The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug Zepbound to treat sleep apnea, a common but potentially serious sleep-related breathing disorder, marking it the first medication for certain patients with the condition.

Zepbound is the first prescription drug approved specifically to treat the common condition. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the weight loss drug Zepbound to treat obstructive sleep apnea. It is the first prescription medication approved to treat the common sleep disorder.

The approval was based on the results of the SURMOUNT-OSA trial, which found patients had fewer breathing disruptions.

The FDA said Thursday it’s standing by its earlier decision that the shortage of tirzepatide — the active ingredient in Eli Lilly’s diabetes and weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound — is over.

The federal agency authorized the use of the Eli Lilly & Co. weight loss drug for “treatment of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults with obesity.” In addition to the GLP-1 prescription, the FDA suggests that users reduce their calorie intake and increase their exercise.

In a groundbreaking move, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the anti-diabetic drug Zepbound, also known as Tirzepatide, for the treatment of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults with obesity.