Novo Nordisk renames amycretin as zenagamtide ahead of ADA 2026 data

Novo Nordisk has renamed its experimental medicine amycretin as zenagamtide, the company said on May 27, 2026, ahead of a run of data presentations at the American Diabetes Association's 2026 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans ^[1].

Zenagamtide is a unimolecular, long-acting GLP-1 and amylin receptor agonist that Novo Nordisk is developing as a treatment for adults with overweight or obesity and as a treatment for adults with type 2 diabetes ^[1]. The company is investigating both an oral form and a subcutaneous injection ^[1].

Novo Nordisk said it will present 40 abstracts at the meeting, which runs June 5 through 8, 2026 ^[1]. Among them is a phase 2b trial of zenagamtide in type 2 diabetes, listed as poster 1730-P on Sunday, June 7, from 12:30 to 1:30 pm CDT ^[1]. The company's announcement describes that set of phase 2 data as assessing the safety and efficacy of the once-weekly injectable form ^[1]. A second zenagamtide abstract, 1323-OR, covers rat research on how the drug acts on feeding-related brain regions and reduces consumption of unhealthy solid and liquid diets, and is scheduled for Monday, June 8 ^[1].

No results from the zenagamtide phase 2b trial have been released. The announcement contains no efficacy figures, no weight-loss percentages, no A1C changes and no side-effect rates for the drug ^[1].

The same meeting will include phase 3 results from the REIMAGINE 1, 2 and 3 trials of CagriSema, a fixed-dose combination of the amylin analog cagrilintide and the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide, in a symposium on Sunday, June 7, from 4:30 to 6:00 pm CDT ^[1]. CagriSema is being studied as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection for adults with overweight or obesity and for adults with type 2 diabetes ^[1].

"The ADA's 2026 Scientific Sessions underscores the breadth and strength of our approach to cardiometabolic diseases," said Martin Lange, Novo Nordisk's executive vice president of research and development and chief scientific officer ^[1].

The schedule also includes semaglutide data. Semaglutide is the molecule in Ozempic and Wegovy, which Novo Nordisk markets as injections and tablets at different doses, including Wegovy injection 2.4 mg and 7.2 mg and Wegovy tablets 25 mg ^[1]. One abstract not tied to a specific product, 2834-LB, compares cardiometabolic outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes who stayed on 1 mg of semaglutide and titrated to 2 mg against those who switched to tirzepatide ^[1]. That result has not been released either ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

If you have seen coverage of amycretin, zenagamtide is the same program under a new name ^[1]. Nothing about the name change affects medicines that are already approved and on the market; zenagamtide, CagriSema, IcoSema and efruxifermin are not approved in the United States, their safety and efficacy are not established, and Novo Nordisk says there is no guarantee they will become commercially available for the uses being studied ^[1].

Because zenagamtide is being studied in both a pill and an injection, the route of administration could eventually matter to people who prefer one over the other, but no results comparing the two forms have been reported ^[1]. The drug is described as targeting two hormone receptors, GLP-1 and amylin, in one molecule, which is a different design from single-target GLP-1 drugs ^[1]. Whether that design leads to different outcomes for patients is not established by anything released so far ^[1].

What happens next

Zenagamtide's phase 2b type 2 diabetes results are set for June 7, 12:30 to 1:30 pm CDT, and the CagriSema REIMAGINE 1–3 symposium runs June 7 from 4:30 to 6:00 pm CDT ^[1]. Novo Nordisk will also hold an R&D investor event on Sunday, June 7, webcast on its investor website ^[1]. It has not been disclosed how much detail beyond the abstracts the company will release for zenagamtide.