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Zepbound ® (tirzepatide) injection
2.5 mg/ 5 mg/ 7.5 mg/ 10 mg/ 12.5 mg/ 15 mg
This information is provided in response to your request. Resources may contain information about doses, uses, formulations and populations different from product labeling. See Prescribing Information above, if applicable.
What information is available regarding alcohol use with Zepbound® (tirzepatide)?
Eli Lilly and Company has not evaluated tirzepatide for alcohol use disorder or with concomitant alcohol use.
See important safety information, including boxed warning, in the attached prescribing information for ZEPBOUND® (tirzepatide).
Alcohol use
Eli Lilly and Company cannot provide a recommendation on whether to use tirzepatide in a patient with concomitant alcohol use or comorbid alcohol use disorder (AUD). The healthcare practitioner may use the information provided, the patient’s prior medical history and concomitant medications, and other individual factors in developing a treatment plan. The healthcare practitioner should consider potential risks and benefits of treatment options and monitor appropriately.
Lilly cannot provide any information on tirzepatide and concomitant alcoholic beverage use because this has not been studied by Lilly.
In tirzepatide clinical trials conducted by Lilly, patients were excluded if they had a history of alcohol abuse or any condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, may preclude the patient from following and completing the protocol.1-9
Tirzepatide KwikPens contain benzyl alcohol as a preservative in the drug product solution.10 The addition of preservatives to the product formulation ensures that the drug solution maintains an antimicrobial environment (ie, slows the growth of bacteria) through the end of the product’s in-use period.11
Benzyl alcohol is included only in the multidose formulation of tirzepatide, including the multi-dose pen/KwikPen and the multi-dose vial.10 Benzyl alcohol is used as an excipient in a range of medicinal products that are administered intramuscularly, intravenously, and topically. Benzyl alcohol does not contain or metabolize to ethanol.11 Eli Lilly and Company has no clinical study data on use in people with AUD or the risk of metabolic acidosis associated with benzyl alcohol contained in the tirzepatide multi-dose formulations.
Tirzepatide is not indicated for treatment of AUD.
Although some independent, non-Lilly, studies on the use of tirzepatide in AUD exist, Lilly
- has not sponsored or reviewed these studies
- is not affiliated with these studies
- cannot confirm their scientific merit, clinical relevance, or generalizability, and
- has no plans to study tirzepatide for AUD.
Enclosed Prescribing Information
ZEPBOUND® (tirzepatide) Injection, for subcutaneous use, Lilly
References
The published references below are available by contacting 1-800-LillyRx (1-800-545-5979).
Rosenstock J, Wysham C, Frías JP, 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. Lancet. 2021;398(10295):143-155. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736%2821%2901324-6
Frías JP, Davies MJ, Rosenstock J, et al; SURPASS-2 Investigators. Tirzepatide versus semaglutide once weekly in patients with type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2021;385(6):503-515. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2107519
Ludvik B, Giorgino F, Jódar E, 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. Lancet. 2021;398(10300):583-598. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01443-4
Del Prato S, Kahn SE, Pavo I, et al; SURPASS-4 Investigators. Tirzepatide versus insulin glargine in type 2 diabetes and increased cardiovascular risk (SURPASS-4): a randomised, open-label, parallel-group, multicentre, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2021;398(10313):1811-1824. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02188-7
Dahl D, Onishi Y, Norwood P, 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. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.0078
Jastreboff AM, Aronne LJ, Ahmad NN, et al; SURMOUNT-1 Investigators. Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity. N Engl J Med. 2022;387(3):205-216. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2206038
Garvey WT, Frias JP, Jastreboff AM, et al; SURMOUNT-2 investigators. Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity in people with type 2 diabetes (SURMOUNT-2): a double-blind, randomised, multicentre, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2023;402(10402):613-626. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01200-X
Wadden TA, Chao AM, Machineni S, et al. Tirzepatide after intensive lifestyle intervention in adults with overweight or obesity: the SURMOUNT-3 phase 3 trial. Nat Med. 2023;29(11):2909-2918. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02597-w
Aronne LJ, Sattar N, Horn DB, et al; SURMOUNT-4 Investigators. Continued treatment with tirzepatide for maintenance of weight reduction in adults with obesity: the SURMOUNT-4 randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2024;331(1):38-48. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.24945
Data on file, Eli Lilly and Company and/or one of its subsidiaries.
Nair B. Final report on the safety assessment of benzyl alcohol, benzoic acid, and sodium benzoate. Int J Toxicol. 2001;20(Suppl 3):23-50. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/10915810152630729.
Date of Last Review: December 03, 2025