Eli Lilly developed Mounjaro, a diabetes medicine whose active ingredient is tirzepatide.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Mounjaro in 2022 for improving blood-sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Tirzepatide acts on receptors for both glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-1, two hormones involved in blood-glucose regulation.
Eli Lilly was founded in Indianapolis in 1876 by Colonel Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical chemist and Union Army veteran. The company became known for emphasizing standardized pharmaceutical manufacturing, an important development at a time when medicine quality varied considerably.
Mounjaro is sometimes confused with Zepbound, which also contains tirzepatide but was approved for chronic weight management. Eli Lilly markets the two products under different brand names for their different approved uses. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under LLY.