Experimental Obesity Drug May Reduce Sleep Disruptions

WHO:

NY Post - Eli Lilly developed the experimental weight-loss drug retatrutide.

Fox News - The study examined retatrutide in adults who were overweight or obese and had moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); participants included 243 people without type 2 diabetes and 448 with type 2 diabetes.

Fox News - Study co-author Dr. Virend Somers is a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Fox News - Dr. Wendy Troxel, a RAND senior behavioral scientist in Utah, was not involved in the study.

Fox News - Troxel said OSA is often underdiagnosed and undertreated, especially among postmenopausal women.

WHAT:

NY Post - Retatrutide reduced OSA symptoms by more than 50% in 68% of trial participants.

Fox News - Two randomized phase 3 trials included 691 adults with moderate-to-severe OSA and a body mass index of at least 27.

Fox News - Participants receiving retatrutide lost 12% to nearly 20% of their body weight and had significantly fewer breathing interruptions than placebo recipients.

Fox News - About 68% of participants had more than a 50% improvement in OSA symptoms, whether or not they had type 2 diabetes.

Fox News - Hypoxic burden fell by about 75% in participants without diabetes and 65% in participants with diabetes.

Fox News - OSA completely resolved in about 25% of participants without diabetes and 15% of those with diabetes.

Fox News - The trials found reductions in systolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, systemic inflammation, and neck circumference.

Fox News - Among participants without diabetes, insulin levels fell by more than 50%. Among those with diabetes, 40% progressed to prediabetes and another 40% no longer met the criteria for diabetes.

Fox News - Somers said participants reported improved sleep beyond apnea symptoms, including reduced “sleep-related impairment.”

Fox News - CPAP use generally declined during the study, which included both CPAP users and nonusers.

Fox News - Retatrutide has not been approved by the FDA. The FDA has warned that unauthorized versions have been illegally marketed and sold online for weight loss.

WHERE:

Fox News - OSA affects more than 50 million Americans; the National Sleep Foundation says about 80% of cases are undiagnosed.

Fox News - Somers is based at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; Troxel is identified as being in Utah.

WHEN:

Fox News - Participants received once-weekly injections and were followed for 80 weeks.

WHY:

Fox News - Researchers evaluated retatrutide as a possible treatment for OSA in adults with overweight or obesity.

Fox News - Somers said the improvements were largely linked to weight loss, which can improve sleep and reduce sleep-related impairment.

HOW:

Fox News - Participants received weekly retatrutide injections at doses of 4, 9, or 12 milligrams, or placebo.

Fox News - Researchers measured the apnea-hypopnea index, which counts breathing interruptions per hour of sleep.

Fox News - Researchers said further research is needed on long-term safety, effectiveness, and cardiovascular outcomes; they emphasized that patients should not stop CPAP or other prescribed treatments.

(UPDATED October 28, 2026 19:06 UTC)

In two phase 3 trials, Eli Lilly’s experimental drug retatrutide reduced sleep apnea symptoms by more than half in about 68% of participants with overweight or obesity, and some participants’ apnea resolved completely. The 691 adults received weekly injections for 80 weeks, lost 12% to nearly 20% of their body weight, and also saw improvements in measures including blood pressure and cholesterol; researchers linked much of the benefit to weight loss. Retatrutide is not FDA-approved, researchers say more study is needed, and patients should not stop CPAP or other prescribed treatments.