SharpyRetatrutide Sleep Apnea Results: What the NEJM Trials Show
Retatrutide, Lilly's experimental weekly triple-hormone shot, cut sleep apnea severity by about 44% to 61% in adults without diabetes and about 29% to 48% in adults with type 2 diabetes over 80 weeks, versus about 15% on placebo, according to two phase 3 trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine on October 21, 2026. It is not FDA-approved for anything yet; Lilly plans to file in the first quarter of 2027. Zepbound is the GLP-1 drug you can get for sleep apnea today, and on either one, keeping your muscle with protein and strength work is easier with Sharpy.
Does retatrutide help sleep apnea? Yes, in two large trials. Retatrutide lowered sleep apnea severity by up to 61% in people without diabetes and up to 48% in people with type 2 diabetes after 80 weeks, versus about 15% on placebo. The full results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine on October 21, 2026. Retatrutide is still experimental and not FDA-approved, so you cannot get it from a doctor yet.
Lilly first shared the headline number, a drop of up to 36.1 events per hour, at the American Diabetes Association meeting in June 2026. The new paper adds the full picture: both trials, every dose, the placebo results and the side effects. Here is what it says in plain English.
What is retatrutide?
Retatrutide is a once-weekly shot from Eli Lilly. It acts on three hormone targets: GLP-1, GIP and glucagon. Zepbound acts on two (GLP-1 and GIP). Wegovy acts on one. In Lilly's main obesity trial, people on the 12 mg dose lost an average of 28.3% of their body weight over 80 weeks. Our retatrutide guide covers the drug in full.
Retatrutide obstructive sleep apnea trials: who took part
Lilly ran two sleep apnea trials, called TRIUMPH-1-OSA and TRIUMPH-2-OSA:
- TRIUMPH-1-OSA: 243 adults with obesity or overweight and no type 2 diabetes, at 22 sites in 3 countries.
- TRIUMPH-2-OSA: 448 adults with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes, at 49 sites in 5 countries.
Everyone had moderate to severe sleep apnea, meaning an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 15 or more. AHI counts how many times per hour your breathing stops or gets very shallow during sleep. The average starting AHI was about 54 to 61, which is severe. People could join whether they used a CPAP machine or not, as long as their use was steady.
Each person got a weekly shot of retatrutide 4 mg, 9 mg or 12 mg, or a placebo, for 80 weeks. Everyone also got lifestyle counseling. Our retatrutide clinical trials guide lists the rest of the TRIUMPH program.
Retatrutide sleep apnea results at 80 weeks
These are the results if people kept taking their assigned shot (what researchers call the efficacy estimand), as reported by Lilly Medical from the NEJM paper.
| Result at 80 weeks | 4 mg | 9 mg | 12 mg | Placebo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No diabetes (TRIUMPH-1-OSA) | ||||
| AHI change, events/hour | -25.7 | -36.1 | -33.8 | -11.1 |
| AHI change, % | -43.6% | -60.6% | -58.0% | -15.9% |
| Body weight change | -14.0% | -23.4% | -23.0% | -4.1% |
| AHI cut by half or more | 53.6% | 68.2% | 65.9% | 23.1% |
| Type 2 diabetes (TRIUMPH-2-OSA) | ||||
| AHI change, events/hour | -20.3 | -26.6 | -28.4 | -10.6 |
| AHI change, % | -29.0% | -43.0% | -48.1% | -15.0% |
| Body weight change | -12.7% | -19.3% | -19.9% | -5.3% |
| AHI cut by half or more | 40.5% | 56.1% | 58.1% | 24.6% |
When the researchers counted everyone, including people who stopped their shots, the drops were a bit smaller. For example, the 9 mg group without diabetes went down 57.3% instead of 60.6%.
A few things stand out:
- The 9 mg and 12 mg doses worked about the same for sleep apnea in people without diabetes. The 12 mg dose did not add much.
- People with diabetes improved less. They also lost less weight, which matches what is seen with other GLP-1 drugs.
- Oxygen and sleep quality improved too. A measure of how much oxygen drops during breathing pauses (called sleep apnea-specific hypoxic burden) fell by up to 79%. People also scored better on a questionnaire about how sleepiness affects their day.
Does retatrutide treat sleep apnea or just cause weight loss?
Mostly through weight loss, as far as we know. Fat around the neck, tongue and belly makes the airway easier to collapse at night. In both trials, the doses that took off the most weight also cut the most breathing events. The FDA said the same about Zepbound: the benefit is likely tied to the weight lost.
That makes the kind of weight you lose matter. People on the higher doses lost close to a quarter of their body weight. Fast, large losses can take muscle with them, and muscle helps you stay strong and keep the weight off. Sharpy gives you one daily protein target, one 20-minute strength workout and a Shape Score, so more of what you lose is fat. Our protein target on GLP-1 guide has the numbers.
Can retatrutide get rid of sleep apnea?
For some people. The researchers counted how many people ended with an AHI under 5 (normal), or 5 to 14 (mild) with little daytime sleepiness.
| Reached normal or mild, not sleepy | 4 mg | 9 mg | 12 mg | Placebo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No diabetes | 32.1% | 54.3% | 45.5% | 10.4% |
| Type 2 diabetes | 24.6% | 44.2% | 42.3% | 13.1% |
So roughly half of people on the higher doses got there, and half did not. Do not stop or change your CPAP on your own. A repeat sleep study with your doctor is the only way to know if you still need it.
