Combination Drug-Therapy for Patients With Untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Summary

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common and associated with many adverse health consequences, but many patients are unable to tolerate standard therapies such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and thus remain untreated. Single-drug therapies have shown promising results in treating sleep apnea, but on average patients have only experienced partial relief. Multi-drug therapy may offer a more effective treatment approach. The goal of this study is to test the effect of combination therapy with three FDA-approved drugs (Diamox \[acetazolamide\], Lunesta \[eszopiclone\] +/- Effexor \[venlafaxine\]) on OSA severity and physiology.

Timeline

Start

2020-12-01

Primary completion

2022-01-27

Completion

2022-01-27

Publications

• Schmickl CN, Orr JE, Alex RM, Gruenberg E, Parra G, White S, Spenceley A, DeSarkar T, Kong M, DeYoung PN, Sands SA, Owens RL, Malhotra A. Combination Drug Therapy with Acetazolamide, Eszopiclone +/- Venlafaxine for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (RESCUE-Combo): A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2025 Feb;22(2):263-273. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202407-736OC.

Drugs

Indications