Follow-up in adults with obesity in SURMOUNT-1 (Jastreboff et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 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 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2021).
SURPASS-2 - New England Journal of Medicine, 2021Receptors with activity reported in LY3298176 laboratory assays: GIP and GLP-1 (Coskun et al., Molecular Metabolism, 2018).
Dual GIP + GLP-1 agonist - Coskun et al., Molecular Metabolism, 2018Amino acids in the tirzepatide peptide (research code LY3298176, developed by Eli Lilly) - 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. (Molecular Metabolism, 2018) described Tirzepatide, research code LY3298176, in laboratory receptor assays and animal studies. Later trials measured body weight and HbA1c in adults with obesity or type 2 diabetes (SURMOUNT-1, New England Journal of Medicine, 2022; SURPASS-2, New England Journal of Medicine, 2021). Those trial populations and experimental records remain separate from Form Labs reference material.
One molecule, two pathways.
Coskun et al. (Molecular Metabolism, 2018) reported activity at GIP and GLP-1 receptors in laboratory assays of LY3298176, alongside animal observations. These are preclinical records about the molecule.
SURPASS-2 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2021) and SURMOUNT-1 (New England Journal of Medicine, 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. (Molecular Metabolism, 2018) reported Tirzepatide activity at GIP and GLP-1 receptors in laboratory assays of LY3298176. The paper also described animal observations. These are measurements of the experimental molecule in defined models, separate from the later medicine trials and 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. (Molecular Metabolism, 2018) reported LY3298176 activity at GIP and GLP-1 receptors in laboratory assays.
Animal observations
Coskun et al. (Molecular Metabolism, 2018) reported body-weight and blood-sugar observations in animals; these are preclinical findings.
Clinical measurements
SURPASS-2 (New England Journal of Medicine, 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 39-amino-acid lab-made peptide (a short amino-acid chain) - 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 (the US FDA and Australia's TGA) and Zepbound (the FDA only; Zepbound is not TGA-approved). The material Form Labs supplies is NOT that medicine: it is research-use-only reference material of the tirzepatide molecule, for laboratory 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 in the published literature: body weight in adults with obesity (SURMOUNT-1), blood-sugar control in type 2 diabetes against semaglutide (SURPASS-2), dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonism, and regulatory context listed in this guide. The trials are of the medicine Mounjaro, not of anything Form Labs sells, and the reference material is not that medicine.
Study areas from the published literature.
Body weight / obesity
Body-weight change in adults with obesity - the SURMOUNT-1 trial behind the -20.9% figure (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 head-to-head with semaglutide - 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 mechanism the molecule was designed around.
Coskun et al., Molecular Metabolism, 2018Approved-medicine context
The same molecule is the approved medicine Mounjaro (TGA and FDA) and Zepbound (FDA only). Those are doctor-prescribed 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 laboratory and animal findings (Coskun et al., Molecular Metabolism, 2018) and separate trials in adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity (SURPASS-2, New England Journal of Medicine, 2021; SURMOUNT-1, New England Journal of Medicine, 2022). These trials measured HbA1c or body weight in defined populations; 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 characterisation of LY3298176, showing one peptide could switch on both the GIP and GLP-1 receptor systems - the basis for the 'dual agonist' idea.
- Studied in
- Lab cell tests and animals.
- Design
- A preclinical characterisation study - an early check of how the molecule behaved.
- 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, and in animals it affected body weight and blood sugar (Coskun T and colleagues - Molecular Metabolism - 2018). A preclinical result about the molecule, not a Form Labs product result (Coskun T and colleagues - Molecular Metabolism - 2018).
DOI 10.1016/j.molmet.2018.09.009SURPASS-2 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2021) measured HbA1c and body weight over 40 weeks in adults with type 2 diabetes, with semaglutide as the active comparator.
- Studied in
- Adults with type 2 diabetes.
- Design
- A 40-week randomised trial with semaglutide as an active comparator (SURPASS-2, New England Journal of Medicine, 2021).
- Measured
- HbA1c (a three-month blood-sugar marker) and body-weight change.
SURPASS-2 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2021) reported HbA1c and body-weight differences between Tirzepatide and semaglutide in adults with type 2 diabetes. These are trial observations about the medicines, separate from Form Labs reference material.
DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2107519SURMOUNT-1 (New England Journal of Medicine, 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. (New England Journal of Medicine, 2022) reported body-weight differences among the SURMOUNT-1 trial groups in adults with obesity. These are group-level findings from a medicine trial rather than 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, compared with one for semaglutide and three for Retatrutide, which adds glucagon. The table below also lists each compound's approval status as recorded in this guide. It describes literature and receptor systems only and is not product-use guidance.
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, mostly mild to moderate (SURPASS-2, New England Journal of Medicine, 2021; SURMOUNT-1, New England Journal of Medicine, 2022). These observations concern the medicine in adults with type 2 diabetes or obesity. They do not establish the safety or certification of a Form Labs reference vial.
Gastrointestinal events
Most common in the trialsSURPASS-2 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2021) and SURMOUNT-1 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2022) reported nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation, mostly mild to moderate, in the medicine trials.
Cautions on the medicine's label
Class- and label-levelApproved GLP-1 and dual-agonist medicines carry label warnings about pancreas inflammation, gallbladder problems, thyroid tumours seen in rodent studies, and low blood sugar when combined with insulin or sulfonylureas (a diabetes drug group). Those apply to the prescribed medicine, not to research-use-only reference material.
