Volume 29, Issue 159, May 2025

The impact of tirzepatide on the development of pancreatitis: a literature review

Filip Maj^1♦, Anna Klasa², Justyna Gręda³, Karol Mateusz Wojnarowski³, Bartosz Zieliński³

¹Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce, Poland
²The University Hospital in Krakow, Poland
³St. Alexander Hospital in Kielce, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Filip Maj, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce, Poland

ABSTRACT

Background: Tirzepatide, a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist is a new drug used in type 2 diabetes and obesity. However, concerns persist about its potential association with pancreatitis due to the expression of GLP-1 receptors in pancreatic cells. This review evaluates the available evidence on tirzepatide's pancreatic safety profile. Materials and methods: The MEDLINE database was searched. The search query used was “tirzepatide AND pancreatitis” with one filter “free full text”. The initial search returned 41 results. After screening abstracts, 32 results were chosen for complete text analysis, of which 6 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Results: Across all studies, pancreatitis incidence was consistently low (<1%) with no dose-dependent relationship. While some studies reported elevated pancreatic enzymes, these changes did not correlate with clinical pancreatitis. Real-world data confirmed no disproportionate reporting of pancreatitis cases. Conclusions: Current evidence suggests that tirzepatide does not increase the risk of pancreatitis compared to other antidiabetic drugs. Although, to confirm this hypothesis, further studies with longer follow-ups and larger patient groups are needed.

Keywords: tirzepatide, pancreatitis, gip/glp-1 receptor agonist, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e74ms3568

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v29i158.e74ms3568

Published: 30 May 2025