Health Canada authorizes Zepbound (tirzepatide) for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults with obesity. The department confirms that the authorization is granted on June 11, making Zepbound the only GLP-1–class drug in Canada approved for the sleep disorder in question. Obstructive sleep apnea involves repeated pauses in breathing during sleep, which occur when a person’s upper airway becomes blocked, leading to temporary breathing cessation.
The approval positions Zepbound as a medication option targeted specifically at adults with both OSA and obesity, rather than as a general weight-loss drug alone. Across the reports, the central points are consistent: Health Canada’s decision is specific to OSA, it applies to adults with obesity, and it confers a distinctive status for Zepbound as the sole GLP-1 therapy with this indication in Canada. The coverage does not include additional details on eligibility criteria, dosing, or comparative effectiveness beyond the nature of the authorization and the drug’s classification.
