Follow-up in adults with obesity in SURMOUNT-1 (Jastreboff et al., 2022).
SURMOUNT-1 - New England Journal of Medicine, 2022Plain-English research guideLY3298176
Tirzepatide research guide
Everything worth knowing, without the jargon.
Tirzepatide (research code LY3298176) is a lab-made 39-amino-acid peptide developed by Eli Lilly, studied in large Phase 3 trials for acting on two receptor systems at once - GIP and GLP-1. It's the same molecule as the approved prescription medicines Mounjaro and Zepbound. Form Labs supplies it as laboratory reference material of the molecule - not the medicine, and not for human use.
Form Labs materials are research reference materials, not the approved medicines; no Form Labs product is approved for human or veterinary use.
REV 2026-10 · 1 Oct 20263 peer-reviewed studiesResearch-use-only context
What the papers reportThird-party literature - not product claims
Follow-up in adults with type 2 diabetes in SURPASS-2 (2021).
SURPASS-2 - New England Journal of Medicine, 2021Receptors with activity reported in LY3298176 lab assays: GIP and GLP-1 (Coskun et al., 2018).
Dual GIP + GLP-1 agonist - Coskun et al., Molecular Metabolism, 2018Amino acids in the tirzepatide peptide (research code LY3298176, developed by Eli Lilly). This is an identity fact, not a product claim.
Published tirzepatide research - Coskun et al., Molecular Metabolism, 2018Why it matters
Why is Tirzepatide studied?
Coskun et al. (2018) described Tirzepatide, research code LY3298176, in lab receptor assays and animal studies. Later trials measured body weight and HbA1c in adults with obesity or type 2 diabetes (SURMOUNT-1, 2022; SURPASS-2, 2021). HbA1c is a three-month blood sugar marker. Those trial groups and test records are separate from Form Labs reference material.
One molecule, two pathways.
Coskun et al. (2018) reported activity at the GIP and GLP-1 receptors in lab assays of LY3298176, alongside animal observations. These are preclinical records about the molecule.
SURPASS-2 (2021) and SURMOUNT-1 (2022) measured HbA1c or body weight in adults with type 2 diabetes or obesity. Those medicine trials are separate from Form Labs reference material.
Study observations
What laboratory observations have Tirzepatide studies reported?
Coskun et al. (2018) reported Tirzepatide activity at the GIP and GLP-1 receptors in lab assays of LY3298176. The paper also described animal observations. These are measures of the test molecule in set models. They are separate from the later medicine trials. They are also separate from the identity or certification of Form Labs reference material.
Tirzepatide receptor assays Findings stay tied to the cited study and its model.
Laboratory receptor assays
Coskun et al. (2018) reported LY3298176 activity at the GIP and GLP-1 receptors in lab assays.
Animal observations
Coskun et al. (2018) reported body weight and blood sugar observations in animals. These are preclinical findings.
Clinical measurements
SURPASS-2 (2021) measured HbA1c and body weight in adults with type 2 diabetes. These are findings about the medicine.
Pharmacology at a glance
- Research code
- LY3298176
- Class
- Dual agonist: one molecule designed to switch on two receptor systems at once, GIP and GLP-1.
- Molecule
- A lab-made peptide of 39 amino acids (a short amino-acid chain). It is the same molecule as the approved prescription medicines Mounjaro and Zepbound.
- Reported half-life
- This guide records no specific half-life figure for Tirzepatide.
- Originator
- Developed by Eli Lilly
- Approval status
- The molecule is approved as a prescription medicine. Mounjaro is approved by the US FDA and Australia's TGA. Zepbound is approved by the FDA only. It is not TGA-approved. The material Form Labs supplies is NOT that medicine. It is reference material of the tirzepatide molecule, for research use only. It is for lab research, not for human or animal use.
What it has been studied for
What has Tirzepatide been studied for?
Tirzepatide has been studied in four areas. The first is body weight in adults with obesity (SURMOUNT-1). The second is blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes, against semaglutide (SURPASS-2). The third is dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor action. The fourth is the regulatory context listed in this guide. The trials are of the medicine Mounjaro, not of anything Form Labs sells. The reference material is not that medicine.
Study areas from the published literature.
Body weight / obesity
Body weight change in adults with obesity. This is the SURMOUNT-1 trial behind the -20.9% figure. It is a trial of the medicine, not a Form Labs result.
SURMOUNT-1 - New England Journal of Medicine, 2022Type 2 diabetes
Blood sugar control (HbA1c) and body weight, compared with semaglutide head to head. This is the SURPASS-2 trial behind the -2.30-point figure.
