What Is the Half Life of Tirzepatide? The Pharmacokinetic Answer and What It Means for Your Dosing Schedule

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> Reviewed by FormBlends Medical Team · Last updated April 2026 · 14 sources cited

Key Takeaways

• Tirzepatide has a half-life of approximately 5 days (120 hours), which allows for once-weekly subcutaneous dosing
• Steady-state blood concentration is reached after 4 to 5 weeks of consistent weekly injections, not after the first dose
• The 5-day half-life means tirzepatide stays in your system for roughly 25 days after your last injection, with detectable levels for up to 6 weeks
• Tirzepatide's half-life is shorter than semaglutide (7 days) but longer than liraglutide (13 hours), positioning it in the middle of the GLP-1 receptor agonist spectrum

Direct answer (40-60 words)

Tirzepatide has a half-life of approximately 5 days (120 hours) after subcutaneous injection. This means it takes 5 days for half of the injected dose to be eliminated from your bloodstream. The extended half-life is engineered through C20 fatty acid modification, which allows the molecule to bind albumin and resist enzymatic breakdown, enabling once-weekly dosing.

Table of contents

1. What half-life means in practical terms
2. The specific pharmacokinetics of tirzepatide
3. How tirzepatide achieves a 5-day half-life (the molecular engineering)
4. Steady-state concentration: why week 1 feels different than week 5
5. Comparison table: tirzepatide vs other GLP-1 medications
6. What most articles get wrong about half-life and "leaving your system"
7. The clinical pattern: what we see in dose interruptions and restarts
8. Why half-life matters for side effect timing
9. The dose-response relationship between half-life and efficacy
10. When you miss a dose: the 3-day decision tree
11. Half-life in special populations (renal impairment, hepatic impairment, elderly)
12. FAQ
13. Sources

What half-life means in practical terms

Half-life is the time it takes for the concentration of a drug in your bloodstream to decrease by 50%. If you inject 10 mg of tirzepatide on Monday, approximately 5 mg remains in your system by Saturday (5 days later). By the following Thursday (10 days after injection), roughly 2.5 mg remains. By day 15, about 1.25 mg remains.

The drug doesn't disappear all at once. It follows an exponential decay curve. After 5 half-lives (25 days for tirzepatide), approximately 97% of the drug has been eliminated. The remaining 3% continues to decline but becomes clinically insignificant.

For medications dosed once weekly, half-life determines whether blood levels remain stable between doses. A half-life that's too short (less than 3 days) means concentration drops too much between weekly injections, causing fluctuating efficacy and side effects. A half-life that's too long (more than 10 days) means the drug accumulates with each dose, potentially increasing toxicity risk.

Tirzepatide's 5-day half-life sits in the therapeutic sweet spot. Blood levels drop by about 50% over the week between injections, then get replenished by the next dose. After 4 to 5 weekly doses, you reach steady state, where the amount eliminated each week equals the amount injected, and blood levels stabilize within a predictable range.

This pharmacokinetic profile is not accidental. It's the result of deliberate molecular engineering to create a once-weekly medication that maintains therapeutic levels without excessive accumulation.

The specific pharmacokinetics of tirzepatide

The published pharmacokinetic parameters from the SURPASS and SURMOUNT trial programs (Urva et al., Clinical Pharmacokinetics, 2022):

Parameter	Value	What it means
Half-life (t½)	5 days (117-122 hours depending on dose)	Time for blood concentration to drop by 50%
Time to peak concentration (Tmax)	8-72 hours	When blood levels are highest after injection
Time to steady state	4 weeks	When blood levels stabilize with weekly dosing
Volume of distribution	~10.3 L	Tirzepatide stays mostly in blood and extracellular fluid, doesn't distribute widely into tissues
Clearance	0.06 L/hour	How fast the body eliminates the drug
Bioavailability (subcutaneous)	80%	Percentage of injected dose that reaches systemic circulation

The half-life increases slightly with dose escalation. At 2.5 mg, the mean half-life is 117 hours. At 15 mg, it extends to 122 hours. The difference is clinically insignificant but reflects saturable clearance pathways at higher doses.

Tirzepatide is eliminated primarily through proteolytic degradation (enzymatic breakdown into smaller peptides and amino acids) rather than renal or hepatic clearance. This is why dose adjustments are not required in patients with kidney or liver disease, a major clinical advantage over some other medications.

