Cagrilintide: what it is and what the evidence says
A long-acting analog of amylin, the satiety hormone the pancreas releases together with insulin. It activates amylin and calcitonin receptors, brings the end of the meal forward, and slows stomach emptying.
Last reviewed: August 16, 2026 · How we verify this
The ground it plays on
Metabolism is not a single lever. Talk about metabolic compounds usually collapses three separate mechanisms into one word. Appetite regulation is one. How well cells respond to insulin is another, and largely independent of the first. Mobilizing stored fat is a third. A compound may act on one and leave the other two untouched, so knowing which one is the difference between understanding a molecule and reciting its name.
What it is studied for
Appetite control, satiety, metabolic support.
There is a distinction that almost always gets lost. A compound being studied for something is not the same as achieving it. And even where it works in a dish or in a mouse, that says little about whether it works in a person or whether the benefit is worth the risk. The section below therefore carries more weight than everything above it.
What the human evidence says
There are randomized trials in people through phase 3. They include a phase 1b study and a phase 2 monotherapy study (The Lancet, 2021), a phase 2 study in type 2 diabetes (The Lancet, 2023), and the REDEFINE 1 and 2 trials (The New England Journal of Medicine, 2025) of the Cagrilintide and Semaglutide combination. In REDEFINE 1, Cagrilintide alone reduced body weight by 11.5% versus 3.0% with placebo, and the combination by 20.4%.
The limitation that matters most
Most of the data concern the combination with Semaglutide. The phase 3 program dedicated to Cagrilintide alone (RENEW) has not yet published results, in REDEFINE 4 the combination did not reach non-inferiority against Tirzepatide, and long-term safety data and data on weight maintenance after stopping are still missing.
Regulatory status
Not approved as of October 2026. In December 2025 Novo Nordisk asked the FDA to approve the combination with Semaglutide for weight management, with a decision expected toward the end of 2026. It is not listed by name on the WADA list; as a substance without approval it may fall under section S0, so anyone competing under anti-doping control should confirm this beforehand.
Status can change and varies by country. Always verify the rules in force where you live before drawing conclusions.
Cautions and context
A clinically managed molecule, with individual response and tolerance. Nausea and other digestive complaints are the most common effects, and alongside insulin or sulfonylureas hypoglycemia is monitored.
It is assessed with a doctor before starting and during titration, especially with diabetes under treatment, gastroparesis, severe reflux, prior stomach surgery, or a history of pancreatitis.
What this page cannot give you
A reference page can take you this far. You know what Cagrilintide is and where its research stands, which already puts you ahead of most readers. Four questions remain that no encyclopedia can answer for you, because the answers depend on your own situation:
- What would you measure beforehand, so that later you could tell whether anything actually changed?
- What would you watch along the way, and how consistently?
- What would you ask a professional, and in how much detail, so you do not walk out with a textbook answer?
- What would make you stop?
That is what the course is for
PeptiXtreme is ${CIF.LECCIONES} lessons that hand out no numbers. Each one ends with your starting point, what to watch along the way, the specific questions you take to a professional and the signals that mean stop. It includes per-module exams, a Certificate of Completion with a verifiable certificate ID, a Progress Tracker to follow how you are doing, and a human advisor you can actually write to.
See the course → Or measure your judgment, freeReferences
Every entry links to its record on PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine database. Open them and check. We would rather have a reader who verifies than one who takes our word for it.
Some title in this list contains a figure, because that is how the study was published and we reproduce titles verbatim: trimming them would make the citation impossible to verify. A title is not a protocol. What amount suits a particular person is decided by a professional who knows their case, never by the headline of a trial.
- Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of concomitant administration of multiple doses of cagrilintide with semaglutide 2·4 mg for weight management: a randomised, controlled, phase 1b trialhuman Lancet · 2021 · PMID 33894838 →
- Once-weekly cagrilintide for weight management in people with overweight and obesity: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled and active-controlled, dose-finding phase 2 trialhuman Lancet · 2021 · PMID 34798060 →
- Development of Cagrilintide, a Long-Acting Amylin Analoguepreclinical J Med Chem · 2021 · PMID 34288673 →
- Efficacy and safety of co-administered once-weekly cagrilintide 2·4 mg with once-weekly semaglutide 2·4 mg in type 2 diabetes: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, active-controlled, phase 2 trialhuman Lancet · 2023 · PMID 37364590 →
- Coadministered Cagrilintide and Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesityhuman N Engl J Med · 2025 · PMID 40544433 →
- Cagrilintide-Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity and Type 2 Diabeteshuman N Engl J Med · 2025 · PMID 40544432 →
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Frequently asked questions
What is Cagrilintide?
A long-acting analog of amylin, the satiety hormone the pancreas releases together with insulin. It activates amylin and calcitonin receptors, brings the end of the meal forward, and slows stomach emptying. It is studied within the area of metabolic.
Is there human evidence for Cagrilintide?
There are randomized trials in people through phase 3. They include a phase 1b study and a phase 2 monotherapy study (The Lancet, 2021), a phase 2 study in type 2 diabetes (The Lancet, 2023), and the REDEFINE 1 and 2 trials (The New England Journal of Medicine, 2025) of the Cagrilintide and Semaglutide combination. In REDEFINE 1, Cagrilintide alone reduced body weight by 11.5% versus 3.0% with placebo, and the combination by 20.4%.
Is it approved by any health agency?
Not approved as of October 2026. In December 2025 Novo Nordisk asked the FDA to approve the combination with Semaglutide for weight management, with a decision expected toward the end of 2026. It is not listed by name on the WADA list; as a substance without approval it may fall under section S0, so anyone competing under anti-doping control should confirm this beforehand.
What is the dose of Cagrilintide?
We do not publish dosages. This is not an oversight. No single figure works for everyone: the regimen depends on a person's medical history, on whatever medication they already take, and on the goal they are chasing, which is something a professional weighs with the case in front of them. What you can build is the ability to walk into that appointment knowing what to ask.
Where can I learn to evaluate this properly?
This page tells you what Cagrilintide is and what the evidence says. The PeptiXtreme course teaches the other half: what you would measure before considering anything, what you would watch, the specific questions you would take to a professional and when you would stop.