SURPASS-2 - New England Journal of Medicine, 2021Dual GIP + GLP-1 receptor agonism
How one peptide can switch on both the GIP and GLP-1 receptor systems. The molecule was designed around this.
Coskun et al., Molecular Metabolism, 2018Approved-medicine context
The same molecule is the approved medicine Mounjaro (TGA and FDA) and Zepbound (FDA only). Doctors prescribe those medicines. This page covers reference material of the molecule, not those medicines.
Regulatory approvals (FDA; TGA)The studies
What did the Tirzepatide studies find?
The Tirzepatide record includes a discovery paper with lab and animal findings (Coskun et al., 2018). It also includes separate trials in adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity (SURPASS-2, 2021; SURMOUNT-1, 2022). These trials measured HbA1c or body weight in set groups. They did not test Form Labs reference material.
Open any study for a plain summary, what it measured, the finding, and a link to the paper.
This was the first detailed study of LY3298176. It showed that one peptide could switch on both the GIP and GLP-1 receptor systems. This is the basis for the 'dual agonist' idea.
- Studied in
- Lab cell tests and animals.
- Design
- A preclinical study of how the molecule behaved. It was an early check.
- Measured
- How strongly the molecule bound each receptor, plus body weight and blood sugar in animals.
The team described LY3298176 as one peptide active at both the GIP and GLP-1 receptors. In animals it affected body weight and blood sugar (Coskun T and colleagues, 2018). This is a preclinical result about the molecule, not a Form Labs product result.
DOI 10.1016/j.molmet.2018.09.009SURPASS-2 (2021) measured HbA1c and body weight over 40 weeks in adults with type 2 diabetes. Semaglutide was the active comparator.
- Studied in
- Adults with type 2 diabetes.
- Design
- A 40-week randomised trial with semaglutide as an active comparator (SURPASS-2, 2021).
- Measured
- HbA1c (a three-month blood sugar marker) and body weight change.
SURPASS-2 (2021) reported HbA1c and body weight differences between Tirzepatide and semaglutide in adults with type 2 diabetes. These are trial notes about the medicines. They are separate from Form Labs reference material.
DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2107519SURMOUNT-1 (2022) measured body weight change against placebo over 72 weeks in adults with obesity.
- Studied in
- Adults with obesity.
- Design
- A 72-week randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial.
- Measured
- Percent body weight change.
Jastreboff et al. (2022) reported body weight differences between the SURMOUNT-1 trial groups in adults with obesity. These are group-level findings from a medicine trial. They are not from a study of Form Labs reference material.
DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2206038Compare
How does Tirzepatide compare with similar compounds?
Tirzepatide acts on two receptor systems, GLP-1 and GIP. Semaglutide acts on one. Retatrutide acts on three, because it adds glucagon. The table below also lists each compound's approval status as recorded in this guide. It describes literature and receptor systems only. It is not guidance on use.
This table describes literature and approval status only.
| Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy) | Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) | Retatrutide (LY3437943) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLP-1 receptor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GIP (meal & insulin-response pathway) | - | Yes | Yes |
| Glucagon (energy & liver pathway) | - | - | Yes |
| Receptor systems acted on | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Approval status | Approved medicine | Approved medicine | Investigational - in Phase 3 trials |
Comparison is for context from published records. It is not product-use guidance.
Risks recorded in studies
What risks have Tirzepatide studies recorded?
The Tirzepatide trials reported nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation. These were mostly mild to moderate (SURPASS-2, 2021; SURMOUNT-1, 2022). These notes concern the medicine in adults with type 2 diabetes or obesity. They do not show the safety or certification of a Form Labs reference vial.
Gastrointestinal events
Most common in the trialsSURPASS-2 (2021) and SURMOUNT-1 (2022) reported nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation in the medicine trials. These were mostly mild to moderate.
Cautions on the medicine's label
Class- and label-levelApproved GLP-1 and dual-agonist medicines carry label warnings. These cover pancreas inflammation and gallbladder problems. They also cover thyroid tumours seen in rodent studies. They cover low blood sugar when combined with insulin or sulfonylureas (a group of diabetes drugs). Those warnings apply to the prescribed medicine, not to reference material for research use only.
Serious & long-term risks
Per the medicine's labelThe medicine's trial programme and regulatory label track its long-term outcomes. None of that describes the Form Labs vial. The vial is not the medicine and is not for human use.
