Cagrilintide
Also referenced as: AM833, long-acting amylin analogue
A long-acting amylin analogue studied alone and in combination with semaglutide.
- Evidence grade
- CEarly Human Research
Early Human Research
- Regulatory status
- Clinical Trials
- Human data
- Yes
Registered clinical trials exist
- Last reviewed
- September 1, 2026
Overview
Amylin is co-secreted with insulin and contributes to meal termination. Cagrilintide is a modified, long-acting amylin analogue designed for weekly administration.
Most attention concerns the fixed combination with semaglutide, studied on the premise that two distinct satiety pathways may add together.
Why It's Being Studied
- Satiety signalling independent of the incretin pathway.
- Whether combining amylin and GLP-1 agonism improves weight outcomes over GLP-1 alone.
Mechanism of Action
It imitates a hormone released with insulin that helps signal the end of a meal and slows how quickly the stomach empties.
Cagrilintide is an acylated analogue of human amylin with non-selective activity at calcitonin and amylin receptor complexes (AMY1–3). Signalling in the area postrema and nucleus accumbens is implicated in reduced food intake, with slowed gastric emptying as a peripheral contributor.
The incretin signalling pathway
Tap each stage to see what happens.
Background: Metabolic Health & Weight Management
Metabolic peptide research centres on the gut–brain–pancreas axis: hormones released after meals (incretins such as GLP-1 and GIP) that shape insulin release, stomach emptying and appetite.
This is the most clinically mature corner of peptide science. Several incretin-based medicines have large randomised trials behind them, which makes the gap between approved drugs and unapproved research compounds especially important to understand.
Research Areas & Routes Studied
- Body weight
- Appetite regulation
- Glycaemic control
- Subcutaneous injection (in clinical trials)
Evidence Summary
Early and mid-phase human trials exist, mostly as part of a combination product, with limited standalone long-term data.
Higher tiers carry more weight. Filled tiers have evidence for Cagrilintide; tap to read it.
- Phase 1b and phase 2 trials reported dose-dependent weight reduction with weekly cagrilintide.
- Combination trials with semaglutide reported greater weight reduction than either component in the studied populations.
- Later-phase combination programmes were ongoing at last review.
2 cited sources.
- Phase 2 trial1
- Regulatory document1
Human clinical evidence
- Phase 1b and phase 2 trials reported dose-dependent weight reduction with weekly cagrilintide.
- Combination trials with semaglutide reported greater weight reduction than either component in the studied populations.
Clinical trials
- Later-phase combination programmes were ongoing at last review.
Reported Adverse Events in Research
- Nausea and other gastrointestinal effects.
- Injection-site reactions.
- Long-term safety data are limited.
Limitations of Current Evidence
- Standalone evidence is thinner than combination evidence.
- No approval and no established clinical dosing outside trials.
How to Read This Research
- Was weight loss measured against placebo, and over how many weeks?
- How much of the lost weight was lean mass rather than fat?
- What happened after the compound was stopped?
- Were cardiovascular, kidney or liver outcomes measured — or only weight?
- Percentage body-weight change versus placebo is the headline trial metric; absolute kilograms depend on starting weight.
- Gastrointestinal side effects are dose-related and usually reported by escalation phase.
- Compare approved-drug trial data with unapproved compounds carefully — a shared receptor is not shared evidence.
- Incretin
- A gut hormone that increases insulin release after eating.
- HbA1c
- A blood marker of average glucose over roughly three months.
- Agonist
- A molecule that activates a receptor.
Compare With Other Compounds
| Cagrilintide | Semaglutide | |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence grade | C — Early Human Research | A — Strong Clinical Evidence |
| Regulatory status | Clinical Trials | FDA Approved for Specific Indication |
| Human data | Yes | Yes |
| Clinical trials | Registered trials exist | Registered trials exist |
| Research routes | Subcutaneous injection (in clinical trials) | Subcutaneous injection, Oral tablet (approved form) |
| Cited sources | 2 | 4 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Research References
- Phase 2 trial
Cagrilintide for weight management: phase 2 randomised trial
- Main finding
- Dose-dependent weight reduction versus placebo over 26 weeks.
- Regulatory document
Registered cagrilintide trials