Mounjaro dosage: what the label schedule says
Quick answer. The Mounjaro label (Eli Lilly, tirzepatide) gives a starting dose of 2.5 mg injected once a week. If more blood sugar control is needed, the dose can rise in 2.5 mg steps, each after at least 4 weeks on the current dose. The highest dose is 15 mg once a week in adults and 10 mg once a week in pediatric patients. Mounjaro is labeled for type 2 diabetes in adults and in children 10 and older, not for weight loss. The weight-management counterpart is Zepbound. If a dose is missed, the label says to give it within 4 days (96 hours).
What the Mounjaro label says about dose
The label Lilly published in August 2026 lists two uses: improving blood sugar control, along with diet and exercise, in adults and in children 10 and older with type 2 diabetes, and lowering the risk of major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk for them. Weight loss is not a listed use. Mounjaro contains tirzepatide, the same medicine as Zepbound, whose label has a different dose schedule. The Zepbound dosage page covers that label.
| Label item | What the label says |
|---|---|
| Starting dose | 2.5 mg injected under the skin once a week. |
| Later steps | If more blood sugar control is needed, the dose may rise in 2.5 mg steps, each after at least 4 weeks on the current dose. |
| Highest dose, adults | 15 mg once a week. |
| Highest dose, pediatric patients | 10 mg once a week. |
| Why the schedule is gradual | The label says to follow the starting dose and escalation schedule to reduce the risk of digestive side effects. |
| How often, and when | Once a week, any time of day, with or without meals. |
| With insulin | The label says to give Mounjaro and insulin as separate injections and never mix them. |
The Mounjaro label as the Atlas read it does not include the sentence found in the Zepbound label that the 2.5 mg dose is for starting only. Its dose text is framed around blood sugar control, and the label gives no separate starting-dose or step schedule for pediatric patients beyond the 10 mg ceiling.
The label schedule, step by step
The label sets a minimum of 4 weeks on each dose and no fixed calendar, and a step is taken only if more blood sugar control is needed. The table shows the earliest week each dose could begin if every step took exactly 4 weeks. The weeks are arithmetic from the label rule. They are not a plan, and the label does not require a person to reach 15 mg.
| Weekly dose | Earliest week it can begin | What the label says about it |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | Week 1 | Starting dose. |
| 5 mg | Week 5 | After at least 4 weeks on 2.5 mg, if more control is needed. |
| 7.5 mg | Week 9 | After at least 4 weeks on 5 mg, if more control is needed. |
| 10 mg | Week 13 | After at least 4 weeks on 7.5 mg, if more control is needed. The pediatric ceiling. |
| 12.5 mg | Week 17 | After at least 4 weeks on 10 mg, if more control is needed. Adults only. |
| 15 mg | Week 21 | After at least 4 weeks on 12.5 mg, if more control is needed. The adult ceiling. |
Mounjaro pens, vials and KwikPens
The label lists the same four forms and the same six strengths as Zepbound: pre-filled single-dose pens and single-dose vials (0.5 mL each), multi-dose vials and single-patient-use KwikPens (4 doses each).
| Dose per injection | Single-dose pen or single-dose vial | Multi-dose vial or KwikPen (4 doses) |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | 2.5 mg in 0.5 mL | 2.5 mg per 0.6 mL dose. 10 mg in 2.4 mL in total (4.17 mg per mL). |
| 5 mg | 5 mg in 0.5 mL | 5 mg per 0.6 mL dose. 20 mg in 2.4 mL in total (8.33 mg per mL). |
| 7.5 mg | 7.5 mg in 0.5 mL | 7.5 mg per 0.6 mL dose. 30 mg in 2.4 mL in total (12.5 mg per mL). |
| 10 mg | 10 mg in 0.5 mL | 10 mg per 0.6 mL dose. 40 mg in 2.4 mL in total (16.7 mg per mL). |
| 12.5 mg | 12.5 mg in 0.5 mL | 12.5 mg per 0.6 mL dose. 50 mg in 2.4 mL in total (20.8 mg per mL). |
| 15 mg | 15 mg in 0.5 mL | 15 mg per 0.6 mL dose. 60 mg in 2.4 mL in total (25 mg per mL). |
The figures are the label's own, from its dosage forms section. For vials the label says to use a syringe suited to the dose and a new syringe and needle for each injection. The Atlas gives no measuring steps. The label says patients and caregivers should be trained on the exact form they receive, and that the KwikPen is not recommended for self-injection by pediatric patients.
What the label says about a missed dose
| Situation | What the label says |
|---|---|
| A dose is missed and 4 days (96 hours) or less have passed | Give the missed dose as soon as possible, then resume the regular once-weekly schedule. |
| More than 4 days have passed | Skip the missed dose and give the next dose on the regularly scheduled day. |
| Changing the weekly injection day | The day can be changed if needed, as long as the time between the two doses is at least 3 days (72 hours). |
This is label text for information. What to do about a particular missed dose is a question for a prescriber or pharmacist.
Changing forms, or changing to Mounjaro from another medicine
The label says that if the prescribed Mounjaro form changes, patients and caregivers should be trained on the new form and told to read its instructions for use. The label as the Atlas read it has no text on moving to Mounjaro from Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound or another GLP-1 medicine. The switching page covers what labels and small studies say, and Mounjaro vs Ozempic compares the two diabetes labels. Lilly's daily tablet Foundayo is a different medicine, covered on the Foundayo dosage page.
What the Mounjaro dose trials tested
Trial results are group averages from the study named, not promises for any one person. These trials measured blood sugar first and weight second. The weight-loss trials of tirzepatide were run on Zepbound doses in people with obesity, and the Zepbound dosage page covers them.
