Novo Nordisk starts Phase 3 AMAZE-12 trial of amycretin for weight maintenance
Amycretin is now in late-stage testing for keeping weight off after dieting, but no results or approval timeline have been disclosed, so nothing changes for US patients today.
Novo Nordisk launched a Phase 3 trial of amycretin in May 2026, moving the investigational drug into late-stage testing for weight management [1]. The study is called AMAZE-12, and its stated purpose is post-diet weight maintenance rather than initial weight loss [1].
Amycretin is described as a GLP-1/amylin molecule, and the drug is also listed under the name zenagamtide [1]. Novo is one of several companies investing in the amylin pathway, which the same tracking page lists alongside CagriSema and petrelintide among the most active areas of obesity drug development [1]. Novo also announced a United Arab Emirates logistics hub in May 2026 [1].
What is and is not known about AMAZE-12
The number of participants, the trial's length, its endpoints, the doses being tested and the dosing format have not been reported [1]. No weight-loss result for amycretin appears in the tracker's data [1]. The tracker does not list a projected readout date or an FDA submission plan for amycretin [1].
The maintenance focus sets AMAZE-12 apart from the late-stage programs that report weight-loss percentages. One related Phase 3 result appeared on May 12, 2026, from a trial called ATTAIN-MAINTAIN, which tested Foundayo (orforglipron) combined with lower-dose Zepbound (tirzepatide) after patients stepped down from Wegovy; participants regained roughly 0.9 to 5 kilograms depending on the group [1].
Where amycretin sits in the current landscape
Four obesity drugs are FDA approved as of May 2026, according to the tracker: Wegovy injectable (semaglutide, June 2021), the Wegovy pill (semaglutide, December 22, 2025), Zepbound (tirzepatide, November 2023) and Foundayo (orforglipron, April 1, 2026) [1]. Reported weight loss was about 15% for Wegovy injectable in STEP 1, about 17% for the oral Wegovy in OASIS 4, about 22.5% for Zepbound in SURMOUNT-1 and 12.4% at 72 weeks for Foundayo [1].
CagriSema remains the closest pending FDA decision. Its application was filed December 18, 2025, and Novo's guidance points to a US decision window in the fourth quarter of 2026, with no public PDUFA date [1]. In a head-to-head Phase 3 trial reported February 23, 2026, CagriSema failed to match tirzepatide, with 20.2% versus 23.6% weight loss at 84 weeks [1].
Retatrutide, a Lilly drug, reported 28.3% weight loss at 80 weeks on 12 mg in the TRIUMPH-1 trial on May 21, 2026, with 45.3% of participants reaching at least 30% loss and an 11.3% discontinuation rate on 12 mg; no application has been filed [1]. Survodutide, from Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand, reported 16.6% at 76 weeks in SYNCHRONIZE-1 in May 2026 [1].
Why it matters for patients
Nothing about the amycretin news changes what is available in a US pharmacy. Amycretin is investigational, and the tracker lists no approval filing, no efficacy data and no safety data for it [1]. Even if the trial proceeds smoothly, late-stage testing followed by an FDA review typically takes years, and Novo has not disclosed a timeline [1].
For people already taking semaglutide or tirzepatide, the more immediately relevant item on the page is the research into what happens after treatment changes. The ATTAIN-MAINTAIN result is a Phase 3 look at weight regain after a step-down from Wegovy, which is the same practical question AMAZE-12 is designed to study in a different way [1]. Patients considering a change in medication have a growing but still limited body of late-stage evidence to discuss with a clinician; amycretin is not part of that evidence yet [1].
What happens next
No date has been reported for AMAZE-12 results [1]. Novo's guidance points to a US decision on CagriSema in the fourth quarter of 2026, without a public PDUFA date [1]. Readouts from TRIUMPH-2, which tests retatrutide in type 2 diabetes, and TRIUMPH-3, which tests it in cardiovascular disease, are still expected in 2026 [1]. Lilly's guidance has pointed to a possible 2026 FDA submission for retatrutide and a launch around 2027, but no filing had been confirmed as of July 2026 [1].
Sources
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