Long-acting amylin analog — Novo Nordisk’s answer to GLP-1 from a second satiety pathway, studied alone and as half of CagriSema. Phase 3 monotherapy reported ~11.8% mean weight loss.
Research refreshed
Cagrilintide is a 37-amino-acid acylated analog of amylin — the satiety hormone co-secreted with insulin — engineered for once-weekly dosing. Developed by Novo Nordisk, it reported ~11.8% mean weight reduction over 68 weeks as Phase 3 monotherapy, and pairs with semaglutide in the fixed combination CagriSema, where Phase 3 REDEFINE-1 reported 20.4%–22.7% mean weight reduction. It is investigational; Novo filed CagriSema with the FDA in December 2025.
Cagrilintide is a long-acting, acylated analog of amylin — the 37-residue pancreatic hormone co-secreted with insulin after meals that signals satiety to the hindbrain and slows gastric emptying. Where GLP-1 agonists work through the GLP-1 receptor, cagrilintide works through amylin and calcitonin receptor complexes — a genuinely separate appetite pathway, which is precisely what makes it interesting as a combination partner. A fatty-acid chain extends its half-life for once-weekly dosing, and the native amylin tendency to aggregate into amyloid fibrils has been engineered out.
As monotherapy it has moved through the clinic quickly. The Phase 2 dose-ranging trial (Lau et al., Lancet 2021, PMID 34798060) reported dose-dependent weight reductions up to ~10.8% at 26 weeks at the 4.5 mg dose — exceeding the liraglutide 3.0 mg comparator arm. In September 2025 Novo Nordisk reported Phase 3 monotherapy results: ~11.8% mean weight reduction over 68 weeks versus ~2.3% on placebo.
Its main role, though, is as one half of CagriSema — the fixed once-weekly combination with semaglutide that pairs the amylin and GLP-1 pathways. The Phase 3 REDEFINE program (NEJM 2025) reported 20.4%–22.7% mean weight reduction at 68 weeks, and Novo Nordisk filed CagriSema for FDA approval in December 2025, with a decision expected in 2026. Cagrilintide itself remains investigational everywhere.
Amylin and calcitonin receptor agonism (distinct from the GLP-1 receptor) → central satiety signaling, slowed gastric emptying, reduced food intake — a complementary appetite pathway to GLP-1.
Behind every vial of Cagrilintide is the same exacting pipeline every research peptide runs — but the chemistry plays out differently for this molecule. Here is how Cagrilintide, specifically, is brought into being.
On paper, Cagrilintide is C194H312N54O59S2 — about 4,409.2 daltons of precisely arranged atoms. Before a single bond is made, the target sequence, salt form, and purity threshold are written down as the contract the finished material must meet.
Cagrilintide is assembled by solid-phase peptide synthesis — the chain grows one protected residue at a time on resin, and what you fail to build cleanly here you pay to remove later. It also carries fatty-acid acylation and a disulfide bridge, extra steps beyond a plain chain that add both capability and cost.
The crude mixture — Cagrilintide plus its deletions and side products — is then separated on preparative HPLC, and where the cut is taken decides the difference between a genuinely pure peptide and a barely-passable one.
A real batch of Cagrilintide proves itself: identity confirmed by mass spectrometry against its ~4,409.2 Da, purity read directly off an analytical HPLC trace, water and counterion content measured. That batch-specific certificate of analysis is the only honest way to know what is actually in a vial of Cagrilintide — and a short, cold, accountable chain of custody is how that purity survives the trip to your bench.
A long-acting amylin analog: a disulfide-bridged, C-terminally amidated peptide carrying a fatty-diacid acylation for albumin binding. Synthesis combines a regioselective disulfide formation with the acylation over an aggregation-prone backbone, so oxidation control and separating closely related isomers dominate the quality picture.
Don't judge a vial by its cake. A fluffy, good-looking lyophilized powder reflects bulking agents and freeze-drying parameters — not purity. Insist on a batch-specific certificate of analysis.
Recent clinical trials and publications mentioning Cagrilintide, pulled automatically from ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed and refreshed daily. Listings are unfiltered search results, not curated endorsements.
Cagrilintide is an investigational long-acting amylin analog from Novo Nordisk, dosed once weekly. As Phase 3 monotherapy it reported ~11.8% mean weight reduction over 68 weeks; it is better known as the amylin half of the combination CagriSema (with semaglutide).
Phase 2 (Lancet 2021): up to ~10.8% mean at 26 weeks at the highest dose. Phase 3 monotherapy results reported in 2025: ~11.8% mean over 68 weeks versus ~2.3% on placebo. Trial population means, not individual predictions.
CagriSema is the investigational fixed once-weekly combination of cagrilintide (amylin) and semaglutide (GLP-1) — two complementary satiety pathways in one injection. Phase 3 reported 20.4%–22.7% mean weight reduction at 68 weeks; it was filed with the FDA in December 2025.
Both are gut/pancreatic satiety hormones, but they act on different receptors: amylin works through amylin and calcitonin receptor complexes in the hindbrain, while GLP-1 acts through the GLP-1 receptor. Because the pathways are distinct, engaging both is additive — the rationale for CagriSema.
In trials the most common adverse events were gastrointestinal — nausea, vomiting, constipation — mostly mild to moderate and concentrated during dose escalation, broadly similar to the GLP-1 class. This page is a research reference, not medical advice.
No — it is investigational everywhere. The CagriSema combination (cagrilintide + semaglutide) was filed with the FDA in December 2025 with a decision expected in 2026; standalone cagrilintide has no announced filing.
Yes — a 37-residue analog of human amylin (~4,409 Da, C194H312N54O59S2) carrying a fatty-acid chain for albumin binding and sequence edits that prevent the amyloid-fibril aggregation native amylin is known for.
The once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist behind Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus — FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes, chronic weight management, cardiovascular risk reduction, and MASH.
ViewThe once-daily GLP-1 agonist that preceded semaglutide — FDA-approved for diabetes (Victoza) and obesity (Saxenda).
ViewDual GIP / GLP-1 receptor agonist with industry-leading weight-loss endpoints.
ViewDosing protocols, mechanism, comparisons, and the latest trials — citation-backed answers grounded in PubMed, PubChem, and ClinicalTrials.gov.