- Digestive side effects were the most common events in both trials. In SURPASS-1, nausea was reported by 12% to 18% on tirzepatide against 6% on placebo, and diarrhea by 12% to 14% against 8%.
- The trials tested assigned doses. They do not show which dose suits one person, and they do not cover children. The Atlas has not read the pediatric trial that supports the label's age 10 and older use.
| Trial | People and length | Doses tested | Result | Analysis approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SURPASS-1 | 478 adults with type 2 diabetes managed with diet and exercise alone. 40 weeks. | 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg once a week, against placebo | HbA1c (a blood sugar marker) fell 1.87, 1.89 and 2.07 percentage points, against a rise of 0.04 on placebo. Weight fell between 7.0 kg and 9.5 kg across the three doses. | The abstract does not name the approach. |
| SURPASS-2 | 1,879 adults with type 2 diabetes. 40 weeks. Open label. | 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg once a week, against semaglutide 1 mg | HbA1c fell 2.01, 2.24 and 2.30 points on tirzepatide, against 1.86 on semaglutide. Weight was lower than on semaglutide by 1.9 kg, 3.6 kg and 5.5 kg. | The abstract does not name the approach. |
Sources: SURPASS-1 (2021) and SURPASS-2 (2021). The Atlas read the published abstracts. Eli Lilly funded both. The 15 mg dose lowered HbA1c a little more than 5 mg in both trials, and the Atlas draws no dose recommendation from that. The SURPASS-2 semaglutide arm used 1 mg, not the 2 mg that the Ozempic label allows.
What is listed for the cash price
The Atlas has no price data for Mounjaro. Mounjaro is labeled for type 2 diabetes, and plans, Medicare programs and maker offers treat it differently from Zepbound. The paying for GLP-1 medicines page and the Medicare page cover the main ways people pay. For the Zepbound prices Lilly lists, see the Zepbound dosage page.
Using Mounjaro for weight loss
A prescriber who uses a diabetes-labeled product to treat weight is prescribing off-label, and the Atlas does not advise on that. Zepbound is the tirzepatide product labeled for weight reduction and sleep apnea. Its label lists a different schedule, with 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg as maintenance doses. The Atlas gives no conversion between the two products.
Quick answers
- What is the Mounjaro dosage?
- The label starts at 2.5 mg once a week. If more blood sugar control is needed, the dose may rise in 2.5 mg steps, each after at least 4 weeks on the current dose. The highest dose is 15 mg once a week in adults and 10 mg once a week in pediatric patients. A prescriber sets the plan.
- What is the highest Mounjaro dose?
- 15 mg once a week in adults and 10 mg once a week in pediatric patients.
- What are the Mounjaro dose strengths?
- 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg and 15 mg. The label lists all six for the single-dose pens and vials, the multi-dose vial and the KwikPen.
- How long between Mounjaro dose increases?
- The label says each increase comes after at least 4 weeks on the current dose, and only if more blood sugar control is needed.
- What does the label say if a Mounjaro dose is missed?
- Give it as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours) of the missed dose. If more than 4 days have passed, skip it and give the next dose on the regular day. The weekly day can be changed if doses are at least 3 days (72 hours) apart.
- Is Mounjaro dosed for weight loss?
- No. Mounjaro is labeled for type 2 diabetes and its dose steps are tied to blood sugar control. Zepbound is the tirzepatide product labeled for weight reduction, with its own schedule.
- Is the Mounjaro dose the same as the Zepbound dose?
- Both contain tirzepatide and list the same six strengths, and both begin at 2.5 mg once a week. They are separate products with separate labels and different approved uses, and their maintenance dose text differs.
- Can children take Mounjaro?
- The label lists type 2 diabetes in children 10 and older, with a highest dose of 10 mg once a week in pediatric patients. The label says the KwikPen is not recommended for self-injection by pediatric patients.
Questions to ask
- What blood sugar goal are we aiming for, and when will we decide whether to step up the dose?
- If I miss a dose, who do I call, and what does your office want me to do?
- Which form will I get (single-dose pen, KwikPen or vial), and who will teach me to use it?
- What will each dose cost me, with my coverage?
- What is the plan if I cannot tolerate a step?
What is still unknown
- The label sets a minimum of 4 weeks per dose and no fixed calendar, so how long a person stays at each step is a prescriber decision.
- The Atlas read the dosing and dosage-forms sections of the label revised August 2026, in the maker's copy and the FDA-hosted copy. It did not read the whole label.
- The Atlas read the published abstracts of the trials, not the full papers. Neither abstract names its analysis approach.
- The Atlas has not read the pediatric trial that supports the label's use in children 10 and older.
- The Atlas has no price data for Mounjaro.
Sources
- Mounjaro (tirzepatide) injection: prescribing information on the maker's site Eli Lilly and Company, uspl.lilly.com. Label version 8/2026, read November 2, 2026. Company announcement, not peer reviewed
- Mounjaro (tirzepatide) injection: FDA-hosted prescribing information, 8/2026 Eli Lilly and Company, on Drugs@FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). Supplements 044 and 045. Regulator
- Mounjaro (tirzepatide) injection: prescribing information Eli Lilly and Company, on DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine). Label version 8/2026. Official FDA label on DailyMed
- Efficacy and safety of a novel dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist tirzepatide in patients with type 2 diabetes (SURPASS-1) Rosenstock J, et al. Lancet. 2021;398(10295):143-155. PMID 34186022. Funding: Eli Lilly. Journal article
- Tirzepatide versus semaglutide once weekly in patients with type 2 diabetes (SURPASS-2) Frias JP, et al. N Engl J Med. 2021;385(6):503-515. PMID 34170647. Funding: Eli Lilly. Journal article