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Mounjaro ® (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.
How should Mounjaro® (tirzepatide) doses be increased in adults?
Tirzepatide should be initiated at 2.5 mg subcutaneously once weekly and increased in 2.5 mg increments every 4 weeks until target dose is achieved, up to a maximum dose of 15 mg for adults.
See important safety information, including boxed warning, in the attached prescribing information.
What is the Tirzepatide Recommended Dosing in Adults?
The recommended starting dose of tirzepatide is 2.5 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly for 4 weeks. Follow the dosage escalation below to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal adverse reactions. The 2.5 mg dosage is for treatment initiation and is not intended for glycemic control.1
After 4 weeks, increase the dosage to 5 mg once weekly.1
If additional glycemic control is needed, increase the dosage in 2.5 mg increments after at least 4 weeks on the current dose.1
The maximum dose of tirzepatide is 15 mg once weekly in adults.1
Administer tirzepatide
- once weekly
- any time of day, and
- with or without meals.1
Tirzepatide should be injected subcutaneously in the
- abdomen
- thigh, or
- another person should inject in the back of the upper arm.1
Dose Escalation in Tirzepatide Clinical Studies
In the phase 3 tirzepatide studies in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) (SURPASS-1 to -5), participants were assigned to 1 of 3 tirzepatide treatment arms (5, 10, or 15 mg) for assessment of efficacy and safety (Dose Escalation Schedule for Tirzepatide in Phase 3 Clinical Studies).2-6
Figure 1 description: Patients receiving tirzepatide in the tirzepatide phase 3 clinical studies in patients with type 2 diabetes, received a starting dose of tirzepatide 2.5 mg once weekly for 4 weeks and were escalated in 2.5 mg increments every 4 weeks until the assigned dose was achieved (5, 10, or 15 mg).
The starting dose of tirzepatide was 2.5 mg once weekly for 4 weeks and escalated in 2.5 mg increments every 4 weeks until the assigned dose was achieved.2-6
Dose escalation in 2.5 mg increments at 4-week intervals was chosen based on the ability to improve the tolerability profile.2
The 3 tirzepatide doses (5, 10, and 15 mg) studied for efficacy in the SURPASS phase 3 clinical study program were identified based on the safety, efficacy, and exposure response modeling of data in participants with T2D in phase 1 and 2 studies.2
Enclosed Prescribing Information
References
The published references below are available by contacting 1-800-LillyRx (1-800-545-5979).
1Mounjaro [package insert]. Indianapolis, IN: Eli Lilly and Company; 2026.
2Rosenstock 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
3Frías 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
4Ludvik 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
5Del 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
6Dahl 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
Date of Last Review: February 16, 2026