Zepbound and sleep apnea: the approval, the numbers, and who it covers
Tirzepatide is approved for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity — as Zepbound, not as Mounjaro, though the molecule is the same.
Is Zepbound approved for sleep apnea, and how well does it work?
Yes. Since December 2024 Zepbound's label has included treating moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity, as a separate indication from weight management. It is the only GLP-1 with that approval; Mounjaro contains the same tirzepatide and does not have it.
The approval rests on two 52-week trials. In people not using CPAP, the apnea-hypopnea index fell by 25.3 events an hour on Zepbound against 5.3 on placebo — a 50.7% reduction against 3%. In people using CPAP it fell by 29.3 against 5.5, or 58.7% against 2.5%. Both groups started between 46 and 53 events an hour, well into the severe range, and lost 17.7% and 19.6% of body weight.
Last updated 2026-09-02 — the newest FDA label version quoted below. Read and dated by Alex Seot.
What the label says
The indication from section 1, and the result as the label states it in section 14.
The indication
“to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults with obesity.”
The result
“In Studies 5 and 6, treatment with ZEPBOUND for 52 weeks resulted in a statistically significant reduction in AHI compared with placebo, and greater proportions of patients treated with ZEPBOUND achieved remission or mild non-symptomatic OSA compared to placebo.”
Zepbound label, Table 9: changes at week 52 (modified intent-to-treat)
| Study 5 placebo | Study 5 Zepbound | Study 6 placebo | Study 6 Zepbound | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who was enrolled | Not using CPAP | Not using CPAP | Using CPAP | Using CPAP |
| Participants | 120 | 114 | 114 | 119 |
| AHI at baseline (events/hour) | 50.1 | 52.9 | 53.1 | 46.1 |
| Change in AHI | −5.3 | −25.3 | −5.5 | −29.3 |
| Change in AHI, % | −3% | −50.7% | −2.5% | −58.7% |
| Change in body weight, % | −1.6% | −17.7% | −2.3% | −19.6% |
From section 14, Table 9 of the Zepbound label, 2026-09-02.
Labels that say nothing on it
No other label on this site carries a sleep apnea indication:
GLP-1s and sleep apnea, answered
- Does insurance have to cover Zepbound for sleep apnea?
- It is a different question from weight. A plan that excludes weight-loss drugs excludes the use, not the molecule, so sleep apnea gives a plan a separate basis to consider it; state Medicaid programmes are required to cover it for this indication. Each plan's own criteria still decide.
- Is Mounjaro approved for sleep apnea?
- No. Mounjaro is tirzepatide approved for type 2 diabetes. The sleep apnea indication belongs to Zepbound's label only, although the drug inside is the same.
- Do you still need CPAP on Zepbound?
- The label does not say to stop it. One of the two trials enrolled people who were using CPAP and kept using it; the other enrolled people who could not or would not. Stopping CPAP is a decision for the sleep physician, on a repeat sleep study.
- How much does Zepbound cost for sleep apnea?
- The same as for weight: the price is per pen, not per indication. The current figures, each with the date it was read, are on this site's Zepbound cost page.