Tirzepatide brands: every name this medicine is sold under

So Mounjaro is the only tirzepatide brand in the UK?

Yes. When people search for tirzepatide's brand name in a UK context, the answer is straightforward: Eli Lilly markets the medicine here as Mounjaro, and that is the only presentation with a UK marketing authorisation for weight management. The same drug also holds a UK licence for type 2 diabetes under the same Mounjaro name.

Mounjaro comes as a pre-filled KwikPen delivering a once-weekly subcutaneous injection. UK-licensed strengths run from 2.5 mg up to 15 mg (in steps of 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 mg). Treatment always begins at the 2.5 mg strength, that starting dose exists to help your system adjust, not as a therapeutic target in itself. The prescriber then titrates upward, typically in four-week steps, depending on how you're getting on.

The full Mounjaro overview on our site goes into the mechanism, the trial results and the eligibility criteria in more detail. For now, the key point is this: in the UK, Mounjaro and tirzepatide are the same thing, different words for the same product.

What is Zepbound, and can you get it in the UK?

Zepbound is the brand name Eli Lilly uses in the United States. It contains the same active ingredient (tirzepatide) but it was approved by the US FDA for weight loss, not the MHRA. The brand distinction matters because UK licensing is separate from US licensing; a product authorised in America is not automatically authorised here, and UK pharmacies are not permitted to supply it as a UK product.

If you see Zepbound advertised by a UK seller, that is a red flag. The MHRA has made clear that medicines sourced outside the licensed UK supply chain carry real risks, counterfeit pens have previously been found to contain insulin rather than the stated medicine, with serious consequences for patients. Any seller offering tirzepatide without requiring a valid UK prescription should be treated with caution; you can report suspect sellers at the MHRA's Yellow Card scheme.

Searches for different brands of tirzepatide often surface American content, which can be confusing. The short answer for anyone in the UK: Mounjaro is what's available here, legally and safely.

What about compounded or unlicensed tirzepatide, is it the same medicine?

Compounded tirzepatide (sometimes marketed as 'research-grade', 'pharmaceutical-grade', or UGL tirzepatide) is a separate category entirely. These products are not produced by Eli Lilly, do not carry MHRA authorisation, and are not subject to the same manufacturing standards as licensed Mounjaro. The MHRA's enforcement teams have seized large quantities of illegally traded and counterfeit weight-loss medicines in the UK, including tirzepatide, and the first illicit UK manufacturing site producing fake tirzepatide pens was raided in 2025.

Some people are drawn to compounded versions by lower prices, and it's worth being honest about why that gap exists: the clinical oversight, verified supply chain, regulated manufacturing and licensed dispensing that apply to genuine Mounjaro all cost money. The cost context for legitimate Mounjaro explains what a realistic private price includes, and why the cheapest listing is rarely the right measure for a prescription medicine. As the NHS puts it in its guidance on tirzepatide, this is a Black Triangle medicine still under additional MHRA monitoring, that monitoring only applies to the licensed version.

One thing our prescribers are often asked, particularly around payday or before a bank holiday: can people transfer from a compounded product to licensed Mounjaro? Yes, though the prescriber will want to understand your current dose and treatment history before approving any continuation. Evidence of what you've been taking is part of that process.

Does tirzepatide go by any other names worth knowing about?

Beyond the brand and generic names already covered, you may occasionally see tirzepatide described in terms of its mechanism ('dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist' or 'twincretin') or by its development code (LY3298176). None of these are brands; they're scientific descriptors. The name and brand history of tirzepatide is a topic that generates a lot of searches, often because people have read about it in American health coverage and want to know whether what they've seen applies in the UK.

For the purposes of finding treatment, only one name matters in this country: Mounjaro. And because it's a prescription-only medicine, the route to it runs through a clinical consultation. If you'd like to explore whether it suits your situation, our prescribers review consultations the same day, a real clinician reads your answers, not an automated system. You can read more about how tirzepatide's brand names differ by country, or take a look at our weight-loss treatment overview to see where it fits alongside other licensed options.