Lilly’s weight-loss drug reduces sleep apnea severity in late-stage studies
Lilly’s weight-loss drug reduces sleep apnea severity in late-stage studies
April 17 (Reuters) – Eli Lilly (LLY.N) said on Wednesday its weight-loss drug helped reduce episodes of irregular breathing in patients with obstructive sleep apnea across two late-stage trials.
The trial results add to a growing body of clinical evidence that suggests GLP-1 drugs, which include popular treatments such as Lilly’s Mounjaro and Novo Nordisk’s (NOVOb.CO) Wegovy, have medical benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss.
The data could also boost Lilly’s chances of U.S. government insurance coverage, Wall Street analysts said ahead of results, and pave the way to expand use of its GLP-1 drugs, sold as Zepbound for obesity and Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes, in a new set of patients.
Shares of the drugmaker rose 2.3% to $763.9 in premarket hours and have risen 28% this year.
In the first Lilly study, patients received only tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro, and showed a 55% improvement in symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, compared with a 5% improvement in those who received a placebo.