Tirzepatide Dosage: Doses Studied, Units and Chart
What doses of Tirzepatide have been used in published research, how they convert to syringe units, and what is still unknown.
- Doses studied
- 23 studies
- with a stated dose, listed below
- Frequency
- Varies by study
- as used in studies
- Half-life
- approximately 5 days
- subcutaneous, in people · FDA label (Mounjaro)
- Vial sizes sold
- 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 50 mg, 60 mg, 120 mg
Dosing on the FDA label
Quoted from the approved product label. It applies to the approved product used as prescribed, not to compounded or research-chemical versions.
- Starting dose: 2.5 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly · FDA label (Mounjaro)
- Escalation: increase in 2.5 mg increments after at least 4 weeks on the current dose · FDA label (Mounjaro)
- Maximum dosage in adults: 15 mg once weekly · FDA label (Mounjaro)
- Starting dose: 2.5 mg subcutaneously once weekly for 4 weeks · FDA label (Zepbound)
- Escalation: 5 mg after 4 weeks, then increments of 2.5 mg after at least 4 weeks · FDA label (Zepbound)
- The 2.5 mg dose is for initiation only · FDA label (Zepbound)
Doses used in published studies
Each dose below is quoted from a study abstract, strongest design first. Animal doses are labelled and do not translate directly to people. None of them is a recommendation.
| Dose | Frequency and route | Study type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| US-approved doses of ixekizumab and tirzepatide | 52-week trial; primary end point at 36 weeks | Human RCTn = 271 | Arthritis & rheumatology 2026, PMID 41903163 |
| 5/10/15 mg or maximum tolerated dose 10/15 mg | 72 weeks | Human RCTn = 4056 | Obesity 2026, PMID 41537305 |
| maximum tolerated dose of tirzepatide (10 mg or 15 mg) vs semaglutide (1.7 mg or 2.4 mg) | once weekly · subcutaneous · 72 weeks | Human controlled trialn = 751 | The New England journal of medicine 2025, PMID 40353578 |
| tirzepatide up to 15 mg vs dulaglutide 1.5 mg | weekly · subcutaneous | Human RCTn = 13165 | The New England journal of medicine 2025, PMID 41406444 |
| up to 15 mg | once per week · subcutaneous · at least 52 weeks | Human RCTn = 731 | The New England journal of medicine 2025, PMID 39555826 |
| pooled tirzepatide doses | 72 weeks | Human RCTn = 160 | Diabetes, obesity & metabolism 2025, PMID 39996356 |
| 2.5 mg weekly for the first month, then 5 mg | weekly · 2 months | Human controlled trialn = 83 | Reproductive biology and endocrinology 2025, PMID 40604795 |
| maximum tolerated dose (10 or 15 mg) | once weekly · subcutaneous · 36-week lead-in then 52 weeks | Human RCTn = 670 | JAMA 2024, PMID 38078870 |
| maximum tolerated dose (10 mg or 15 mg) | 52 weeks | Human RCT | The New England journal of medicine 2024, PMID 38912654 |
| 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg | once-weekly · subcutaneous · 52 weeks | Human RCTn = 190 | The New England journal of medicine 2024, PMID 38856224 |
| 10 mg or 15 mg | once weekly · subcutaneous · 72 weeks | Human RCTn = 938 | Lancet 2023, PMID 37385275 |
| maximum tolerated dose (10 or 15 mg) | once weekly · subcutaneous · 72 weeks | Human RCTn = 579 | Nature medicine 2023, PMID 37840095 |
| 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg | once weekly · subcutaneous · 72 weeks | Human RCTn = 2539 | The New England journal of medicine 2022, PMID 35658024 |
| tirzepatide 5, 10 or 15 mg or placebo, added to insulin glargine | once weekly · subcutaneous · 40 weeks | Human RCTn = 475 | JAMA 2022, PMID 35133415 |
| tirzepatide 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg vs insulin degludec | once per week · subcutaneous · 52 weeks | Human RCTn = 296 | The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology 2022, PMID 35468325 |
| tirzepatide 1, 5, 10, 15 mg, dulaglutide 1.5 mg, or placebo | weekly · subcutaneous · 26 weeks | Human RCTn = 259 | The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 2022, PMID 34608929 |
| 5, 10 or 15 mg | once weekly · subcutaneous · 40 weeks | Human RCTn = 478 | Lancet 2021, PMID 34186022 |
| tirzepatide 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg vs semaglutide 1 mg | once weekly · 40 weeks | Human controlled trialn = 1879 | The New England journal of medicine 2021, PMID 34170647 |
| tirzepatide 5, 10 or 15 mg vs titrated insulin degludec | once weekly (tirzepatide); once daily (degludec) · subcutaneous · 52 weeks | Human RCTn = 1437 | Lancet 2021, PMID 34370970 |
| tirzepatide 5, 10 or 15 mg vs insulin glargine | once weekly (tirzepatide) · subcutaneous · at least 52 weeks, up to 104 weeks | Human RCTn = 1995 | Lancet 2021, PMID 34672967 |
| 1, 5, 10, or 15 mg (comparators dulaglutide 1.5 mg or placebo) | once weekly · 26 weeks | Human RCT | Diabetes care 2020, PMID 32291277 |
| 5, 10 and 15 mg | once-weekly · subcutaneous · 12 to 72 weeks | Meta-analysisn = 4795 | Endocrine 2024, PMID 38850440 |
| 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg | once-weekly | Meta-analysis | Diabetes, obesity & metabolism 2023, PMID 37700437 |
Dose to syringe units
For a 10 mg vial mixed with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water (5 mg/mL), on a U-100 syringe. These are reference amounts for the math, not suggested doses.
