From Lab to Life

From Lab to Life: New Help for Sleep Apnea  

An incredibly large number of people suffer from sleep apnea.

“Approximately 1 billion people worldwide suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Around 936 million adults aged 30 to 69 have mild-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea globally. About 425 million adults suffer from moderate-to-severe forms of the condition. Up to 80% to 90% of people who have sleep apnea remain undiagnosed and do not know they have it.”

Perhaps the leading sleep apnea researcher – and someone who revealed to the world the very high frequency of sleep apnea – is former Technion President Perez Lavie.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Sleep apnea is a potentially serious condition that causes breathing to stop and start several times during sleep. People with the condition snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night of sleep”.  It is known to be related to cardiac problems.

Science Daily now reports on “a once-nightly oral medication that significantly improved OSA obstructive sleep apnea, in a large phase 3 clinical trial.” The drug treats OSA by targeting the neuromuscular problems that contribute to airway collapse during sleep.  **

** Patrick Strollo et al. “Aroxybutynin and Atomoxetine (AD109) for Obstructuve Sleep Apnea: A Randomized Phase 3 Trial”, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2026.

In the trial, those who received AD109 experienced fewer interruptions in breathing, less oxygen deprivation and better overall blood oxygen levels while they sleep. More than 40% improved enough to move into a less severe OSA category, while 18 % achieved complete disease control.

The current gold standard of OSA treatment is ‘continuous positive airway pressure” CPAP -– a very obstructive, uncomfortable device one wears at night, on the face.  Many have trouble tolerating it.

It is striking, and unacceptable, that “the majority of undiagnosed patients remain untreated or undertreated. Yet that remains the reality in OSA,” said Dr. Strollo, from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Hopefully, help is on the way.  I have close friends who wear CPAPs, every night, and have for years. Perhaps one day they will take a pill before bedtime…and sleep normally!