Tirzepatide's reported half-life is about 5 days1, putting substantial clearance of a single dose at roughly 25 days — with accumulation extending that after regular dosing.

In plain terms: a bit quicker to fade than semaglutide, but still slow enough for weekly dosing.

0w2w4w6w8wplateau
Fig. Weekly dosing accumulates: each tirzepatide dose lands before the previous has cleared, so levels build toward a plateau (steady-state) over roughly five half-lives. Single-dose decay (grey) versus repeated weekly dosing (gradient). An illustrative model from the published half-life, not a measurement.

Single-dose timeline

Applying the ~5-day half-life1 to the five-half-lives rule:

Time since doseRemaining
5 days50%
10 days25%
15 days12.5%
20 days6.25%
~25 days~3%

So one dose is largely gone by about 25 days3.

What the pharmacology studies found

Study (cited)ModelKey resultYear
Furihata et al.1Phase 1 human (multiple-ascending dose)Reported a half-life of about 5 days, supporting once-weekly dosing2022
Schneck et al.2Human population PK modelConfirmed a ~5-day half-life; no dose adjustment needed by demographics2024

In plain terms: an early human trial measured the ~5-day half-life, and a later population model across many patients confirmed it.

Accumulation

Weekly dosing means each dose lands before the prior one clears, building toward steady-state. After the last dose, clearance starts from that accumulated level, so it takes longer than the single-dose 25 days.

Comparison

Tirzepatide's ~5-day half-life is a bit shorter than semaglutide's ~7 days — a difference explored in semaglutide vs tirzepatide. Both are long enough to support weekly dosing.

Population estimate; individual pharmacokinetics vary. Reference information, not a personal clearance timeline or medical advice.