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Zepbound vs Mounjaro in Canada: is it the same drug?

The same medicine under two names: what each one is approved for in Canada, what Lilly charges, and what that means for coverage and off-label use.

GLP Guidebook teamPublished 12 Oct 20268 min read14 sourcesWritten from published sources
What we checked14 sources, each one opened and linked to the sentence it supportsLast checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Oct 2027 · How we write

Written for Canada, from Canadian sources.

The short answer

Yes, both are tirzepatide from Eli Lilly, in the same 4-dose KwikPen strengths. The difference is the approved use. In Canada, Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes, and Zepbound for weight management and obstructive sleep apnea. Using Mounjaro for weight is off-label. Lilly submitted the same prices for both to Canada’s Drug Agency.

At a glance

MounjaroZepbound
Medicine and makerTirzepatide, Eli Lilly2Tirzepatide, Eli Lilly1
Approved in Canada forType 2 diabetes in adults and ages 10 to under 182Not approved for weight management under this nameChronic weight management in adults (BMI 30 or more, or 27 to under 30 with a weight-related condition); moderate to severe sleep apnea in adults with obesity1
How it’s takenInjection under the skin once a week, from a 4-dose KwikPen, single-dose pen or vial2Injection under the skin once a week, from a 4-dose KwikPen1
Dose steps2.5 mg for 4 weeks, then 5 mg; up 2.5 mg at a time after at least 4 weeks, to 15 mg22.5 mg for 4 weeks, then 5 mg; up 2.5 mg at a time after at least 4 weeks; maintenance 5, 10 or 15 mg1
Weight change in the main trialSURPASS-1, 40 weeks, type 2 diabetes: −6.3 kg on 5 mg to −7.8 kg on 15 mg, against −1.0 kg on a dummy injection212 to 18 in 100 felt sick (nausea), against 4 in 100 (placebo-controlled diabetes trials)SURMOUNT-1, 72 weeks, no diabetes: −15.0% on 5 mg to −20.9% on 15 mg, against −3.1% on a dummy injection1About 28 in 100 felt sick (nausea) on 15 mg, against 9 in 100
Most common side effectsNausea and diarrhea: very common, more than 1 in 10 (EU Mounjaro label)11Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and constipation: very common, more than 1 in 10, in people treated for weight (EU Mounjaro label, which covers both uses)11
Official price$300 a pen at 2.5 or 5 mg, $420 at 7.5 or 10 mg, $540 at 12.5 or 15 mg (maker’s price submitted to Canada’s Drug Agency): about $325 to $585 a month, $3,900 to $7,020 a year13$300 a pen at 2.5 or 5 mg, $420 at 7.5 or 10 mg, $540 at 12.5 or 15 mg (maker’s price submitted to Canada’s Drug Agency): about $325 to $585 a month, $3,900 to $7,020 a year13
Coverage in CanadaNo public plan lists it; Quebec lists it as private insurance only. Canada’s Drug Agency recommended coverage for type 2 diabetes in 2026 if the price falls4,5,13No public plan lists it; Canada’s Drug Agency recommended limited coverage in 2026 if the price falls.4,13

Side by side, not ranked. The trials were separate, in different people, so their numbers can’t be compared directly. Prices: one pen holds 4 weekly doses; a year is 52 doses (13 pens); a month is a twelfth of a year; our arithmetic. Pharmacies add their own markup and fees. Checked 14 Oct 2026.