Retatrutide vs tirzepatide (Zepbound) for sleep apnea
Zepbound is the only GLP-1 drug the FDA has approved for obstructive sleep apnea. It was approved on December 20, 2024, for adults with obesity and moderate to severe sleep apnea.
| Retatrutide | Zepbound (tirzepatide) | |
|---|---|---|
| FDA status for sleep apnea | Not approved; filing planned Q1 2027 | Approved December 20, 2024 |
| Main trials | TRIUMPH-1-OSA and TRIUMPH-2-OSA | SURMOUNT-OSA 1 and 2 |
| Trial length | 80 weeks | 52 weeks |
| People with type 2 diabetes | Tested (TRIUMPH-2-OSA) | Not included |
| AHI change, no diabetes | -25.7 to -36.1 events/hour | -25.3 to -29.3 events/hour |
| AHI change on placebo | -11.1 events/hour | -5.3 to -5.5 events/hour |
The numbers look close, but they come from separate trials of different lengths. No study has put the two drugs side by side. Our Zepbound sleep apnea guide covers the approval, insurance and Medicare rules.
Retatrutide side effects in the sleep apnea trials
The side effects matched what Lilly reported in its other retatrutide trials:
- Diarrhea was the most common: 30% to 44% of people on retatrutide without diabetes, and 25% to 37% with diabetes, versus 10% to 15% on placebo.
- Stopping because of side effects: 0% to 8% on retatrutide without diabetes and 2% to 9% with diabetes, versus 4% to 6% on placebo.
- Dysesthesia, an odd skin feeling like tingling or burning, affected 8% to 13% of people on the two higher doses in the no-diabetes trial.
- There was one confirmed case of pancreatitis, on the 12 mg dose.
The GLP-1 and sleep guide has habits that help if nausea or reflux keeps you up at night.
When will retatrutide be available for sleep apnea?
Not before 2027. On July 23, 2026, Lilly said it plans to submit retatrutide to the FDA in the first quarter of 2027, once its manufacturing data package is done. Lilly said the trial results support filings for obesity, knee osteoarthritis pain and obstructive sleep apnea. FDA review usually takes many months after a filing, and approval is not guaranteed.
Until then, retatrutide sold online is not legal for human use, and products labeled as research peptides have no quality checks. If you have sleep apnea now, ask your doctor about CPAP and approved drugs like Zepbound.
The bottom line
Retatrutide is the second weight-loss shot, after Zepbound, to show a big drop in sleep apnea severity in phase 3 trials, and its trials included people with type 2 diabetes. It is not available yet. Whatever path you take, the weight that comes off should be fat, not muscle. Sharpy helps you track protein and strength work every day.
Sources
- Grunstein RR, Somers VK, Azarbarzin A, et al. Retatrutide Once Weekly for Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. N Engl J Med, published online October 21, 2026
- What is the impact of retatrutide in patients with obesity or overweight and obstructive sleep apnea? Lilly Medical
- Retatrutide results presented at ADA 2026, Eli Lilly, June 6, 2026
- Retatrutide successful in two additional Phase 3 obesity trials, Eli Lilly, July 23, 2026
- FDA approves first medication for obstructive sleep apnea, FDA, December 20, 2024
- Malhotra A, et al. Tirzepatide for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity. N Engl J Med 2024;391:1193-1205
Questions people ask
Does retatrutide help with sleep apnea?
In trials, yes. In TRIUMPH-1-OSA (243 adults without diabetes), the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) fell by 25.7 to 36.1 events per hour at 80 weeks on retatrutide, versus 11.1 on placebo. In TRIUMPH-2-OSA (448 adults with type 2 diabetes), it fell by 20.3 to 28.4 events per hour, versus 10.6 on placebo. These numbers assume people kept taking the drug.
Is retatrutide approved for sleep apnea?
No. As of October 23, 2026, retatrutide is not approved by the FDA for any use. Lilly said in July 2026 that it plans to submit it to the FDA in the first quarter of 2027, and that its data support filings for obesity, knee osteoarthritis pain and obstructive sleep apnea. Approval is not guaranteed.
Is retatrutide better than Zepbound for sleep apnea?
Nobody knows yet, because no trial has compared them head to head. Retatrutide was tested for 80 weeks and Zepbound (tirzepatide) for 52 weeks, with different people and different rules. Zepbound is FDA-approved for moderate to severe sleep apnea in adults with obesity, so it is the option your doctor can actually prescribe today.
Can retatrutide cure sleep apnea?
Not for everyone. In the trial without diabetes, about 45% to 54% of people on the two higher doses ended up with an AHI under 5, or 5 to 14 with little daytime sleepiness, versus about 10% on placebo. That means about half did not. Only a repeat sleep study can tell where a person stands.
Can retatrutide cause sleep apnea?
There is no sign of that in the published trials. In both sleep apnea trials, breathing events went down on every retatrutide dose. Some people do report poor sleep on GLP-1 drugs from nausea or reflux, which is different from sleep apnea. If your snoring or breathing at night gets worse, see a doctor.
Should I buy retatrutide online for sleep apnea?
No. Retatrutide cannot be legally sold for human use in the US, so anything sold online is unapproved and untested. Products sold as research peptides can be the wrong strength or contaminated. Talk to your doctor about approved options like Zepbound and CPAP.