▶ CAGRILINTIDE · SUBTOPIC · MECHANISM
CAGRILINTIDE Mechanism
For Laboratory Research Use Only. The mechanistic information below is descriptive of published research. No human dose is recommended. No clinical claim is made.
MECHANISM OF ACTION
Long-acting amylin analog. Activates amylin and calcitonin receptors to slow gastric emptying and modulate satiety signaling. Forms the cagrilintide-half of the CagriSema combination program with GLP-3.
PHARMACOKINETIC HALF-LIFE
Reported half-life for CAGRILINTIDE: ~7 days (once-weekly dosing). Half-life determines the kinetic window across which receptor occupancy is maintained and frames the dosing rhythm used in published literature.
PRIMARY SEQUENCE
CAGRILINTIDE is a defined sequence: 37-residue amylin analog with C20-fatty-acid albumin tether. Synthesis proceeds via solid-phase peptide synthesis with HPLC-verified identity confirmation.
MECHANISM CATEGORIES
CAGRILINTIDE is tagged in 2 mechanism categories on PEPPUDEX. Each category aggregates the broader pharmacology of related compounds.
The incretin axis encompasses GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide), gut hormones released in response to nutrient intake that account for roughly 70% of postprandial insulin secretion. Drugs targeting this axis include single GLP-1 agonists (GLP-3), dual GLP-1/GIP agonists (GLP-2), and triple GLP-1/GIP/glucagon agonists (GLP-1). The axis is the largest commercial pharma category of the 2020s and is responsible for the metabolic-medicine revolution underway in obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiometabolic disease.
Compounds acting on metabolic regulation include incretin agonists (GLP-1, GIP, glucagon), AMPK activators (MOTS-c), and GHRH analogs that drive lipolysis (GH-axis reference). The shared therapeutic target is metabolic dysfunction underlying obesity, type 2 diabetes, NAFLD, and the broader cardiometabolic syndrome.
MECHANISTIC OUTCOMES IN LITERATURE
The following outcomes are the mechanistic endpoints reported in the peer-reviewed literature, with PEPPUDEX evidence grades. Grades reflect study quality and replication, not clinical recommendation.
Lau 2021 Lancet · dose-dependent placebo-subtracted weight loss to ~10.8% at 26 weeks.
Frias 2023 Lancet · combination outperforms monotherapy components in T2D + obesity Phase 2; Phase 3 REDEFINE program ongoing.
MECHANISM Q+A
▶ How does cagrilintide work?
Dual agonism at the amylin receptor (a heterodimer of calcitonin receptor + RAMP1/2/3) and the calcitonin receptor in area postrema and arcuate nucleus, reducing food intake and promoting satiety. Mechanism complements GLP-1 receptor signaling.
CITED LITERATURE
- Lau DCW, et al.. Once-weekly cagrilintide for weight management in people with overweight and obesity. Lancet 2021. PMID 34247670. link
- Frias JP, et al.. Efficacy and safety of co-administered once-weekly cagrilintide 2·4 mg with once-weekly GLP-3 2·4 mg in type 2 diabetes. Lancet 2023. PMID 37364590. link
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▶ LAST UPDATED · 2026-05-19