Tirzepatide

Tirzepatide is a once-weekly injectable medication used to treat type 2 diabetes and for chronic weight management. It’s the first drug to be both a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, which means it helps regulate blood sugar and appetite in two different ways.

Tirzepatide promotes insulin release, suppresses glucagon (a hormone that raises blood sugar), slows down digestion, and reduces appetite. These factors make the drug effective for many people with type 2 diabetes and obesity, as tirzepatide can address both conditions at once.

Tirzepatide is the active ingredient in the brand-name medications Zepbound^® and Mounjaro^®. According to the United States Food and Drug Administration, “generic medicines use the same active ingredients as brand-name medicines and work the same way, so they have the same risks and benefits as the brand-name medicines.”

Zepbound^® is FDA-approved for weight management in adults with obesity or overweight who have at least one weight-related condition, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. The brand-name formulation Mounjaro^® is FDA-approved specifically to treat type 2 diabetes. 

Tirzepatide may bring side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting, especially when increasing the dosage.

Zepbound (tirzepatide) is indicated:

• As an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in adults with an initial body mass index (BMI) of:

  • 30 kg/m² or greater (obesity) or

  • 27 kg/m² or greater (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition (e.g., hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea or cardiovascular disease)

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist

The most common adverse reactions, reported in ≥5% of patients treated with Zepbound are:

• Nausea

• Diarrhea

• Vomiting

• Constipation

• Abdominal pain

• Indigestion

• Injection site reactions

• Fatigue

• Hypersensitivity reactions

• Belching

• Hair loss

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (heartburn)

The cost of tirzepatide may vary depending on factors such as the brand name, your insurance plan coverage, and where you buy it. 

Without insurance, Zepbound may cost about $1,086 per month, but the manufacturer’s savings card can bring down the price to as low as $349 per month.

The cost of Mounjaro without insurance is about $1,080 per month. The manufacturer does not offer a savings card for people without insurance.

Health insurance plans may cover all or some of the cost of these medications.

• Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2

• Known serious hypersensitivity to tirzepatide or any of the excipients in Zepbound

• Drug interactions: Zepbound delays gastric emptying and has the potential to impact the absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications

• Severe gastrointestinal disease

• Acute kidney injury

• Acute gallbladder disease

• Acute pancreatitis

• Hypersensitivity reactions

• Low blood sugar: Concomitant use with an insulin secretagogue or insulin may increase the risk of low blood sugar, including severe low blood sugar

• Diabetic retinopathy complications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

• Suicidal behavior and ideation

• Pregnancy: May cause fetal harm. When pregnancy is recognized, discontinue Zepbound

• Females of reproductive potential: Females using oral contraceptives should consider switching to a non-oral contraceptive method or add a barrier method of contraception for 4 weeks after initiation and for 4 weeks after each dose escalation

WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS

In rats, tirzepatide causes thyroid C-cell tumors. It is unknown whether Zepbound causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans as the human relevance of tirzepatide-induced rodent thyroid C-cell tumors has not been determined.

Zepbound is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC or in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Counsel patients regarding the potential risk of MTC and symptoms of thyroid tumors.

*This information is from the label for brand name Zepbound^®. See the Full Prescribing Information for more complete information. Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound, may also be the active ingredient in other medications, and this information may not be accurate for all medications that include the active ingredient tirzepatide.