How tirzepatide achieves a 5-day half-life (the molecular engineering)

Native GIP and GLP-1 peptides have half-lives measured in minutes, not days. They're rapidly degraded by the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) and cleared by the kidneys. To create a once-weekly medication, Eli Lilly's research team made three structural modifications:

1. C20 fatty diacid modification. A 20-carbon fatty acid chain is attached to the peptide backbone. This modification allows tirzepatide to bind reversibly to albumin, the most abundant protein in blood plasma. Albumin-bound tirzepatide is protected from enzymatic degradation and too large to be filtered by the kidneys. The drug exists in equilibrium: bound (protected) and unbound (active). This extends circulation time from minutes to days.

2. Amino acid substitutions. Two amino acids in the native GIP sequence are replaced with non-natural amino acids that resist DPP-4 cleavage. This prevents the rapid enzymatic breakdown that destroys native peptides within 2 to 3 minutes of secretion.

3. Optimized receptor binding. The modified peptide maintains high-affinity binding to both GIP and GLP-1 receptors despite the structural changes. The C20 chain and amino acid substitutions don't interfere with receptor activation, so the drug remains pharmacologically active while circulating.

The result is a molecule that behaves like a native peptide at the receptor level but has the pharmacokinetic profile of a small-molecule drug. This is the same engineering strategy used for semaglutide, dulaglutide, and other long-acting GLP-1 agonists, but tirzepatide's dual receptor activity required additional optimization to maintain both GIP and GLP-1 potency.

The 5-day half-life is not a limitation. It's the designed target. Longer half-lives would make dose adjustments slower and side effect resolution more prolonged. Shorter half-lives would require more frequent injections or result in unstable blood levels.

Steady-state concentration: why week 1 feels different than week 5

When you inject your first dose of tirzepatide, blood levels rise over 8 to 72 hours, then decline over the following week. By day 7, when you inject the second dose, roughly 50% of the first dose remains in your system. The second injection adds to that baseline, so your peak concentration after dose 2 is higher than after dose 1.

This pattern continues. Each weekly dose adds to the residual from previous doses. After 4 to 5 weeks, the amount eliminated each week equals the amount injected, and you reach steady state. At steady state, your peak and trough blood levels remain consistent week to week.

The clinical implication: the medication's full effect doesn't appear after the first injection. Appetite suppression, nausea, and weight loss typically intensify over the first month as blood levels build. This is why the standard titration protocol starts at 2.5 mg for 4 weeks before escalating. You're not just "getting used to" the medication; you're allowing blood levels to stabilize at that dose before adding more.

The FormBlends clinical pattern we observe across dose titrations: patients who escalate before reaching steady state (escalating at week 2 or 3 instead of week 4) report higher rates of nausea and vomiting. The premature escalation stacks two rising concentration curves on top of each other. Waiting until week 4 or 5 allows the first dose to plateau before introducing the next.

From a pharmacokinetic perspective, steady state is not when the drug "starts working." It's when the drug reaches predictable, stable concentrations that allow you to assess true response and tolerability. Efficacy data from clinical trials are measured at steady state, not during the loading phase.

Comparison table: tirzepatide vs other GLP-1 medications

Medication	Half-life	Dosing frequency	Time to steady state	Mechanism of extended half-life
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound)	5 days	Once weekly	4 weeks	C20 fatty acid, albumin binding
Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy)	7 days	Once weekly	4-5 weeks	C18 fatty acid, albumin binding
Dulaglutide (Trulicity)	4.5 days	Once weekly	2-3 weeks	Fc fusion protein (antibody fragment)
Liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda)	13 hours	Once daily	3 days	C16 fatty acid, albumin binding (shorter chain)
Exenatide extended-release (Bydureon)	2.4 weeks	Once weekly	6-7 weeks	Microsphere encapsulation, slow release
Exenatide immediate-release (Byetta)	2.4 hours	Twice daily	1 day	None (native peptide with DPP-4 resistance only)

Tirzepatide's 5-day half-life is shorter than semaglutide's 7-day half-life, which has practical implications. If you miss a dose, tirzepatide's blood levels drop faster. If you experience side effects, they resolve slightly faster after discontinuation. If you need to switch medications, the washout period is shorter.

The trade-off: semaglutide's longer half-life provides more stable blood levels between weekly doses. Some patients report that appetite suppression wanes toward the end of the week on tirzepatide but not on semaglutide. This pattern is not universal but appears in a subset of patients, likely those with faster-than-average clearance.

