ENहिन्दी soon
Home/India/Blog/Mounjaro doses explained: 2.5 mg, 5 mg up to 15 mg (India)
INIndia Medicines

Mounjaro doses explained: 2.5 mg, 5 mg up to 15 mg (India)

The starting dose, the 4-week steps, the doses people stay on, what each dose did in the trials, and the Mounjaro and Yurpeak packs sold in India.

GLP Guidebook teamPublished 5 Oct 202613 min read14 sourcesWritten from published sources

Written for India. Reading from the US? US versionComing soon

The short answer

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) starts at 2.5 mg once a week for 4 weeks. That is not a dose to stay on (a maintenance dose). The labels then allow steps of 2.5 mg, each after at least 4 weeks, up to 15 mg. The labels name 5, 10 and 15 mg as doses to stay on. A doctor sets each step.

Key takeaways

  • Mounjaro starts at 2.5 mg once a week for 4 weeks, and the US weight-loss label says 2.5 mg is for starting only, not a maintenance dose.2
  • The US and EU labels raise the Mounjaro dose in 2.5 mg steps, each after at least 4 weeks, to a maximum of 15 mg once a week for adults.1,3
  • In SURMOUNT-1, weight loss rose from 15.0% on 5 mg to 20.9% on 15 mg (placebo 3.1%), but nausea in the weight trials was 25% to 29% on 5 to 15 mg (placebo 8%).4,2
  • In India, each Mounjaro KwikPen holds 4 weekly doses of a single strength, so every step up the dose ladder means a new pen.3,7
On this page
  1. What is the starting dose, and is 2.5 mg a treatment dose?
  2. How does the dose go up, and how high?
  3. Which doses do people stay on?
  4. What did the trials show at each dose?
  5. Which packs are sold in India, at what MRP?
  6. Is Yurpeak dosed the same way?
  7. Which label do the Indian doses follow?
  8. Questions people ask
  9. How we researched this

What is the starting dose of Mounjaro, and is 2.5 mg a treatment dose?

Mounjaro starts at 2.5 mg once a week for 4 weeks. The US weight-loss label says 2.5 mg is for starting only, not a dose to stay on.

Before you go further
  • Mounjaro is prescription-only in India.12
  • A government statement on 1 Apr 2026 said only endocrinologists, internal-medicine specialists and cardiologists can prescribe it.12
  • Risks are in Guide 5 and our Mounjaro side effects post.
  • Check your pen with our guide to fake pens in India.
  • No dose comes with a promised result.

Mounjaro is tirzepatide, a weekly injection made by Eli Lilly.6 It switches on the body's receptors for two gut hormones, GLP‑1 and GIP.1 That cuts how much people eat, likely through appetite. It also helps the body release insulin when blood sugar is high.2,1

Tirzepatide lasts about 5 days in the body (its half-life), so one injection a week is enough.1 It can go in at any time of day, with or without food.1

The first dose is always 2.5 mg.1,2,3 The US weight-loss brand, Zepbound, is the same medicine. Its label says 2.5 mg “is for treatment initiation and is not approved as a maintenance dosage.”2 The EU label moves people to 5 mg after 4 weeks.3

The low start is there for the stomach. The labels say the starting dose and the steps are meant “to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal adverse reactions”.1 Most nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea in the trials came while the dose was going up, then decreased.1,2

How does the Mounjaro dose go up, and how high can it go?

The labels allow one step of 2.5 mg after at least 4 weeks on each dose. For adults, the maximum is 15 mg once a week.

Your doctor sets your dose. The steps below are what the US and EU labels describe, not a plan to follow. A doctor may wait longer between steps or stop at a lower dose. They may also step back down if a dose is not tolerated.2
  1. Weeks 1–42.5 mg. Starting dose only.2,3
  2. Week 5 at the earliest5 mg. The first maintenance dose on the EU and US weight-loss labels.3,2
  3. Week 9 at the earliest7.5 mg, if more is needed.1
  4. Week 13 at the earliest10 mg, a maintenance dose.3
  5. Week 17 at the earliest12.5 mg, if more is needed.1
  6. Week 21 at the earliest15 mg, the maximum.1,3

“At least 4 weeks” is the shortest wait; a step can come later.1,3 Reaching 15 mg takes five steps, so week 21 is the earliest. In the SURMOUNT-1 weight trial, the climb to the top dose took 20 weeks.4 For children aged 10 and over with type 2 diabetes, both labels set the maximum at 10 mg.1,3

The labels give different reasons to step up. The US diabetes label says to go up “if additional glycemic control is needed”.1 The weight-loss label says to weigh “treatment response and tolerability” when choosing the dose.2

How to use the pen is in our coming post on using the Mounjaro KwikPen and in Guide 8. What to do after a missed week is in our missed-dose Answer.