This section summarizes third-party trial records. It is not a complete safety profile or advice.
Where evidence stops
What has Tirzepatide research not established?
Tirzepatide research does not describe the Form Labs vial. The vial is reference material for research use only and not the medicine. So every number on this page comes from the medicine's published trials. The guide does not go beyond the published trial figures or add numbers without a source.
- The Form Labs vial, specifically: it is not the medicine and not for use, so it has no 'results'. Every number on this page is from the medicine's published trials.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the medicine's label carries cautions. Reference material for research use only is not for human use under any circumstances.
- Anything beyond the published trials: this guide sticks to the locked trial figures. It does not go beyond them or add numbers without a source.
Development and status
Is Tirzepatide approved, and where does the research stand?
This guide describes Tirzepatide as the same molecule as the prescription medicines Mounjaro and Zepbound. Its timeline lists their regulatory entries from 2022 to 2024. Check the regulator for current status. The timeline starts with the discovery paper (Coskun et al., 2018). Then come SURPASS-2 (2021) and SURMOUNT-1 (2022). Form Labs supplies reference material for research use only, not the medicine.
Coskun and colleagues report the discovery of LY3298176 in Molecular Metabolism. It is a dual GIP and GLP-1 agonist.
SURPASS-2 reports Phase 3 type 2 diabetes results against semaglutide (New England Journal of Medicine).
SURMOUNT-1 reports Phase 3 body weight results, the -20.9% figure (NEJM). The FDA approves Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes. The TGA follows in December 2022.
The FDA approves Zepbound for weight management. (The TGA has not approved Zepbound for sale in Australia.)
The TGA adds a weight-management use to Mounjaro in Australia.
Approval status: The molecule is approved as a prescription medicine. Mounjaro is approved by the US FDA and Australia's TGA. Zepbound is approved by the FDA only. It is not TGA-approved. The material Form Labs supplies is NOT that medicine. It is reference material of the tirzepatide molecule, for research use only. It is for lab research, not for human or animal use.Whatever the molecule’s status elsewhere, what Form Labs supplies is research-use-only reference material - for laboratory work, not for people or animals.
Evidence and limitations
What does the Tirzepatide research mean, and what does it not?
The Tirzepatide trials measured HbA1c or body weight in adults with type 2 diabetes or obesity (SURPASS-2, 2021; SURMOUNT-1, 2022). The trials also recorded gut events, mostly mild to moderate. These published notes concern the medicine in those groups. They are separate from Form Labs reference material.
The results come from the medicine's trials
The body weight and blood sugar figures on this page are published results from the medicine's Phase 3 trials. They are not Form Labs product results. They are not a promise about anything Form Labs sells.
This is reference material, not the medicine
The molecule is the approved medicine Mounjaro (and Zepbound in some markets). Form Labs supplies reference material of the same molecule for research use only. It is not those medicines. It is not a pharmacy or prescription product. It is not for human or animal use.
Trial safety observations
SURPASS-2 (2021) and SURMOUNT-1 (2022) recorded gut events in adults. These notes concern the medicine.
The maker ran the trials
Eli Lilly, the company that developed the drug, ran the Phase 3 programme. That is normal at this stage. It is worth noting alongside the results.
Where Form Labs fits
This guide is a plain-English summary of published research. Form Labs did not run that research. It is not medical advice, not a product claim and not use guidance. Form Labs supplies tirzepatide strictly as reference material of the molecule, with a catalog lot record, for lab research.
Lab handling
How is Tirzepatide handled as reference material?
Tirzepatide is lab reference material. It is not for human consumption or veterinary use. Storage and lot checks follow the product label. They also follow any verified matching certificate of analysis (COA). The catalogue record notes storage at 2-8 C and protection from light.
Research-use boundary
Tirzepatide is supplied strictly for lab research. It is not for human consumption, or for veterinary, medical or cosmetic use.
Storage
Supplied freeze-dried. Keep it at 2-8 C (fridge-cold) and out of light. Follow the vial label, any verified matching lab report for the batch. The receiving lab's own written procedures.
Lab report (COA)
Each lab report covers only the sample, amount and lot it names. Match the lot number on your vial to the reports in the certificate library.
Perth dispatch
Available to Perth researchers as RUO reference material, dispatched from Perth via Australia Post or CouriersPlease. For lab research use only.
Glossary
Plain-English definitions.
- Agonist
- A molecule that switches a receptor on.
- Dual agonist
- One molecule that switches on two different receptor systems at once.
