THE Therapeutic Goods Administration has expanded the use of type 2 diabetes medicine Mounjaro (tirzepatide) to include the treatment of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea in adults living with obesity.
This makes Mounjaro the first and only medicine for obstructive sleep apnoea in Australia and marks a significant milestone in the treatment of the widespread sleep disorder.
Professor Brendon Yee, Respiratory and Sleep Physician at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, said the news 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," said Professor Yee, who was involved in a major clinical trial of Mounjaro for obstructive sleep apnoea.
"Obstructive sleep apnoea can affect anyone, and obesity is the single greatest cause of the condition," he explained, saying obesity accounts for at least 70% of people living with obstructive sleep apnoea.
The drug is not PBS listed for sleep apnoea, but is available on private prescription.
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