Weight-loss jab approved to treat common sleep disorder

A popular diabetes and weight-loss jab can now be used to treat sleep apnoea, after it became the first drug in Australia approved for the condition.

A popular weight-loss jab has been approved to treat a common sleep disorder in Australia, after a new ruling by the medicine regulator.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has given Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide, the green light to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea in adults with obesity.

Mounjaro, developed by Eli Lilly, was one of the first GLP-1 receptor agonists — a class of drugs initially developed for type II diabetes that became popular as ‘off-label’ weight-loss drugs — approved in Australia to specifically treat obesity.

That approval has now been expanded to include sleep apnoea, making it the first and only medicine in Australia approved for the debilitating condition, which affects around 780,000 Australians.

Mounjaro has been approved to treat a common sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnoea, in Australia by the TGA. Picture: Supplied

Patients’ upper airway becomes blocked, repeatedly interrupting breathing while they sleep.

The prescription drug is not available on the PBS — meaning any patients recommended the drug by their doctor would need to pay significant out-of-pocket costs.

In a release issued by Eli Lilly, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research Professor Brendon Yee said news of the TGA’s approval was a “long-awaited development”.

“For the first time, people with weight-related obstructive sleep apnoea can be treated with a medicine that addresses the underlying cause of their condition,” he said.

“This marks a significant milestone in the treatment of this debilitating sleep disorder.”

Professor Yee said about 70 per cent of sleep apnoea patients had obesity.

“Obstructive sleep apnoea is incredibly pervasive – not only does it affect every aspect of a patient’s wellbeing and quality of life, it significantly increases the risk of developing other health conditions,” he said.

Eli Lilly said the drug treats sleep apnoea through weight-loss, as this eases “pressure on the chest and abdomen” and reduces “excess fat around the neck and throat”.

Its side effects can include an upset stomach, injection site-related side effects and low blood sugar.

The drug was initially approved by the TGA last year as a weight-loss treatment for patients who were obese, or overweight and had at least one weight-related comorbid condition, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease or prediabetes.

The news comes just one day after the regulator warned patients on popular diabetes and weight loss jabs must be warned about their increased risk of a serious airway complication during surgery.

Mounjaro fat-loss drug. Picture: Supplied

The TGA ordered the manufacturer’s behind GLP-1 and dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists drugs — including Mounjaro and Ozempic — issue new safety warnings about the risk of inhaling food while under general anaesthetic.

The drugs were initially developed and approved to treat type II diabetes, but as knowledge of their weight-loss effect spread, off-label use skyrocketed — prompting significant shortages that are still ongoing and the development of versions approved for weight-loss.

Eli Lilly said all doses of the Mounjaro KwikPen “remain available” at the time of the drug’s latest approval, and they were “committed to ongoing replenishment of all doses”.

Eli Lilly Australia Associate Vice President Dr Kevin Lim said they were proud to deliver the first pharmaceutical treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea for patients with obesity.

“We remain committed to ensuring that patients receive affordable access to Mounjaro at the earliest opportunity,” he said.

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Originally published as Weight-loss jab approved to treat common sleep disorder