The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the weight-loss drug Zepbound to treat obstructive sleep apnea. It is the first prescription medication approved to treat the common sleep disorder.

The drug’s maker, Eli Lilly, announced that the agency authorized Zepbound for people with obesity and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. Millions of Americans have the condition, and many of them also have obesity. When people have obstructive sleep apnea, they struggle to breathe properly during sleep and can wake up gasping for air. If untreated, obstructive sleep apnea raises the risk for a range of health issues, including cardiovascular problems, diabetes, stroke and dementia. In June, two studies found that people who took the drug saw a greater improvement in sleep apnea symptoms, including fewer interruptions in sleep, than those who took a placebo. Eli Lilly funded both studies.

Dr. Vivian Asare, associate medical director of the Yale Centers for Sleep Medicine, said the approval “offers up another option” for patients.

— The New York Times