Medications

Every Mounjaro and Zepbound Dose, Pen and Vial

Tirzepatide now comes in four different devices across two brands and six strengths each. This is the complete catalog: what every dose looks like, the NDC numbers, how many doses each device holds, why the multi-dose versions use a different formulation, and how long each one lasts outside the refrigerator.

Last verified September 14, 2026·11 sources cited·Mounjaro Zepbound

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Two years ago tirzepatide came in exactly one kind of container: a disposable pen holding one weekly dose. Today there are four devices, two brands and six strengths each, which means 48 distinct products with 48 distinct package codes. If you are trying to work out what you were prescribed, what your pharmacy stocks, or why the storage rules on your new box are different from your last box, this is the complete map.

Everything below comes from the two current FDA labels and from Eli Lilly’s own product and medical information pages. This article does not recommend a dose or a device. Which strength and which presentation fit you is a conversation for you and a healthcare provider.

What strengths does tirzepatide come in?

Six, for both brands: 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg and 15 mg [1][2].

Every one of those strengths exists in every approved device. There is no strength that is pen-only or vial-only.

What the strengths mean differs a little between the two labels:

Zepbound. The label states 2.5 mg is for treatment initiation and is not approved as a maintenance dose. For weight reduction and long-term maintenance, the recommended maintenance doses are 5, 10 or 15 mg. For obstructive sleep apnea, they are 10 or 15 mg. The maximum for all uses is 15 mg once weekly [1].
Mounjaro. The label states the starting dosage is 2.5 mg once weekly, with 2.5 mg increases after at least four weeks if more glycemic control is needed. The maximum is 15 mg in adults and 10 mg in patients 10 years and older [2]. Note that supplement S-045, approved August 27, 2026, removed the Mounjaro label’s previous statement that 2.5 mg “is for treatment initiation and is not intended for glycemic control”; FDA describes the change as allowing 2.5 mg for ongoing glycemic control [11]. The equivalent Zepbound restriction still stands.

So 7.5 mg and 12.5 mg are step-up rungs rather than destinations in the Zepbound label. The label does allow a lower maintenance dose if a higher one is not tolerated.

What are the four devices?

1. Single-dose pen (autoinjector)

The original device and the one used in every Phase 3 trial [3]. One fixed weekly dose, needle built in and hidden, four pens per carton. Nothing to buy separately.

Volume: 0.5 mL per dose, preservative-free [1][2].

2. Single-dose vial

One dose in a small glass vial. You draw it up with a needle and syringe you buy yourself. The label says to use a syringe capable of measuring the dose — for example a 1 mL syringe for a 0.5 mL dose — and to use a new needle and syringe every time [1].

Zepbound single-dose vials come in 1-packs and 4-packs. Mounjaro’s label lists a 1-pack only [1][2].

Volume: 0.5 mL per dose, preservative-free.

3. Multi-dose vial (4 doses)

Approved for both brands on January 7, 2026 [4][5]. A 2.4 mL vial holding four weekly doses of 0.6 mL each, drawn with a separate needle and syringe.

4. Single-patient-use KwikPen (4 doses)

The newest device, approved for both brands on January 20, 2026 [6][7]. One pen holds four fixed weekly doses. A new pen needle is required for each injection, and pen needles are not included in the carton.

The KwikPen took more than two years to reach the market. Lilly filed the Mounjaro version in September 2023 and the Zepbound version in November 2023. FDA sent action letters on both applications on January 29, 2025, and Lilly’s complete responses did not arrive until December 2, 2025 [6][7]. Zepbound’s KwikPen launched on February 23, 2026.

Volume: 0.6 mL per dose.

Why do multi-dose devices use a bigger volume?

Because they contain a different formulation. Lilly’s medical information states that single-dose pens and vials use a nonpreserved formulation, while multi-dose vials and KwikPens use a preserved one that adds phenol and benzyl alcohol as preservatives plus glycerin as a tonicity agent [3]. That changes the concentration, so the same milligram dose arrives in a slightly larger volume: 0.6 mL instead of 0.5 mL.

The practical consequences are the ones you can see on the carton:

	Single-dose pen or vial	Multi-dose vial or KwikPen
Preservatives	None	Phenol, benzyl alcohol
Volume per dose	0.5 mL	0.6 mL
Doses per container	1	4
Room-temperature limit	21 days total	30 days
Needle	Built into the pen; separate for the vial	Separate every time

Lilly states that, based on bioequivalence studies, the efficacy and safety of tirzepatide can be expected to be comparable across presentations, and that the dosing schedule and injection sites do not change [3]. Both labels require that patients be retrained whenever the prescribed presentation changes, and direct them to the Instructions for Use for the new device [1][2].

