Eli Lilly reported on November 9, 2026, that its daily oral medication Foundayo significantly reduced breathing disruptions in Phase 3 trials of adults with obesity and moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea. The pharmaceutical company stated that it plans to submit an application to the Food and Drug Administration by the end of 2026 to approve the pill for the condition.
Obstructive sleep apnea affects about 80 million adults in the United States, yet most cases remain undiagnosed. For people managing chronic sleep disruption alongside excess weight, the study points toward an oral alternative to nightly ventilation masks. Foundayo originally entered the American market in April 2026 as a weight-loss treatment, following the December 2024 clearance of Lilly's injectable drug Zepbound as the first medication approved for obstructive sleep apnea.
Breathing Improvements Across Both Study Groups
The ATTAIN-OSA program evaluated patients across two separate 52-week cohorts. In a group of 363 participants who were unable or unwilling to use positive airway pressure machines, Foundayo reduced the apnea-hypopnea index by an average of 21.1 events per hour, compared to a 4.8 event decrease on placebo. That translated to a 43.8 percent overall drop in breathing interruptions, compared with 6.3 percent on placebo, with 31.5 percent achieving disease remission or improving to mild sleep apnea. A separate presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions and published in JAMA noted a 17.8 event-per-hour drop and a 28 percent remission rate in non-device users.
Among 349 patients who maintained airway pressure device therapy throughout the trial, adding Foundayo reduced hourly events by 18.3, compared to 5.5 on placebo. That delivered a 27.5 percent reduction, against 3 percent for placebo, while 19.6 percent reached remission or mild status. The drug also decreased sleep apnea-specific hypoxic burden by 55.9 percent in patients off device therapy and 45.8 percent in those using machines, while participants averaged an 11 percent weight reduction over the 52 weeks.
"In ATTAIN-OSA, Foundayo significantly reduced breathing interruptions and drops in oxygen during sleep, while also improving blood pressure and inflammation," said Dr. Vaishnavi Kundel, associate professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Treatment discontinuation due to side effects occurred in 12 percent of patients off airway machines taking Foundayo compared to 3.8 percent on placebo, and in 6.8 percent of device users taking the drug compared to 0.6 percent on placebo. Side effects were mostly mild-to-moderate digestive symptoms, including nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation. Patients interested in how these emerging therapies apply to their care should check with their treating physician.
