Semaglutide vs Tirzepatide

Comparing 2 compounds by evidence grade, FDA status, mechanism, and key safety considerations: Semaglutide, Tirzepatide.

	Semaglutide	Tirzepatide
Evidence grade	Grade A: Approved and proven	Grade A: Approved and proven
FDA status	FDA approved Approved as Ozempic (subcutaneous injection, type 2 diabetes), Wegovy (subcutaneous injection 2.4 mg and oral 25 mg tablet, chronic weight management and cardiovascular risk reduction in obesity), and Rybelsus (oral tablet, type 2 diabetes).	FDA approved Approved as Mounjaro (subcutaneous injection, type 2 diabetes) and Zepbound (subcutaneous injection, chronic weight management and, additionally, obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity).
Mechanism	Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that stimulates glucose-dependent insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon, slows gastric emptying, and reduces appetite via central and peripheral GLP-1 receptor activation.	Tirzepatide is a dual GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 receptor agonist, which stimulates insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon, reduces appetite, and slows gastric emptying through activation of both receptor pathways.
Key safety	Boxed warning: semaglutide causes thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents at clinically relevant exposures; human relevance is unknown but it is contraindicated in pat...	Boxed warning: tirzepatide causes thyroid C-cell tumors in rats at clinically relevant exposures; human relevance is unknown and the drug is contraindicated in...