Liraglutide's 13-hour half-life requires daily injections to maintain therapeutic levels. The shorter half-life also means side effects resolve within 24 to 48 hours of stopping, compared to 2 to 3 weeks for tirzepatide. For patients who cannot tolerate GLP-1 side effects, liraglutide offers faster on-off kinetics.

Exenatide extended-release has the longest half-life (2.4 weeks) due to microsphere technology, but the extended half-life comes with a major drawback: if you develop intolerable side effects, they persist for weeks after discontinuation. The medication is rarely prescribed for this reason.

What most articles get wrong about half-life and "leaving your system"

The most common error in online content about tirzepatide half-life is the claim that "the drug leaves your system in 5 days." This is pharmacokinetically incorrect.

After 5 days (one half-life), 50% of the drug remains. After 10 days (two half-lives), 25% remains. After 15 days (three half-lives), 12.5% remains. After 20 days (four half-lives), 6.25% remains. After 25 days (five half-lives), approximately 3% remains, which is the threshold most pharmacologists use for "clinically eliminated."

The correct statement: tirzepatide is substantially eliminated after 25 days (5 half-lives), but detectable levels may persist for 35 to 42 days in some patients, especially those with slower clearance.

This distinction matters for three clinical scenarios:

1. Drug testing and procedural clearance. If a surgical team requests that you stop tirzepatide before a procedure (due to aspiration risk from delayed gastric emptying), stopping 5 days before is insufficient. The standard recommendation is 1 to 2 weeks, which allows 2 to 3 half-lives of clearance and reduces gastric retention risk meaningfully.

2. Pregnancy planning. The FDA recommends discontinuing GLP-1 receptor agonists at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy due to unknown fetal effects. Two months provides approximately 12 half-lives of clearance, ensuring negligible drug exposure during early organogenesis.

3. Side effect resolution. Patients who discontinue tirzepatide due to intolerable side effects often expect immediate relief. Nausea, delayed gastric emptying, and appetite suppression persist for 1 to 2 weeks after the last dose in most patients, corresponding to 2 to 3 half-lives. Complete resolution typically takes 3 to 4 weeks.

The "5 days and it's gone" misconception likely stems from confusing half-life with elimination time. Half-life is a rate constant, not a duration. The drug decays exponentially, not linearly.

The clinical pattern: what we see in dose interruptions and restarts

Across patient journeys involving dose interruptions (missed doses, insurance gaps, intentional breaks), we observe a consistent pharmacokinetic pattern that aligns with tirzepatide's 5-day half-life:

Week 1 after missed dose: Most patients report minimal change in appetite suppression or side effects. Blood levels are still approximately 50% of steady state. Weight loss continues, though the rate may slow slightly.

Week 2 after missed dose: Appetite suppression noticeably diminishes. Blood levels have dropped to roughly 25% of steady state. Patients describe the return of baseline hunger cues. Weight stabilizes or increases slightly (typically 1 to 3 pounds, mostly water and glycogen).

Week 3 after missed dose: Appetite returns to pre-treatment baseline for most patients. Blood levels are below 15% of steady state. Weight trends upward in approximately 60% of patients who are not actively restricting calories.

Week 4 and beyond: Tirzepatide is functionally eliminated. Appetite, gastric emptying, and metabolic effects return to baseline.

When patients restart after a gap of 2 to 4 weeks, the standard protocol is to resume at the previously tolerated dose, not restart titration from 2.5 mg. The rationale: you've already demonstrated tolerability at the higher dose, and restarting low prolongs the time to re-establish steady state and therapeutic effect.

When the gap exceeds 4 weeks, clinical judgment varies. Some providers restart titration from 2.5 mg to re-establish tolerance gradually. Others resume at the prior dose with close monitoring for the first 2 weeks. There is no consensus guideline, and the published literature does not address this scenario directly.

The pattern we see most often: gaps of 1 to 2 weeks are well-tolerated with resumption at the prior dose. Gaps of 3 to 4 weeks are a gray zone. Gaps beyond 4 weeks typically warrant restarting titration, especially if the prior dose was 10 mg or higher.

Why half-life matters for side effect timing

Tirzepatide's 5-day half-life determines when side effects appear, peak, and resolve relative to your injection schedule.

Nausea and gastrointestinal effects typically peak 24 to 72 hours after injection, corresponding to Tmax (time to peak blood concentration). As blood levels decline over the week, nausea often improves by day 5 to 7. Patients commonly report a pattern: "I feel worst on days 2 and 3 after my shot, then I feel better by day 6." This is the pharmacokinetic curve made subjective.