- GLP-1
- A gut-hormone pathway tied to feeling full and to the stomach emptying more slowly.
- GIP
- A pathway involved in the insulin response and in how the body handles nutrients after a meal.
- Incretin
- The gut-hormone family (including GLP-1 and GIP) studied for insulin and appetite signals.
- Twincretin
- An informal research term for a dual GIP and GLP-1 agonist. It acts on the two incretin receptors.
- HbA1c
- A blood marker of average blood sugar over about three months. It is used to track diabetes.
- Peptide
- A short chain of amino acids.
- Phase 3
- The large, late-stage human trial stage that supports regulatory approval of a medicine.
- Placebo
- An inactive look-alike used as a comparison in a trial.
- RCT
- Randomised controlled trial. Chance decides who goes in each group. One group is compared with another, often a placebo.
- Research use only
- A lab-only boundary. It means not for human consumption, or for veterinary, medical or cosmetic use.
FAQ
What are the most common questions about Tirzepatide?
Tirzepatide is a lab-made dual GIP and GLP-1 agonist developed by Eli Lilly (Coskun et al., 2018). The common questions cover its research code LY3298176. They also cover what dual agonist and twincretin mean, and what Tirzepatide is studied for. They cover how it differs from semaglutide and Retatrutide, and how it relates to Mounjaro. Form Labs supplies reference material for research use only, not the medicine.
Tirzepatide's research code is LY3298176. It is a lab-made peptide of 39 amino acids, developed by Eli Lilly. Published studies describe it acting on two receptor systems at once, GIP and GLP-1. This is why researchers call it a dual agonist. Form Labs supplies it as reference material of the molecule for lab research only.
Coskun et al. (2018) reported LY3298176 activity at the GIP and GLP-1 receptors in lab assays. Dual agonist and twincretin are the research terms for that receptor record. They do not predict clinical outcomes.
SURPASS-2 (2021) measured HbA1c and body weight in adults with type 2 diabetes. Semaglutide was the comparator. SURMOUNT-1 (2022) measured body weight change in adults with obesity. These were trials of the medicine, not of Form Labs material.
Tirzepatide sits in the middle of a one-two-three ladder. Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) acts on one receptor system, GLP-1. Tirzepatide acts on two, GLP-1 and GIP. Retatrutide adds a third, glucagon. This guide describes all three only as research molecules. The first two are approved medicines. Retatrutide is still investigational.
Tirzepatide is the same molecule as the approved prescription medicines Mounjaro and Zepbound. Mounjaro is approved by the US FDA and Australia's TGA. Zepbound is FDA-approved but not TGA-approved for Australia. Doctors prescribe those medicines. Form Labs supplies reference material of the tirzepatide molecule for research use only. It is not those medicines. It is not a pharmacy or prescription product. It is not for human use.
SURPASS-2 (2021) and SURMOUNT-1 (2022) studied the medicine in set groups of adults. Form Labs supplies lab reference material. It is not that medicine, and not for people or animals.
Tirzepatide supplied by Form Labs is not Mounjaro and is not a way to buy Mounjaro. It is research-use-only reference material of the same molecule. It is not the approved medicine, not a prescription product, and not for human use. Mounjaro is a Schedule 4 prescription medicine in Australia. You can only get it through a doctor.
Tirzepatide is supplied here strictly as reference material for lab research. It is not a medicine, supplement or food, and not for people or animals to take. The research on this page concerns the tirzepatide molecule in published studies, not a Form Labs product. Form Labs did not run those studies.
References
Every figure, sourced.
Educational references to third-party literature. Form Labs is unaffiliated with the study authors.
Discovery and characterisation of LY3298176 as a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist (preclinical). Coskun T, et al. Molecular Metabolism, 2018.
DOISURPASS-2: tirzepatide versus semaglutide in adults with type 2 diabetes, 40 weeks. New England Journal of Medicine, 2021.
DOISURMOUNT-1: tirzepatide for obesity, 72 weeks (the -20.9% body-weight result). Jastreboff AM, et al. New England Journal of Medicine, 2022.
DOICitations are provided for education only. No therapeutic, weight-loss, or efficacy claims are made.
How we produce these guides
These guides are written and maintained in-house by the Form Laboratories research team. They summarise published literature and link to the cited papers. Form Laboratories did not run those studies. They are not authored by a named clinician and are not medical advice.
Findings remain tied to the study population, model and limits. Cell and animal observations remain separate from clinical results. Everything we supply is research-use-only reference material, not for people or animals.
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