# Retatrutide cut the apnea-hypopnea index by up to 34 events per hour in phase 3 sleep apnea trials

- Published: 2026-11-09 01:24 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: retatrutide, obstructive sleep apnea, apnea-hypopnea index, triple agonist, GIP GLP-1 glucagon, phase 3 trial, TRIUMPH-1-OSA, TRIUMPH-2-OSA, weight loss drug, type 2 diabetes
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-59af07108088ef9b5823a55f_retatrutide_cut_the/

**In two phase 3 trials of 243 and 448 adults with obstructive sleep apnea, weekly investigational retatrutide lowered the apnea-hypopnea index versus placebo at 80 weeks.**

![Retatrutide cut the apnea-hypopnea index by up to 34 events per hour in phase 3 sleep apnea trials](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/8072510d68a30ecd.jpg)
*Airman 1st Class Kaylee Dubois, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain*

Results of two phase 3 trials of the investigational drug retatrutide in adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. TRIUMPH-1-OSA enrolled 243 adults without type 2 diabetes, and TRIUMPH-2-OSA enrolled 448 adults with it. All participants had moderate-to-severe OSA and a body-mass index of at least 27 [1].

Retatrutide is a triple agonist of the GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. Participants were randomly assigned, double-blind, to once-weekly subcutaneous retatrutide at 4, 9 or 12 mg or to placebo. The primary end point was the change in the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI, the average number of apneas and hypopneas per hour of sleep) at 80 weeks with the 9 mg and 12 mg doses [1].

## Change in the apnea-hypopnea index

The baseline mean AHI was 58.6 events per hour in TRIUMPH-1-OSA and 55.9 in TRIUMPH-2-OSA; mean body weight was 119.6 and 115.9 kg. In TRIUMPH-1-OSA the AHI fell by 22.9 (4 mg), 34.3 (9 mg) and 31.7 (12 mg) events per hour, versus 9.9 with placebo. The differences from placebo for the 9 mg and 12 mg doses were -24.4 (95% CI, -34.1 to -14.7) and -21.9 (95% CI, -32.2 to -11.5) [1].

In TRIUMPH-2-OSA the reductions were 19.2, 24.7 and 25.4 events per hour, versus 10.3 with placebo. The differences from placebo for 9 mg and 12 mg were -14.4 (95% CI, -21.6 to -7.2) and -15.1 (95% CI, -22.5 to -7.7). The intention-to-treat analysis gave similar differences: -24.7 and -22.5 in the first trial, -13.9 and -15.0 in the second [1].

According to the publication, 39% to 52% of participants on the higher doses reached either no sleep apnea or mild sleep apnea without excessive daytime sleepiness, versus about 13% on placebo.

## Weight and adverse events

Mean body weight fell by 12.5% to 22.2% across retatrutide doses in TRIUMPH-1-OSA and by 12.1% to 18.5% in TRIUMPH-2-OSA. With placebo the figures were 4.8% and 5.6%. The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal [1].

The trials compared retatrutide with placebo only. They did not compare it with established treatments such as positive airway pressure. The authors concluded that in adults with OSA and obesity or overweight, with or without type 2 diabetes, retatrutide produced significantly greater AHI reductions than placebo. The results apply to the adults enrolled in the trials [1].

## Sources

1. [New England Journal of Medicine](https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2611477)
2. [knowridge.com](https://knowridge.com/2026/11/weekly-weight-loss-injection-shows-promise-for-sleep-apnea)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-59af07108088ef9b5823a55f_retatrutide_cut_the/