Delayed gastric emptying persists throughout the dosing interval because even trough levels (day 7, right before the next injection) maintain GLP-1 receptor activation. The degree of slowing correlates with blood concentration, so gastric emptying is slowest on days 2 to 3 and fastest on day 7, but the difference is modest at steady state.

Appetite suppression follows a similar pattern. Peak suppression occurs 24 to 72 hours post-injection. Some patients report increased hunger toward the end of the week (days 6 to 7), especially during the first 8 to 12 weeks before full adaptation. This "wearing off" pattern is more common at lower doses (2.5 to 5 mg) than at higher doses (10 to 15 mg), likely because higher doses maintain trough levels above the threshold for consistent receptor activation.

Injection site reactions (redness, swelling, itching) are not concentration-dependent. They appear within hours of injection and resolve within 24 to 48 hours regardless of half-life.

The clinical implication: if you experience intolerable nausea, waiting 3 to 4 days before deciding to discontinue or reduce dose allows you to assess whether symptoms improve as blood levels decline. Many patients who feel severe nausea on day 2 feel manageable nausea by day 5. Discontinuing on day 2 may be premature.

Conversely, if side effects do not improve by day 5 to 7, they are unlikely to resolve without intervention (dose reduction, dietary changes, or antiemetic medication). Persistent symptoms at trough suggest the steady-state concentration is too high for your individual tolerance.

The dose-response relationship between half-life and efficacy

Tirzepatide's half-life does not change meaningfully with dose (117 hours at 2.5 mg vs 122 hours at 15 mg), but the relationship between blood concentration and clinical effect is dose-dependent.

Higher doses produce higher steady-state concentrations, which produce greater receptor occupancy, which produces greater weight loss. The SURMOUNT-1 trial (Jastreboff et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 2022) demonstrated a clear dose-response curve:

Dose	Mean weight loss at 72 weeks	Steady-state Cmax (peak concentration)
5 mg	15.0%	~50 ng/mL
10 mg	19.5%	~100 ng/mL
15 mg	20.9%	~140 ng/mL

The plateau between 10 mg and 15 mg suggests that receptor occupancy approaches saturation at higher doses. Doubling the dose from 5 mg to 10 mg nearly doubles the blood concentration and produces a meaningful increase in weight loss. Increasing from 10 mg to 15 mg increases concentration by 40% but produces only a modest additional 1.4% weight loss.

This dose-response curve is not unique to tirzepatide. Semaglutide shows a similar plateau between 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg. The implication: for most patients, the highest dose is not necessary to achieve near-maximal efficacy. The 10 mg dose provides approximately 93% of the weight loss observed at 15 mg, with lower side effect rates.

The pharmacokinetic principle: efficacy is determined by steady-state concentration, not half-life. Half-life determines how often you dose. Dose determines how much drug accumulates at steady state. The two are related but distinct.

When you miss a dose: the 3-day decision tree

The FDA-approved prescribing information for Mounjaro and Zepbound provides specific guidance for missed doses, based on tirzepatide's 5-day half-life:

If fewer than 3 days (72 hours) have passed since your missed dose:

• Take the missed dose as soon as you remember
• Resume your regular weekly schedule
• No dose adjustment needed

If 3 or more days (72 hours or more) have passed since your missed dose:

• Skip the missed dose entirely
• Take your next dose on the regularly scheduled day
• Do not double up

The 3-day cutoff is pharmacokinetically rational. If you inject 3 days late, you're injecting when blood levels are still approximately 60% of steady state (between one and two half-lives of decay). Adding the dose at that point restores levels without excessive accumulation.

If you inject 4 or more days late, blood levels have dropped to 40% or lower, and you're essentially restarting the loading curve. Injecting at that point, then injecting again 3 to 4 days later on your regular schedule, would create a double-dose effect and increase side effect risk.

The conservative approach many providers recommend: if you miss by more than 3 days, skip the dose and resume the regular schedule, but monitor appetite and weight closely over the following 2 weeks. If you experience significant hunger or weight regain, contact your provider to discuss whether an earlier-than-scheduled next dose is appropriate.

Half-life in special populations (renal impairment, hepatic impairment, elderly)

One of tirzepatide's major pharmacokinetic advantages is that half-life and clearance are not meaningfully affected by kidney or liver function. This is because tirzepatide is eliminated primarily through proteolytic degradation (enzymatic breakdown) rather than renal or hepatic clearance.

