Peptide reference
Tirzepatide
Mounjaro ·Zepbound ·LY3298176
What cited sources report about tirzepatide
Tirzepatide is a 39-amino-acid synthetic peptide that activates both the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor. It is marketed by Eli Lilly under two brand names: Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for chronic weight management and for obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. The peptide carries a C20 fatty-diacid moiety that supports albumin binding and once-weekly subcutaneous dosing. Tirzepatide is FDA-approved, EMA-authorised, and approved in Canada, Australia, and Japan; it has not been nominated to the FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee. The summaries below report what individual cited sources state.
FDA Drug Label — Mounjaro (revised January 21, 2026)
The DailyMed structured product label for Mounjaro (Eli Lilly) describes tirzepatide as a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The label notes glucose-dependent insulin secretion and reduction of glucagon as the primary mechanisms of action.
MOUNJARO is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
FDA Drug Label — Zepbound (revised February 25, 2026)
The DailyMed label for Zepbound documents the chronic weight management indication in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity in adults with obesity or with overweight plus at least one weight-related comorbid condition, as well as a labelled indication for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. The label describes appetite regulation through brain GIP and GLP-1 receptor activation, glucose-dependent insulin secretion, reduced glucagon, and increased insulin sensitivity.
to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in adults with obesity or adults with overweight in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition
France and Syed (2024) — Drugs
A 2024 review in the Adis journal Drugs surveyed the SURPASS phase III program for tirzepatide in adults with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes. The authors reported that once-weekly subcutaneous tirzepatide — as monotherapy or add-on to oral glucose-lowering medications and insulin — outperformed dulaglutide 0.75 mg, semaglutide 1 mg, and basal and prandial insulin comparators on glycemic control and weight loss endpoints. Adverse events were predominantly gastrointestinal and described as mild-to-moderate.
Tirzepatide was generally well tolerated, with a safety profile consistent with that of GLP-1 RAs.
PubChem CID 156588324 — National Center for Biotechnology Information
The PubChem compound record for tirzepatide lists molecular formula C225H348N48O68, consistent with a 39-residue synthetic peptide engineered as a dual agonist of the GIP and GLP-1 receptors. A C20 fatty-diacid moiety is attached via a γGlu-2xAEEA linker at the lysine-20 side chain — the structural feature underlying albumin binding and the once-weekly dosing interval.
Coverage notes
Tirzepatide is the first dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for human use. The SURPASS program supported the type 2 diabetes labelling and the SURMOUNT program supported the weight-management indications, including the SURMOUNT-OSA trial that supported the 2024 obstructive-sleep-apnea labelling. As with semaglutide, compounded versions of tirzepatide circulated during 2023-2024 shortage periods and are not covered by the FDA-approved labels cited here.