Which Mounjaro doses do people stay on?

The EU label and the US weight-loss label name 5, 10 and 15 mg as maintenance doses. 7.5 and 12.5 mg are the steps in between.

The EU label says: “The recommended maintenance doses are 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg.”3 The US weight-loss label lists the same three.2 The US diabetes label lists none: it allows any 2.5 mg step up to 15 mg.1

Higher is not always the aim. If a maintenance dose is not tolerated, the weight-loss label says to “consider a lower maintenance dosage”.2

Each step up brings a few weeks when some risks rise again:

  • The contraceptive pill. Tirzepatide can make the pill less reliable. The US label advises a non-pill method or an added barrier method. This applies for 4 weeks after starting and after each step up.1 More is in our post on pregnancy and the pill.
  • Dehydration. Most reports of kidney injury came after vomiting or diarrhoea. If side effects could dehydrate someone, the US label asks for kidney checks, “especially during dosage initiation and escalation”.1
  • Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). With insulin or a sulfonylurea such as glimepiride, the risk rises, and their dose may be lowered.1,3 See GLP‑1 medicines and low blood sugar.

What did the trials show at each Mounjaro dose?

In both main trials, higher doses brought more weight loss. They also brought more nausea, more vomiting and more people stopping because of side effects.

SURMOUNT-1: weight, in adults without diabetes

SURMOUNT-1 gave 2,539 adults without diabetes 5, 10 or 15 mg, or a dummy injection (placebo), for 72 weeks.4 Their average starting weight was 104.8 kg.4 Six of its study sites were in India.14

Weight lost and nausea, by Mounjaro dose
Average % of body weight lost at 72 weeks (SURMOUNT-1), and % of people with nausea (weight trials)
Weight lostHad nausea
Weight: SURMOUNT-1, 72 weeks. Nausea: the US weight-loss label's pool of two trials, one in people with diabetes, so the groups differ slightly. Tirzepatide, same medicine as Mounjaro.4,2

Results varied between people. On 5 mg, 85% of people lost at least 5% of their weight, so 15% did not.4 For a 90 kg person, the 5 mg average of 15.0% is about 13.5 kg. The 15 mg average of 20.9% is about 19 kg.4 These are trial averages, not a forecast for anyone.

Side effects rose with the dose too. In the weight trials, vomiting hit 8%, 11% and 13% on 5, 10 and 15 mg, against 2% on placebo.2 People stopped because of side effects in 4.3%, 7.1% and 6.2% of cases, against 2.6%.4

SURPASS-1: blood sugar, in adults with type 2 diabetes

SURPASS-1 tested 5, 10 and 15 mg against placebo for 40 weeks in 478 adults with type 2 diabetes.1 It ran at centres in India, Japan, Mexico and the USA, and 35% of the people were Asian.5,1

Long-term blood sugar (HbA1c) fell by 1.8, 1.7 and 1.7 points on 5, 10 and 15 mg. These are the US label’s figures. On placebo it fell 0.1, from about 8.0%.1 So HbA1c fell by about the same amount at each dose. The trial paper counted results another way and reports falls of 1.87, 1.89 and 2.07 points.5 Weight did fall more with dose: 6.3, 7.0 and 7.8 kg, against 1.0 kg.1

Harms climbed with dose here as well. In the diabetes trials, nausea hit 12%, 15% and 18%, against 4%.1 Stopping because of stomach side effects rose from 3.0% to 5.4% and 6.6%, against 0.4%.1 SURPASS-1 saw no severe low sugar, but Mounjaro was the only diabetes medicine people took.5

More on these trials, and how Mounjaro compares, is in how much weight people lose and Mounjaro vs Ozempic.

RisksThe risks, in brief
  • Stomach effects are common at every dose. In the weight trials, nausea hit 25% to 29% on 5 to 15 mg (placebo 8%).2
  • Pancreatitis is “uncommon” on the EU Mounjaro label (up to 1 in 100). The sign is severe stomach pain that does not go away, sometimes spreading to the back.3,1
  • Gallstones are also “uncommon” on the EU Mounjaro label (up to 1 in 100).3
  • Dehydration from vomiting or diarrhoea can injure the kidneys.1
  • Pregnancy. The EU label says tirzepatide is not recommended in pregnancy.3 The pill may work less well after starting and after each step up.1 See pregnancy and the pill.
  • Thyroid warning. Tirzepatide caused thyroid C-cell tumours in rats; whether it does in people is unknown. The US label rules it out with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, or MEN 2; tell your doctor if this applies.1
Full detail in Guide 5: Side effects and risks →
Get help now: call 112. Call for severe stomach pain that will not go away, with or without vomiting.1 Call too for swelling of the face, lips or throat, or trouble breathing.3 Too much Mounjaro can cause low blood sugar and vomiting. The EU leaflet says to talk to a doctor at once.3
Free toolSee what each dose step costs over 6 or 12 months

Pick the medicine and the dose it steps up to. It adds the MRP, doctor visits and tests. No sign-up.

