Lilly signs Shaquille O'Neal for a sleep apnea awareness campaign

Eli Lilly and Company announced on Oct. 27, 2025 that it has partnered with NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal on a nationwide awareness campaign about moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) ^[1]. The initiative, called "Don't Sleep on OSA," is built around getting people to recognize symptoms and talk to their doctor rather than promoting a specific medication ^[1].

Lilly says moderate-to-severe OSA affects an estimated 24 million adults in the United States, and many of them are overweight or living with obesity ^[1]. The company says the condition remains widely underdiagnosed ^[1]. O'Neal, who has moderate OSA himself, is sharing his personal story of being tired all the time before he was diagnosed, and is encouraging others not to ignore symptoms ^[1].

According to the release, people with moderate OSA can experience breathing interruptions 15 to 29 times per hour during sleep, while 30 or more interruptions per hour may signal severe OSA ^[1]. Symptoms cited include loud snoring, choking or gasping for air during sleep, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, irritability, and reduced concentration ^[1]. Lilly lists risk factors as being male, having obesity, being over age 50, and having a family history of OSA ^[1].

Lina Polimeni, Lilly's senior vice president and chief marketing officer for consumer, said the campaign is meant to "break through the stigma and spark real conversations" and to help people "recognize possible symptoms and take action" ^[1]. The campaign directs people to a website, DontSleepOnOSA.com, for information on symptoms, risk factors, and tools for talking with a healthcare provider ^[1].

The press release does not name a specific Lilly drug tied to the campaign. It points people toward screening and conversations with doctors, and its boilerplate description of Lilly's work broadly references the company's efforts in diabetes, obesity, and other conditions without naming a product for OSA ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

For people living with obesity, this campaign is a reminder that sleep apnea is common and often goes unnoticed, even though it can cause serious daytime fatigue and other health effects ^[1]. Because Lilly frames obesity as a shared risk factor for both weight and moderate-to-severe OSA ^[1], the campaign may prompt more people already taking or considering a GLP-1 medicine to ask their doctor whether an OSA evaluation makes sense for them.

The campaign's focus on screening, not a specific drug, means readers should not assume any single medication is being marketed here. The release itself steers people toward talking with a healthcare provider and does not lay out treatment options in detail ^[1]. Anyone with symptoms like loud snoring, gasping during sleep, or persistent daytime tiredness may want to discuss testing for OSA as part of a broader conversation with their doctor, since the condition is described as serious but treatable once identified ^[1].

What happens next

The source does not specify how long the campaign will run, additional planned activities, or whether further details about a related treatment will be released. Those specifics are not yet known based on available information ^[1].