Trial review
SURMOUNT-OSA and Tirzepatide for Sleep Apnea
Tirzepatide in obstructive sleep apnoea with obesity
SURMOUNT-OSA was a two phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials under one master protocol funded by Eli Lilly and Company. Tirzepatide reduced the apnoea-hypopnoea index, body weight, hypoxic burden, hsCRP and systolic blood pressure, and improved sleep-related patient-reported outcomes. That figure belongs to the population, dose, comparator and 52 weeks shown below, and describes a group average under trial conditions rather than a prediction for any individual.
| Design | Two phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials under one master protocol |
|---|---|
| Population | Adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea and obesity. Trial 1 enrolled participants not using positive airway pressure; trial 2 enrolled participants using PAP at baseline |
| Sample size | not captured |
| Intervention | Tirzepatide once weekly at maximum tolerated dose |
| Comparator | Placebo |
| Duration | 52 weeks |
| Primary endpoint | Change in apnoea-hypopnoea index from baseline |
| Main result | Tirzepatide reduced the apnoea-hypopnoea index, body weight, hypoxic burden, hsCRP and systolic blood pressure, and improved sleep-related patient-reported outcomes |
Show this figure as a table
| Step | Stage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Who was eligible | Adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea and obesity. Trial 1 enrolled participants not using positive airway pressure; trial 2 enrolled participants using PAP at baseline |
| 2 | What they received | Tirzepatide once weekly at maximum tolerated dose |
| 3 | What it was compared against | Placebo |
| 4 | For how long | 52 weeks |
| 5 | What was measured first | Change in apnoea-hypopnoea index from baseline |
| 6 | What the group average was | Tirzepatide reduced the apnoea-hypopnoea index, body weight, hypoxic burden, hsCRP and systolic blood pressure, and improved sleep-related patient-reported outcomes |
| 7 | What it does not tell you | A group average is not a prediction for any individual reader. |
Show this figure as a table
| Item | Weight change | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention group | not captured | |
| Comparator group | not captured |
| Question | Position |
|---|---|
| Average effect in the studied population | Reported once captured |
| Your individual outcome | Not predicted by any trial |
| Effect of a compounded preparation | Not studied here |
| Effect at doses outside the protocol | Not studied here |
| Effect after stopping | Only if the trial included a withdrawal phase |
| Long-term safety beyond the trial | Outside the observation window |
Who was studied
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria in plain language. Say who was not studied — that is usually the more useful half.
What was given, and what it was compared against
- Dose, titration schedule, comparator, and whether the comparator was placebo or an active drug.
Results
- Primary endpoint first, with absolute numbers alongside percentages. Secondary endpoints labelled as secondary.
Adverse events and discontinuations
- Never omitted for length. Report discontinuation rates alongside efficacy.
Limitations
- Funding, blinding, dropout handling, generalisability, duration.
How this should and should not be read
- Explicitly address the misreadings this trial commonly attracts.
How it compares with other trials
- Only where designs are comparable. Say so when they are not.
- Retrieve the registry record and the peer-reviewed publication. Record NCT, DOI and PMID.
- Do not summarise from a manufacturer press release, a conference abstract described as a result, or a news article.
- Where only topline or preprint data exists, label it as such everywhere it appears, including the direct answer.
- Medical review is mandatory on this page before publication.
Questions readers actually ask
Does this mean I would lose that much weight?
No. Trials report group averages under controlled conditions with specific eligibility criteria. Individual results vary widely, and the trial population may not resemble you.
Do these results apply to compounded tirzepatide?
Not automatically. Trials studied the approved product at studied doses. A compounded preparation at a different concentration, formulation or route has not been through those trials.
Related on this site
- Research hubResearch
- SURMOUNT-1 Tirzepatide Trial ExplainedResearch
- SURMOUNT-3 Tirzepatide Trial ExplainedResearch
- SURMOUNT-4: Weight Maintenance and Tirzepatide WithdrawalResearch
- Provider ranking methodologyCore & Trust
- GLP-1 total cost calculatorTools
- Download the pricing recordsData
- Tirzepatide, Lean Mass and Muscle LossResearch
- Tirzepatide vs Semaglutide: What the Head-to-Head Trial ShowsJournal
- Tirzepatide for Type 2 DiabetesResearch
GLP-1 Tirzepatide Review. “SURMOUNT-OSA and Tirzepatide for Sleep Apnea.” S.J Partners LLC, 2026-07-24. https://glp1tirzepatidereview.com/research/surmount-osa/
When quoting a figure, include the capture date shown beside it rather than the date you read this page. A price without its capture date is not a usable citation.