Eli Lilly Industry Breakfast Symposium
Tracks
Track 1
| Thursday, November 12, 2026 |
| 7:15 AM - 8:15 AM |
Details
Obesity is now recognised as a primary, modifiable driver of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), yet CPAP remains the default first-line therapy in most clinics. With incretin-based therapies demonstrating substantial apnoea-hypopnoea index reductions in trials such as SURMOUNT-OSA, the field faces a genuine point of tension: should weight-directed pharmacotherapy be considered alongside, or even ahead of, device-based treatment for eligible patients? This breakfast symposium stages a structured debate between respiratory/sleep and endocrine perspectives, chaired by a leading sleep physician, to interrogate the evidence, the practical barriers to access, and what this shift means for multidisciplinary OSA care pathways in Australia.
Chair:
Prof. Brendon Yee, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research / RPA Hospital, Sydney
Speakers:
Prof. Garun Hamilton, Director of Sleep Medicine, Monash Health; Adjunct Clinical Professor, Monash University
A/Prof. Budhima Nanayakkara, Orange Health Service / THE Lab, Orange NSW (NSW Health)
Speaker
Prof Brendon Yee
Clinical Professor; Senior Staff Specialist — Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital/Woolcock Insitute of Medical Research
Introduction
7:15 AM - 7:20 AMBiography
Professor Brendon Yee is a Senior Staff Specialist in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He is also Clinical Professor and Head of the Discipline of Sleep Medicine at the University of Sydney, and Honorary Professor at Macquarie University. He is Medical Director of Respiratory Failure Services at RPA and provides rural outreach sleep and respiratory services in Central Western NSW. He trained at the University of Otago and completed sleep fellowships in Wellington and at RPA. His PhD examined the metabolic effects of sleep apnoea and the impact of weight loss. He is a past winner of the Australasian Sleep Association's Young Investigator Award.
Prof Garun Hamilton
Director of Sleep Medicine
Monash Health
The Great OSA Debate: Should Incretin Therapies Redefine First-Line Management of Obesity-Related Obstructive Sleep Apnoea? (For)
7:20 AM - 7:32 AMBiography
Clinical Professor Garun Hamilton is a Respiratory and Sleep Physician at Monash Health and Monash University. He is Director of Sleep Research at Monash Health and leads its Respiratory Failure and Non-Invasive Ventilation service. His PhD focused on the cardiovascular consequences of obstructive sleep apnoea. He has led the Australasian Sleep Association, both as President and earlier as Chair of its Clinical Committee, and has been central to developing Australasian sleep medicine guidelines and position statements. His research interests include using OSA phenotypes to personalise treatment, the cardiometabolic consequences of sleep apnoea, and clinical trials in sleep medicine.
A/Prof Budhima Nanayakkara
Sleep and Respiratory Physician
Orange Health Service
The Great OSA Debate: Should Incretin Therapies Redefine First-Line Management of Obesity-Related Obstructive Sleep Apnoea? (Against)
7:32 AM - 7:46 AMBiography
Associate Professor Budhima Nanayakkara is a Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Physician based in Orange, NSW, where he also provides general medicine services. He is Medical Director of THE Lab in Orange, Associate Professor of Medicine at Charles Sturt University, and Clinical Senior Lecturer in Medicine at the University of Sydney. He completed advanced training in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. His research has spanned pleural disease, complex sleep disorders and respiratory physiology. He is a strong advocate for rural health care and medical education.
Prof Brendon Yee
Clinical Professor; Senior Staff Specialist — Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital/Woolcock Insitute of Medical Research
Rebuttals & Moderated Panel Discussion Q&A
7:46 AM - 8:15 AMBiography
