Tirzepatide dosage in published studies and labels

These are the doses used for Tirzepatide in FDA labelling and published clinical studies, reported as each source states them, one row per regimen. They describe what was studied or approved for a specific population. They are not a recommendation, and none of them is a dose for any individual.

Research and educational reference only. This is not medical advice, and no figure on this page is a dosing recommendation.

Last checked against primary sources: September 5, 2026

Studied regimens and sources

Tirzepatide has an FDA-approved human dosage. Both approved products start at 2.5 mg subcutaneously once weekly for 4 weeks and escalate in 2.5 mg steps at intervals of at least 4 weeks: Zepbound to a maintenance dose of 5, 10 or 15 mg once weekly, and Mounjaro to a maximum of 15 mg once weekly for type 2 diabetes.

FDA Approved

Dosage evidence summary for Tirzepatide
Human dosing established	Yes
Studied dose range	2.5–15 mg once weekly
Route	Subcutaneous
Frequency	Once weekly
Duration studied	Continuous; long-term for weight maintenance
Titration	2.5 mg once weekly for 4 weeks, then 5 mg once weekly. Further increases in 2.5 mg increments after at least 4 weeks at the current dose.
Half-life	Approximately 5 days
Evidence level	FDA Approved
Last reviewed	2026-09-05

Research-reported dosing

Doses as studied, one row per regimen. Different trials used different regimens; they are listed separately rather than averaged.

Research-reported dosing for Tirzepatide, one row per studied regimen
Study / context	Population	Dose	Route	Frequency	Duration	Outcome studied	Source
FDA label — Zepbound, weight reductionFDA-approved label · FDA prescribing information	Adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbid condition	5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg maintenance; 2.5 mg starting dose	Subcutaneous	Once weekly	Long term	Reduction and maintenance of body weight	ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) injection — FDA prescribing information, DailyMed
FDA label — Zepbound, obstructive sleep apnoeaFDA-approved label · FDA prescribing information	Adults with obesity and moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea	10 mg or 15 mg	Subcutaneous	Once weekly	Long term	Moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea	ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) injection — FDA prescribing information, DailyMed
FDA label — Mounjaro, type 2 diabetesFDA-approved label · FDA prescribing information	Adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus	2.5 mg starting dose, escalated in 2.5 mg steps to a maximum of 15 mg	Subcutaneous	Once weekly	Continuous	Glycaemic control	MOUNJARO (tirzepatide) injection — FDA prescribing information, DailyMed
SURPASS-2 — phase 3 head-to-head against semaglutideClinical trial · Phase 3 open-label randomised controlled trial	Adults with type 2 diabetes on metformin (n=1879)	5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg	Subcutaneous	Once weekly	40 weeks	Change in glycated haemoglobin versus semaglutide 1 mg	Frías JP et al. Tirzepatide versus Semaglutide Once Weekly in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2021.

Where sources disagree

The 2.5 mg dose is an escalation step in both labels and is explicitly not a maintenance dose. It is sometimes presented elsewhere as a standalone low-dose protocol, which the labelling does not support.
Maximum dose is 15 mg once weekly for both approved products. Higher weekly doses occasionally quoted in non-clinical sources exceed every approved regimen and every published phase 3 arm.