By Bhanvi Satija

April 17 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly ( LLY ) said on Wednesday

its weight-loss drug helped reduce episodes of irregular

breathing in patients with obstructive sleep apnea across two

late-stage trials.

The trial results add to a growing body of clinical evidence

that suggests GLP-1 drugs, which include popular treatments such

as Lilly's Mounjaro and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, have

medical benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss.

The data could also boost Lilly's chances of U.S. government

insurance coverage, Wall Street analysts said ahead of results,

and pave the way to expand use of its GLP-1 drugs, sold as

Zepbound for obesity and Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes, in a new

set of patients.

Shares of the drugmaker rose 2.3% to $763.9 in premarket

hours and have risen 28% this year.

In the first Lilly study, patients received only

tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro, and

showed a 55% improvement in symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea,

compared with a 5% improvement in those who received a placebo.

The second study tested the drug in combination with

continuous positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy and patients

showed an average 62.8% drop in events of irregular breathing.

Obstructive sleep apnea, which is characterized by brief

interruptions in breathing during sleep, affects roughly 1

billion people globally, according to a 2019 study published in

The Lancet.

Ahead of the Lilly data, analysts had expected to see a 30%

to 50% improvement across both patient groups. Secondary goals

of the studies - such as improvements in blood pressure levels

in patients - were also being closely watched.

Lilly did not provide detailed results for the secondary

goals of the studies.

It plans to present detailed data from the studies at a

medical conference in June and submit data to the U.S. Food and

Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies beginning

mid-year.

There are currently no drugs approved to treat the disease,

although positive airway pressure therapy is a common treatment.

The PAP therapy delivers constant air pressure and prevents

airways from collapsing. Resmed's ( RMD ) continuous PAP

therapy devices are among those approved by the FDA.

Inspire Medical Systems ( INSP ) also makes an implantable

device that helps keep a patient's airway open during sleep,

without the use of a hose or mask.

Shares of Resmed ( RMD ) and Inspire Medical ( INSP ) declined between 2% and

3% in premarket hours.

(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj

Kalluvila and Shinjini Ganguli)