The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved Mounjaro as the first medicine to treat obstructive sleep apnoea in adults.
Mounjaro contains the active ingredient tirzepatide and is commonly used to manage type 2 diabetes. Now, the TGA has expanded its approved uses to include treating obstructive sleep apnoea in adults living with obesity.
This makes Mounjaro the first and only drug approved for this condition in Australia. However, it is not yet listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and will only be available with a private prescription.
The drug is approved for treating moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea in adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
Last year, the TGA also approved Mounjaro for weight management in adults with obesity who have related health issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, prediabetes, or sleep apnoea.
Mounjaro is not approved for use in type 1 diabetes or for children and teenagers under 18 years old. Common side effects include upset stomach, injection site reactions, and low blood sugar.
Obstructive sleep apnoea is the most common sleep disorder in Australia, affecting about 780,000 adults. It happens when the upper airway becomes blocked during sleep, causing breathing interruptions.
Professor Brendon Yee, a respiratory and sleep physician at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, helped conduct clinical trials of Mounjaro for this condition. He called the TGA’s approval a “long-awaited development” in sleep medicine.
“For the first time, people with weight-related obstructive sleep apnoea can use a medicine that treats the root cause of their condition,” Yee said. “This is a major step forward in treating this serious sleep disorder.”
He added that obesity is the main cause of obstructive sleep apnoea. At least 70% of people with this condition also live with obesity.
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