placebo, the FDA stated.

That was true for each members who used a CPAP machine and people who don't.

"This can be a main step ahead for sufferers with obstructive sleep apnea," stated Dr. Sally Seymour, director of the Division of Pulmonology, Allergy, and Vital Care within the FDA's Heart for Drug Analysis and Analysis, in a press release.

The federal approval doesn't come as a whole shock, as docs have lengthy really useful 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 rising curiosity in exploring their potential to deal with dependancy and sure cancers.

Though this class of medication, known as GLP-1 agonists, was developed twenty years in the past, analysis into their potential makes use of continues to be within the early levels.

Zepbound, generically often called tirzepatide, was accepted by the FDA in November 2023 to deal with weight problems — turning into a brand new competitor to Novo Nordisk's blockbuster Wegovy.

Final March, the FDA accepted Wegovy for use to cut back the danger of strokes, coronary heart assaults, and different cardiovascular issues in sufferers who're obese.