Zepbound (tirzepatide)
A preview of the people report we deliver for $2,950. It shows how many people shape opinion on the drug and a few of them with names masked, and holds back the rest.
- Sponsor
- Eli Lilly and Company
- Covers
- Trial investigators, research authors, grant investigators, and clinicians paid in connection with the brand
- Same molecule as
- Mounjaro
Key takeaways
Brand counts people tied to Zepbound itself, such as clinicians paid in connection with the brand.
Molecule counts people working on tirzepatide, which covers Mounjaro too, such as trial investigators and authors.
- Brand
A small group gets most of the money. 23,158 clinicians and hospitals were paid in connection with Zepbound in 2025, but the top 100 received 67% of the $9.93 million total.
- Molecule
Trials reach well beyond the U.S. About 1,460 named investigators and study contacts run tirzepatide trials at more than 1,100 sites in 46 countries.
- Brand
Promotion runs through primary care. General internal medicine and family medicine received 43% of 2025 payment dollars, nearly three times the 15% that went to endocrinologists.
More takeaways in the full report, including which investigators are also paid by the sponsor and who leads the research.
Paid clinicians
Who receives payments in connection with the brand, and for what.
23,158
Recipients of Zepbound-tied payments in 2025
67%
Share of payment dollars that went to the top 100 recipients
91%
Share that went to the top 1,000
| Recipient | Specialty | Region | 2025 payments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payal K. | Internal medicine | Mountain West | $95k–$100k |
| Danny I. | Gastroenterology | West | $90k–$95k |
| Justin P. | Family medicine | Midwest | $85k–$90k |
| 97 more of the top 100 in the full report, with full names, payment types, and totals since 2023 | |||
Speaking fees dominate. 84% of 2025 payment dollars paid for speaking and similar services, 12% for food and beverage, and under 2% for consulting.
Source: CMS Open Payments, 2025 general payments naming Zepbound as the first product
In the full report: the most-paid speakers and consultants by name, with specialty, state, and payment type, and how the list has changed since 2023.
Trial investigators
The people and sites running studies of the molecule.
1,100+
Study sites on tirzepatide trials
46
Countries with a named investigator or site
| Investigator | Institution | Country | Trials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shirley W., PhD | Brigham and Women’s Hospital | U.S. | 7 |
| Nils K., MD | Brigham and Women’s Hospital | U.S. | 7 |
| Ali A., MD | Cleveland Clinic | U.S. | 3 |
| Every principal investigator and site in the full report, by trial and country | |||
The U.S. leads, with the U.K., Japan, Mexico, and Brazil next. Those five countries hold the most named investigators and contacts on tirzepatide trials.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov investigator and contact records
In the full report: principal investigators by trial, the sites running the most studies, and which investigators also receive payments tied to the brand, with the evidence behind each match.
Research leaders
The authors and grant holders shaping the science.
| Author | Latest listed affiliation | Papers |
|---|---|---|
| Naveed S. | University of Glasgow | 78 |
| Carel L. | University College Dublin | 67 |
| Axel H. | Eli Lilly and Company | 60 |
| The full ranking in the full report, with each author’s most-cited work and grants | ||
Lilly’s own scientists dominate the literature. Four of the seven authors with the most tirzepatide papers list Eli Lilly as their affiliation.
Source: Watchtower’s publication records (OpenAlex, Europe PMC), papers mentioning tirzepatide, refreshed Aug 4, 2026
In the full report: the authors leading the most-cited papers, the investigators holding related research grants, and the institutions they work for.
Where roles overlap
People who publish, run trials, and are paid by the sponsor.
In the full report: each person who appears in more than one role, the records that link them, and how confident the match is. Matching people across sources takes care, so every link is shown with its evidence.
Get the full people report on Zepbound, or any drug you follow.
Names, roles, institutions, and the overlaps between them, each linked to its public record and checked by an analyst. Delivered in 5 business days.
This sample was assembled from public records for illustration. It is not a customer deliverable. Names in this preview are masked, and payment amounts are shown as ranges.