Two medicines, side by side
Dulaglutide vs tirzepatide
Dulaglutide and tirzepatide are both labeled for heart attack and coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes. Drugs@FDA records approvals of dulaglutide since 2014 and of tirzepatide since 2022. Pharmacies paid $487.57 per mL (Trulicity 0.75 mg/0.5 mL pen) and $538.68 per mL (Mounjaro 10 mg/0.5 mL pen) (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. In FDA's classes, dulaglutide is a glp-1 receptor agonist and tirzepatide a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor agonist.
Check it at the source: the dulaglutide FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 16, 2026); the tirzepatide FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 29, 2026).
Highlights of the dulaglutide record
Dulaglutide (Trulicity) · label of June 16, 2026
RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS In male and female rats, dulaglutide causes a dose-related and treatment-duration-dependent increase in the incidence of thyroid C-cell tumors (adenomas and carcinomas) after lifetime exposure.
Used for
From the label: indicationsTRULICITY ® is indicated: As an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- September 18, 2014
- Generic labelers
- none listed
- Pharmacy cost
- $487.57 per mL
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 2
Highlights of the tirzepatide record
Tirzepatide (Zepbound) · label of July 29, 2026
RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS In both male and female rats, tirzepatide causes dose-dependent and treatment-duration-dependent thyroid C-cell tumors at clinically relevant exposures. It is unknown whether MOUNJARO causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans as human relevance of tirzepatide-induced rodent thyroid C-cell tumors has not been determined [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) and Nonclinical Toxicology ( 13.1 )].
Used for
From the label: indicationsMOUNJARO ® is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- May 13, 2022
- Generic labelers
- none listed
- Pharmacy cost
- $538.68 per mL
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 0
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Dulaglutide label of June 16, 2026, Tirzepatide label of July 29, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do dulaglutide and tirzepatide differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, dulaglutide is a glp-1 receptor agonist and tirzepatide a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor agonist.
How each works, in its label's words: Dulaglutide, “TRULICITY contains dulaglutide, which is a human GLP-1 receptor agonist with 90% amino acid sequence homology to endogenous human GLP-1 (7-37).”; Tirzepatide, “Tirzepatide is a GIP receptor and GLP-1 receptor agonist.”
Half-life, in each label's words: Dulaglutide, “The elimination half-life of dulaglutide was approximately 5 days.”; Tirzepatide, “Elimination The apparent population mean clearance of tirzepatide is 0.061 L/h with an elimination half-life of …”
Both labels carry a boxed warning; the records quote them.
| Dulaglutide | Tirzepatide | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Type 2 diabetes, Heart attack and coronary artery disease | Type 2 diabetes, Heart attack and coronary artery disease, Weight management |
| Pharmacologic class | GLP-1 Receptor Agonist | GLP-1 Receptor Agonist, Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide Receptor Agonist |
| How it works (label) | TRULICITY contains dulaglutide, which is a human GLP-1 receptor agonist with 90% amino acid sequence homology to endogenous human GLP-1 (7-37). | Tirzepatide is a GIP receptor and GLP-1 receptor agonist. It contains a C20 fatty diacid that enables albumin binding and prolongs the half-life. |
| Half-life (label) | The elimination half-life of dulaglutide was approximately 5 days. | Elimination The apparent population mean clearance of tirzepatide is 0.061 L/h with an elimination half-life of approximately 5 days, enabling once-weekly dosing. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | September 18, 2014 | May 13, 2022 |
| First generic approved | none | none |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | none listed | none listed |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $487.57 per mL (Trulicity 0.75 mg/0.5 mL pen) | $538.68 per mL (Mounjaro 10 mg/0.5 mL pen) |
| 12-month price change | +2% | +3% |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 2 | 0 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 88,160 | 160,663 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to dulaglutide
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions