Who Owns Zepbound?

Zepbound is the obesity treatment brand name for tirzepatide, the same active ingredient used in Mounjaro (Eli Lilly's diabetes medication). The decision to market tirzepatide under two separate brand names mirrors Novo Nordisk's strategy of marketing semaglutide as Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for obesity, allowing distinct positioning and pricing for each indication.

The clinical development program for tirzepatide in obesity, known as the SURMOUNT trials, demonstrated extraordinary weight loss results. The SURMOUNT-1 trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2022, showed that participants taking the highest dose of tirzepatide (15 mg) lost an average of approximately 22.5% of their body weight over 72 weeks, compared to approximately 2.4% for placebo. This level of weight loss was unprecedented in pharmaceutical obesity treatment and significantly exceeded the results seen with semaglutide (Wegovy).

Zepbound received FDA approval in November 2023 for chronic weight management in adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater, or 27 or greater with at least one weight-related condition. The approval came approximately 18 months after Mounjaro's diabetes approval, reflecting the rapid progression of the tirzepatide clinical program.

The launch of Zepbound created intense competition with Novo Nordisk's Wegovy in the prescription obesity market. Both medications are administered as once-weekly subcutaneous injections and target similar patient populations, but Zepbound's clinical data showing superior weight loss has been a key differentiator.

By 2024, Zepbound had become one of the most prescribed new medications in the United States, with demand consistently exceeding supply. Eli Lilly has been investing billions of dollars in manufacturing capacity expansion to meet the extraordinary demand for tirzepatide products.

In 2024, Eli Lilly also introduced Zepbound in single-dose vials at a lower price point than the auto-injector pen, improving access for patients who self-administer the medication. This pricing innovation was designed to compete with compounded tirzepatide products that had proliferated during the shortage period.