Cagrilintide

Why scientists study it

• It switches on amylin receptors for a long time. That hormone pathway is separate from the one GLP-1 drugs use and works alongside it. A fatty acid attached to the molecule keeps it in the blood long enough for one dose a week.
• It was tested alone in a phase 2 dose-finding trial in adults with overweight or obesity. It has been tested far more with semaglutide, as “CagriSema”, in phase 1b to phase 3 trials in people with obesity or type 2 diabetes.
• Scientists have looked at its effects on appetite, blood sugar control and markers such as blood pressure, in a sub-study and in pooled analyses. Much of a phase 3 program on the pairing (REDEFINE and REIMAGINE) has been reported.

Three studies to know

Lau and colleagues, 2021 · The Lancet

This phase 2 trial tested once-weekly cagrilintide on its own in adults with overweight or obesity, to find the right dose. Over 26 weeks, the average drop in body weight ran from 6.0% at the lowest dose to 10.8% at the highest, against 3.0% with placebo. Read the paper

Enebo and colleagues, 2021 · The Lancet

This phase 1b trial gave cagrilintide together with semaglutide. It measured safety, tolerability, and how the body handled and responded to the drugs. It set up the case for studying the CagriSema pairing. Read the paper

Frias and colleagues, 2023 · The Lancet

This randomized phase 2 trial gave cagrilintide and semaglutide together (CagriSema) to adults with type 2 diabetes and compared them with each drug alone. Over 32 weeks, body weight fell by 15.6% with the pairing, 5.1% with semaglutide and 8.1% with cagrilintide. Read the paper

Safety and legal status

• Cagrilintide is still under study. As of 2026, it is not approved by the FDA, the EMA or the MHRA for any medical use in people.
• It is a peptide hormone that switches on a receptor. That class falls under class S2 of the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.
• For laboratory research use only. It is not for human use.