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AMIRAVOResearch Library

Tirzepatide vs mazdutide

Tirzepatide and mazdutide are both once-weekly peptides that activate the GLP-1 receptor, but tirzepatide also activates the GIP receptor while mazdutide also activates the glucagon receptor 1,2. Tirzepatide is FDA-approved as Mounjaro (2022) and Zepbound (2023) 3. Mazdutide was approved in China in 2025, and an openFDA query of Drugs@FDA on 24 October 2026 returned no application record for it 4,5. No trial comparing the two directly was identified, so the evidence below comes from separate trials in different populations 6.

Unbranded reference vial illustrating Tirzepatide; not an actual product
Tirzepatide
FDA-approved
Unbranded reference vial illustrating Mazdutide; not an actual product
Mazdutide
Approved outside the US

Side by side

FieldTirzepatideMazdutide
ClassDual GIP receptor and GLP-1 receptor agonist 1Dual GLP-1 receptor and glucagon receptor agonist 2,4
Origin and structureSynthetic peptide based on the GIP sequence, with aminoisobutyric acid at positions 2 and 13 and a C20 fatty diacid attached at lysine 20; molecular weight 4813.53 Da 1Long-acting synthetic analogue of the gut hormone oxyntomodulin with a fatty-acyl side chain added to extend half-life 7
Proposed mechanismBinds and activates GIP and GLP-1 receptors; label describes glucose-dependent increases in insulin secretion and lower glucagon levels 1Binds human and mouse GLP-1 and glucagon receptors in vitro; in mice, body-weight reduction persisted in both glucagon-receptor and GLP-1-receptor knockout animals 7
Half-lifeAbout 5 days per the Mounjaro label; about 5 to 6 days in people with overweight or obesity per the Zepbound label 1,8150.9 to 403.5 hours (6.3 to 16.8 days) in a phase 1b study in Chinese adults with overweight or obesity 7
Highest human trial phaseApproved; phase 3 programme published (e.g. SURMOUNT-1, SURMOUNT-OSA) 9,10Phase 3 trials published (GLORY-1, GLORY-2, two type 2 diabetes trials); phase 4 studies registered in China 2,6,11,12
FDA statusApproved as Mounjaro (13 May 2022) and Zepbound (8 November 2023), per Drugs@FDA as of 24 October 2026 3No Drugs@FDA application record as of 24 October 2026 5; approved in China in June 2025 (weight management) and September 2025 (type 2 diabetes) 4
Published human outcomesSURMOUNT-1 (2539 adults without diabetes): mean body-weight change of -15.0% to -20.9% across doses vs -3.1% with placebo at 72 weeks 9; reduced apnea-hypopnea index in obstructive sleep apnea 10GLORY-1 (610 Chinese adults): -11.00% and -14.01% vs +0.30% with placebo at 48 weeks 2; GLORY-2: -16.65% vs -1.50% at 60 weeks 11; lower HbA1c vs placebo and vs dulaglutide in type 2 diabetes trials 12,13
Safety signalsBoxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumours seen in rats; most common adverse reactions are gastrointestinal 1Mostly gastrointestinal adverse events; in GLORY-2, vomiting 53.1% vs 1.3% with placebo 11; three phase 1b participants had mild, asymptomatic ECG findings 7
WADA statusNot named on the 2026 Prohibited List 14; WADA said in September 2026 that the status of GLP-1 receptor agonists including tirzepatide is unchanged for 2027 15Not named on the 2026 Prohibited List; class S0 applies only to substances with no current approval by any governmental health authority, and mazdutide is approved in China 4,14
Who funded the evidenceEli Lilly funded SURMOUNT-1 and SURMOUNT-OSA 9,10Innovent Biologics funded the Chinese trials and Eli Lilly funded the US phase 2 trial 2,12,16

Tirzepatide: what the data says

Tirzepatide is approved by the FDA for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk reduction in high-risk adults with type 2 diabetes (Mounjaro), and for chronic weight management and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity (Zepbound) 1,8.

  • In SURMOUNT-1, a 72-week phase 3 trial in 2539 adults with obesity or overweight without diabetes (human data), mean body-weight change ranged from -15.0% to -20.9% across three doses, compared with -3.1% with placebo 9.
  • In SURMOUNT-OSA (human data), the apnea-hypopnea index fell by 25.3 and 29.3 events per hour in the two trials, compared with about 5 events per hour with placebo 10.
  • Adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation occurred in 4.3% to 7.1% of tirzepatide groups and 2.6% of the placebo group in SURMOUNT-1 9.

Mazdutide: what the data says

Mazdutide's published phase 3 data come from trials in China, sponsored by Innovent Biologics 2,11,12.

  • In GLORY-1 (610 Chinese adults with overweight or obesity; human data), mean body-weight change at 48 weeks was -11.00% and -14.01% in the two dose groups vs +0.30% with placebo 2.
  • In GLORY-2 (461 Chinese adults with obesity; human data), mean change at 60 weeks was -16.65% vs -1.50% with placebo; vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea were the most common adverse events 11.
  • In type 2 diabetes (human data), mazdutide lowered HbA1c compared with placebo and met non-inferiority and superiority criteria against dulaglutide, with more gastrointestinal adverse events than dulaglutide 12,13.
  • A US phase 2 trial in 179 adults (human data) reported placebo-adjusted differences of -6.5% to -17.2% at 32 weeks; treatment discontinuation due to adverse events was 20% in the highest-dose group 16.

