What Is Amylin?
Amylin is a hormone released by the pancreas along with insulin after you eat. It helps:
- Signal fullness to the brain
- Slow how quickly the stomach empties
- Reduce the release of glucagon, which raises blood sugar
In other words, amylin works alongside GLP-1 to help control appetite and blood sugar—but through different pathways.
What Is Cagrilintide?
Cagrilintide is a long-acting amylin analog developed by Novo Nordisk. It's being studied in combination with semaglutide in a once-weekly injection called CagriSema.
What Does Adding Amylin Do?
Because amylin and GLP-1 act on appetite through different pathways, combining them may produce greater weight loss than either alone. Researchers also hope amylin-based drugs may help preserve lean muscle mass or improve tolerability, though this is still being studied.
What Do Trials Show?
In the phase 3 REDEFINE 1 trial, adults with obesity who took CagriSema lost an average of about 20% of their body weight over 68 weeks. In people with type 2 diabetes (REDEFINE 2), average weight loss was about 14%.
In a later head-to-head comparison, tirzepatide produced slightly greater average weight loss than CagriSema.
Side effects were similar to other GLP-1 medications, mainly digestive symptoms.
Is It Available?
Novo Nordisk submitted CagriSema to the FDA for chronic weight management in late 2025. As of late 2026, it was still awaiting an FDA decision. Approval status and timing may change, so check with your provider for the latest information.
A Word of Caution
Products sold online as "cagrilintide" or "CagriSema" outside of approved channels are not regulated and may be unsafe.
Learn more about provider-guided weight loss here: Heva Weight Loss
The Bottom Line
Cagrilintide adds the appetite-regulating effects of amylin to semaglutide, which may boost weight loss. CagriSema has shown strong results in trials and is under FDA review, but it isn't widely available yet.