Key takeaways

  • Zepbound and Mounjaro both contain tirzepatide, and both come as a 4-dose KwikPen in strengths from 2.5 to 15 mg.1,2
  • Mounjaro is approved in Canada for type 2 diabetes; Zepbound is approved for chronic weight management and, since June 2026, sleep apnea in adults with obesity.2,1,3
  • In the 72-week SURMOUNT-1 trial, people on Zepbound 15 mg lost 20.9% of their weight on average, against 3.1% on a dummy injection. About 28 in 100 on 15 mg felt sick, against about 9 in 100 on the dummy injection.1
  • Zepbound’s monograph says it should not be used together with Mounjaro or any other GLP‑1 medicine.1
  • We found no public drug plan listing either brand as of 12 October 2026.4,5
Before you go further
  • GLP‑1 medicines are prescription drugs in Canada. Nothing here is a reason to start, stop or switch one.6
  • We name brands and official prices as facts. We don’t recommend, rank or link to any brand, pharmacy, clinic or program.
  • For weight management, Health Canada has approved Wegovy, Zepbound and Saxenda, and the generic Sevmia. Ozempic and Mounjaro are approved for type 2 diabetes.7,6
  • Trial results are averages. Some people lose much less, and every benefit comes with risks: see our side effects guide.
On this page
  1. What do Zepbound and Mounjaro have in common?
  2. How do their approved uses differ?
  3. Can Mounjaro be prescribed for weight loss?
  4. What did the trials show?
  5. Do they cost the same, and are they covered?
  6. Questions people ask
  7. How we researched this
  8. Sources

What do Zepbound and Mounjaro have in common?

The medicine, the maker and the pen. Both are tirzepatide from Eli Lilly, sold in 4-dose KwikPens of 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 mg.1,2

Tirzepatide acts on two gut-hormone receptors, GIP and GLP‑1. Both are found in brain areas that regulate appetite, and GLP‑1 helps control how much people eat.1

Each KwikPen gives one dose a week for 4 weeks.1,2 Mounjaro also comes as a single-dose pen and a vial.2 Both are marketed in Canada: Mounjaro since 2023, Zepbound since July 2025.8

How do their approved uses differ?

Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes; Zepbound for weight management and sleep apnea. That label decides how plans and prescribers treat each one.2,1

MounjaroZepbound
Approved forType 2 diabetes in adults, and ages 10 to under 18Chronic weight management in adults; moderate to severe sleep apnea in adults with obesity
Who, on the labelPeople with type 2 diabetesBMI 30 or more, or 27 to under 30 with a weight-related condition; BMI 30 or more for sleep apnea
First authorized24 November 202213 May 2025
Usual doses2.5 mg to start, up to 15 mg2.5 mg to start; maintenance 5, 10 or 15 mg (10 or 15 mg for sleep apnea)

Side by side, not ranked. Sources: Canadian product monographs for Mounjaro (23 June 2026) and Zepbound (11 June 2026); Register of Innovative Drugs; Lilly Canada.

Sources by row: Mounjaro’s monograph2 and approval date9; Zepbound’s monograph1 and first authorization.3

Can Mounjaro be prescribed for weight loss?

A prescriber can, but it is off-label: outside the use Health Canada approved. Canada’s obesity guideline is cautious about off-label use for weight.2,7

The guideline says it discourages using medicines “solely for obesity management if they lack regulatory approval for this indication or evidence-based recommendations for their use”.7 For tirzepatide, Zepbound is the brand with that approval.1

Insurers can refuse off-label claims. One benefits manager’s form says, “Drugs used for indications not approved by Health Canada may be denied.”10

Never combine the two. Zepbound’s monograph says use with “other tirzepatide-containing products (e.g., Mounjaro®) or with any glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist is not recommended”.1

Free toolCould a GLP‑1 be an option for you?

See what the Canadian labels and guideline describe, in 2 minutes. It ends with questions for your doctor.

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What did the trials show?

In SURMOUNT-1, over 72 weeks, average weight loss was 15.0% on 5 mg, 19.5% on 10 mg and 20.9% on 15 mg, against 3.1% on a dummy injection.1

For someone starting at 90 kg (198 lb), 20.9% is about 19 kg (41 lb). That is an average. At 15 mg, 90.9 in 100 lost at least 5% of their weight, against 34.5 in 100 on the dummy injection; put the other way, about 1 in 11 on 15 mg lost less.1

Only SURMOUNT-2 included people with type 2 diabetes, and its results were smaller: 12.8% at 10 mg and 14.7% at 15 mg, against 3.2%.1

