Tirzepatide overview
Dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist. Brand names: Mounjaro (T2D), Zepbound (chronic weight management; OSA in adults with obesity).
Tirzepatide at a glance
Manufacturer
Eli Lilly
FDA status
FDA-approved
Questions readers ask
How is tirzepatide different from semaglutide?
Tirzepatide is a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist from Eli Lilly. In SURPASS-2, a type 2 diabetes trial, tirzepatide 15 mg produced −11.2 kg of weight change versus −5.7 kg on semaglutide 1 mg at 40 weeks.
How much weight did people lose on tirzepatide in SURMOUNT-1?
In SURMOUNT-1, tirzepatide 15 mg produced a mean −20.9% body-weight change at 72 weeks under the treatment-regimen estimand, and 22.5% under the efficacy estimand. Those results apply to the FDA-approved product, not compounded versions.
What does brand-name tirzepatide cost without insurance?
Zepbound vials and KwikPen on LillyDirect cost $299 a month at 2.5 mg, $399 at 5 mg and $449 at 7.5–15 mg with a refill within 45 days (read October 14, 2026). Mounjaro is the type 2 diabetes brand of the same molecule.
What does compounded tirzepatide cost at NexLife?
NexLife lists $169 month to month, or $159, $149 and $139 a month on 3-, 6- and 12-month plans, all charged monthly, same price at every dose (read October 14, 2026).
Primary sources
- FDA: Concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss (current as of October 1, 2026)
- FDA: Policies for compounders as GLP-1 supply stabilizes (updated April 1, 2026)
- FDA: Compounding and the FDA — questions and answers
- FDA: Registered outsourcing facilities (503B)
- Wilding JPH et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 1). N Engl J Med 2021
- Wegovy (semaglutide) prescribing information, Novo Nordisk