Know your concentration firstEvery conversion on this page needs the concentration of the solution in mg per mL. For a vial labeled "10 mg/mL", enter 10 mg and 1 mL in the converter. For a vial labeled with a total, such as "10 mg/2.4 mL", enter exactly that.
Tirzepatide dosing for weight loss in units
For weight loss (Zepbound), the label doses are 2.5 mg to start and 5, 10 or 15 mg to maintain, with 7.5 and 12.5 mg as steps; in units, each depends on the vial.[1]
| Dose | Role on the Zepbound label | Single-dose vial | Multi-dose vial | 5 mg/mL | 10 mg/mL | 20 mg/mL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | Start, weeks 1–4 | 50 | 60 | 50 | 25 | 12.5 |
| 5 mg | Maintenance | 50 | 60 | 100 | 50 | 25 |
| 7.5 mg | Step up | 50 | 60 | >100 | 75 | 37.5 |
| 10 mg | Maintenance | 50 | 60 | >100 | 100 | 50 |
| 12.5 mg | Step up | 50 | 60 | >100 | >100 | 62.5 |
| 15 mg | Maintenance; maximum | 50 | 60 | >100 | >100 | 75 |
Approved vials need no conversion: the whole single-dose vial (0.5 mL) or one multi-dose vial dose (0.6 mL) is always the labeled dose.[1] Results at each maintenance dose are on tirzepatide for weight loss.
Tirzepatide units for the FDA-approved vials
The approved labels measure doses in millilitres, using “a 1 mL syringe capable of measuring a 0.5 mL or 0.6 mL dose”.[1][2] The labels never mention units. On a U-100 insulin syringe, 1 mL is 100 units, so each approved vial dose has a fixed reading:[3]
| Strength | Single-dose vial | Concentration | Multi-dose vial (4 doses) | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | 0.5 mL = 50 units | 5 mg/mL | 0.6 mL = 60 units | 4.17 mg/mL |
| 5 mg | 0.5 mL = 50 units | 10 mg/mL | 0.6 mL = 60 units | 8.33 mg/mL |
| 7.5 mg | 0.5 mL = 50 units | 15 mg/mL | 0.6 mL = 60 units | 12.5 mg/mL |
| 10 mg | 0.5 mL = 50 units | 20 mg/mL | 0.6 mL = 60 units | 16.67 mg/mL |
| 12.5 mg | 0.5 mL = 50 units | 25 mg/mL | 0.6 mL = 60 units | 20.83 mg/mL |
| 15 mg | 0.5 mL = 50 units | 30 mg/mL | 0.6 mL = 60 units | 25 mg/mL |
Each vial holds one strength, and its reading is the same for every strength. Only the concentration changes.[1] A single-dose vial is injected whole; a multi-dose vial gives four 0.6 mL doses.
Tirzepatide units to mg chart
To turn units into mg, multiply units ÷ 100 by the concentration. For any other solution, find the units you drew in the first column and the concentration across the top. Each cell is the milligrams of tirzepatide in that volume.
| Units | 2.5 mg/mL | 5 mg/mL | 10 mg/mL | 15 mg/mL | 20 mg/mL | 25 mg/mL | 30 mg/mL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 units | 0.125 | 0.25 | 0.5 | 0.75 | 1 | 1.25 | 1.5 |
| 10 units | 0.25 | 0.5 | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 2.5 | 3 |
| 12.5 units | 0.313 | 0.625 | 1.25 | 1.875 | 2.5 | 3.125 | 3.75 |
| 15 units | 0.375 | 0.75 | 1.5 | 2.25 | 3 | 3.75 | 4.5 |
| 20 units | 0.5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 25 units | 0.625 | 1.25 | 2.5 | 3.75 | 5 | 6.25 | 7.5 |
| 30 units | 0.75 | 1.5 | 3 | 4.5 | 6 | 7.5 | 9 |
| 40 units | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 |
| 50 units | 1.25 | 2.5 | 5 | 7.5 | 10 | 12.5 | 15 |
| 60 units | 1.5 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 |
| 75 units | 1.875 | 3.75 | 7.5 | 11.25 | 15 | 18.75 | 22.5 |
| 100 units | 2.5 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 |
Tirzepatide dosage chart in units for the label doses
The six doses in the FDA labels are 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 mg.[1][2] This table turns each of them into units at each concentration. Cells over 100 units need more than a full 1 mL syringe.
