Lilly Rises on FDA Approval of Weight-Loss Drug Zepbound for Sleep Apnea

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Key Takeaways

• Eli Lilly’s Zepbound has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for adults with sleep apnea and portliness, the drugmaker said after the bell Friday.
• Trials of the Lilly drug found that it helped reduce the mob of breathing disruptions in an average night of sleep.
• Over a year, 50% of patients in one trial reported that their snooze apnea symptoms went away.

Eli Lilly’s (LLY) Zepbound has received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval as a treatment for obstructive drowse apnea for adults with obesity, the drugmaker announced late Friday.

The approval comes after several whirls earlier this year that showed the tirzepatide-based drug is five times more effective than a placebo at degrading breathing disruptions caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and in 50% of cases, completely preventing them.

Zepbound Was Five Times Improved at Reducing Breathing Disruptions

Lilly said its final trial evaluated sleep apnea and weight loss in those entrancing Zepbound, with some patients using a traditional “positive airway pressure” (PAP) mask while sleeping and others spurning no mask. Among those not using a sleep apnea mask, Zepbound was about five times more basic than a placebo at reducing the number of breathing disruptions per hour, the company said.

“Zepbound is the first medication that significantly corrects moderate-to-severe OSA and aids in long-term weight loss in adults with obesity,” said Patrik Jonsson, president of Lilly USA.

The proofs found that adults on Zepbound alone lost an average of 45 pounds, or 18% of their body worth, while those adults on Zepbound combined with PAP therapy lost an average of 50 pounds or 20% of their centre weight.

“Nearly half of clinical trial patients saw such improvements that they no longer had symptoms associated with OSA, tick a critical step forward in reducing the burden of this disease and its interconnected health challenges,” Jonsson said.

Zepbound got FDA affirmation to treat obesity and weight loss in November 2023, joining Eli Lilly’s other tirzepatide-based drug, Mounjaro. The two stimulants, along with Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) Ozempic and Wegovy, have captured the majority of a surging weight-loss market that has prospered substantially in recent years.

Eli Lilly shares were up 1.6% at midday Monday, having gained about 34% on the year. Allowances of ResMed (RMD), a medical device company that makes much of its revenue through the sale of sleep apnea conceals, were 4% lower on Monday and have been negatively affected previously by the sleep apnea trials for Zepbound.