The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of the weight loss drug Zepbound, generically known as tirzepatide, to help people treat obstructive sleep apnea.

Zepbound, a popular weight loss drug, has become the first FDA-approved prescription medication to treat obstructive sleep apnea.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug Zepbound to treat sleep apnea, a common but potentially serious sleep-related breathing disorder, marking it the first medication for certain patients with the condition.

Key Takeaways Eli Lilly's Zepbound has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for adults with sleep apnea and obesity, the drugmaker said after the bell Friday.Trials of the Lilly drug found that it helped reduce the number of breathing disruptions in an average night of sleep.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved a new indication for Eli Lilly’s formulation of tirzepatide to treat moderate to severe OSA in people with obesity.

Zepbound is the first medication approved to treat people with obstructive sleep apnea, said Sailly Seymor, director of FDA's division of pulmonology, allergy, and critical care.