Obstructive sleep apnea affects roughly 30 million adults in the US, causing repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. Standard treatment is CPAP, a bedside machine that pushes air through a mask to keep the airway open. Many people can't tolerate CPAP long-term, and research is testing alternative approaches.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing upper airway nerve stimulators implanted under the skin, drugs that target the breathing control system, weight-loss medications like semaglutide that may reduce apnea severity, and various surgical approaches. Researchers are also studying how sleep apnea drives cardiovascular disease and whether treating it prevents heart attacks and strokes.
Hypoglossal nerve stimulators
Devices implanted in the chest send signals to the tongue nerve, keeping the airway open during sleep. Multiple models are FDA-approved, and trials are testing who benefits most and how to expand eligibility.
Pharmacologic approaches
Several drugs are in trials, targeting different pathways that control breathing muscles during sleep. Some combine stimulants with other agents to stabilize the airway without requiring a mask.
GLP-1 medications
Weight-loss drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide appear to reduce sleep apnea severity in people with obesity. Trials are measuring whether the improvement is enough to eliminate CPAP need.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on apnea severity measured by sleep study, body mass index, previous CPAP use, and anatomy of the airway.
What types of trials are currently open
- Device trials — Testing nerve stimulators, tongue devices, and other implanted or wearable technologies that keep the airway open.
- Drug trials — Testing medications that strengthen airway muscles, stabilize breathing patterns, or reduce inflammation in the upper airway.
- Weight-loss trials — Studies of GLP-1 medications and other weight-loss treatments to see if reducing body weight eliminates sleep apnea.
- Cardiovascular outcome trials — Following people with sleep apnea to measure whether treatment reduces heart attacks, strokes, and death.
- Surgical trials — Testing procedures that reshape the airway, remove tissue, or reposition the jaw to prevent collapse during sleep.
Recently added Obstructive Sleep Apnea trials
Development and Validation of a Multimodal Deep Learning Model Using Peripheral Oxygen Saturation and Ballistocardiography Signals for Predicting Apnea-Hypopnea Index in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder associated with cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurocognitive complications. The standard diagnostic test for OSA is in-laboratory polysomnography (PSG), which can be costly, labor-intensive, and inconvenient for repeated or large-scale screening. Therefore, there is a need for a convenient and non-invasive method to help identify individuals who may be at risk for OSA. This prospective observational study aims to develop and clinically validate a multimodal deep learning model that integrates peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) signals and ballistocardiography (BCG) data collected using a smart mattress system to estimate the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Adult participants undergoing routine overnight PSG for suspected OSA will be enrolled. During sleep, synchronized SpO₂ and BCG signals will be recorded non-invasively. The performance of the deep learning model will be evaluated by comparing the predicted AHI values with AHI values derived from PSG. This study seeks to evaluate whether this practical, non-invasive, and scalable approach may support early identification of OSA risk and improve access to sleep disorder assessment in both clinical and home-based settings.
Nightly Wearable Monitoring During Home-Based Submental Electrical Stimulation for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
This single-arm pilot study evaluates the feasibility of nightly wearable monitoring with a ring-type sleep monitor during a 4-week home-based program of submental transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation in adults with obstructive sleep apnea, and describes changes in the ring-derived apnea-hypopnea index, sleep continuity, STOP-Bang score and upper-airway anatomy on CT before and after training.
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