Oral Tirzepatide Availability in 2026

Is There a Tirzepatide Pill or Tablet Available?

As of January 2026, the FDA has not approved tirzepatide in any oral form, including a pill, tablet, capsule, dissolvable oral product, sublingual product, or oral drops. If you see “tirzepatide tablets” or “tirzepatide pills” advertised online, those products are not FDA-approved.

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What Is Tirzepatide?

Tirzepatide is a prescription medication that acts on two hormone pathways (GLP-1 and GIP), which are involved in metabolic regulation. It’s used to help improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes and to support chronic weight management in specific patients. Its FDA-approved formulations are available only as injectables (under the skin), not as an oral formulation.

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What Are “Oral Tirzepatide Drops” or “Sublingual Tirzepatide”?

Some websites promote “oral tirzepatide drops” or “sublingual tirzepatide” as needle-free alternatives. These products are not FDA-approved and are not reviewed in the same way as FDA-approved drugs are for consistent dosing, stability, and manufacturing quality. If you’re considering any product marketed as oral tirzepatide, discuss it with a licensed clinician first to help determine if it’s right for you.

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Why Isn’t Oral Tirzepatide Available?

Tirzepatide is a peptide-based medication. Peptides are difficult to formulate for oral use because they can break down in the digestive system and may not be absorbed consistently. That’s one reason FDA-approved tirzepatide products are currently injectable. It’s simply a more predictable format for absorption.

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What Does “Oral GLP-1/GIP” Mean?

“GLP-1/GIP” refers to medications that act on both GLP-1 and GIP. Tirzepatide is a GLP-1/GIP medication—but it’s FDA-approved only as an injection. As of January 2026, there is no FDA-approved oral GLP-1/GIP dual-agonist.

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Are There FDA-approved Oral GLP-1 Options Instead?

Yes—there are FDA-approved oral GLP-1 medications (GLP-1 only, not GLP-1/GIP like tirzepatide). For example, Rybelsus® (oral semaglutide) is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes, and Wegovy® (oral semaglutide) is FDA-approved for chronic weight management. A licensed clinician can help you understand which options may be clinically appropriate for you, including differences in indications (e.g., blood sugar control vs weight loss), dosing, and side effects.

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What About Compounded Oral Tirzepatide?

Compounded medications are made by a pharmacy on a case-by-case basis. They aren’t FDA-approved, meaning they haven’t undergone the FDA’s review process for safety, effectiveness, or manufacturing quality as commercially made drugs do.

A clinician may consider a compounded medication only when there’s a specific, patient-centered reason to use something different from what’s available commercially. For example, if a patient needs a different dosage form or needs to avoid a particular ingredient due to an allergy or intolerance. If a compounded medication is ever discussed, ask your clinician what specific change is being made and why.

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What’s In Development?

If you’re curious what might be coming next, one oral option people are watching is Eli Lilly’s orforglipron. It’s a GLP-1 medication being studied in late-stage clinical trials as a pill (GLP-1 only, not the same dual GLP-1/GIP approach as tirzepatide). 

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It’s also worth remembering that drug development can be a process. Some pill candidates do not make it all the way through, and companies may stop a program if the benefits are not strong enough or the side effects aren’t tolerable. Pfizer did this with an oral GLP-1 candidate.

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Mounjaro® and Zepbound® are registered trademarks of Eli Lilly and Company. Eden is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company.

Wegovy® and Rybelsus® are registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk. Eden is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Novo Nordisk.