Serious & long-term risks
Per the medicine's labelLong-term outcomes for the medicine are tracked in its trial programme and regulatory label. None of that describes the Form Labs vial, which 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, which is research-use-only reference material and not the medicine, so every number on this page comes from the medicine's published trials. The guide does not extrapolate beyond the published trial figures or add unsourced numbers.
- The Form Labs vial, specifically: it isn't the medicine and isn't 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 caveats. The research-use-only material is not for human use under any circumstances.
- Anything beyond the published trials: this guide sticks to the locked trial figures and doesn't extrapolate or add unsourced numbers.
Development and status
Is Tirzepatide approved, and where does the research stand?
Tirzepatide is described in this guide as the same molecule as the prescription medicines Mounjaro and Zepbound, and this guide's 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., Molecular Metabolism, 2018), then SURPASS-2 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2021) and SURMOUNT-1 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2022). Form Labs supplies research-use-only reference material, not the medicine.
Coskun and colleagues report the discovery and characterisation of LY3298176, a dual GIP and GLP-1 agonist (Molecular Metabolism).
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. (Zepbound is not TGA-approved for sale in Australia.)
The TGA adds a weight-management indication to Mounjaro in Australia.
Approval status: The molecule is approved as a prescription medicine - Mounjaro (the US FDA and Australia's TGA) and Zepbound (the FDA only; Zepbound is not TGA-approved). The material Form Labs supplies is NOT that medicine: it is research-use-only reference material of the tirzepatide molecule, for laboratory 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, New England Journal of Medicine, 2021; SURMOUNT-1, New England Journal of Medicine, 2022). The trials also recorded gastrointestinal events, mostly mild to moderate. These published observations concern the medicine in those populations, 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 - not Form Labs product results, and 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). What Form Labs supplies is research-use-only reference material of the same molecule - not those medicines, not a pharmacy or prescription product, and not for human or animal use.
Trial safety observations
SURPASS-2 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2021) and SURMOUNT-1 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2022) recorded gastrointestinal events in adults; these observations concern the medicine.
The maker ran the trials
The Phase 3 programme was run by Eli Lilly, the company that developed the drug. That's normal at this stage and is worth noting alongside the results.
Where Form Labs fits
This guide is a plain-English summary of published research that Form Labs did not run. It's 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 laboratory research. Matching current certification is unverified.
Lab handling
How is Tirzepatide handled as reference material?
Tirzepatide is laboratory reference material, not for human consumption or veterinary use. Storage and lot checks follow the product label and any verified matching certificate of analysis (COA). This guide's catalogue record notes storage at 2-8 C and protection from light. Historical sample reports do not verify current lot identity, purity or release status.
Research-use boundary
Tirzepatide is supplied strictly for laboratory research. It is not for human consumption, veterinary, medical, or cosmetic use.
Storage
Supplied freeze-dried. Keep it at 2-8 C (fridge-cold) and out of light, following the vial label, any verified matching lab report for the batch, and the receiving lab's own written procedures.
Lab report (COA)
Available reports cover historical samples. Matching current certification is unverified; an account record does not establish current identity, purity or release status.
Perth dispatch
Available to Perth researchers as RUO reference material, dispatched from Perth via Australia Post or CouriersPlease. Matching current certification is unverified. For laboratory 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 handling 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, because it acts on the two incretin receptors.
- HbA1c
- A blood marker of average blood sugar over about three months, used to track diabetes.
- Peptide
- A short chain of amino acids.
- Phase 3
- The large, late-stage human trial stage used to support regulatory approval of a medicine.
- Placebo
- An inactive look-alike used as a comparison in a trial.
- RCT
- Randomised controlled trial - people are assigned by chance and compared with another group, often a placebo.
- Research use only
- A lab-only boundary - not for human consumption, veterinary use, medical use, or cosmetic use.
FAQ
What are the most common questions about Tirzepatide?
The most common questions about Tirzepatide concern its research code LY3298176, what dual agonist and twincretin mean, what Tirzepatide is studied for, how it differs from semaglutide and Retatrutide, and how it relates to Mounjaro. Tirzepatide is a lab-made dual GIP and GLP-1 agonist developed by Eli Lilly (Coskun et al., Molecular Metabolism, 2018). Form Labs supplies research-use-only reference material, not the medicine.
Tirzepatide's research code is LY3298176, a lab-made 39-amino-acid peptide developed by Eli Lilly. Published studies describe it acting on two receptor systems at once - GIP and GLP-1 - which is why researchers call it a dual agonist. Form Labs supplies it as reference material of the molecule for laboratory research only.
Coskun et al. (Molecular Metabolism, 2018) reported LY3298176 activity at GIP and GLP-1 receptors in laboratory assays. Dual agonist and twincretin are the research terms associated with that receptor record, rather than a prediction of clinical outcomes.
SURPASS-2 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2021) measured HbA1c and body weight in adults with type 2 diabetes, with semaglutide as the comparator. SURMOUNT-1 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2022) measured body-weight change in adults with obesity. These were trials of the medicine rather than 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. All three are described here only as research molecules - the first two are approved medicines, while 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. Those are doctor-prescribed medicines. What Form Labs supplies is research-use-only reference material of the tirzepatide molecule - not those medicines, not a pharmacy or prescription product, and not for human use.
SURPASS-2 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2021) and SURMOUNT-1 (New England Journal of Medicine, 2022) studied the medicine in defined adult populations. Form Labs supplies laboratory reference material, 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 - not the approved medicine, not a prescription product, and not for human use. Mounjaro is a Schedule 4 prescription medicine in Australia, available only through a doctor.
Tirzepatide is supplied here strictly as reference material for laboratory research - not a medicine, supplement, or food, and not for people or animals to take. The research described 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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