Dec 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

on Friday approved Eli Lilly's ( LLY ) weight-loss treatment,

Zepbound, for obstructive sleep apnea, making it the first drug

greenlighted to directly treat patients with the common sleeping

disorder.

The regulator approved the drug for moderate to severe

obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity, the company

said.

Sleep apnea patients stop breathing briefly while sleeping,

disturbing the sleep cycle and causing long-term complications

such as heart conditions. The condition affects roughly one

billion people globally.

"Too often, obstructive sleep apnea is brushed off as 'just

snoring' - but it's far more than that," said Julie Flygare, CEO

of non-profit organization Project Sleep.

Common treatments for the condition include CPAP

machines, which involve wearing a mask over the face while

sleeping, surgery, as well as losing weight.

Zepbound and Lilly's widely used diabetes drug, Mounjaro,

both chemically called tirzepatide, belong to a class of drugs

called GLP-1 agonists.

Originally developed for type 2 diabetes, they also reduce

food cravings and cause the stomach to empty more slowly.

U.S.-based Lilly and Danish rival Novo Nordisk

are testing their blockbuster obesity drugs for a range of

conditions as they race to show that they have other health

benefits.

Regulators can expand approval for medicines if new data

shows them to be effective in other therapeutic areas.