What are the Zepbound NDC numbers?

The National Drug Code is the number a pharmacy or a prior-authorization form uses to identify the exact package. Taken directly from the Zepbound label’s How Supplied section [1]:

Strength	Pen, 4-pack	Vial, 1-pack	Vial, 4-pack	Multi-dose vial	KwikPen
2.5 mg	0002-2506-80	0002-0152-01	0002-0152-04	0002-6052-11	0002-3566-11
5 mg	0002-2495-80	0002-0243-01	0002-0243-04	0002-6103-11	0002-3555-11
7.5 mg	0002-2484-80	0002-1214-01	0002-1214-04	0002-6210-11	0002-3544-11
10 mg	0002-2471-80	0002-1340-01	0002-1340-04	0002-6304-11	0002-3533-11
12.5 mg	0002-2460-80	0002-1423-01	0002-1423-04	0002-6523-11	0002-3522-11
15 mg	0002-2457-80	0002-2002-01	0002-2002-04	0002-6612-11	0002-3511-11

Multi-dose vials and KwikPens are labeled by their total contents rather than by dose: the 2.5 mg KwikPen is printed as 10 mg/2.4 mL, the 5 mg as 20 mg/2.4 mL, then 30, 40, 50 and 60 mg/2.4 mL [1]. That catches people out. A box reading “60 mg/2.4 mL” is the 15 mg pen, not a 60 mg dose.

What are the Mounjaro NDC numbers?

From the Mounjaro label’s How Supplied section [2]:

Strength	Pen, 4-pack	Vial, 1-pack	Multi-dose vial	KwikPen
2.5 mg	0002-1506-80	0002-1152-01	0002-4052-11	0002-3466-11
5 mg	0002-1495-80	0002-1243-01	0002-4103-11	0002-3455-11
7.5 mg	0002-1484-80	0002-2214-01	0002-4210-11	0002-3444-11
10 mg	0002-1471-80	0002-2340-01	0002-4304-11	0002-3433-11
12.5 mg	0002-1460-80	0002-2423-01	0002-4523-11	0002-3422-11
15 mg	0002-1457-80	0002-3002-01	0002-4612-11	0002-3411-11

Note that Mounjaro has no 4-pack single-dose vial on its label, while Zepbound does.

Which devices can you actually buy right now?

Approval and availability are not the same thing. As of September 2026:

Zepbound [8]:

Single-dose pen: sold through insurance, with a savings card that can bring eligible commercially insured patients to as little as $25 a month (verified 2026-09-14). That is a savings-card tier, not a self-pay price, and it is capped at $100 in savings per one-month fill
Single-dose vial: exclusively through LillyDirect self-pay, at $299 to $449 a month
KwikPen: through LillyDirect self-pay at the same prices, and since March 2026 at major pharmacies nationwide using the KwikPen Self-Pay Savings Card
Multi-dose vial: approved and in the label; Lilly’s medical information describes vials and multi-dose KwikPens as available through LillyDirect self-pay, but the LillyDirect product page lists the single-dose vial, the KwikPen and the single-dose pen. Worth confirming with a pharmacy.

Mounjaro [9]:

Single-dose pen: available through insurance, and through LillyDirect self-pay at a flat $499 a month at every strength
Single-dose vial, multi-dose vial and KwikPen: all on the approved label, but Lilly’s cash-pay page offers only the pen. Ask your pharmacy about stocking.

How long can each device stay out of the refrigerator?

This is where mixing up devices costs real money, because the numbers are different and the clock does not reset.

Single-dose pen or single-dose vial. Store in a refrigerator at 2 to 8 degrees C (36 to 46 degrees F). If needed, each pen or vial can be stored unrefrigerated at no more than 30 degrees C (86 degrees F) for up to a total of 21 days, then discarded [1][2].

Multi-dose vial or KwikPen, unopened. Refrigerated, it can be used until the expiration date on the label. Kept unopened at room temperature up to 30 degrees C, throw it away after 30 days [1][2].

Multi-dose vial or KwikPen, in use. Store in the original carton, in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Throw it away after a total of 30 days at room temperature, 30 days after first use, or after four weekly doses — whichever comes first — even if medicine is left inside [1][2].

