Short answer
Zepbound (tirzepatide) is the one. On December 20, 2024, the FDA approved it for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity, calling it the first drug option for these patients. In two 52-week trials, it cut breathing events by about 25 to 29 an hour, versus about 5 with placebo.
What the FDA approved
The Zepbound label lists two uses, both alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity: long-term weight reduction, and treating moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults with obesity. The FDA's December 2024 announcement described it as the first drug treatment option for certain patients with OSA. Wegovy's current label covers heart risk reduction, weight management and a liver condition called MASH, but not sleep apnea. So if your question is which GLP-1 medicine has sleep apnea on its label, the answer today is Zepbound.
What the trials showed
Approval rested on the SURMOUNT-OSA program, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2024: two trials with 469 adults, one in people not using a CPAP-type machine and one in people who were. Patients started with about 50 breathing pauses or dips an hour. After 52 weeks, the apnea-hypopnea index fell by 25.3 and 29.3 events an hour on Zepbound, versus 5.3 and 5.5 on placebo. Per the label, 42% and 50% of patients on Zepbound reached remission or mild OSA without symptoms, compared with about 15% on placebo. Body weight fell about 18% to 20%.
What it does not answer
The label says the OSA studies did not evaluate the timing or appropriateness of stopping PAP therapy in people who were already using it well. So Zepbound is not presented as a replacement for your CPAP machine, and that decision belongs with your sleep doctor. The trials enrolled adults with obesity and without type 2 diabetes. The most common side effects were stomach related, as with weight management use. If you think you have sleep apnea, the first step is still a sleep study to confirm it and measure how severe it is.
Related questions
Does Medicare cover Zepbound for sleep apnea?
Coverage depends on your plan and changes over time. Check with your plan directly, and see our Medicare coverage page for the current picture.
Does Wegovy help sleep apnea?
Weight loss can improve OSA, but Wegovy is not FDA-approved for sleep apnea. Only Zepbound carries that indication.
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Sources
Published 2026-09-30 · Last checked 2026-09-30
Educational content, not medical advice. Made for the United States.