Tirzepatide

What is Tirzepatide

• Tirzepatide is a synthetic peptide drug — a 39-amino-acid long analogue derived from the native hormone Glucose‑Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide (GIP), but engineered so that it also activates the receptor for Glucagon‑Like Peptide 1 (GLP-1).

• It has been chemically modified: a fatty-diacid (C20) side-chain is attached (via a linker to one of its lysine residues), which enables strong binding to serum albumin and dramatically prolongs its half-life in the body.

• Its molecular formula is roughly C₂₂₅H₃₄₈N₄₈O₆₈, and its molecular weight is ~ 4,813 Da. 

Because of this design, tirzepatide — unlike native GIP or GLP-1 — remains active in the bloodstream for a long time, enabling once-weekly dosing for patients.