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Medicine information

Zepbound

The United States brand name for tirzepatide, a once-weekly GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist injection. Zepbound holds no EU marketing authorisation.

General information, not medical advice. Docalo does not sell medicines, and prescription-only medicines are prescribed only after an individual medical assessment.

Talk to a doctor about weight care
Medicine information

What Zepbound is and how it works

Tirzepatide acts on two gut-hormone receptors at the same time, GIP and GLP-1, which together reduce appetite and slow how quickly the stomach empties.

Zepbound is a US product. The European Medicines Agency has no assessment under this name. In the EU, tirzepatide is authorised under a different brand name, with its own EU product information.

Authorisation status and label

  • In the United States, Zepbound is labelled for chronic weight management in adults with obesity, or overweight with a weight-related condition, alongside diet and activity.
  • It is also labelled in the US for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea in adults with obesity.
  • It is not an authorised product in the EU, so no EU label applies to it.

Only a doctor who knows your history can decide whether a medicine suits you.

How to use Zepbound

Once a week. The US label describes one injection under the skin of the abdomen, thigh or upper arm, once a week, on the same day each week, with or without food.

Built up in steps. The US label starts at 2.5 mg a week for four weeks and increases in 2.5 mg steps at least four weeks apart. Maintenance doses are 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg; 15 mg is the maximum.

Common side effects

Get urgent medical help if (whatever the frequency): Severe, persistent stomach pain, often spreading to the back, Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, or trouble breathing, A lump or swelling in the neck, trouble swallowing or a hoarse voice that does not settle

Most reported in trials (in more than 1 in 10 trial participants): nausea, diarrhoea, constipation

Also reported in trials (less often): vomiting, indigestion, stomach pain, hair thinning, injection-site reactions

Safety

Do not use Zepbound if

  • You or a family member have had medullary thyroid carcinoma, or you have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2
  • You have ever had a serious allergic reaction to tirzepatide or any ingredient in the pen
  • You are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding

The US label carries a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumours seen in rodent studies. Medicines bought outside the regulated EU supply chain cannot be checked for storage or authenticity.

Read the safety summary
FAQs

Your questions answered

Zepbound3 questions
Is Zepbound authorised in the EU?
No. Zepbound is a US brand and holds no EU marketing authorisation. In the EU, tirzepatide is authorised under the name Mounjaro, which has its own EU product information.
Both contain tirzepatide from the same manufacturer, but they are different products with different labels and authorisations. For patients in the EU, only the Mounjaro product information applies.
More questions
Its safety cannot be checked. A Zepbound pack sold in Europe sits outside the regulated EU supply chain, so its storage, content and authenticity are unknown, and falsified GLP-1 pens have been found in the EU.

References

This page summarises the official product information and the published sources below.

  1. Zepbound (tirzepatide) injection: US prescribing information DailyMed, US National Library of Medicine, 2026
  2. FDA approves new medication for chronic weight management US Food and Drug Administration, 2023
  3. FDA approves first medication for obstructive sleep apnea US Food and Drug Administration, 2024
  4. Mounjaro (tirzepatide): European public assessment report, the EU-authorised tirzepatide product European Medicines Agency, 2022
  5. Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-1). N Engl J Med 2022;387:205-16 New England Journal of Medicine, 2022

Other medicines used in weight management

Talk to a doctor about weight care

The Docalo membership gives you a doctor's assessment, a personalised plan and monthly follow-up. Your doctor decides what care suits you, with or without medicine.

Talk to a doctor about weight careGeneral information, not medical advice. Docalo does not sell medicines, and prescription-only medicines are prescribed only after an individual medical assessment.
All content on this page has been medically reviewed by: Dr. Alejandro Infante, General medicine, on 27 July 2026. Registration: 080869277

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