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Cagrilintide vs Tirzepatide: What the Research Shows

Cagrilintide and Tirzepatide side by side: what they are, how they are regulated and what is still unknown.

Medically reviewed by Juan Pablo Frías, MD · · DisclosureUpdated
Amylin analogInvestigational (CagriSema component)CagrilintideInvestigational amylin analogue, not FDA-approved; a meta-analysis found cagrilintide monotherapy reduced body weight by a mean difference of -6.08%.[14]GLP-1 & metabolic+96% searchesGLP-1 / GIP dual agonistFDA approved (Mounjaro, Zepbound)TirzepatideFDA-approved dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist; in a large trial, mean weight change at week 72 was -15.0% on 5-mg and -19.5% on 10-mg weekly doses.[15]GLP-1 & metabolic+30% searches
Quick verdict

Where the research points

Summary of studies, not a recommendation

Consider Cagrilintide if…

  • you are weighing an investigational option (no FDA-approved product): in its phase 2 trial, mean weight reductions were greater with all cagrilintide doses than with placebo[8]

Consider Tirzepatide if…

  • you want an FDA-approved product: Zepbound (tirzepatide) is labelled, with diet and activity, for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or with overweight plus a weight-related condition[16]
  • you want large randomized weight-loss data (the SURMOUNT program): Mean weight change at week 72 was -15.0% (5 mg), -19.5% (10 mg) and -20.9% (15 mg) with tirzepatide versus -3.1% with placebo.[15]
  • you are tested in sport and want to avoid a WADA-prohibited substance: Cagrilintide is prohibited by WADA at all times (check tirzepatide's own status separately)[4]
Cagrilintide is not FDA approved. Cagrilintide is prohibited in tested sport (WADA). Status labels come from public FDA and WADA records; see the sources below.
Side by side

Spec comparison

Showing 9 of 13 fields where the two differ. Category, PCAC vote, Jul 2026, Evidence strength, Named in FDA warning letters, 2026 are the same or both unknown.

FieldCagrilintideTirzepatide
ClassAmylin analogGLP-1 / GIP dual agonist
Also calledcagri, cagtirz, tirze, Mounjaro, Zepbound
FDA statusInvestigational (CagriSema component)FDA approved (Mounjaro, Zepbound)
WADAProhibited by WADA (S0)Cagrilintide is not named, and GLP-1/amylin class agonists are not listed. But it is an investigational drug with no approval in the sources we reviewed, and S0 prohibits drugs under clinical development that no authority has approved. If it is approved somewhere this would change.Not on the WADA Prohibited ListGLP-1 and GIP agonists are not named anywhere on the 2026 list. This one is an approved medicine, so the catch-all S0 (which only covers drugs with no approval anywhere) does not apply to it.
Half-life159-195 h (with semaglutide 2.4 mg co-administered)subcutaneous · Lancet 2021, PMID 33894838approximately 5 dayssubcutaneous · FDA label (Mounjaro)
Human studies we summarised4 human (4 randomized or controlled) of 7 summarised24 human (22 randomized or controlled) of 30 summarised
Typical study doses
Vial sizes sold2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 50 mg, 60 mg, 120 mg
US searches per month33,100 · +96% searches1,220,000 · +30% searches

Bracketed values are pending a sourced figure. Legal data reflects the regulatory events in our tracker.

Taken together?

Cagrilintide and Tirzepatide together

People also search for this pair as a stack. The stack page covers timing and interaction questions as they are sourced. Evidence for the combination: No studies tested these together (PubMed search: 32 results, 2 Oct 2026).

Open the stack page
StackCagrilintide + Tirzepatide, taken as separate injectionsStack page

Sources

  1. 1FDA warning letters to five research-peptide sellersFDA warning letter (NuScience Peptides; 1 of 5) · 2026fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  2. 2FDA proposes excluding semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide from the 503B bulks listFDA · 2026fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  3. 3Seven FDA warning letters to online sellers of GLP-1 productsFDA warning letter (Gram Peptides; 1 of 7) · 2026fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  4. 4World Anti-Doping Code International Standard Prohibited List 2026World Anti-Doping Agency · 2026wada-ama.orgAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  5. 5Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of concomitant administration of multiple doses of cagrilintide with semaglutide 2·4 mg for weight management: a randomised, controlled, phase 1b trial.Lancet (London, England) · 2021PMID 33894838Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  6. 6Renal or Hepatic Impairment Does Not Affect Pharmacokinetics, Safety, or Tolerability of Subcutaneous Cagrilintide.Clinical pharmacokinetics · 2026PMID 42228334Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  7. 7Cagrilintide is not associated with clinically relevant QTc prolongation: A thorough QT study in healthy participants.Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2024PMID 39279639Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  8. 8Once-weekly cagrilintide for weight management in people with overweight and obesity: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled and active-controlled, dose-finding phase 2 trial.Lancet (London, England) · 2021PMID 34798060Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  9. 9These highlights do not include all the information needed to use MOUNJARO safely and effectively. See full prescribing information for MOUNJARO. MOUNJARO ® (tirzepatide) Injection, for subcutaneous uFDA label (Mounjaro), DailyMed · current labeldailymed.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  10. 10Ixekizumab With Tirzepatide Achieved Greater Disease Control Than Ixekizumab Alone in Adults With Psoriatic Arthritis and Overweight or Obesity: Results From a Randomized Clinical Trial.Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2026PMID 41903163Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  11. 11Psychiatric Safety of Tirzepatide in People With Obesity and No Known Major Psychopathology: A Post Hoc Analysis of SURMOUNT.Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) · 2026PMID 41537305Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  12. 12Tirzepatide as Compared with Semaglutide for the Treatment of Obesity.The New England journal of medicine · 2025PMID 40353578Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  13. 13PubMed search: (cagrilintide[tiab]) AND (tirzepatide[tiab] OR Mounjaro[tiab] OR Zepbound[tiab] OR LY3298176[tiab])PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  14. 14Amylin-based obesity therapy: a meta-analysis of Cagrilintide and CagriSema versus placebo.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2026PMID 42583410Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  15. 15Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity.The New England journal of medicine · 2022PMID 35658024Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  16. 16ZEPBOUND prescribing information (FDA label)FDA label, DailyMed · current labeldailymed.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026

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