American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2026

Eli Lilly's Oral Therapy Foundayo Cuts Sleep Apnea Severity in Phase 3 ATTAIN-OSA Tri

Eli Lilly has announced positive late-stage clinical data for its oral medication Foundayo (orforglipron), showing substantial reductions in breathing disruptions among adults living with obesity or overweight and moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Results from the 52-week Phase 3 ATTAIN-OSA program highlight the drug's therapeutic reach beyond weight management, meeting all primary and key secondary goals across patients regardless of whether they relied on positive airway pressure (PAP) machines.

Key Clinical Outcomes by Treatment Cohort

In the study arm evaluating patients not receiving PAP therapy, Foundayo lowered the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) by an average of 21.1 events per hour from a starting baseline of 50.7 events, marking a 43.8 percent drop compared to a 6.3 percent decline on placebo (-4.3 events per hour). Nearly half of these patients (47.2 percent) saw their hourly breathing interruptions fall by at least 50 percent, while 31.5 percent reached full disease remission or mild symptom status.

Among individuals actively using PAP therapy, adding Foundayo reduced AHI scores by 18.3 events per hour from a baseline of 57.6 events, representing a 27.5 percent reduction versus 3.0 percent for placebo (-5.5 events per hour). Within this group, 33.7 percent experienced an AHI decrease of 50 percent or greater, and 19.6 percent transitioned to mild OSA or remission.

Improvements in Oxygenation, Weight, and Cardiovascular Markers

Overnight oxygen stability also improved considerably, as measured by sleep apnea-specific hypoxic burden. Foundayo cut this metric by 81.4 percent-minutes per hour (55.9 percent) in the non-PAP cohort and by 75.0 percent-minutes per hour (45.8 percent) in the PAP-treated group.

Beyond respiratory benefits, the oral therapy drove consistent metabolic and cardiovascular gains across both trial populations over one year:

• Body Weight: Patients lost an average of 28.0 pounds (11.5 percent) without PAP therapy and 28.2 pounds (11.2 percent) with PAP therapy.

• Systemic Inflammation: Levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) dropped by an average of 48.9 percent in non-PAP users and 38.6 percent in PAP users.

• Blood Pressure: Mean systolic blood pressure declined by 8.6 mmHg and 7.3 mmHg in the non-PAP and PAP cohorts, respectively.