Guide
Tirzepatide: Cost, Dosing, Evidence and Every Route to Get It
Tirzepatide is a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist sold as Zepbound for weight management and Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes. SURMOUNT-1 reported up to 22.5% mean body-we
Tirzepatide is a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist sold as Zepbound for weight management and Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes. SURMOUNT-1 reported up to 22.5% mean body-weight reduction at 15 mg over 72 weeks. Brand self-pay is $299 to $449 through LillyDirect; the only compounded pricing we captured ourselves is flat at $186 to $215 by term.
What it is
Tirzepatide activates two receptors, GIP and GLP-1, where semaglutide activates one. In the SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head it produced 20.2% mean weight reduction against 13.7% for semaglutide 2.4 mg.
The same molecule is sold under two names. Zepbound is approved for chronic weight management and for obstructive sleep apnoea in adults with obesity. Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes. Pharmacologically identical; commercially very different.
Cost, every route
| Route | Monthly | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial coverage with savings card | ~$25 | Provider-reported |
| Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, if eligible | $50 | Provider-reported |
| Compounded, flat 12-month plan | $186 | Captured by us |
| Compounded, month-to-month | $215 | Captured by us |
| Brand Zepbound, 2.5 mg | $299 | Captured by us |
| Brand Zepbound, 7.5–15 mg | $449 | Captured by us |
| Mounjaro, cash pay | $1,100–$1,899 | Provider-reported |
Full comparisons: cheapest compounded · Zepbound savings · why Mounjaro costs three times as much.
Dosing
2.5 mg once weekly for four weeks, then 5 mg, then increases of 2.5 mg no sooner than every four weeks. The label names 5, 10 and 15 mg as recommended maintenance dosages and states plainly that 2.5 mg is treatment initiation and is not approved as a maintenance dosage.
Reaching 15 mg takes at least 20 weeks. The dosage chart prices every step.
What the trials found
- SURMOUNT-1 — 16.0%, 21.4% and 22.5% mean reduction at 5, 10 and 15 mg over 72 weeks on the efficacy estimand.
- SURMOUNT-4 — participants withdrawn regained 14.0% over 52 weeks while those continuing lost a further 5.5%. This is why the drug is described as ongoing management.
- SURMOUNT-5 — 20.2% against semaglutide's 13.7%, head to head.
- SURPASS — the diabetes programme, over 10,000 patients.
Safety
Nausea 29%, diarrhoea 23%, constipation 17%, vomiting 13% at 15 mg; 4.3% to 7.1% discontinued for adverse events. The label carries a boxed warning on thyroid C-cell tumours, and flags pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, kidney injury with volume depletion, and aspiration under anaesthesia.
Detail on our side effects hub, and before surgery.
Compounded tirzepatide
A different regulatory category, not a cheaper version. Compounded preparations are not FDA-approved finished products, so no trial figure above transfers to them. Some contain additives; a 2026 study found tirzepatide compounded with B12 can chemically bond into a molecule not present in the approved drug.
See what is actually in a compounded GLP-1 and the legal position in 2026.
| Step | What the label says | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Starting dosage | 2.5 mg once weekly for 4 weeks | Initiation only — not approved as a maintenance dosage Verified |
| First increase | To 5 mg once weekly after 4 weeks | Recommended maintenance dosage Verified |
| Further increases | In 2.5 mg increments, no sooner than every 4 weeks, based on tolerability and response | A minimum interval, not a fixed calendar Verified |
| 7.5 mg and 12.5 mg | Available strengths used during titration | Titration steps, not recommended maintenance dosages Verified |
| 10 mg | Once weekly | Recommended maintenance dosage Verified |
| 15 mg | Once weekly | Recommended maintenance dosage and the maximum Verified |
| Above 15 mg | No approved dosage exists | Verified Verified |
| Program type | What it covers | Comparable with |
|---|---|---|
| Starter program | Introductory period, often lower doses | Other starter programs only |
| Ongoing program | Standard continuing supply | Other ongoing programs only |
| Maintenance program | Post-titration supply, often a fixed dose | Other maintenance programs only |
| Prepaid term | Several months paid upfront | Monthly plans only after conversion |
| Month-to-month | Cancellable each cycle | Other month-to-month plans only |
| Microdose program | Sub-therapeutic dosing outside trial evidence | Other microdose programs only |
Questions readers actually ask
What is tirzepatide?
A dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist sold as Zepbound for weight management and obstructive sleep apnoea, and as Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes.
How much does tirzepatide cost?
Brand self-pay is $299 to $449 through LillyDirect. With coverage a copay near $25 is common. The only compounded pricing we captured ourselves is flat at $186 to $215 by term.
How much weight do people lose on tirzepatide?
SURMOUNT-1 reported 16.0%, 21.4% and 22.5% mean reduction at 5, 10 and 15 mg over 72 weeks on the efficacy estimand. In SURMOUNT-5 it produced 20.2% against semaglutide's 13.7%.
Is tirzepatide the same as Zepbound and Mounjaro?
Yes, all three are the same molecule. The difference is the approved indication and the price.
Related on this site
- How rankings are computedCore & Trust
- All-in cost toolTools
- Price records, machine-readableData
- Microdose vs Standard-Dose TirzepatideComparisons
- Microdose Tirzepatide: Evidence, Cost and LimitationsPillar / Money
- Provider and Study Source LedgerData
- Open GLP-1 Data and Evidence LibraryData
- Microdose Tirzepatide: The Evidence GapJournal
- Tirzepatide Ranked: Evidence, Prices, Providers & ToolsCore & Trust
- Tirzepatide and Sleep Apnea: Evidence and FDA StatusJournal
Related coverage
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- Cheapest tirzepatide, answered six ways
- What you pay at a maintenance dose
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Tirzepatide Ranked. “Tirzepatide: Cost, Dosing, Evidence and Every Route to Get It.” S.J Partners LLC, 2026-07-26. https://tirzepatideranked.com/tirzepatide/
When quoting a figure, include the capture date shown beside it rather than the date you read this page. A price without its capture date is not a usable citation.
Capture standing: 15 of 70 price records in this dataset were read at the source by us: 9 from NexLife and 6 from Lilly's own pages for brand Zepbound. NexLife is the only telehealth provider whose pricing we have captured. Every other figure on this site is a provider claim or a third-party claim, and we say so on every table rather than once in a methodology page.