Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug succeeds in trials with sleep apnea patients
(Reuters) – Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug succeeded in two late-stage trials testing it in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, the company said on Wednesday.
The drug, chemically known as tirzepatide, helped cut the frequency of irregular breathing by as much as 63% on average across the two trials in patients with the condition.
Lilly said the drug’s safety profile was similar to that observed in previous studies.
Weight-loss drugs such as Lilly’s Zepbound and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, called GLP-1 agonists, have already brought in billions of dollars in sales as treatments for obesity and diabetes.
Lilly’s trial results add to a growing body of clinical evidence that suggests GLP-1 drugs have medical benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss.
(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Shinjini Ganguli)