Daijiworld Media Network - London

London, Oct 26: The investigational drug retatrutide significantly reduced nighttime breathing disruptions in adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to findings from two Phase III clinical trials.

The once-weekly injectable medication demonstrated substantial improvements in sleep apnea severity among adults who were overweight or had obesity, both with and without type 2 diabetes.

The two randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials evaluated retatrutide in adults with moderate-to-severe OSA and a body mass index of at least 27. The TRIUMPH-1-OSA trial enrolled 243 participants without type 2 diabetes, while TRIUMPH-2-OSA included 448 participants with the condition.

Participants received weekly injections of retatrutide at doses of 4 mg, 9 mg or 12 mg, or a placebo, over a period of 80 weeks.

Retatrutide targets three hormone receptors: glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucagon. Researchers assessed its effectiveness by measuring changes in the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), which records the number of breathing interruptions per hour of sleep.

In the TRIUMPH-1-OSA trial, participants receiving the 9 mg dose experienced an average reduction of 34.3 breathing events per hour, compared with 9.9 events among those receiving a placebo. The 12 mg dose reduced breathing events by an average of 31.7 per hour.

After accounting for the placebo response, the reductions were 24.4 breathing events per hour with the 9 mg dose and 21.9 with the 12 mg dose.

Among participants with type 2 diabetes in the TRIUMPH-2-OSA trial, the 9 mg and 12 mg doses reduced breathing events by 24.7 and 25.4 per hour, respectively, compared with a reduction of 10.3 events per hour in the placebo group.

Both higher doses produced significantly greater improvements than the placebo across the trials.

The respiratory improvements were accompanied by substantial weight loss. In TRIUMPH-1-OSA, participants receiving retatrutide lost an average of 12.5 to 22.2 per cent of their body weight, compared with 4.8 per cent among those receiving a placebo.

In TRIUMPH-2-OSA, weight reductions ranged from 12.1 to 18.5 per cent among participants receiving retatrutide, compared with 5.6 per cent in the placebo group.

Gastrointestinal symptoms were the most frequently reported adverse events during the trials.

The findings indicate that retatrutide could potentially offer a new treatment option for adults with obstructive sleep apnea and excess body weight, including those with type 2 diabetes.

However, the drug remains investigational, and further evaluation will be needed to establish its safety, effectiveness and role in routine clinical practice.