Sleep, the thing we all do each night, has come to represent a fast-growing industry worth $65B. For a better night’s rest, just about everything is now on offer — from $6k smart mattresses and zzzs-inducing cereals, to sleep coaches, sleepcations, sleep trackers, and more.
But for people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), who perhaps need the help most of all, none of those solutions are enough to replace cumbersome CPAP machines. Luckily, new treatments that can are finally on the way, per Wired.
No rest for the OSA afflicted
Since its invention in 1981, the CPAP has been the gold standard in sleep apnea care, partly due to a dearth of options, but also because they’re highly effective at reducing mortality and cardiovascular risk.
The issue is that few people use them as frequently as they should.
- The clunky contraptions require users to sleep with a mask strapped to their face, which many find claustrophobic and uncomfortable.
- They aren’t the sexiest things to wake up to, either.
Plus, OSA affects 1B+ people globally, the majority of whom are undiagnosed and none of whom share the same anatomy or symptoms. These new treatments provide much-needed alternatives to address that diversity.
Don’t sleep on these new treatments
- ZeusOSA, a device worn under the chin, sends gentle electric pulses to stimulate the hypoglossal nerve, helping to keep the airway open during sleep. Clinical trials begin this summer, though early testing already suggests it could be particularly effective for people with slimmer necks.
- For the CPAP ineligible, there’s the aura6000 System, an implantable device that just received premarket FDA clearance.
Less invasive are new pharmaceutical solutions:
- In 2024, Zepbound, the weight-loss drug, received FDA approval as a treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnea in adults with obesity.
- But the most exciting development might be AD109, a nightly oral pill by biotech startup Apnimed that awakens the brain stem to keep throat muscles from fully relaxing, while letting your actual brain rest.
The company plans to file for FDA approval this year. If successful, the pill could hit the market as soon as 2027, becoming what one Harvard sleep researcher called the “holy grail” of sleep apnea treatments.
Until then, to the despair of many sleepless folks, CPAPs will have to do. But they can rest easy knowing alternative solutions are dreams becoming reality.
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