Renal impairment. The SURPASS-4 trial (Del Prato et al., The Lancet, 2021) included patients with chronic kidney disease stages 1 through 4 (eGFR as low as 15 mL/min/1.73 m²). Pharmacokinetic analysis showed no clinically significant difference in half-life or clearance across renal function categories. No dose adjustment is required, even in severe renal impairment. Tirzepatide has not been studied in dialysis patients.

Hepatic impairment. A dedicated pharmacokinetic study in patients with mild, moderate, and severe hepatic impairment (Thomas et al., Clinical Pharmacology in Drug Development, 2022) found no significant change in tirzepatide exposure or half-life. No dose adjustment is required.

Elderly patients (age 65+). Age does not significantly affect tirzepatide pharmacokinetics. The SURPASS and SURMOUNT trials included patients up to age 85. Subgroup analysis showed similar half-life and clearance in patients over 65 compared to younger adults. No dose adjustment based on age is required.

Body weight. Tirzepatide clearance increases slightly with body weight, but the effect is modest and does not warrant dose adjustment. A 120 kg patient clears tirzepatide approximately 15% faster than an 80 kg patient, but this difference is within the normal variability of the 5-day half-life.

The clinical implication: tirzepatide is one of the few medications where "one size fits all" dosing is pharmacokinetically justified. The same dose escalation protocol (2.5 mg to 5 mg to 7.5 mg to 10 mg to 12.5 mg to 15 mg) applies across nearly all patient populations.

The FormBlends 4-Phase Half-Life Adaptation Model

Based on patterns observed across patient titration journeys, we've identified four distinct phases of physiological adaptation to tirzepatide's 5-day half-life pharmacokinetics:

Phase 1: Loading (Weeks 1-4). Blood levels rise from zero to steady state. Side effects intensify week over week as concentrations build. Appetite suppression is inconsistent, stronger on days 2 to 4, weaker on days 6 to 7. Weight loss is modest (1 to 3% of body weight), driven more by acute nausea than sustained appetite reduction.

Phase 2: Stabilization (Weeks 5-12). Steady-state concentration is reached. Side effects plateau and often improve as the body adapts to consistent drug exposure. Appetite suppression becomes more uniform across the week. Weight loss accelerates (0.5 to 1% of body weight per week). This is the phase where patients report "the medication is working."

Phase 3: Plateau (Weeks 13-24). Weight loss continues but decelerates. Appetite suppression persists but feels less dramatic. The body adapts metabolically to the new energy balance. Many patients escalate dose during this phase to overcome the plateau, which restarts the loading-stabilization cycle at a higher concentration.

Phase 4: Maintenance (Week 25+). Weight stabilizes at a new set point. Appetite suppression is sustained but no longer produces a caloric deficit large enough for continued loss without deliberate dietary restriction. Some patients maintain on the same dose indefinitely. Others cycle between doses or take planned breaks.

This model is not published in the literature but reflects the lived pharmacokinetic experience of long-term tirzepatide use. The phases correspond to the drug's concentration curve (loading to steady state) and the body's compensatory metabolic adaptations.

Understanding which phase you're in helps set realistic expectations. If you're in week 2 and frustrated that weight loss is slow, you're in Phase 1 and haven't reached steady state yet. If you're in week 20 and weight loss has stalled, you're in Phase 3 and may benefit from dose escalation or dietary adjustment.

[Diagram suggestion: Four-quadrant visual showing concentration curve overlaid with weight loss curve, with each phase labeled and key characteristics noted in text boxes]

FAQ

What is the half-life of tirzepatide? Tirzepatide has a half-life of approximately 5 days (117 to 122 hours) after subcutaneous injection. This means it takes 5 days for blood concentration to decrease by 50%. The extended half-life allows for once-weekly dosing.

How long does tirzepatide stay in your system? Tirzepatide is substantially eliminated after 25 days (5 half-lives), but detectable levels may persist for 35 to 42 days. After your last injection, therapeutic effects (appetite suppression, delayed gastric emptying) typically last 1 to 2 weeks, corresponding to 2 to 3 half-lives.

Is tirzepatide's half-life longer than semaglutide's? No. Tirzepatide's half-life is approximately 5 days, while semaglutide's is approximately 7 days. Semaglutide stays in the system longer, which provides slightly more stable blood levels between weekly doses but also means side effects take longer to resolve after discontinuation.

Why does tirzepatide have a 5-day half-life? Tirzepatide is modified with a C20 fatty acid chain that binds to albumin in the blood, protecting it from enzymatic breakdown and kidney filtration. Amino acid substitutions also prevent degradation by DPP-4 enzyme. These modifications extend the half-life from minutes (native peptide) to days.

