GLP-1 & incretin
Cagrilintide
A long-acting amylin analogue that slows digestion and reduces appetite, studied alone and combined with semaglutide for obesity.
What it is
Cagrilintide is a synthetic analogue of amylin, the satiety hormone the pancreas releases alongside insulin. It is engineered to bind albumin so it lasts about a week instead of minutes. It is not approved anywhere; the version behind recent headlines is CagriSema, a fixed combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide in late-stage trials. It is on the WADA prohibited list.
How it works
- 1
Activates amylin receptors in the area postrema, a brainstem region that signals fullness.
- 2
Slows gastric emptying, extending the feeling of fullness after eating.
- 3
Acts on a different receptor from GLP-1 drugs, which is why it is studied as an add-on to semaglutide.
- 4
The albumin-binding modification stretches its half-life to roughly a week, allowing weekly injection.
- 5
Its main side effects are nausea and vomiting rather than the reflux typical of GLP-1 medicines.
What it's studied for
Reported and studied effects
- Reduced appetite and energy intake
- Weight loss of roughly 10 percent alone and around 20 percent combined with semaglutide in trials
- Improved glycaemic markers in type 2 diabetes
- Slower gastric emptying
Research protocol notes
Research context onlyResearch context only — dosing exists only inside clinical trials: weekly subcutaneous cagrilintide, usually escalated to 2.4–4.5 mg, and in CagriSema 2.4 mg cagrilintide with 2.4 mg semaglutide weekly. Escalation is deliberately slow to limit nausea. Reject any 'syringe unit' figure you see online: it depends entirely on how a particular vial was reconstituted and is not a clinical dose.
These figures are described so you can understand what researchers did. They are not a dose, a schedule, or a suggestion — and they are not a substitute for a doctor.
Possible side effects and contraindications
Safety profile
Possible side effects
- Nausea and vomiting, worst during dose escalation
- Reduced appetite, diarrhoea, constipation
- Injection-site reactions
- Gallbladder events, as with other weight-loss drugs
- Rare: pancreatitis
Contraindications and cautions
- Not established
- Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN2
- History of pancreatitis
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding and childhood
- Prohibited in competitive sport
A side-effect list is never complete, and these are not the only situations that warrant caution. Anything unexpected, or anything you are unsure about, should be discussed with a doctor before use.
Evidence assessment
Randomised phase 2 and phase 3 trials in obesity and type 2 diabetes have been published, but the compound is not yet approved and long-term outcome data are still being collected.
References
- 01Cagrilintide and CagriSema trials (REDEFINE) — PubMed search
- 02Cagrilintide amylin analogue pharmacology — PubMed search
- 03World Anti-Doping Agency — Prohibited List
References link to published literature, regulator pages or literature indexes. Where a link points to a search, it collects the peer-reviewed work on that molecule rather than a single study.
Related
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Other entries in GLP-1 & incretin.
GLP-1 & incretin
Dulaglutide
A once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for type 2 diabetes, with proven cardiovascular benefit in people at high risk.
GLP-1 & incretin
Exenatide
A GLP-1 receptor agonist derived from Gila monster saliva, approved for type 2 diabetes in twice-daily and once-weekly forms.
GLP-1 & incretin
Liraglutide
A once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for type 2 diabetes and weight management, and the first in its class shown to reduce cardiovascular events.