Cagrilintide

Cagrilintide is an investigational, long-acting amylin analogue being developed primarily for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. It mimics the natural hormone amylin to regulate appetite and blood sugar, and is often studied in combination with semaglutide (CagriSema).

How It Works
Cagrilintide functions by targeting specific receptors in the brain to influence appetite and digestion.
--Amylin Mimicry: It acts as an amylin analogue, mimicking the natural hormone that is co-secreted with insulin by the pancreas after meals.
--Appetite Suppression: Cagrilintide binds to amylin and calcitonin receptors in the brain's satiety centers, which increases feelings of fullness and reduces overall caloric intake.
--Delayed Gastric Emptying: It slows down how quickly food leaves the stomach, helping individuals feel satisfied for longer periods after eating.
--Improved Blood Sugar Control: By slowing digestion, it helps to moderate post-meal glucose spikes, which aids in better glycemic control.

Key Details
--Administration: It is administered as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection.
--Development Status: Cagrilintide is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials and is not yet FDA-approved for consumer or medical use outside of research settings.
--Combination Therapy (CagriSema): It is most notably being developed by Novo Nordisk as a fixed-dose combination with semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy), known as CagriSema. --

Clinical trials suggest this combination results in greater weight loss than either medication alone.

Potential Benefits
In clinical trials, cagrilintide, both alone and in combination with semaglutide, has shown significant promise:
--Significant Weight Loss: In one Phase 3 trial, cagrilintide monotherapy resulted in an average weight reduction of 11.8% over 68 weeks, compared to 2.3% with a placebo. The combination therapy has shown even more significant results, with some participants losing over 20% of their body weight.
--Improved Adherence: The once-weekly dosing schedule offers a convenience advantage over older, daily-dose amylin analogues like pramlintide.

Side Effects
The most common side effects reported are generally gastrointestinal in nature and tend to be mild to moderate, diminishing over time as the body adjusts.
--Nausea
--Vomiting
--Diarrhea
--Constipation