What is compounded tirzepatide and semaglutide?
FDA pages read Nov 6, 2026 · prices checked through Nov 6, 2026
Compounded tirzepatide or semaglutide is a version a pharmacy mixes itself, sold under the same ingredient name as Zepbound and Mounjaro or Wegovy and Ozempic but a different product. In the FDA's words: "Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved. This means that FDA does not verify the safety, effectiveness or quality of compounded drugs before they are marketed." It is not a generic either. In November 2026, compounded tirzepatide typically costs about $235 a month and compounded semaglutide about $169 at the starting dose, against FDA-approved tirzepatide from $320 and semaglutide from $149 per 30 days. FDA (Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers)
Lowest prices now
Lowest compounded tirzepatide, not FDA-approved
$147.90/28 days · about $158 per 30 days
Compounded and FDA-approved
| Compounded | FDA-approved brand | |
|---|---|---|
| FDA-approved | No | Yes |
| Reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness and quality before sale | No | Yes |
| Tested in the large trials | No | Yes |
| Made by | A compounding pharmacy or outsourcing facility, which the seller may or may not name | The drug's maker, Lilly or Novo Nordisk |
| Usual form | Vial and syringes; some sellers sell tablets, lozenges or drops | Pen, vial or pill, depending on the brand |
| Lowest cash price per 30 days, starting dose | ≈ $158 per 30 days tirzepatide, $99 per 30 days semaglutide | $320 tirzepatide, $149 semaglutide |
What draws people to it, and what the FDA warns about
Why people buy it
- A lower cash price at most doses: a typical gap to the brand you can read on the price pages.
- One price at any dose at 56 sellers, where brand prices rise with the dose.
- Forms the approved products do not come in, such as a dissolving tablet of tirzepatide.
- Sold when the brand is out of reach without insurance. The FDA's words are about who it is for: "A drug may be compounded for a patient who cannot be treated with an FDA-approved medication".
What to weigh
- "Compounded drugs should only be used in patients whose medical needs cannot be met by an FDA-approved drug. Unnecessary use of compounded drugs may expose patients to potentially serious health risks."
- "poor compounding practices can result in serious drug quality problems, such as contamination or a drug that contains too much or too little active ingredient."
- The FDA lists more than 730 adverse event reports for compounded tirzepatide and 990 for compounded semaglutide, as of May 31, 2026, and reports of dosing errors with vials.
- "Consumers who purchase compounded drugs online, such as through online pharmacies and telehealth platforms, may not know the identity of the compounder that produced the drug".
- The legal room for it is narrow and can change: "The compounder does not compound, regularly or in inordinate amounts, any that are essentially copies of a commercially available drug product."
Read next: can you still get it · which pharmacy makes it · what sellers say they test · what is added to it · pills and drops · tirzepatide or semaglutide.
Sources: FDA questions and answers (Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers) · FDA on unapproved GLP-1 drugs (FDA: concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss)
Common questions
What is compounded tirzepatide?
Compounded tirzepatide or semaglutide is a version a pharmacy mixes itself, sold under the same ingredient name as Zepbound and Mounjaro or Wegovy and Ozempic but a different product. In the FDA's words: "Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved. This means that FDA does not verify the safety, effectiveness or quality of compounded drugs before they are marketed." It is not a generic either. In November 2026, compounded tirzepatide typically costs about $235 a month and compounded semaglutide about $169 at the starting dose, against FDA-approved tirzepatide from $320 and semaglutide from $149 per 30 days.
Is compounded tirzepatide the same as Zepbound?
No. It has the same active ingredient by name but is a different product made by a pharmacy. "Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved. This means that FDA does not verify the safety, effectiveness or quality of compounded drugs before they are marketed." The trials behind Zepbound tested Zepbound.
Is compounded semaglutide a generic of Ozempic or Wegovy?
No. In the FDA's words: "A generic drug is approved by FDA under 505(j) of the FD&C Act and meets all of the requirements of that section (including establishing therapeutic equivalence to a brand name drug, among others), while a compounded drug is not approved by FDA."
Does compounded tirzepatide or semaglutide have a brand name?
No FDA-approved brand name. Sellers name their own products, for example SemaMelt and TirzaMelt at Sipra, and Semaglutide Plus at NewSelf. A name on a label says who sells it, not that the FDA reviewed it.
What is in compounded tirzepatide?
The active ingredient and whatever else the pharmacy adds: some sellers state vitamin B12, B6, B3 or glycine. On semaglutide the FDA adds that salt forms should not be used. The label on your vial and your seller can tell you what is in yours.
What are the pros and cons of compounded tirzepatide?
People buy it for the lower cash price, often the same at every dose. The FDA warns that it does not verify safety, effectiveness or quality before sale, and says: "Compounded drugs should only be used in patients whose medical needs cannot be met by an FDA-approved drug. Unnecessary use of compounded drugs may expose patients to potentially serious health risks."
Does compounded tirzepatide work?
No large trial has tested it, so there is no result to quote. The trial results people read about belong to the FDA-approved products. A clinician can say what is right for you.