Lilly partners with Shaquille O'Neal on sleep apnea awareness campaign

Eli Lilly and Company announced on Oct. 27, 2025 that it is partnering with NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal on a national campaign about moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA ^[1]. The initiative, called "Don't Sleep on OSA," directs people to a Lilly website and asks them to talk with a health care provider about symptoms ^[1].

Lilly said moderate-to-severe OSA affects an estimated 24 million adults in the United States, many of whom are overweight or living with obesity, and that most cases remain undiagnosed ^[1].

O'Neal said he has moderate OSA and described his own experience. "For years, I was tired all the time and didn't know why, but getting diagnosed made a real difference," he said in the announcement ^[1]. He added that he is not "always one to ask for help" and urged people not to ignore symptoms ^[1].

The campaign lists symptoms that include loud snoring, choking or gasping for air during sleep, daytime sleepiness, fatigue and irritability ^[1]. It cites risk factors of being male, obesity, being over age 50 and having a family history of OSA ^[1].

Breathing interruptions are counted per hour of sleep. According to the announcement, moderate OSA involves 15 to 29 interruptions an hour, while 30 or more an hour may indicate severe OSA ^[1]. The announcement says people with moderate-to-severe OSA may not get enough oxygen when the airway is partly or fully blocked during sleep, and that the condition can also cause daytime sleepiness and reduced concentration ^[1].

Lina Polimeni, Lilly's senior vice president and chief marketing officer for consumer, said the company chose O'Neal for his "authenticity, relatability and cultural reach," with the goal of breaking through stigma and starting conversations ^[1]. She also referred to "the exciting work we're doing at Lilly" ^[1].

The announcement does not name any Lilly medicine, does not describe treatment options, and does not say whether the campaign is tied to a specific product ^[1]. Which Lilly products, if any, the campaign relates to has not been disclosed ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

More than half a billion people worldwide may have OSA, but the announcement's own figures focus on the United States: about 24 million adults with the moderate-to-severe form, with most cases undiagnosed ^[1]. If the campaign reaches people who snore heavily, wake up gasping or feel exhausted during the day, it could mean more conversations with clinicians and more sleep testing. The announcement does not say how OSA is diagnosed or what treatments are available ^[1].

The campaign's central message is screening, not a drug. O'Neal's role is to describe his symptoms and his diagnosis, and the call to action is a website with "tools for speaking to your doctor" ^[1]. For patients who already take a GLP-1 medication, or who are considering one, nothing in the announcement links this campaign to any medicine, and no information on cost, insurance coverage or eligibility is included ^[1].

It is also worth noting what the announcement is: a company press release that presents Lilly's framing of a condition it has a commercial interest in ^[1]. The symptom list and risk factors are attributed to published medical literature cited in the release, including a 2019 analysis in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine and a 2020 review in JAMA ^[1].

What happens next

The release describes "a series of digital and media activations" that build on the existing Don't Sleep on OSA campaign, but it does not give a schedule, a budget or an end date ^[1]. The campaign website, DontSleepOnOSA.com, is live ^[1]. No further milestones have been announced ^[1].