A review of clinical trial data has found that the weight loss drug tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro, may put obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) into remission for many patients, offering a potential new treatment alongside existing options for a condition affecting around ten million people in the UK. Researchers stressed the drug should not replace CPAP machines, particularly for severe cases, and noted uncertainty about whether the benefit persists if patients stop taking the medication, since weight regain is common after stopping GLP-1 treatment.

Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre analysed two trials involving 469 patients with moderate-to-severe OSA taking tirzepatide, who lost around a fifth of their body weight and experienced more than 20 fewer breathing interruptions per hour. Between 42 and 50 per cent achieved complete remission of their OSA, roughly three times the rate seen with a placebo, with researchers in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery attributing the effect mainly to weight loss reducing fat around the neck and airway. Tirzepatide is approved in the US for treating OSA in obese adults but is not licensed for this purpose in Britain.