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US regulators have approved Eli Lilly’s Zepbound to treat adults with both sleep apnoea and obesity, marking a victory for the drugmaker as it seeks to expand its blockbuster weight-loss drugs franchise.
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday cleared the way for the drug to be used to treat moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea in obese adults, the company said in a statement late on Friday.
FDA approval puts Eli Lilly ahead in the sector-wide race to build on rocketing US demand for anti-obesity medications, which analysts forecast could result in more than $100bn in annual sales by 2030.
The upbeat news for the company contrasts with that of European rival Novo Nordisk, whose stock fell more than 20 per cent on Friday after disappointing results from tests of its latest obesity drug.
Eli Lilly executive vice-president Patrik Jonsson noted that nearly half of clinical trial patients suffering from moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea “saw such improvements that they no longer had symptoms” when taking Zepbound.
The disorder is often associated with symptoms including snoring, fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness and disrupted sleep.
Zepbound is set to become the first prescription drug for adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea and obesity. The disorder has largely been treated using medical devices, such as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machines, which are worn when sleeping.
An estimated 12 per cent of US adults suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea, and about 80 per cent of that number are undiagnosed, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Other pharmaceutical companies are also working to broaden the range of issues their weight-loss drugs can be used to treat. Novo Nordisk, for example, has filed an application for FDA approval of Wegovy as a treatment for chronic kidney disease.
Lilly shares were 1 per cent higher in after-hours trading on Friday. The drugmaker’s share price has risen 32 per cent so far this year.
