[News Terms] From 'Obesity Treatment' to 'Sleep Apnea Treatment'... Zepbound

U.S. pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly's obesity treatment drug, 'Zepbound,' has been found to be effective not only for weight loss but also for treating sleep apnea.

Eli Lilly announced that Zepbound has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in treating both adult obesity and sleep apnea. Originally developed as a diabetes treatment, the drug is expanding its therapeutic applications to obesity and sleep apnea.

Zepbound, approved by the FDA in July last year as an obesity treatment, is administered as a once-weekly injection. It belongs to the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) class of drugs and, along with Novo Nordisk's 'Wegovy,' another GLP-1 drug, is leading the global obesity drug market.

The body's GLP-1 hormone is secreted from the intestines when food is consumed, stimulating insulin secretion and regulating blood sugar levels. It also sends signals in the brain to suppress appetite, reducing food intake and inducing a feeling of fullness. Drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound have been developed as GLP-1 analogs to mimic these effects.

Although Wegovy and Zepbound are known as 'diet drugs' for obese patients, there is analysis suggesting that by utilizing the GLP-1 mechanism, cravings for other substances can also be suppressed. David Ricks, CEO of Eli Lilly, said in an interview with Bloomberg on the 10th (local time), "GLP-1 drugs not only reduce cravings for food but can also suppress cravings for other substances," adding, "Starting next year, we will begin large-scale research to develop treatments for alcohol, nicotine, and opioid abuse."

Recently, the treatment scope has been expanding to include sleep apnea. In June, research results showed that some symptoms of sleep apnea were significantly alleviated in people using Zepbound. In the world-renowned medical journal, The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), researchers from the U.S. and Australia stated, "Patients with obesity taking GLP-1 showed marked improvement in sleep apnea symptoms," and Eli Lilly reported that "Zepbound improved symptoms in patients with obstructive sleep apnea by up to 62%."

Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing is impaired during sleep, leading to oxygen deficiency and accompanied by symptoms such as snoring, fatigue, and insomnia. If left untreated, it can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, dementia, and other illnesses.

With the FDA approving Zepbound as a treatment for sleep apnea, the therapeutic scope of the obesity drug Zepbound is expected to expand further. Zepbound is the first drug approved by the FDA for treating both obesity and sleep apnea. Novo Nordisk has also applied to the FDA to use Wegovy as a treatment for chronic kidney disease, indicating that the market for GLP-1 class obesity drugs is likely to continue growing.