Cagrilintide
Cagrilintide is an experimental, long-acting version of amylin, a pancreatic hormone that promotes a feeling of fullness. Novo Nordisk is testing it alone and combined with semaglutide (as CagriSema) for weight management and type 2 diabetes. It is not approved anywhere on its own.
Approval status
Not approved anywhere on its own. In September 2025 Novo Nordisk said it would move cagrilintide alone into a dedicated phase 3 program (RENEW). Its combination with semaglutide (CagriSema) was submitted to the FDA in December 2025 and had not been approved as of October 2026.45611
What it’s used or studied for
- Human studies
Weight loss on its own in adults with overweight or obesity, in a phase 2 trial and in the cagrilintide-only group of the phase 3 REDEFINE 1 trial.478
- Human studies
Weight loss when combined with semaglutide (CagriSema) in adults with overweight or obesity, with or without type 2 diabetes (REDEFINE 1 and REDEFINE 2 trials).89
- Human studies
Blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes, tested alone and with semaglutide in the phase 3 REIMAGINE 2 trial.10
Each label shows how strong the evidence is: an approved use, human studies, animal or lab studies only, or a popular claim with no published studies. Being studied is not the same as being proven safe or effective.
Side effects
Common
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Injection site reactions
There is no approved label; these come from trials. Stomach and bowel effects were the most common and mostly mild to moderate. In REDEFINE 1, 1% of people on cagrilintide alone stopped treatment because of nausea.47
Cautions
Sources
- PubChem: Cagrilintide (CID 171397054)
- FDA Global Substance Registration System (GSRS): Cagrilintide
- Kruse T et al. Development of cagrilintide, a long-acting amylin analogue (J Med Chem, 2021)
- Novo Nordisk press release: Phase 3 data for next-generation amylin cagrilintide leading to advancement into dedicated clinical programme, 16 September 2025
- Novo Nordisk press release: Novo Nordisk files for FDA approval of CagriSema, 18 December 2025
- WADA 2026 Prohibited List
- Lau DCW et al. Once-weekly cagrilintide for weight management in people with overweight and obesity: a phase 2 trial (Lancet, 2021)
- Garvey WT et al. Coadministered cagrilintide and semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (REDEFINE 1) (N Engl J Med, 2025)
- Davies MJ et al. Cagrilintide-semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes (REDEFINE 2) (N Engl J Med, 2025)
- Buse JB et al. Cagrilintide-semaglutide versus semaglutide or cagrilintide in people with type 2 diabetes (REIMAGINE 2) (Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, 2026)
- FDA: Novel drug approvals for 2026 (content current as of 20 October 2026)
- FDA: FDA's concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss (content current as of 1 October 2026)
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