Drug reduced frequency of breathing pauses in sleep apnea

Date:
April 14, 2022
Source:
University of Gothenburg
Summary:
A new study has paved the way for the first drug treatment for
sleep apnea. Compared to before receiving the treatment, breathing
pauses decreased with on average more than 20 per hour for patients
given the drug.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A new University of Gothenburg study has paved the way for the first drug treatment for sleep apnea. Compared to before receiving the treatment, breathing pauses decreased with on average more than 20 per hour for
patients given the drug.


==========================================================================
The treatment that has been tested is carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibition,
CA being an enzyme that serves to maintain a balance between carbonic
acid and carbon dioxide in the body. Several drugs with CA inhibitory properties are already available on the market, and used for treatment
of glaucoma, epilepsy and other disorders.

Previous research has not systematically tested whether CA inhibitors also might be used to treat obstructive sleep apnea. The current study was a randomized double-blind clinical trial, and 59 patients with moderate or
severe sleep apnea completed it. Patients were randomly assigned to two
groups receiving either 400 or 200 mg of the CA inhibitor, and a third
group (the control group) that received placebo. The study lasted for
four weeks.

Fewer breathing pauses The results show that, overall, the treatment
reduced the number of breathing pauses and promoted oxygenation during
the night. A few patients experienced side effects, such as headache
and breathlessness, which were more common in those receiving the
highest dose.

The study results together with established safety data of the drug
sulthiame provide support for continued research on CA inhibition as a
new potential treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.

"Among the patients who received the higher dosage of the drug, the number
of breathing pauses decreased by approximately 20 per hour. For just over
a third of patients in the study, only half of their breathing pauses
were left, and in one in five the number fell by at least 60 percent,"
says Jan Hedner, Professor of Pulmonary Medicine.

The fact that several approved drugs in the CA inhibitor category are
available on the market makes fast-tracking development of an approved
drug for sleep apnea practicable. The drug used in this clinical trial
was sulthiame, which is sometimes used to treat epilepsy in children.

Treatment options needed Today, treatment for a patient with sleep apnea
is either an oral appliance therapy or a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) mask. Both help to maintain airway patency during sleep.

"These therapy options take time to get used to and, since they frequently
are perceived as intrusive or bulky. Insufficient user time is therefore common. If we develop an effective drug, it will therefore make life
easier for many patients and, in the long run, potentially also save
more lives," says Ludger Grote, Senior Lecturer at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

The German pharmaceutical company Desitin Arzneimittel GmbH funded
the trial, and the results are published in the American Journal of
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Gothenburg. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Jan Hedner, Kaj Stenlo"f, Ding Zou, Erik Hoff, Corinna Hansen,
Katrin
Kuhn, Peter Lennartz, Ludger Grote. A Randomized Controlled
Trial Exploring Safety and Tolerability of Sulthiame in Sleep
Apnea. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine,
2022; DOI: 10.1164/ rccm.202109-2043oc ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220414165551.htm

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