The diabetes and weight loss drug tirzepatide (Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes; Zepbound for obesity) was so effective at reducing sleep disruptions in patients with obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that 40% to 50% no longer needed to use a continuous pressure airway positive (CPAP) device, according to two new studies.
CPAP is an effective and the most-used intervention for OSA, but many patients refuse to use the device, stop using it, or cannot use it. Should tirzepatide eventually gain US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for OSA, it would be the first drug approved for the condition.
“This new drug treatment offers a more accessible alternative for individuals who cannot tolerate or adhere to existing therapies,” said [lead author Dr. Atul Malhotra, professor of medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and director of sleep medicine at UC San Diego Health].
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It is still not clear whether tirzepatide had an independent effect in the OSA trial — as has been seen in other studies where the drug clearly reduced cardiovascular risk — or whether the positive results were primarily due to weight loss.
“I believe that over time we’ll see that this particular effect in sleep apnea is related to weight,” [professor of metabolic research at Weill Cornell Medical College Louis Aronne] said.
