Good news for the sleep apnea patients: the US has approved the first-ever drug treatment for them.
According to Science Alert, US regulators on Friday, December 20, 2024, approved Zepbound from drugmaker Eli Lilly for the treatment of moderate to severe apnea in obese patients.
US Food and Drugs Administration official Sally Seymour, while announcing the approval of Zepbound, stated, “Today’s approval marks the first drug treatment option for certain patients with obstructive sleep apnea." This is a major step forward for patients with obstructive sleep apnea.”
FDA said in a statement, “Zepbound works by activating receptors of hormones secreted from the intestine… to reduce appetite and food intake. By reducing body weight, studies show that Zepbound also improves OSA.”
The authority said that they have approved the treatment after it showed promising results in the two clinical trials.
Patrik Jonsson, a senior executive at Eli Lilly, said in a statement, “Nearly half of clinical trial patients saw such improvements that they no longer had symptoms associated with OSA, marking a critical step forward in reducing the burden of this disease and its interconnected health challenges.”
As per the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, around 30 million adults in the US suffer from sleep apnea.
