Overview
Tirzepatide is a 39-amino-acid synthetic peptide built on the native incretin hormone from intestinal K cells; its receptor is a target of dual and triple agonists.">GIP sequence and engineered to activate both the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and the GLP-1 receptor. A C20 fatty diacid attached through a linker binds serum albumin, giving the molecule a half-life of about five days.
Developed by Eli Lilly, tirzepatide was evaluated in the SURPASS programme in type 2 diabetes, including a head-to-head trial against semaglutide, and in the SURMOUNT programme in obesity, where the highest exposure group lost about a fifth of baseline body weight over 72 weeks. It is approved as the prescription medicines Mounjaro and Zepbound for type 2 diabetes, chronic weight management and, in the US, obstructive sleep apnoea with obesity. Our product is the research-grade reference compound for incretin pharmacology studies and is not a medicine.
Mechanism studied
- Tirzepatide
- GIPR + GLP-1R
- Insulin & satiety signalling
- Glucose & body-weight endpoints
Tirzepatide is an agonist at both incretin hormone from intestinal K cells; its receptor is a target of dual and triple agonists.">GIP and GLP-1 receptors, with greater relative potency at the GIP receptor. GLP-1 receptor activation enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon, slows gastric emptying and reduces appetite through hypothalamic and brainstem pathways. GIP receptor activation adds insulinotropic effects and may influence adipose tissue lipid handling and central appetite signalling. At the GLP-1 receptor, tirzepatide shows biased signalling that favours cAMP generation over β-arrestin recruitment, which may limit receptor internalisation.
Research highlights
- 01First approved dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist (Mounjaro, 2022)
- 02SURMOUNT-1 reported mean weight reductions up to about 21% at 72 weeks
- 03SURPASS-2 compared it head-to-head with semaglutide in type 2 diabetes
- 04Albumin-binding C20 diacid supports a roughly five-day half-life
- 05Biased GLP-1 receptor signalling favouring cAMP over β-arrestin
Research areas
- Incretin receptor pharmacology
- Glycaemic control research
- Obesity & energy balance
- Cardiometabolic outcome studies
Evidence & regulatory status
Overall status: Approved (Rx) — type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management
Key references
- [1]Jastreboff et al., 2022 — N Engl J Med 387:205–216
- [2]Frías et al., 2021 — N Engl J Med
- [3]Manufacturer's prescribing information — FDA / EMA / ANVISA
Latest published research
2,737 papers on PubMed →GLP-1 receptor biology and the therapeutic role of incretin-based agonists in metabolic diseases
Koceva E et al. · European journal of pharmacology · 2026 Dec 10 · PMID 42849689
Tirzepatide alleviates hepatic steatosis and inflammation in MASLD partly through suppression of macrophage Dectin-1/Syk/NF-κB signaling
He Y et al. · European journal of pharmacology · 2026 Dec 10 · PMID 42849688
12-month weight-loss trajectories and predictors of response to tirzepatide under individualized dosing: A multicenter real-world study
Angelopoulos N et al. · Obesity pillars · 2026 Dec · PMID 42908672
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Reproductive Health: Implications for Contraception, Fertility, and Pregnancy
Porterfield F et al. · Endocrinology and metabolism clinics of North America · 2026 Dec · PMID 42907053
Economic evaluation of tirzepatide, semaglutide, and liraglutide in the treatment of obese and overweight patients without diabetes: a short-term cost-effectiveness analysis in Iran
Reiszadeh N et al. · Journal of diabetes and metabolic disorders · 2026 Dec · PMID 42894545
The pharmacotherapy for pediatric obesity: insights and challenges from adult weight-loss medications
Chen Z et al. · Journal of diabetes and metabolic disorders · 2026 Dec · PMID 42871568
GLP-1 receptor agonists in elective spine surgery: a systematic review of fusion outcomes, perioperative safety, and procedure-specific risk
Ferraz VR et al. · North American Spine Society journal · 2026 Dec · PMID 42871273
Weight-Loss Outcomes After Sleeve Gastrectomy Versus Tirzepatide in a Minority Cohort With Severe Obesity: Results From a Propensity Score Matched Cohort
Manueli Laos EG et al. · Clinical obesity · 2026 Dec · PMID 42850698
Live feed from PubMed (NCBI) for “Tirzepatide”, updated 2026-10-30. Listing a paper is not an endorsement of its findings.
Registered studies
308 on ClinicalTrials.gov →- Not yet recruiting
Efficacy, Safety, and Treatment Satisfaction of Once-Weekly Tirzepatide in Obese Type 2 Diabetic Patients
NCT07728318 · Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College · 2027-12-12
- Not yet recruitingPhase 1
Impact of GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Therapy on Alcohol Pharmacokinetics
NCT07758231 · University of Wisconsin, Madison · 2026-11
- Active not recruitingPhase 2
An Open-Label Tirzepatide Trial for Comorbid Obesity and Stimulant Use Disorder
NCT07693608 · University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center · 2026-08-19
- Active not recruitingPhase 4
Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist (GLP-1 RA) and Diet in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Patients
NCT06774079 · University of Miami · 2025-03-05
- RecruitingPhase 4
Mechanisms of Weight Loss: Tirzepatide vs Semaglutide
NCT07900074 · McMaster University · 2026-10-31
- Completed
Real-world Effectiveness and Dosing Patterns of Tirzepatide in People With Obesity
NCT07504172 · Radboud University Medical Center · 2026-04-01
- RecruitingPhase 1
Impact of Using a GLP1 on Treatment Related Side Effects of Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Lorlatinib
NCT07782359 · University of Chicago · 2026-10-22
- Not yet recruitingPhase 3
SYNCHRONIZE®-START- A Study to Test Whether Survodutide Helps People Living With Overweight or Obesity Who do Not Have Diabetes to Lose Weight
NCT07855900 · Boehringer Ingelheim · 2026-11-07
From the public ClinicalTrials.gov registry for “Tirzepatide”, updated 2026-10-30. Shown for research context only; Purity Peptides products are not for human use.
FAQ
No. Mounjaro and Zepbound are approved prescription medicines manufactured under pharmaceutical controls. Our tirzepatide is a research-grade reference peptide supplied for in-vitro and preclinical laboratory studies only. It is not a drug product and must not be used in humans.
Lyophilized Tirzepatide is normally kept sealed at −20 °C, protected from light and moisture. Once reconstituted for laboratory work, aliquots are held at 2–8 °C for short-term use or frozen, avoiding repeated freeze–thaw. Follow the lot-specific guidance on the certificate of analysis.
Every lot of Tirzepatide ships with a certificate of analysis reporting HPLC purity, mass-spectrometry identity against the expected molecular weight, appearance and lot number. Match the COA lot to the vial label and keep it with your experimental records.
Last updated October 2026 · Reviewed by the Purity Peptides research team · Information is a summary of published literature and is not a recommendation for any use.
