Zeus Sleep secures £1.48 million NIHR funding for major sleep apnoea trial
Zeus Sleep Ltd has been awarded £1.48 million in funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to lead one of the UK’s largest multi-centre clinical trials into Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA).
The trial will be led by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with King’s College London, and will evaluate a non-invasive medical device designed to treat sleep apnoea by stimulating the airway at its source.
Tackling a widespread sleep health issue
OSA affects an estimated eight million people in the UK and more than one billion people globally. The condition causes repeated airway collapse during sleep, leading to disrupted rest, excessive daytime fatigue, increased cardiovascular risk, and a higher likelihood of accidents.
New consumer research from Zeus Sleep highlights the broader impact of sleep disruption. 56% of adults say snoring negatively affects their lives, while 36% report being forced to sleep in a separate room. More than one in ten say ongoing snoring could damage their relationship.
A non-invasive alternative to CPAP
While CPAP therapy remains the NHS gold standard for OSA, more than half of patients stop using it within a year due to discomfort or inconvenience. The ZeusOSA device aims to provide a practical alternative.
Worn discreetly under the chin, the device delivers gentle electrical stimulation to the hypoglossal nerve, helping maintain airway openness during sleep. Unlike implanted nerve stimulators, it is non-invasive, designed for home use, and significantly more affordable, making it a potentially scalable option for NHS adoption.
Strong early clinical results
Earlier clinical studies, including an NHS-led trial in Dorset, have shown encouraging results:
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84% of participants reported improved sleep quality
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78% experienced better daytime functioning
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68% reported reduced daytime sleepiness
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85% adherence, substantially higher than typical CPAP compliance rates
The NIHR-funded trial will build the robust evidence required to support future NHS decision-making.
Nigel Clarke, Chief Executive of Zeus Sleep, said:
“Our consumer device is already improving lives. With NIHR support and our clinical partners, we can now build the evidence needed to bring a regulated medical device for sleep apnoea into the NHS.”
If successful, the trial could mark a significant step forward in sleep medicine, offering millions of patients a more tolerable and accessible treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea.
Read the full Business Matters article here:
👉 https://bmmagazine.co.uk/get-funded/zeus-sleep-nihr-funding-obstructive-sleep-apnoea/
