Zepbound (Tirzepatide) and Shaquille O'Neal Launch National Campaign to Raise Awareness of Treatable Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults with Obesity
Key Insights
Eli Lilly and basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal announced the "Watch This" national campaign to raise awareness of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (search) (OSA), a condition affecting approximately 24 million U.S. adults, with 85% of cases remaining undiagnosed.
Zepbound (tirzepatide) is the first and only FDA-approved prescription medicine for moderate-to-severe OSA in adults with obesity (search), a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor (search) agonist used alongside reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
In 52-week clinical studies, Zepbound (10 mg or 15 mg) reduced breathing disruptions from 52.9 to 27.6 events per hour, with 42.2% of adults achieving remission or mild OSA with no symptoms versus 15.9% on placebo.
Eli Lilly and Company announced on June 10, 2026, that basketball legend and cultural icon Shaquille O'Neal is sharing his personal experience with moderate obstructive sleep apnea (search) (OSA) as part of a new national awareness campaign. After years of dismissing fatigue, loud snoring, and difficulty focusing as normal parts of his life, O'Neal learned these were actually symptoms of moderate-to-severe OSA — a serious but often overlooked condition that affects approximately 24 million adults in the United States, many with obesity (search).
"For a long time, I was tired during the day, not sleeping well at night, and I just thought that's how it was for someone my size," said O'Neal. "When my doctor told me I had moderate obstructive sleep apnea (search), it clicked – this wasn't just about snoring, it was a real health condition. Being prescribed Zepbound helped make a difference for me in my OSA treatment journey; I even lost some weight. If sharing my story helps even one person talk to their doctor, that's a win."
The "Watch This" Campaign
The campaign, titled "Watch This," is a national, multi-channel initiative built around O'Neal's experience. It spans broadcast, streaming, digital, and social platforms, along with in-person community events and appearances. In his own voice, O'Neal shares the symptoms he dismissed for years and why he decided to take action, directing audiences to resources at zepbound.lilly.com to recognize their own symptoms and connect with care and treatment options.
"Millions of people are living with moderate-to-severe OSA and may experience snoring, daytime sleepiness and irritability," said Lina Polimeni, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, consumer, at Lilly. "Shaquille was one of those people, so he didn't simply want to be another name on a campaign – he wanted to tell the truth about his own health on his own terms. That kind of honesty can help move other people from thinking they are just tired, experience chronic snoring, and have trouble sleeping, to recognizing they should talk to their doctor."
A Largely Undiagnosed Condition
Moderate-to-severe OSA is characterized by symptoms such as daytime fatigue, loud snoring, and difficulty concentrating, yet an estimated 85% of cases remain undiagnosed. OSA is a sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by complete or partial collapses of the upper airway during sleep, which can lead to pauses in breathing, or apnea.
"At Lilly, our commitment to transforming cardiometabolic health is grounded in both scientific innovation and patient access," said Ilya Yuffa, executive vice president and president of Lilly USA and Global Customer Capabilities. "Zepbound is the first and only prescription medicine approved for moderate-to-severe OSA in adults with obesity (search) along with diet and exercise. Shaquille's story is a powerful reminder of how many people are living with this condition without knowing it and our goal is to make sure they have a clear path from awareness to diagnosis to care."
Clinical Evidence Supporting Zepbound in OSA
Zepbound (tirzepatide) is the first and only dual GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist obesity (search) medication. It is FDA-approved to treat adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (search) and obesity, and should be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
In a 52-week study, adults taking Zepbound (10 mg or 15 mg) went from a starting average of 52.9 breathing disruptions per hour during sleep, as defined by the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI), to 27.6 events per hour, compared with a change from 50.1 to 44.8 events per hour with placebo. In another 52-week study of adults on positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, those who took Zepbound (10 mg or 15 mg) went from a starting average of 46.1 breathing disruptions per hour during sleep to 16.8, compared with 53.1 to 47.6 events per hour with placebo.
At one year, 42.2% of adults taking Zepbound (10 mg or 15 mg) achieved an AHI of less than 5 or an AHI of 5-14 with ratings on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) of 10 or below, compared with 15.9% on placebo. Among those on PAP therapy, 50.2% of those taking Zepbound reached the same endpoint, versus 14.3% on placebo. Starting averages for breathing pauses ranged from 46.1 to 53.1 events per hour.
Safety and Tolerability
Zepbound carries warnings for potential thyroid tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma, and should not be used in patients with a personal or family history of MTC or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2. Serious side effects may include severe stomach problems, kidney problems from dehydration, gallbladder problems, pancreatitis, serious allergic reactions, hypoglycemia, and changes in vision in patients with type 2 diabetes. The most common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, indigestion, injection site reactions, fatigue, allergic reactions, belching, hair loss, and heartburn.
Zepbound is administered as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection and is approved in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, and 15 mg doses. The medication is also indicated for adults with obesity (search), or some adults who are overweight and also have at least one weight-related medical problem, to lose weight and keep it off.