What is Zepbound?

Zepbound is an injection you use once a week to help you lose weight. It contains tirzepatide, which is both a GLP-1 receptor agonist and a GIP receptor agonist. This sets it apart from other weight loss injections like Wegovy, where the active ingredient is solely a GLP-1 receptor agonist. This means that Zepbound should be more effective at helping you lose weight, research suggests.^[1]

Who can use Zepbound?

Zepbound is intended as a weight loss aid for people with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more for those with another health condition related to their weight. These conditions could include type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.

When it’s recommended for someone with a BMI lower than 30 who doesn’t have these weight-related conditions, it’s prescribed off-label.

Zepbound is also prescribed for obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity.

What are the benefits of Zepbound?

The main benefit of Zepbound compared to other weight loss treatments is that it contains both a GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist. In a study that compared the maximum dose of semaglutide (Wegovy) with the maximum dose of tirzepatide (Zepbound) across 751 patients, those taking tirzepatide were more likely to lose at least 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% of their body weight.^[1]

Another advantage of Zepbound is that it only needs to be injected once a week. This might suit you better than other weight loss injections like Saxenda (containing the active ingredient liraglutide), which needs to be injected daily.

How do Zepbound doses work?

Zepbound pens come in six different doses. The lowest is 2.5 mg, then 5mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, and the highest dose is 15 mg. You’ll start on the 2.5 mg dose, and then you’ll usually gradually increase your dose every four weeks until you’re at the maximum dose.

If you get any side effects, and want to stay at a lower dose for longer, that’s no problem. Just speak to your healthcare provider about maintaining your current dosage.

What is Zepbound’s active ingredient?

Zepbound contains the active ingredient tirzepatide, which is a GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist. GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists mimic natural hormones that your body releases after eating to help you feel more satisfied and reduce cravings.

How does Tirzepatide work?

Tirzepatide is a GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist, meaning it binds to GLP-1 and GIP receptors throughout your body. Normally, your body produces GLP-1 and GIP hormones after eating, which bind to these receptors to let your brain know that you’re full, and that your pancreas should release insulin.

By binding to these receptors, tirzepatide enhances feelings of fullness after eating, and also slows down how quickly food passes through your digestive system. This means you feel fuller for longer after eating, and should reduce your appetite and cravings.^[2]

How to take Zepbound

You’ll inject your medicine once per week, on the same day each week. You can take Zepbound with or without food.

1. Start by washing your hands.
2. Select your injection site. The back of your upper arms, your upper thighs, or your stomach are good options. Make sure it’s a different site from your last injection.
3. Make sure your pen is locked (the mark is pointing towards the lock symbol), pull on the gray cap to remove it.
4. Put the clear base of the pen against your injection site.
5. Twist the mark away from the lock symbol to unlock your Zepbound pen.
6. Press and then hold the purple button, and count to 10 to release the drug. There should be two clicks: one at the start of the injection, and one to let you know it’s finished.
7. Remove the pen.

You may hear more than two clicks, but don’t remove the pen until you’ve heard a second loud click after around 10 seconds. Any soft clicks immediately after the first loud click are just the pen delivering the dose.

Each Zepbound pen contains enough medicine for four doses. This means you’ll use each pen four times before disposing of it.

How to dispose of Zepbound needles

As soon as you’ve used a pen or needle, put them in a sharps disposal container after use. You should never throw away used needles or medicines in your household trash. You can get sharps containers from a pharmacy, medical supply company, through your healthcare provider, or online.

Don’t fill your sharps container more than three-quarters full, as this can increase the risk of accidentally injuring yourself. Your local community should have guidelines on how to dispose of sharps containers, which could include:

• Drop off at collections sites, like a doctors’ office, hospital, or pharmacy.
• Mailing them to a collection site for a fee. You might have to label the package in a specific way for shipping because it contains medical waste.
• A local pick up service.