RisksThe risks, in brief
  • Stomach effects. About 28 in 100 people on Zepbound 15 mg felt sick (nausea), against about 9 in 100 on a dummy injection. On Mounjaro 15 mg it was about 18 in 100, against 4 in 100.1,2
  • Gallbladder. An inflamed gallbladder affected about 6 in 1,000 people on Zepbound, against 2 in 1,000 on a dummy injection.1
  • Pancreatitis (an inflamed pancreas): uncommon (up to 1 in 100 people) on the EU Mounjaro label; severe stomach pain that won’t go away, sometimes spreading to the back.1,11
  • Dehydration from vomiting or diarrhea can harm the kidneys.1
  • Thyroid and pregnancy. Not for anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, or MEN 2. Canada’s obesity guideline advises against these medicines in pregnancy, while breastfeeding or when trying to conceive.1,7
Full detail in our side effects guide →
Get help now: call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department for severe stomach pain that won’t go away, with or without vomiting. It can be pancreatitis. Not sure? Call 811 to speak to a nurse in most provinces (Info-Santé 811 in Quebec).1,12

Do they cost the same, and are they covered?

Yes. Lilly submitted the same prices for both to Canada’s Drug Agency: $300 a pen at 2.5 or 5 mg, $420 at 7.5 or 10 mg and $540 at 12.5 or 15 mg. Each pen holds 4 weekly doses.13

A year is 13 pens: about $3,900 held at 5 mg, $5,460 at 10 mg and $7,020 at 15 mg, by our arithmetic. These are the maker’s submitted prices, not a formulary price, and pharmacies add their own markup and fees. See GLP‑1 prices in Canada.

No public plan we checked lists either brand. Ontario’s formulary has no tirzepatide, and Quebec lists Mounjaro as private insurance only.4,5 BC took public input on Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes in February and March 2026.14

Data protection on tirzepatide runs to 24 November 2030, so no generic is expected before then.9

Questions people ask

Is Zepbound the same as Mounjaro?

Same medicine, tirzepatide, in the same pen strengths. Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for weight management and sleep apnea.2,1

Is Mounjaro approved for weight loss in Canada?

No. Mounjaro is approved for type 2 diabetes. Zepbound is the tirzepatide brand approved for chronic weight management.2,1

Is Zepbound available in Canada?

Yes. Zepbound was first authorized on 13 May 2025 and first marketed in July 2025, as a 4-dose KwikPen.3,8,1

Can I take Zepbound and Mounjaro together?

No. Zepbound’s monograph says use with other tirzepatide products such as Mounjaro, or any GLP‑1 medicine, is not recommended.1

Is there a generic Mounjaro?

No. Data protection on tirzepatide in Canada runs to 24 November 2030.9

How we researched this

We compared the Canadian product monographs for Mounjaro (23 June 2026) and Zepbound (11 June 2026), and checked status in Health Canada’s Drug Product Database on 12 October 2026. Prices are the ones Lilly submitted to Canada’s Drug Agency for its 2026 Zepbound and Mounjaro reviews.

Trial figures are from the Zepbound monograph’s SURMOUNT-1 and -2 tables.

Before you move on

  • Check which brand name is on your prescription and why.
  • Ask whether your use is on-label or off-label.
  • Ask your plan which brand, if any, it covers.
  • Never use two tirzepatide or GLP‑1 products together.
  • Know the warning signs in the risks box.
Could it be an option?What GLP‑1s doSide effects and risks

More from the Canada blog

CACanadaHow much do Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound cost in Canada?CACanadaDoes private insurance cover Ozempic, Wegovy or Zepbound in Canada?CACanadaWhy doesn’t any province cover Wegovy or Zepbound for weight loss?
About GLP Guidebook

The monthly Canada update

An independent guide to GLP‑1 medicines. We don’t sell medicines, take drug-company money, earn commissions or link to any provider. Once a month: Health Canada approvals, recalls, provincial coverage changes and official prices. How we write

Was this post easy to understand?