Open the calculator

Which Mounjaro packs are sold in India, and what is the MRP?

India has the Mounjaro KwikPen in six strengths, each holding 4 weekly doses. Single-dose vials are listed at 2.5 and 5 mg only.

Lilly launched Mounjaro in India in March 2025 as single-dose vials, at 2.5 and 5 mg.6,7 The KwikPen followed in August 2025, in six strengths from 2.5 to 15 mg.7

Each KwikPen holds 4 doses of one strength.3 So a step up means a new pen at the new strength. A vial holds a single dose, drawn up with a syringe that can measure 0.5 mL.1 The label says to use a new syringe and needle every time.1 Why vial doses go wrong is in Guide 6.

StrengthPackPrinted MRPPer weekly dose
2.5 mgKwikPen, 4 doses₹13,1259₹3,281
2.5 mgSingle-dose vial₹3,2819₹3,281
5 mgKwikPen, 4 doses₹16,4069₹4,102
5 mgSingle-dose vial₹4,1029₹4,102
7.5 mgKwikPen, 4 doses₹20,6259₹5,156
10 mgKwikPen, 4 doses₹20,6259₹5,156
12.5 mgKwikPen, 4 doses₹25,7819₹6,445
15 mgKwikPen, 4 doses₹25,7819₹6,445

Printed MRPs on pharmacy listings (PharmEasy, MrMed, Tata 1mg), at least 2 agreeing per row, checked 5 Oct 2026. Lilly has not published post-GST figures. Per-dose figures are our arithmetic (pen MRP ÷ 4). Listed by strength, not by price.

At 2.5 and 5 mg, four vials cost the same as one pen (₹3,281.25 × 4 = ₹13,125).9 7.5 and 10 mg share one MRP, as do 12.5 and 15 mg.9

The listed MRPs follow from a tax cut. The launch MRPs were ₹3,500 and ₹4,375 for vials, and ₹14,000 to ₹27,500 for pens.6,7 On 22 Sep 2025, GST on medicines fell from 12% to 5%.10 The price regulator, NPPA, told makers to cut MRPs to match.11 Each listed MRP equals the launch MRP times 105, divided by 112: ₹14,000 becomes ₹13,125.9,10

A worked example. A year is 52 weekly doses, or 13 pens. One 2.5 mg pen, then 12 pens of 5 mg, comes to about ₹2.1 lakh.9 Climbing to 15 mg at the fastest pace the labels allow comes to about ₹3 lakh.9 That is the medicine alone, before doctor visits and tests. Full costs are in Guide 6 and our coming post on what a year on a GLP-1 costs.

Is Yurpeak dosed the same way as Mounjaro?

Yurpeak is the same medicine: Lilly's tirzepatide, made by Lilly and sold by Cipla, in the same six KwikPen strengths.

Cipla launched it on 10 Dec 2025 as “the second brand of Lilly's tirzepatide in India”.8 It comes as a KwikPen at 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 mg.8 Cipla said “the price will be the same as Mounjaro”, but gave no figure.8

We found no Yurpeak leaflet online. The leaflet in the pack is the one to read.

Which label do the Indian Mounjaro doses follow?

We found no Indian Mounjaro label online, so this post uses the US and EU labels. The leaflet in an Indian pack is the Indian version.

India note. CDSCO's expert committee recommended tirzepatide in the same six strengths, 2.5 to 15 mg, in April 2023.13 The trial data it reviewed included India as a participating country.13

A government statement on 1 Apr 2026 said only endocrinologists, internal-medicine specialists and cardiologists can prescribe GLP-1 medicines.12 CDSCO expert-committee minutes attach a similar condition to some approvals (endocrinologist or internal-medicine specialist), but we found no rule covering every brand.13 More is in do you need a prescription?

Questions people ask

Is Mounjaro 2.5 mg enough for weight loss?

The labels treat 2.5 mg as a starting dose only. The US weight-loss label says it “is not approved as a maintenance dosage”.2 The big weight trial tested 5, 10 and 15 mg, not 2.5 mg.4

Is 5 mg Mounjaro a maintenance dose?

Yes. The EU label and the US weight-loss label list 5 mg as the lowest maintenance dose.3,2 In SURMOUNT-1, people on 5 mg lost 15.0% of their weight on average over 72 weeks.4 In the weight trials, 25% of people on 5 mg had nausea, against 8% on placebo.2

How long do you stay on each Mounjaro dose?

At least 4 weeks on each dose, say the labels.1,3 The EU label and the US weight-loss label move people from 2.5 mg to 5 mg after 4 weeks.3,2 After that, the US weight-loss label says the dose “may be increased”. It suggests a lower dose if one is not tolerated.2

How many doses are in one Mounjaro KwikPen?