- 1 mg
- 20 u
- 2.5 mg
- 50 u
- 5 mg
- 100 u
Before anyone considers it
- Tirzepatide is FDA approved (Mounjaro, Zepbound); research-chemical versions are not the approved drug.
- Compounded and research-chemical versions are not the approved product and are not checked by the FDA for identity, purity or dose.
- Reconstitution math (mg vs mcg, units vs mL) is the most asked question in peptide forums. Check every number twice.
- People who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a chronic condition need medical advice first.
Common questions
How many units is 5 mg of Tirzepatide?
It depends on the water added. A 10 mg vial with 2 mL of water gives 5 mg/mL, so 5 mg is 100 units on a U-100 syringe. Use the calculator for other mixes.
Is Tirzepatide FDA approved?
Tirzepatide is FDA approved (Mounjaro, Zepbound). Products sold as research chemicals are not the approved drug and are not checked by the FDA.
More on Tirzepatide
Side effectsWhat labels and studies report, and what is unknown.CalculatorVial, water and dose to syringe units.ResultsStudy outcomes and when they were measured.PricePrice per mg and per week from dated listings. No vendor links.Legal statusFDA, compounding and WADA status with dates.How to injectSites, syringe types and hygiene, step by step.
Sources
- 1Metric (SI) Prefixes (NIST Reference on Constants, Units, and Uncertainty)National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) · 2025physics.nist.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 2BASAGLAR (insulin glargine) injection, prescribing information (DailyMed)U.S. Food and Drug Administration / DailyMed (Eli Lilly and Company label) · 2026dailymed.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 3These 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
- 4These highlights do not include all the information needed to use ZEPBOUND safely and effectively. See full prescribing information for ZEPBOUND. ZEPBOUND ® (tirzepatide) Injection, for subcutaneous uFDA label (Zepbound), DailyMed · current labeldailymed.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 5Ixekizumab 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
- 6Psychiatric 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
- 7Tirzepatide as Compared with Semaglutide for the Treatment of Obesity.The New England journal of medicine · 2025PMID 40353578Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 8Cardiovascular Outcomes with Tirzepatide versus Dulaglutide in Type 2 Diabetes.The New England journal of medicine · 2025PMID 41406444Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 9Tirzepatide for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Obesity.The New England journal of medicine · 2025PMID 39555826Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 10Body composition changes during weight reduction with tirzepatide in the SURMOUNT-1 study of adults with obesity or overweight.Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2025PMID 39996356Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 11Short-term impact of tirzepatide on metabolic hypogonadism and body composition in patients with obesity: a controlled pilot study.Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E · 2025PMID 40604795Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 12Continued Treatment With Tirzepatide for Maintenance of Weight Reduction in Adults With Obesity: The SURMOUNT-4 Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA · 2024PMID 38078870Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 13Tirzepatide for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity.The New England journal of medicine · 2024PMID 38912654Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 14Tirzepatide for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis with Liver Fibrosis.The New England journal of medicine · 2024PMID 38856224Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 15Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity in people with type 2 diabetes (SURMOUNT-2): a double-blind, randomised, multicentre, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial.Lancet (London, England) · 2023PMID 37385275Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 16Tirzepatide after intensive lifestyle intervention in adults with overweight or obesity: the SURMOUNT-3 phase 3 trial.Nature medicine · 2023PMID 37840095Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 17Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity.The New England journal of medicine · 2022PMID 35658024Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 18Effect of Subcutaneous Tirzepatide vs Placebo Added to Titrated Insulin Glargine on Glycemic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: The SURPASS-5 Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA · 2022PMID 35133415Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 19Effect of tirzepatide versus insulin degludec on liver fat content and abdominal adipose tissue in people with type 2 diabetes (SURPASS-3 MRI): a substudy of the randomised, open-label, parallel-group, phase 3 SURPASS-3 trial.The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology · 2022PMID 35468325Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 20Effects of Tirzepatide, a Dual GIP and GLP-1 RA, on Lipid and Metabolite Profiles in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2022PMID 34608929Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 21Efficacy and safety of a novel dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist tirzepatide in patients with type 2 diabetes (SURPASS-1): a double-blind, randomised, phase 3 trial.Lancet (London, England) · 2021PMID 34186022Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 22Tirzepatide versus Semaglutide Once Weekly in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.The New England journal of medicine · 2021PMID 34170647Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 23Once-weekly tirzepatide versus once-daily insulin degludec as add-on to metformin with or without SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes (SURPASS-3): a randomised, open-label, parallel-group, phase 3 trial.Lancet (London, England) · 2021PMID 34370970Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 24Tirzepatide versus insulin glargine in type 2 diabetes and increased cardiovascular risk (SURPASS-4): a randomised, open-label, parallel-group, multicentre, phase 3 trial.Lancet (London, England) · 2021PMID 34672967Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 25Effects of Novel Dual GIP and GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Tirzepatide on Biomarkers of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.Diabetes care · 2020PMID 32291277Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 26Efficacy and safety of once-weekly tirzepatide for weight management compared to placebo: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis including the latest SURMOUNT-2 trial.Endocrine · 2024PMID 38850440Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 27Effect of tirzepatide on blood pressure and lipids: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2023PMID 37700437Accessed 2 Oct 2026
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