Experts split on whether Eli Lilly’s Zepbound will hamper CPAP sales

Continuous positive airway pressure “is here to stay,” sleep medicine doctor Atul Malhotra declared in a May 2024 editorial published in the Lancet.

But after Eli Lilly reported the full results of its obesity drug in sleep apnea patients last week, industry watchers are now debating the lasting power of CPAP machines. The trial, run by Malhotra himself, demonstrated that Zepbound reduced the number of sleep apnea episodes in patients both who were using the machines and those who were not. 

Investors swiftly reacted after the data release on late Friday. On Monday, shares of leading CPAP maker ResMed dropped 11% and shares of nerve stimulator Inspire sank 17%. But industry analysts and clinical experts are split on whether this is another example of “Ozempic panic,” or a legitimate warning of CPAP’s eventual decline. 

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