Four weekly doses, all of the same strength, says the EU label.3 In India, the KwikPen is priced as a one-month supply.7

Does a higher Mounjaro dose cause more side effects?

Mostly, yes. In the diabetes trials, nausea went from 12% on 5 mg to 18% on 15 mg, against 4% on placebo.1 Most nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea came while the dose was going up, then eased.1

What if I miss a Mounjaro dose?

The US label says to inject a missed dose as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours). After 4 days, it says to skip that dose and take the next one on the usual day.1 The EU label says not to use a double dose, and to leave at least 3 days between two doses.3 More is in our missed-dose Answer.

How we researched this

On 5 Oct 2026 we read the US Mounjaro and Zepbound labels, both revised August 2026, and the EU label. These are not Indian labels; we found none online. We read the SURMOUNT-1 and SURPASS-1 papers and checked their Indian sites on ClinicalTrials.gov.

We took MRPs from launch reports and from the printed MRP on pharmacy listings, never a discount price. Lilly has not published post-GST MRPs. We found no Yurpeak figure from Cipla, so we left it out.

Before you move on

  • 2.5 mg is a 4-week starting dose, not a dose to stay on.
  • Steps are 2.5 mg, each after at least 4 weeks, to a maximum of 15 mg.
  • Higher doses meant more weight loss and more nausea. In SURPASS-1, HbA1c fell about the same at every dose (US label figures).
  • Each KwikPen holds 4 doses of one strength; MRPs run from ₹13,125 to ₹25,781 a pen.
The medicines in IndiaI'm already on itCost calculator

More from the India blog

INIndiaMounjaro side effects: what the trials and the label say INIndiaMounjaro vs Ozempic: how do they differ in India? INIndiaHow much weight do people lose on Ozempic or Mounjaro?
About GLP Guidebook

The monthly India update

An independent guide to GLP‑1 medicines. We don't sell medicines, take drug-company money or earn clinic commissions. Once a month: new brands, price changes, approvals and recalls. How we write

Was this post easy to understand?

Sources

  1. Eli Lilly. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) injection, US prescribing information, revised August 2026. US label, not the Indian one: dosage (2.1), dosage forms (3), warnings (5), adverse reactions (6.1), SURPASS-1 (14.2).
  2. Eli Lilly. Zepbound (tirzepatide) injection, US prescribing information, revised August 2026. The US weight-loss brand of the same medicine: dose escalation and maintenance (2.1, 2.2), adverse reactions (6.1), SURMOUNT-1 results (14.1).
  3. European Medicines Agency. Mounjaro product information (summary of product characteristics and package leaflet). EU label: posology (4.2), pen contents (2), leaflet sections 3 and 4.
  4. Jastreboff AM, Aronne LJ, Ahmad NN, et al. Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-1). N Engl J Med 2022;387:205-16. DOI · PMID 35658024. Funded by Eli Lilly.
  5. Rosenstock J, Wysham C, Frías JP, et al. Efficacy and safety of tirzepatide in patients with type 2 diabetes (SURPASS-1). Lancet 2021;398:143-55. DOI · PMID 34186022. Funded by Eli Lilly.
  6. Business Standard. Eli Lilly launches Mounjaro in India (single-dose vials, 2.5 mg Rs 3,500, 5 mg Rs 4,375), 20 March 2025.
  7. Business Standard. Mounjaro KwikPen by Lilly debuts in India at ₹14,000 (six strengths, prices for a one-month supply), 13 August 2025.
  8. Cipla. Cipla launches Yurpeak (tirzepatide), press release, 10 December 2025.
  9. PharmEasy Mounjaro price page (updated 1 October 2026), MrMed and Tata 1mg product listings: printed MRP for each KwikPen and vial strength, at least 2 listings agreeing per row. Checked 5 October 2026. Pharmacy listings are cited without links; selling prices were not used.
  10. Press Information Bureau (Ministry of Finance). Recommendations of the 56th GST Council meeting: GST on medicines cut from 12% to 5% from 22 September 2025, 3 September 2025.
  11. National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority. Office memorandum on revised MRPs after the GST cut, 13 September 2025.
  12. Press Information Bureau. GLP-1 drugs: use, risks and regulation (research backgrounder), 1 April 2026.
  13. CDSCO. Recommendations of the Subject Expert Committee (Endocrinology & Metabolism), 100th meeting, 20–21 April 2023, item 1 (tirzepatide). Archived copy.
  14. ClinicalTrials.gov. SURMOUNT-1, NCT04184622 and SURPASS-1, NCT03954834: study sites, including India.

Last checked 5 Oct 2026 · Next review due Apr 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 a qualified doctor before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write