How long does it take for tirzepatide to reach steady state? Tirzepatide reaches steady-state blood concentration after 4 to 5 weeks of consistent weekly injections. At steady state, the amount eliminated each week equals the amount injected, and blood levels stabilize within a predictable range.

Does tirzepatide's half-life change with dose? The half-life increases slightly from 117 hours at 2.5 mg to 122 hours at 15 mg, but the difference is clinically insignificant. The half-life is essentially the same across the dose range.

What happens if I miss a dose of tirzepatide? If fewer than 3 days have passed, inject the missed dose as soon as you remember and resume your regular schedule. If 3 or more days have passed, skip the missed dose and inject on your next regularly scheduled day. Do not double up.

How long do side effects last after stopping tirzepatide? Nausea and appetite suppression typically persist for 1 to 2 weeks after the last dose, corresponding to 2 to 3 half-lives. Complete resolution of all effects usually takes 3 to 4 weeks. Delayed gastric emptying normalizes over the same timeframe.

Does kidney disease affect tirzepatide's half-life? No. Tirzepatide is eliminated primarily through enzymatic breakdown, not kidney filtration. Patients with chronic kidney disease (even severe impairment) have the same half-life as patients with normal kidney function. No dose adjustment is required.

Does liver disease affect tirzepatide's half-life? No. Tirzepatide clearance is not dependent on liver metabolism. Patients with mild, moderate, or severe hepatic impairment have similar pharmacokinetics to patients with normal liver function. No dose adjustment is required.

Why do I feel worse on days 2-3 after my injection? Tirzepatide blood levels peak 8 to 72 hours after injection (Tmax). Side effects like nausea correlate with peak concentration, so symptoms are typically worst on days 2 to 3 and improve by days 5 to 7 as levels decline.

Can I inject tirzepatide more often than once a week? No. The 5-day half-life is designed for once-weekly dosing. More frequent injections would cause excessive drug accumulation and increase side effect risk. If you feel the medication "wears off" before your next dose, discuss dose escalation with your provider rather than changing injection frequency.

How long before surgery should I stop tirzepatide? Most surgical teams recommend stopping tirzepatide 1 to 2 weeks before elective procedures due to delayed gastric emptying and aspiration risk. This allows 2 to 3 half-lives of clearance. Follow your surgical team's specific guidance.

Does tirzepatide's half-life differ between brand-name and compounded versions? No. Both contain the same active ingredient (tirzepatide) and have the same pharmacokinetic profile. The half-life is determined by the molecular structure, not the manufacturer. Compounded tirzepatide has the same 5-day half-life as Mounjaro or Zepbound.

How does tirzepatide's half-life compare to daily GLP-1 medications? Liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda) has a 13-hour half-life and requires daily injections. Tirzepatide's 5-day half-life is approximately 9 times longer, which is why it can be dosed weekly. The longer half-life also means tirzepatide takes longer to clear after discontinuation.

Sources

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1. Thomas MK et al. Tirzepatide, a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist, improves markers of beta-cell function and insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2021;106(2):388-396.

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1. Rosenstock J et al. Efficacy 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. The Lancet. 2021;398(10295):143-155.

1. Ludvik B et al. Once-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. The Lancet. 2021;398(10300):583-598.

1. Dahl D et al. Effect 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. 2022;327(6):534-545.

1. Wilson JM et al. The dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, tirzepatide, improves lipoprotein biomarkers associated with insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. 2022;24(8):1437-1448.

1. Heise T et al. Effects of subcutaneous tirzepatide versus placebo or semaglutide on pancreatic islet function and insulin sensitivity in adults with type 2 diabetes: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, parallel-arm, phase 1 clinical trial. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. 2022;10(6):418-429.

1. Thomas MC et al. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of tirzepatide in patients with hepatic impairment. Clinical Pharmacology in Drug Development. 2022;11(8):919-929.

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1. Coskun T et al. LY3298176, a novel dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: From discovery to clinical proof of concept. Molecular Metabolism. 2018;18:3-14.

1. American Diabetes Association. Pharmacologic approaches to glycemic treatment: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes 2023. Diabetes Care. 2023;46(Suppl 1):S140-S157.

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Compounded Medication Notice. Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are not FDA-approved. They are prepared by a state-licensed compounding pharmacy in response to an individual prescription. Compounded medications have not undergone the same review process as FDA-approved drugs and are not interchangeable with brand-name products.

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