Eli Lilly created Zepbound for weight management and Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes.
Both medicines contain tirzepatide, a drug that acts on receptors for GIP and GLP-1, hormones involved in blood-sugar regulation and appetite. Mounjaro received U.S. approval for type 2 diabetes in 2022, while Zepbound was approved for chronic weight management in 2023.
Eli Lilly and Company was founded in Indianapolis in 1876 by Colonel Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical chemist and Union officer. The company has developed medicines across areas including diabetes, oncology, immunology, and neuroscience. Strong demand for tirzepatide helped make Lilly one of the world’s most valuable pharmaceutical companies.
A frequent mix-up is with Novo Nordisk, which makes semaglutide products such as Ozempic and Wegovy. Tirzepatide and semaglutide are different active ingredients. Brand approvals and uses also vary by country, so product labels should not be treated as interchangeable.