Semaglutide vs Tirzepatide: what is the difference?

How they differ

Both are injectable peptides that copy gut hormones, and tirzepatide targets one receptor more than semaglutide does. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist; tirzepatide is a dual agonist, hitting both GIP and GLP-1 receptors, which is the basis for the larger average weight loss reported in head-to-head trials. Both carry a fatty acid chain that binds albumin and stretches their action to about a week. They are the two largest molecules in this catalog by a wide margin, semaglutide at 4114 and tirzepatide at 4813, so both are chains rather than small molecules and neither survives the stomach in its ordinary form. Semaglutide is sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, tirzepatide as Mounjaro and Zepbound.

Side by side

Structural similarity 0.71 of 1, computed as a Morgan fingerprint Tanimoto coefficient. It measures shape, not effect.

Common questions

What is the difference between Semaglutide and Tirzepatide?

Both are injectable peptides that copy gut hormones, and tirzepatide targets one receptor more than semaglutide does. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist; tirzepatide is a dual agonist, hitting both GIP and GLP-1 receptors, which is the basis for the larger average weight loss reported in head-to-head trials. Both carry a fatty acid chain that binds albumin and stretches their action to about a week.

Is Semaglutide bigger than Tirzepatide?

Tirzepatide is the heavier molecule, 4,813 g/mol against 4,114 g/mol for Semaglutide. Semaglutide is C187H291N45O59 and Tirzepatide is C225H348N48O68.