| mg/mL | 2.5 mg | 5 mg | 7.5 mg | 10 mg | 12.5 mg | 15 mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 | 100 | >100 | >100 | >100 | >100 | >100 |
| 5 | 50 | 100 | >100 | >100 | >100 | >100 |
| 10 | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | >100 | >100 |
| 15 | 16.7 | 33.3 | 50 | 66.7 | 83.3 | 100 |
| 20 | 12.5 | 25 | 37.5 | 50 | 62.5 | 75 |
| 25 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 |
| 30 | 8.3 | 16.7 | 25 | 33.3 | 41.7 | 50 |
Tirzepatide dosage in mL
In mL, a dose is simply mg ÷ mg/mL; 5 mg at 10 mg/mL is 0.5 mL.
| mg/mL | 2.5 mg | 5 mg | 7.5 mg | 10 mg | 12.5 mg | 15 mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 5 | 0.5 | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 2.5 | 3 |
| 10 | 0.25 | 0.5 | 0.75 | 1 | 1.25 | 1.5 |
| 15 | 0.167 | 0.333 | 0.5 | 0.667 | 0.833 | 1 |
| 20 | 0.125 | 0.25 | 0.375 | 0.5 | 0.625 | 0.75 |
| 25 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| 30 | 0.083 | 0.167 | 0.25 | 0.333 | 0.417 | 0.5 |
Tirzepatide dosage conversion chart formulas
Every cell in these charts comes from three formulas.
- mg = units ÷ 100 × concentration. 25 units at 10 mg/mL: 25 ÷ 100 × 10 = 2.5 mg.
- units = mg ÷ concentration × 100. 7.5 mg at 20 mg/mL: 7.5 ÷ 20 × 100 = 37.5 units.
- mL = units ÷ 100. 37.5 units is 0.375 mL.
The factor 100 comes from the syringe, not the drug: a U-100 insulin syringe has 100 unit marks per 1 mL. If your syringe is marked only in mL, as the label instructions assume, read the mL table instead.
Why the same dose can be 12.5 units or 100 units
2.5 mg is 100 units at 2.5 mg/mL, 50 units at 5 mg/mL and 12.5 units at 20 mg/mL. The dose in milligrams is identical in every case. Only the volume differs. In a 2024 alert about compounded semaglutide, another weekly injectable sold in multi-dose vials, the FDA reported dosing errors caused by “confusion between different units of measurement (e.g., milliliters, milligrams and ‘units’)”.[3] The same arithmetic trap applies to any tirzepatide solution measured in units.
Units for one specific dose
For a dose-by-dose answer, with what each dose means on the label and in the trials, see how many units is 2.5 mg of tirzepatide and its sections on 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, 15 mg.
- Tirzepatide calculatormg → units for your exact vial
- Bac water calculatorConcentration after mixing a powder
- Zepbound vial guideSingle-dose and multi-dose vials
Frequently asked questions
How many mg is 10 units of tirzepatide?
10 units is 0.1 mL. At 5 mg/mL it is 0.5 mg, at 10 mg/mL it is 1 mg and at 20 mg/mL it is 2 mg. You need the concentration of your solution to know.
How many mg is 50 units of tirzepatide?
50 units is 0.5 mL. From a single-dose vial, 0.5 mL is the whole vial, so 50 units is the strength printed on it (2.5 to 15 mg). From a 10 mg/mL solution, 50 units is 5 mg.
How many mg is 60 units of tirzepatide?
60 units is 0.6 mL, which is one dose from an approved multi-dose vial: the strength printed on that vial. From a 10 mg/mL solution, 60 units is 6 mg.
Is a unit of tirzepatide the same as 1 mg?
No. A unit on a U-100 syringe is 0.01 mL of liquid. It would equal 1 mg only in a 100 mg/mL solution, which no tirzepatide product is.
Sources
- Zepbound (tirzepatide) injection: prescribing information, Medication Guide and Instructions for Use
- Mounjaro (tirzepatide) injection: prescribing information and Instructions for Use
- FDA alerts health care providers, compounders and patients of dosing errors associated with compounded injectable semaglutide products