GLP-1 vs tirzepatide
You are deciding between two options.
Reference and calculator, not medical advice. Dosing figures below are transcribed from FDA-approved prescribing information and link back to it. Last reviewed August 2026.
This compares a category with something inside it. Tirzepatide targets the GLP-1 receptor — it is one of the medications people mean when they say "a GLP-1", so the two are not alternatives.
What makes tirzepatide distinct is that it does not target GLP-1 only. Its label describes it as "a GIP receptor and GLP-1 receptor agonist", binding both. So the real question underneath is dual-target versus GLP-1 alone, which means tirzepatide against semaglutide.
Side-by-side
Structural facts from each product’s prescribing information.
| Product | Active ingredient | Indication | Frequency | Start | Max labelled | Steps to max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zepbound Eli Lilly | Tirzepatide | Weight management | Weekly | 2.5 mg | 15 mg | 6 |
| Wegovy Novo Nordisk | Semaglutide | Weight management | Weekly | 0.25 mg | 2.4 mg | 5 |
| Wegovy tablets Novo Nordisk | Semaglutide (oral) | Weight management | Daily | 1.5 mg | 25 mg | 4 |
What GIP actually is
Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide — a separate incretin hormone, not part of the proglucagon family at all.
- FDA-approved medication
- Yes
- Approved for
- No GIP-only medication is marketed. GIP is targeted alongside GLP-1 by tirzepatide.
- Example
- Tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) is a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist
- Difference that matters
- Not an alternative to GLP-1 but a second target hit at the same time. The Zepbound label describes tirzepatide as "a GIP receptor and GLP-1 receptor agonist".
This page describes what each thing is and what it is approved for. It does not compare how well they work, because that is a question for a prescriber with your history in front of them.
The milligram scales differ by roughly a factor of six between the two molecules, which trips people up constantly. A 5 mg dose of tirzepatide and a 5 mg dose of semaglutide are not comparable amounts of anything — each product has its own schedule and its own labelled maximum.
Common questions
- So is tirzepatide a GLP-1 or not?
- It is a GLP-1 receptor agonist and also a GIP receptor agonist. Both descriptions are accurate; only using the first is incomplete.
- Which brands are tirzepatide?
- Zepbound for weight management and Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes. Same molecule, different labelled indications.
Sources and last review
Every dosing figure on this page is transcribed from an FDA-approved label and links back to it. Conversions are arithmetic you can repeat by hand. Nothing here is reviewed by a clinician, and this site does not employ one — which is exactly why what I do publish stays traceable to its source.
- Zepbound (Tirzepatide) prescribing information — Eli Lilly, label revised 6 May 2026, checked 7 August 2026
- Wegovy (Semaglutide) prescribing information — Novo Nordisk, label revised 30 June 2026, checked 7 August 2026
Transcribed from the labels above and checked by me — Gavin, who builds this site, takes a GLP-1, and is not a clinician. Last reviewed August 2026. Found an error? [email protected] — I treat corrections as bugs. How this site is built and funded.
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