A "Zepbound dose chart" is the label's escalation ladder written as a table. This page prints it as the current US labels state it (ZEPBOUND revised 08/2026 and MOUNJARO revised August 2026, both read on DailyMed on 2026-10-06), sets the two side by side because they share one molecule and differ in one rule, and lists the presentations that carry each dose. It reports what the labels say; it recommends no step and no dose.
The compound-level page, with trial results and the arithmetic for research-market vials, is the tirzepatide dosage page. Unit counts for compounded vials at every concentration are on tirzepatide dosage in units. The compound itself is covered in Medibact's Tirzepatide guide.
The ladder, week by week
The label sets a minimum of 4 weeks on each dose before the next 2.5 mg step. Counting weekly doses from the first:
| Weeks (earliest) | Weekly dose | Label status (Zepbound) |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | 2.5 mg | Starting dose; "not approved as a maintenance dosage" |
| 5–8 | 5 mg | Maintenance option (weight) |
| 9–12 | 7.5 mg | Escalation step |
| 13–16 | 10 mg | Maintenance option (weight, sleep apnea) |
| 17–20 | 12.5 mg | Escalation step |
| 21 onward | 15 mg | Maintenance option; maximum for all indications |
The weeks are the fastest the label allows, not a timetable: the label says the dose "may be increased" and to "consider treatment response and tolerability when selecting the maintenance dosage", and if a maintenance dose is not tolerated, "consider a lower maintenance dosage". The SURMOUNT-1 trial behind the weight indication escalated on this same 4-week rhythm to fixed 5, 10 or 15 mg arms (NCT04184622; details on the tirzepatide page). GLP1 Ledger's titration schedules page sets the ladders of other GLP-1 medicines beside this one.
Zepbound and Mounjaro: one molecule, two rules
| Zepbound | Mounjaro | |
|---|---|---|
| Indications | Weight reduction and maintenance in adults with obesity, or overweight with a weight-related condition; moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity | Glycemic control in type 2 diabetes |
| Start | 2.5 mg weekly for 4 weeks | 2.5 mg weekly |
| Next step | "After 4 weeks, increase the dosage to 5 mg" | "If additional glycemic control is needed", +2.5 mg after at least 4 weeks |
| 2.5 mg as maintenance | Not approved | Not addressed |
| Maintenance listed | 5, 10 or 15 mg (weight); 10 or 15 mg (sleep apnea) | None listed |
| Maximum | 15 mg weekly | 15 mg weekly (adults); 10 mg weekly (pediatric) |
| Missed dose | Within 4 days (96 h), else skip | Within 4 days (96 h), else skip |
So a "Mounjaro dose chart" and a "Zepbound dose chart" print the same six numbers, but the Zepbound ladder moves to 5 mg by default while the Mounjaro ladder moves only on a glycemic reason. Neither label says anything about moving from one product to the other; the only switching instruction in either concerns a change of presentation (pen to vial and so on), for which both labels ask for retraining on the new device.
Pens and vials
Both labels list the same four presentations at the same strengths:
| Presentation | Doses | Volume per dose | Concentrations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-dose pen | 1 | 0.5 mL | 5–30 mg/mL |
| Single-dose vial | 1 | 0.5 mL | 5–30 mg/mL |
| Multi-dose vial | 4 | 0.6 mL (2.4 mL total) | 4.17–25 mg/mL |
| Single-patient-use KwikPen | 4 | 0.6 mL (2.4 mL total) | 4.17–25 mg/mL |
The vial instructions describe "a syringe appropriate for dose administration (e.g., a 1 mL syringe capable of measuring a 0.5 mL or 0.6 mL dose)" and "a new syringe and needle for each injection". On a U-100 insulin scale that is 50 or 60 units for every strength: the strength changes the concentration, not the volume. The Zepbound label adds that the KwikPen "is not recommended for self-administration by those who are visually impaired". The four-dose pen's weekly priming and dialling sequence is read step by step on the Zepbound KwikPen page, and the air-then-overdraw method for both vials on drawing a dose from a Zepbound vial. How clicks on that pen relate to its doses is on Mounjaro pen clicks; the label's sites (abdomen, thigh, or back of the upper arm by another person) and rotation are on how tirzepatide is injected.
Missed doses and changing the day
Both labels: a missed dose is given "as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours)"; after more than 4 days it is skipped and the next dose is taken on the regular day. The day of the week can change "as long as the time between the two doses is at least 3 days (72 hours)". Neither tirzepatide label contains a rule for restarting the ladder after several missed weeks. That is a real difference from the Wegovy label, which tells prescribers to restart escalation at a lower dose after two or more consecutive missed doses (see the Wegovy dose chart).
One label instruction tied to each step
The Zepbound label ties one non-dose instruction to the ladder itself: patients on oral hormonal contraceptives are advised to switch to a non-oral method, or add a barrier method, "for 4 weeks after initiation with ZEPBOUND and for 4 weeks after each dose escalation". The reason given is that tirzepatide delays gastric emptying, and "this delay is largest after the first dose". On the fastest ladder above, that covers every week up to week 24.
What this page does not establish
Not established by any source read here: a conversion between compounded tirzepatide and a branded dose (no label or Lilly document gives one), any labelled dose above 15 mg, and any labelled schedule for splitting a weekly dose (the arithmetic people search for is on tirzepatide split dose). Every dosing decision on these products is a prescriber's.
Sources and dates
Opened 2026-10-06 via the DailyMed web services: the ZEPBOUND prescribing information (set id 487cd7e7-434c-4925-99fa-aa80b1cc776b, revised 08/2026; sections 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8.3) and the MOUNJARO prescribing information (set id d2d7da5d-ad07-4228-955f-cf7e355c8cc0, revised August 2026; sections 2 and 3). Week arithmetic by this site. Corrections go to the contact page.