Weight-loss drug could help address nighttime sleep disruptions for millions
Two phase 3 trials found that the experimental weight-loss drug retatrutide reduced breathing interruptions and other symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea in adults who were overweight or obese. The findings could matter because the condition is common, often undiagnosed and linked to higher cardiovascular risks, though the results do not establish that the drug prevents heart problems.
The trials included 691 adults with moderate-to-severe sleep apnoea, who received weekly retatrutide injections or a placebo for 80 weeks. Participants taking the drug lost 12% to nearly 20% of their body weight; around 68% had more than a 50% improvement in symptoms, and low-oxygen burden fell by about 65% to 75%. Retatrutide is not approved by the FDA, and researchers said further work is needed on long-term cardiovascular effects.
In short
- Retatrutide reduced sleep apnoea symptoms in two trials.
- Participants lost up to nearly 20% of their body weight.
- The experimental drug is not FDA-approved.
Explained simply
Obstructive sleep apnoea is a condition in which the airway repeatedly narrows or closes during sleep, briefly interrupting breathing. It can cause loud snoring, restless sleep and daytime tiredness, and some people have it without knowing.
The condition is more common among people who are overweight or obese, and weight loss can help reduce symptoms. Retatrutide is an experimental medicine being studied for weight loss; it is not approved by US regulators.
Sleep apnoea is linked with a higher risk of heart and blood vessel problems, so researchers are examining treatments that may improve it. Reducing symptoms in a trial does not by itself show that a medicine prevents those problems.