GLP-1 and OSA, page-82

First 82 Last

Share
Profile

Follow
Swage_17

2,035 Posts.

501

25/06/24

12:19

Post #: 74477043
Share

Originally posted by pastperformer: ↑

Yes that interview and article posted by the lead investigator is probably the best summary I've seen so far.

https://www.hcplive.com/view/atul-malhotra-md-tirzepatide-for-obstructive-sleep-apnea-and-obesity

Unfortuantely I can't access the full study without paying for it, which I'm not going to do.

Details on the study design can be seen here - https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05412004

Of note is that the secondary outcome is measured by the change in AHI (Events where somebody suffocates per hour) below a certain level which is technically considered "Cured". My reading of the result is that these changes are so large that simply using the Tirzepatide results in a "cured" status for Sleep Apnea. This is the main difference from previous studies.

However, this endpoint is not really recognised as being "cured" from a clinicians perspective. The reason is that the AHI simply measures the number of events, not the severity of the events or the length of the events. See below:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3917481/#:~:text=The%20apnea%2Dhypopnea%20index%20(AHI,%2Fhr)%20(1).

So imagine you have 2 events per hour, but those events are so extreme that you lose oxygen for 10 minutes per event. This may be far worse than somebody who has 20 events per hour, but they only last a few seconds.

It may be that GLP1's can reduce the number of events, and the severity to a degree, but not enough to actually cure the patient. The beauty of the CPAP device is that has shown to reduce severity, AHI and the length of the events, which is why it is considered the Gold standard.

As eluded to in the interview, the outcome most clinicians are looking for is something that can both help cure obesity and sleep Apnea, because independently there is no evidence that either of these treatments can do both properly. However, together it's likely they offer a solution to both issues. This is the real goal in my view, and would result in more people in the "Funnel" which RMD has spoken about in previous investor calls.

Expand

This 'cured' part is what I'm not understanding. The average AHI fell to 27 after taking the GLP drugs. I quoted that figure off several news articles. This number is still too high to call anyone 'cured'. What I think has happened, is that in the study of a few hundred people, there were a handful of people for whom the AHI fell below 5. Some news articles are likely quoting this to say that the drug 'cured some' of them but in reality these are only a very small percentage. I have not seen any news articles where it gives a percentage of people who have been 'cured'

RMD Price at posting: $27.97 Sentiment: Hold Disclosure: Held
Upvote

0 Great analysis

Reply

Top Stories

YAL

Yancoal makes it into the ASX200 in latest S&P rebalance

CBL

Control Bionics expands into UK and Irish markets with NeuroNode device

GDC

Global Data Centres not clear on future operations after AirTrunk sale payout

RMX

Red Mountain Mining: record gold prices, two projects, two greenstone belts

CNB

Carnaby Resources hits copper at Mohawk, QLD