Zepbound and Metformin: Is It Safe? Label, Studies
Commonly used together; Zepbound was tested alongside metformin in its trials.
- Verdict
- Generally fine to use together
- Label names it
- No
- General caution
- Pills absorbed more slowly
Check a GLP-1 interaction
Zepbound in brief
The half-life is 5 to 6 days. At 5.5 d, half is gone. Five half-lives (27.5 d) leave about 3%.
In SURMOUNT-1 over 72 weeks, body weight fell 20.9%, compared with 3.1% on placebo.
Monthly price figures in US dollars cover the list price and self-pay offers. Each one was read from the maker's price page.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), Eli Lilly 1 2, cnbc.com.
Zepbound and metformin: the verdict
Generally fine to use together
Word for word, the drug interactions part of the Zepbound label says:
“ZEPBOUND delays gastric emptying and thereby has the potential to impact the absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications. Caution should be exercised when oral medications”
Source: the FDA label from DailyMed.
What the Zepbound label states
The Zepbound label does not name metformin. The same statements still apply to it.
| Named in the label | The risk | What the label tells doctors |
|---|---|---|
| Insulin or sulfonylureas | Low blood sugar | This drug increases the risk of low blood sugar when taken with insulin or a sulfonylurea, such as glipizide or glimepiride. Your doctor may reduce those drugs’ doses. |
| Oral medicines | Pills absorbed differently | This drug slows the emptying of the stomach, which may affect how other pills are absorbed. |
Source: Zepbound label (DailyMed).
What the studies show
- clinical trials of metformin combinations
Source: the FDA label from DailyMed.
The practical rule
- Take both medicines as prescribed. If the stomach upset continues, let your doctor know.
- Tell the person who prescribes your GLP-1 about each pill you use, including this one.
- Check with your pharmacist whether any of your pills need a steady blood level. Checks may be needed when you begin the medicine or raise the dose.
- Check your blood sugar more often during the first weeks and after each dose increase.
Source: the FDA label from DailyMed.
Metformin with other GLP-1s
None of the 10 GLP-1 labels name Metformin in the drug interaction section. All of them carry the same general caution for pills you swallow, so the answer stays the same across the class.
People ask the same question about Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Mounjaro, Trulicity.
Source: the FDA label from DailyMed.