Cagrilintide
An investigational amylin analog being studied in clinical trials; not FDA-approved.
What it is
Cagrilintide is a long-acting analog of amylin — a hormone co-secreted with insulin that promotes satiety. It is an investigational drug, best known as the partner in 'CagriSema,' a combination with semaglutide in late-stage trials.
Phase 2 and 3 data show substantial average weight reductions for the combination, which is why the name escaped the trial world and appeared on gray-market sites. No approval exists yet anywhere, and the trial evidence belongs to pharmaceutical products under monitoring, not to vials sold online.
What researchers have actually studied it for
Obesity, alone and combined with semaglutide (CagriSema), in ongoing late-stage clinical trials; not yet approved anywhere.
How it works
Amylin is the pancreas's second satiety messenger, released alongside insulin. Cagrilintide mimics it with engineering for week-long action, working satiety circuits in the hindbrain that partially differ from GLP-1's hypothalamic pathways — the complementarity that motivates combining the two.
Where it came from
Amylin pharmacology has one approved ancestor — pramlintide, a short-acting analog used with insulin since 2005. Novo Nordisk's long-acting cagrilintide revived the pathway for obesity, alone and in the CagriSema combination that reached phase 3 with headline average reductions in the low-to-mid 20% range.
What the research record actually contains
- Phase 2 monotherapy trials: dose-dependent weight reduction as a single agent.
- REDEFINE program (CagriSema): phase 3 combination trials reporting large average weight reductions.
- No approval, no label, and long-term safety characterization still in progress.
What's known about risks
GI effects dominate reported data, consistent with satiety-pathway drugs. As an investigational compound, its safety file is by definition incomplete — and the combination's long-term profile is exactly what the ongoing program is for.
Where it stands legally
Unapproved everywhere; no lawful consumer channel exists. Online 'cagrilintide' is an unregulated research chemical trading on trial headlines.
Worth asking a licensed provider
- 1.Do approved options already cover what I'd be hoping CagriSema delivers?
- 2.Is trial enrollment a realistic path for me?
- 3.What in my history would make an amylin-pathway drug attractive or inappropriate?