Can you get Mounjaro (tirzepatide) tablets?

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Confused by your search for Mounjaro tablets? Learn why so-called 'oral tirzepatide' isn't what it seems.

Mounjaro is getting more and more popular. Day by day, increasing numbers of people are discovering the drug's game-changing weight loss potential.

For some, however, Mounjaro comes with baggage. The medication comes in a special injectable pen – and users typically administer the injections themselves at home. This might be off-putting for those who are squeamish about injections or are outright needle-phobic.

With that in mind, you might wonder whether Mounjaro – or its active ingredient, tirzepatide – are available in tablet form. Does an official, approved Mounjaro tablet exist?

A quick Google search might lead you to believe that it does. Many websites and influencers claim to offer 'oral Mounjaro' while making lofty claims about its benefits.

Don't be fooled. Eli Lilly is the only official manufacturer of tirzepatide. And, at the time of writing, the company only supplies it as an injectable medication. When used for weight loss, this medication is known as 'Mounjaro' in the UK and 'Zepbound' in the US.

The good news for needle-phobes is that Eli Lilly is developing an oral weight loss medication. Before we get into that, however, let's explore the problems with so-called 'Mounjaro tablets'.

Why are online companies offering tablets claiming to contain tirzepatide?

These tablets may contain tirzepatide. Or they may contain something else entirely.

That's the problem – if you buy 'oral Mounjaro' online, you're actually buying a compounded medication. These types of medications are not officially sanctioned by Eli Lilly. They're put together by third parties that decide which ingredients to add and in what quantities.

Compounded medications can be very dangerous. You could end up taking a higher dose than recommended, which could increase the severity of Mounjaro side effects. Or you might take less than you need, meaning you won't get the results you expect. The tablets could even contain a different drug – or nothing at all.

What's more, compounded medications can't be tracked or tested easily. For this reason, they're not regulated or approved by the MHRA in the UK.

What does Mounjaro's manufacturer have to say about so-called 'oral tirzepatide'?

Eli Lilly recently posted an open letter on its website stating its serious concerns about compounded medications claiming to contain tirzepatide.

'[We are] deeply concerned that products fraudulently claimed by compounding pharmacies or counterfeiters to be FDA-approved tirzepatide, Mounjaro, or Zepbound may expose patients to serious health risks', it read. 'Neither the FDA nor any global regulatory agency has reviewed these products for safety, quality, or efficacy, and unsafe products should not be on the market.'

The letter also states that 'Lilly has discovered products claiming to be compounded tirzepatide medicines that contain bacteria, high impurity levels, different chemical structures, and different [colours] than Mounjaro or Zepbound'.

The company says it's currently pursuing legal action against 'certain medical spas, wellness [centres], and compounding pharmacies' for their false claims.

Will we get approved tablets that work like Mounjaro?

It will come as no surprise that pharmaceutical companies are trying to produce a weight loss tablet as effective as injectable Mounjaro.

Instead of making a tirzepatide tablet, Elli Lilly has developed orforglipron. This falls under the same class of medications as Mounjaro (GLP-1 RAs). However, unlike Mounjaro, orforglipron can be taken as a tablet once a day.

Clinical trials started in 2023 – and the results have been exciting. Participants in the Phase 2 trials have achieved an average weight reduction of up to 14.7% over 36 weeks. Results from the Phase 3 trials are expected soon, and the tablets could be ready for approval in early 2026.

Pfizer is a name we all became familiar with through its COVID-19 vaccines. It, too, is developing an oral GLP-1 RA weight loss medication called 'danuglipron'. Phase 2 clinical trials have concluded, and researchers are now conducting dose optimisation studies.

What about Semaglutide tablets?

Semaglutide is another GLP-1 RA and is the active ingredient in Wegovy weight loss pens.

Semaglutide tablets have been approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in the UK since 2020. They're sold under the brand name Rybelsus and are manufactured by Novo Nordisk. The tablets come in 3mg, 7mg and 14mg strengths and are taken once a day.

Semaglutide tablets are not currently approved as a weight loss medication. However, that could change.

A Phase 3 clinical trial looked at the effects of oral semaglutide on people living with obesity but without diabetes. Those taking the tablet once a day for 68 weeks achieved an average weight loss of up to 17.4%.

Final thoughts

The future for oral GLP-1 weight loss medications is looking promising. However, we will likely have to wait at least a year before any of the new drugs are ready for approval.

In the meantime, injectable medications like Mounjaro and Wegovy are among the most effective non-surgical weight loss treatments available. Tap the links to find out more and learn how SemaPen's expert-led weight loss programmes give you the support you need to achieve your goals.

Sources

1. Knop, F.K. et al.(2023) "Oral semaglutide 50 mg taken once per day in adults with overweight or obesity (OASIS 1): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial" The Lancet, 402(10403) https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01185-6

This article was reviewed by and approved by Alice Fletcher, Bariatric Dietitian, on 28 February 2025.

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