Universal rules for every presentation: do not freeze, and do not use anything that has been frozen. Protect from heat and light. Keep it in the original carton. Look at the liquid before injecting; it should be clear and colorless to slightly yellow, and should not be used if it is discolored or has particles in it [1][2].

Two practical takeaways for travel. First, the room-temperature budget is cumulative and counted per device, not per trip — a pen that spent a week on a counter has 14 days left, not 21. Second, keep the carton, because that is where the expiration date and the lot number live, and the label specifically says to store the product inside it.

What about the medicine left in a used KwikPen?

After your fourth injection you will see liquid still in the cartridge. That is normal and intentional. Lilly’s medical information explains that the residual volume is there so the pen operates correctly, and that the KwikPen physically prevents you from dialing a full fifth 0.6 mL dose. Attempting to inject the leftover could give an incomplete dose. Do not inject it, and do not transfer it into a syringe [10].

The same page adds the other deadline: throw the KwikPen away 30 days after first use even if medicine remains [10].

No. In January 2026, when both KwikPens were approved, FDA added a new Warnings and Precautions subsection to both labels — numbered 5.10 in Zepbound, with different numbering in Mounjaro: never share a KwikPen between patients, even if the pen needle is changed, because sharing poses a risk of transmitting blood-borne pathogens [1][2]. The same warning appears in bold at the top of the Medication Guide that comes in the box.

The label also states that the KwikPen is not recommended for self-administration by people who are visually impaired unless a healthcare provider determines they can administer it properly [1][2].

Quick reference: what to check on your box

Brand. Zepbound for weight management or sleep apnea; Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk.
Strength. On single-dose devices it is printed as the dose, for example 10 mg/0.5 mL. On multi-dose devices it is printed as the total, for example 40 mg/2.4 mL for four 10 mg doses.
Device. Single-dose pen, single-dose vial, multi-dose vial or KwikPen. This determines both your storage clock and whether you need to buy needles.
Storage clock. 21 days at room temperature for single-dose, 30 days for multi-dose.
NDC. Match it against the tables above if you need to confirm what a pharmacy dispensed or what a prior-authorization form should say.

Sources

Questions people ask

How many strengths of tirzepatide are there?

Six for each brand: 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 mg. Every strength is available in every approved device for both Mounjaro and Zepbound.

What is the difference between a Zepbound pen and a Zepbound KwikPen?

A single-dose pen holds one weekly dose and has a needle built in; you get four per carton. A KwikPen holds four weekly doses in one device and needs a separate pen needle for each injection. They also have different room-temperature limits: 21 days for the single-dose pen, 30 days for the KwikPen once you start using it.

Do Zepbound vials and pens contain the same medicine?

The active ingredient and the amount per dose are the same. The formulations differ: single-dose pens and vials are preservative-free and deliver 0.5 mL, while multi-dose vials and KwikPens contain the preservatives phenol and benzyl alcohol plus glycerin and deliver 0.6 mL. Lilly says bioequivalence studies support comparable efficacy and safety across presentations.

How long can a Zepbound or Mounjaro pen stay out of the fridge?

The label says a single-dose pen or vial can be kept unrefrigerated at no more than 30 degrees C (86 degrees F) for up to a total of 21 days, then must be discarded. A multi-dose vial or KwikPen gets 30 days instead, whether unopened or in use.

What happens to the medicine left in a used KwikPen?

Lilly says that leftover volume is intentional and is there so the pen works correctly. The pen will not let you dial a fifth full dose. You should not inject the remainder or transfer it into a syringe.

Is there a Mounjaro vial?

Yes. The Mounjaro label includes a 1-pack single-dose vial in all six strengths and a 4-dose multi-dose vial approved in January 2026. However, Lilly's own cash-pay channel currently offers only the Mounjaro single-dose pen, so ask a pharmacy about stocking.

Which device was used in the clinical trials?

All Phase 3 trials of tirzepatide for weight management and obstructive sleep apnea used the single-dose pen. The multi-dose presentations were approved on formulation and bioequivalence data, not on new outcome trials.

Why does a KwikPen dose use 0.6 mL when a pen uses 0.5 mL?

Because the multi-dose formulation is different. It adds preservatives and a tonicity agent, which changes the concentration, so the same milligram dose comes in a slightly larger volume.

This article summarizes FDA labeling, published research and company information current as of September 14, 2026. It is not medical advice and does not replace a conversation with your own healthcare provider. How we research and verify.