A phase 3 trial
The SynAIRgy trial assessed an oral treatment in 646 patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. The principle differs from CPAP: instead of holding the airway open mechanically with pressurised air, the drug aims to strengthen the tone of the muscles that keep it open during sleep.
The reported results show a significant reduction in the number of apnoeas and hypopnoeas per hour of sleep.
Which patients could benefit?
The main interest concerns patients who cannot tolerate continuous positive airway pressure. Despite considerable progress in masks and machines, a proportion of treated patients eventually abandons therapy.
A daily tablet would remove that obstacle and make it possible to treat people currently left without an effective solution.
A word of caution: nothing is available today
This treatment is not marketed in France and has no marketing authorisation. The results still need to be confirmed, and both long-term efficacy and tolerance remain to be established.
Under no circumstances should a patient on CPAP stop their therapy on the basis of this information: to date, continuous positive airway pressure remains the reference treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnoea. Any change of treatment must be discussed with your doctor.
This article is provided for information only and does not replace medical advice. For any question about your own situation, talk to your doctor.
