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Averaging up to 20% of weight loss, adults taking Zepbound had at least 25 fewer breathing interruptions each hour as they slept
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Up to 50% of adults taking Zepbound no longer had symptoms associated with OSA after one year
INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zepbound® (tirzepatide) as the first and only prescription medicine for adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity.1 Zepbound may help adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea and obesity improve their sleep disorder. It should be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
"Too often, OSA is brushed off as 'just snoring' — but it's far more than that," said Julie Flygare, J.D., president and CEO of Project Sleep. "It's important to understand OSA symptoms and know that treatments are available, including new options like Zepbound. We hope this will spark more meaningful conversations between patients and health care providers and ultimately lead to better health outcomes."
OSA is a sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by complete or partial collapses of the upper airway during sleep, which can lead to pauses in breathing (apnea) or shallow breathing (hypopnea) and a potential decrease in oxygen saturation and/or waking from sleep. One of the hallmarks of OSA is snoring, but fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness and disrupted sleep are also key symptoms, making this serious condition easily overlooked.
"Today, many cases of OSA go undiagnosed and untreated, leaving millions at risk for serious health consequences," said Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president, and president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA. "Zepbound is the first medication that significantly improves moderate-to-severe OSA and aids in long-term weight loss in adults with obesity. 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."
This approval was based on results from the SURMOUNT-OSA phase 3 clinical trials, which evaluated Zepbound (10 mg or 15 mg) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe OSA in adults with obesity, with and without positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy over the course of a year. Zepbound was about five times more effective than placebo in reducing breathing disruptions in adults not on PAP therapy, leading to 25 fewer breathing disruptions per hour with Zepbound and five with placebo. In adults on PAP therapy, Zepbound led to 29 fewer breathing disruptions per hour compared to six with placebo. After one year, 42% of adults on Zepbound and 50% of adults on Zepbound with PAP therapy experienced remission or mild, non-symptomatic OSA, compared to 16% and 14% on placebo, respectively.
In addition to improved OSA symptoms, adults on Zepbound lost an average of 45 lbs (18%) of their body weight, while adults on Zepbound with PAP therapy lost an average of 50 lbs (20%) of their body weight, compared to 4 lbs (2%) and 6 lbs (2%) on placebo, respectively.
Zepbound contains tirzepatide and should not be used with other tirzepatide-containing products or any GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if it is safe and effective for use in children. Zepbound may cause tumors in the thyroid, including thyroid cancer. Watch for possible symptoms, such as a lump or swelling in the neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing or shortness of breath. If you have any of these symptoms, tell your health care provider. Do not use Zepbound if you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Do not use Zepbound if you have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Do not use Zepbound if you have had a serious allergic reaction to tirzepatide or any of the ingredients in Zepbound. Stomach problems, sometimes severe, have been reported in people who use Zepbound. Tell your health care provider if you have stomach problems that are severe or will not go away. The most common side effects of Zepbound include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdominal) pain, indigestion, injection site reactions, feeling tired, allergic reactions, belching, hair loss and heartburn. These are not all the possible side effects of Zepbound. Talk to your health care provider about any side effect that bothers you or doesn't go away.
Please see indication and safety summary with warning below and full prescribing information and medication guide.
This is the second indication in the U.S. for Zepbound in just over a year, following the FDA approval for adults with obesity or overweight who also have weight-related medical problems in November 2023. To learn more about Zepbound and how it can treat moderate-to-severe OSA and obesity, please visit Zepbound.lilly.com.
About SURMOUNT-OSA
SURMOUNT-OSA (NCT05412004) was a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-master protocol comparing the efficacy and safety of Zepbound® (tirzepatide) to placebo in adults living with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity who were unable or unwilling to use positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy (Study 1) and those who were and planned to stay on PAP therapy during the duration of the trial (Study 2). Under a master protocol, the trials randomized 469 participants across the U.S., Australia, Brazil, China, Czechia, Germany, Japan, Mexico and Taiwan in a 1:1 ratio to receive Zepbound maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of 10 mg or 15 mg or placebo. The primary objective of both studies was to demonstrate that Zepbound is superior in change in apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) from baseline at 52 weeks as compared to placebo.
SURMOUNT-OSA utilized an MTD of 10 mg or 15 mg once-weekly. The starting dose of 2.5 mg Zepbound was increased by 2.5 mg every four weeks until maximum tolerated dose was achieved. Participants who tolerated 15 mg continued on 15 mg as their MTD. Participants who tolerated 10 mg but did not tolerate 15 mg continued on 10 mg as their MTD.
About Zepbound® (tirzepatide) injection
Zepbound® (tirzepatide) injection is FDA-approved to treat adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea and obesity. It is also approved in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in adults with obesity or adults with overweight in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition.
Zepbound is the first and only dual-activating GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) obesity medication. Zepbound tackles an underlying cause of excess weight. It reduces appetite and how much you eat.
About Lilly
Lilly is a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world. We've been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today our medicines help tens of millions of people across the globe. Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are urgently advancing new discoveries to solve some of the world's most significant health challenges: redefining diabetes care; treating obesity and curtailing its most devastating long-term effects; advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease; providing solutions to some of the most debilitating immune system disorders; and transforming the most difficult-to-treat cancers into manageable diseases. With each step toward a healthier world, we're motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable. To learn more, visit Lilly.com and Lilly.com/news, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. P-LLY