Sources

  1. Eli Lilly Canada. Zepbound (tirzepatide injection) Product Monograph, date of authorization 11 June 2026 (indications; “The ZEPBOUND multi-dose KwikPen contains 4 doses”; doses; SURMOUNT-1 and -2 results and adverse reactions; coadministration with Mounjaro not recommended; contraindications). PDF
  2. Eli Lilly Canada. Mounjaro (tirzepatide injection) Product Monograph, date of authorization 23 June 2026 (type 2 diabetes in adults and in ages 10 to under 18; single-dose pen, vial and 4-dose KwikPen; storage). PDF
  3. Eli Lilly Canada. Health Canada approves Zepbound for obstructive sleep apnea (Zepbound first authorized 13 May 2025). Press release, 16 June 2026. Link
  4. Ontario Ministry of Health. Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary search, semaglutide rows (Ozempic $227.94 per pen with $78.141 paid; Apo-Semaglutide and Dr. Reddy’s $78.141; Sevmia $325.048, off-formulary interchangeable; Wegovy off-formulary interchangeable, no price; Rybelsus $7.5303 per tablet; no tirzepatide row). Checked 12 October 2026. Link
  5. Diabète Québec. Table of diabetes medications and their coverage (RAMQ exception-drug criteria for Ozempic; Mounjaro private insurance only, not on the RAMQ list; NIHB Limited Use). March 2026. PDF
  6. Health Canada. Drug Product Database: status records for every semaglutide product (Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy, Plosbrio, Poviztra; generics from Dr. Reddy’s, Apotex, Aspen and Sandoz, and Sevmia). Searched 12 October 2026. Link
  7. Pedersen SD, Manjoo P, Dash S, Jain A, Pearce N, Poddar M. Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline: Pharmacotherapy for Obesity Management in Adults, 2025 update. Obesity Canada, Version 3, 11 August 2025 (recommendations 1–13; six medicines approved for obesity; off-label use discouraged; pregnancy). PDF
  8. Health Canada. Drug Product Database: status records for tirzepatide products (Mounjaro, Mounjaro KwikPen, Zepbound) and searches for retatrutide and orforglipron (no products found). Searched 12 October 2026. Link
  9. Health Canada. Register of Innovative Drugs, 24 January 2025 edition (semaglutide: data protection ends 2026-01-04; tirzepatide: data protection ends 2030-11-24). Link
  10. Express Scripts Canada. Prior Authorization Request: Wegovy (semaglutide) (initial criteria BMI 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related condition; renewal at 5% weight loss; previously tried therapies; form fees paid by the plan member; off-label requests may be denied; RAMQ criteria may apply in Quebec). Checked 12 October 2026. PDF
  11. European Medicines Agency. Mounjaro: EPAR product information (package leaflet section 4: nausea and diarrhea “very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)”; vomiting and constipation very common in people treated for weight management; acute pancreatitis “uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)”). In Europe, Mounjaro is the tirzepatide brand for both diabetes and weight. PDF
  12. Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Medical services by phone (811 in most provinces and Yukon; Info-Santé 811 in Quebec; other numbers in Manitoba, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut). Checked 12 October 2026. Link
  13. Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA-AMC). Tirzepatide (Zepbound) reimbursement recommendation SR0920, committee meeting 24 June 2026, and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) reimbursement recommendation SR0886, meetings 25 March and 22 July 2026. Both give the maker’s submitted price: “$300.00 per 2.5 mg or 5 mg multidose prefilled pen, $420.00 per 7.5 mg or 10 mg multidose prefilled pen, and $540.00 per 12 mg [12.5 mg] or 15 mg multidose prefilled pen”. Zepbound: “Reimburse with conditions” only for adults with a BMI of 27 or more and prediabetes, if the cost is reduced. Mounjaro: reimburse for type 2 diabetes if the cost of 10 and 15 mg is reduced. Checked 14 October 2026. SR0920 · SR0886
  14. BC PharmaCare. Drug information for public input: tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for type 2 diabetes, input open 25 February to 24 March 2026. PDF

Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Oct 2027 · Report an error

How this post was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above. It’s general information, not medical advice. Talk to your family doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. We don’t sell, prescribe or recommend any brand or provider. How we write