A dual gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor agonist used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes also has potential as a therapy for obesity-related obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

During SURMOUNT-OSA Trial Results and Potential Role of Tirzepatide in Treating Obesity-Related Obstructive Sleep Apnea, investigators will share new phase 3 clinical trial data showing that tirzepatide injection significantly reduced the apnea-hypopnea index—the number of times during an average hour of sleep that an individual’s breathing slows or stops—among trial participants.

According to a recent announcement of topline results, tirzepatide reduced sleep apnea severity by up to nearly two-thirds in adults with OSA and obesity.

The symposium will take place on Friday, June 21, from 3:45 p.m. ­– 5:15 p.m. ET in Room W320, the Chapin Theater, of the Orange County Convention Center. The session also will be livestreamed on the virtual meeting platform for registered meeting participants and will be available on-demand following the 84^th Scientific Sessions.

“The study was designed to investigate the impact of tirzepatide versus placebo as a treatment for OSA in people with obesity in two different arms—one otherwise untreated for their OSA and one treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for OSA,” said Atul Malhotra, MD, Sleep Medicine Specialist at UC San Diego Health and Professor of Medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine.

Dr. Malhotra will present efficacy and safety data from SURMOUNT-OSA.

A sleep-related breathing disorder that causes complete or partial collapse of the upper airway during sleep, OSA affects an estimated 80 million adults in the U.S. Those living with OSA can experience apnea or hypopnea that results in a decrease in oxygen saturation and/or waking from sleep.

Louis J. Aronne, MD, FACP, DABOM, Weill Cornell Medicine, will explain how new insights from the SURMOUNT-OSA trial results may impact the treatment of obesity-related OSA. The symposium will also include an overview of the current therapeutic landscape for treating sleep apnea and the potential role of incretins, presented by Vaishnavi Kundel, MD, MS, Mount Sinai.

Richard J. Schwab, MD, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, will discuss the rationale, hypotheses, and study design of SURMOUNT-OSA. More than 460 participants in the United States, Australia, Brazil, China, Czechia, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and Taiwan participated in the randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled master protocol.

Esra Tasali, MD, University of Chicago, will address the cardiometabolic consequences of OSA, which can contribute to type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation, and the progression toward personalized treatment.

Any clinicians, scientists, and fellows with an interest in obesity, metabolism, and sleep disorders would benefit from attending this session, Dr. Malhotra said.