In short
Cagrilintide is a long acting amylin analogue investigated for its effect on satiety and body weight. In the research literature it acts on amylin and calcitonin receptors, slows gastric emptying and reduces food intake. As monotherapy it reached up to 10.8% mean weight reduction at 26 weeks in a Phase 2 trial (Lau et al., Lancet 2021); combined with semaglutide as CagriSema it has been reported in the roughly 15 to 23% range across trials. It is not approved by the FDA or EMA and is offered exclusively as a research peptide (RUO).
What is cagrilintide?
Cagrilintide is an investigational, once weekly amylin analogue developed by Novo Nordisk (AM833) for weight management research. Amylin is a hormone co secreted with insulin by pancreatic beta cells that signals satiety after eating. Native amylin has a half life of only a few minutes, so cagrilintide was engineered with a fatty acid modification that extends its action to allow once weekly administration in trials.
It is studied both alone and, most prominently, in the fixed combination CagriSema (cagrilintide plus the GLP-1 analogue semaglutide).
How does cagrilintide work?
Cagrilintide is a dual amylin and calcitonin receptor agonist: it activates the amylin receptor complex and the calcitonin receptor, which together increase the feeling of fullness and slow the rate at which the stomach empties. In the research literature this combination is thought to reduce appetite and food intake through a mechanism that is complementary to, but distinct from, GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide.
Because the two pathways are different, amylin and GLP-1 agonism are studied together on the hypothesis that they add up rather than overlap. Users in community discussions often describe this as a reduction in “food noise”.
Cagrilintide vs semaglutide
They target different hormone systems: cagrilintide is an amylin analogue, semaglutide is a GLP-1 analogue. In research they are studied as complementary rather than interchangeable, which is why the CagriSema combination exists. Amylin signals satiety from the pancreatic beta cells while GLP-1 acts as an incretin, and the two pathways are studied on the hypothesis that they add up rather than overlap.
| Criterion | Cagrilintide | Semaglutide |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Amylin analogue | GLP-1 receptor agonist |
| Primary receptors | Amylin + calcitonin | GLP-1 |
| Dosing (trials) | once weekly | once weekly |
| Monotherapy weight reduction | up to ~10.8% (Ph 2, 26 wks) | up to ~15% (STEP program) |
| Approval status | investigational, not approved | approved (Wegovy/Ozempic) |
| Studied together as | CagriSema | CagriSema |
CagriSema: the cagrilintide and semaglutide combination
CagriSema is the fixed dose combination of cagrilintide with semaglutide, and it is the reason cagrilintide receives so much research attention. The rationale is additive: pairing amylin agonism with GLP-1 agonism targets two separate satiety pathways at once. Early phase work (Enebo et al., Lancet 2021) established tolerability of the combination, and later CagriSema trials reported mean weight reductions in the roughly 15 to 23% range depending on trial length and population.
Direct head to head comparisons against single agents are part of the ongoing program, so figures should be read as trial data, not as guaranteed outcomes.
Research trial data
In the Phase 2 dose finding trial (Lau et al., Lancet 2021), once weekly cagrilintide up to 4.5 mg produced a mean weight reduction of up to 10.8% at 26 weeks, versus 3.0% for placebo. This established amylin analogue monotherapy as a viable research direction. The combination data (CagriSema) is stronger because it stacks a second mechanism.
You can review the published amylin and cagrilintide literature directly on PubMed. For comparison, the triple agonist retatrutide reached up to 24.2% at 48 weeks (Jastreboff et al., NEJM 2023, PubMed 37366315).
Half-life
Cagrilintide is administered once weekly by subcutaneous injection in trials, made possible by a half life of roughly one week from its fatty acid modification. Native amylin, by comparison, has a half life of only a few minutes.
We do not reproduce dosing schedules from clinical trials here. Cagrilintide is supplied as a research compound for laboratory use, not for administration to humans, and a dose schedule would read as an instruction in that context.
Side effects reported in trials
The most frequently reported side effects in cagrilintide trials are gastrointestinal: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation, mostly mild to moderate and concentrated in the early titration phase. Because cagrilintide is structurally related to calcitonin, trial documentation notes caution in populations with a history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2). Long term safety continues to be evaluated.
How batch quality is verified
Every Molequa® batch is analysed by the independent laboratory Janoshik Analytical. The batch certificate states HPLC purity and confirms identity by mass spectrometry, and it is available on the product page before purchase rather than after.
An in-house analysis by the seller and an analysis by an independent laboratory are not the same evidence. A purity figure with no chromatogram attached is a claim, not proof.
Legal status and where cagrilintide fits
Cagrilintide is investigational: it is not approved for general use by the FDA or EMA and remains in clinical development. At Molequa® it is available strictly for laboratory research. If your work requires a reference grade compound, our cagrilintide research peptide is HPLC/MS tested with batch documentation and EU shipping. It is supplied as research use only (RUO) and is not intended for human or animal consumption.
FAQ
What is cagrilintide? An investigational once weekly amylin analogue studied for its effect on satiety and body weight, alone and in the CagriSema combination.
Is cagrilintide the same as semaglutide? No. Cagrilintide is an amylin analogue; semaglutide is a GLP-1 agonist. They act on different receptors and are studied together in CagriSema.
What is CagriSema? The fixed combination of cagrilintide plus semaglutide, designed to target amylin and GLP-1 pathways simultaneously.
Is cagrilintide approved? No, it is investigational and not approved by the FDA or EMA.
Where can I buy cagrilintide for research? Molequa® supplies cagrilintide as a research peptide (RUO) with HPLC/MS testing and EU delivery.
Legal notice: Cagrilintide is offered exclusively for scientific laboratory research (RUO). It is not intended for human or animal consumption. This article summarises published research data and is not medical advice.
