A medicine widely used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity is now the first medicine which can be used in Australia for obstructive sleep apnoea in Australia.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) this week expanded the usage of Mounjaro (tirzepatide) to include the treatment of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea in adults living with obesity.
Woolcock Institute of Medical Research Respiratory and Sleep Physician Brendon Yee said sleep apnoea was a debilitating sleep disorder affecting hundreds of thousands of Australians and the TGA ruling was a “long-awaited development” in the field of sleep medicine.
“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,” Professor Yee said.
“This marks a significant milestone in the treatment of this debilitating sleep disorder.”
He said obstructive sleep apnoea was the most prevalent of all sleep disorders, affecting around 780,000 Australian adults.
“It occurs when a person’s upper airway becomes blocked, causing breathing to be repeatedly interrupted during sleep.
“The condition is a known risk factor for life-threatening heart disease and can seriously impact physical, mental and social functioning.”
Professor Yee said obstructive sleep apnoea could affect anyone, and obesity was the single greatest cause of the condition.
“At least 70 per cent of people living with obstructive sleep apnoea also live with obesity.”
He said Mounjaro was a dual-acting therapy which worked by mimicking two natural hormones, (glucagon-like peptide-1 [GLP-1] and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide [GIP]).
“Its role in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea is by virtue of weight reduction, easing pressure on the chest and abdomen and reducing excess fat around the neck and throat.”