Key research differences

  • Second receptor target: tirzepatide pairs GLP-1 agonism with GIP-receptor agonism, while mazdutide pairs it with glucagon-receptor agonism 1,2.
  • Regulatory status: tirzepatide has FDA approvals dating from 2022 and 2023, whereas mazdutide had no Drugs@FDA record as of 24 October 2026 and is approved in China 3,4,5.
  • Trial populations: mazdutide's phase 3 obesity trials enrolled Chinese adults, with one US phase 2 trial, while SURMOUNT-1 enrolled 2539 adults with a mean BMI of 38.0 2,9,11,16.
  • Reported half-life: about 5 days on the tirzepatide label, vs a phase 1b range of 150.9 to 403.5 hours for mazdutide 1,7.
  • Label-level outcomes: tirzepatide labels include obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular risk-reduction indications, whereas the mazdutide trials reviewed report body-weight, HbA1c and cardiometabolic measures 1,2,8,12.

Where the evidence is limited

No randomized trial comparing tirzepatide and mazdutide directly was identified in the publications and registry records reviewed 6. The trials differ in population (mazdutide's phase 3 trials were in Chinese adults with lower mean baseline BMI), in duration (48 to 60 weeks vs 72 weeks) and in how missing data and treatment discontinuation were handled, so percentages from separate trials cannot be ranked against each other 2,9,11. Most mazdutide evidence was funded by its developers, as was the tirzepatide evidence 2,9,16.

Frequently asked questions

Does tirzepatide lead to more body-weight change than mazdutide?
That cannot be determined from current evidence. No head-to-head trial was identified, and the separate trials enrolled different populations over different durations, so their body-weight figures are not directly comparable 2,6,9.
Is mazdutide approved in the United States?
No FDA application record for mazdutide was returned by an openFDA query of Drugs@FDA on 24 October 2026 5. It was approved in China in June 2025 for long-term weight management and in September 2025 for glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes 4.
Do tirzepatide and mazdutide work the same way?
Both activate the GLP-1 receptor. Tirzepatide additionally activates the GIP receptor, while mazdutide, an oxyntomodulin analogue, additionally activates the glucagon receptor 1,7.
Are tirzepatide or mazdutide banned in sport?
Neither is named on the WADA 2026 Prohibited List 14. WADA stated in September 2026 that the status of GLP-1 receptor agonists including tirzepatide remains unchanged for 2027 15.

References

  1. MOUNJARO (tirzepatide) injection: prescribing information, DailyMed set ID d2d7da5d-ad07-4228-955f-cf7e355c8cc0 (label version dated 27 August 2026) FDA label (via openFDA). 2026
  2. Once-Weekly Mazdutide in Chinese Adults with Obesity or Overweight (GLORY-1) N Engl J Med. 2025
  3. Drugs@FDA application records for NDA 215866 (Mounjaro), NDA 217806 (Zepbound), NDA 209637 (Ozempic), NDA 215256 (Wegovy), NDA 022341 (Victoza) and NDA 206321 (Saxenda): original approval dates (queried 24 October 2026) Drugs@FDA (via openFDA). 2026
  4. Mazdutide: First Approval Drugs. 2025
  5. Drugs@FDA application data queried through openFDA for mazdutide (no matching application record returned on 24 October 2026) openFDA / Drugs@FDA. 2026
  6. ClinicalTrials.gov registry search for mazdutide as intervention (43 records; phase 3 and phase 4 entries listed; retrieved 24 October 2026) ClinicalTrials.gov. 2026
  7. IBI362 (LY3305677), a weekly-dose GLP-1 and glucagon receptor dual agonist, in Chinese adults with overweight or obesity: A randomised, placebo-controlled, multiple ascending dose phase 1b study (full text) EClinicalMedicine. 2021
  8. ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) injection: prescribing information, DailyMed set ID 487cd7e7-434c-4925-99fa-aa80b1cc776b (label version dated 28 August 2026) FDA label (via openFDA). 2026
  9. Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity (SURMOUNT-1) N Engl J Med. 2022
  10. Tirzepatide for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity (SURMOUNT-OSA) N Engl J Med. 2024
  11. Treatment With 9-mg Mazdutide for Weight Reduction in Chinese Adults With Obesity: The GLORY-2 Randomized Clinical Trial JAMA. 2026
  12. Mazdutide versus placebo in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes Nature. 2026
  13. Mazdutide versus dulaglutide in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes Nature. 2026
  14. The 2026 Prohibited List - World Anti-Doping Code, as published in the Netherlands Treaty Series (Tractatenblad 2026, 25; Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention appendix, in force 1 January 2026) Tractatenblad (Official Publications of the Kingdom of the Netherlands). 2026
  15. WADA publishes 2027 Prohibited List (news release, 21 September 2026) World Anti-Doping Agency. 2026
  16. Efficacy and safety of mazdutide in adults with obesity or overweight: a US-based, multicentre, phase 2, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2026

For research use only. Not for human or veterinary use. Not a drug, food, or dietary supplement. This page compares published research and is not medical advice or a recommendation.