Zenagamtide becomes the new name for amycretin

Novo Nordisk has renamed its investigational obesity and diabetes drug amycretin. The company now calls it zenagamtide, according to a press release the company issued ahead of the American Diabetes Association's 2026 Scientific Sessions, held June 5 to 8 in New Orleans ^[2]. A trade publication tracking the obesity drug pipeline confirmed in its August 2026 update that zenagamtide is the new name for amycretin, listing it as a "next-wave candidate" alongside two other experimental drugs, survodutide and pemvidutide ^[1].

Zenagamtide is a single molecule that acts on two different hormone systems at once. Novo Nordisk describes it as a unimolecular long-acting GLP-1 and amylin receptor agonist, meaning it is designed to mimic both the GLP-1 hormone that current drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy target, and amylin, a second hormone involved in appetite control ^[2]. The company is testing both an injectable form and a pill form of the drug for adults with overweight or obesity and for adults with type 2 diabetes ^[2].

At the ADA meeting, Novo Nordisk presented mid-stage, or Phase 2b, results for zenagamtide in people with type 2 diabetes, in an abstract titled "Zenagamtide (Amycretin), a Novel Unimolecular GLP-1 and Amylin Receptor Agonist: Phase 2b Results in T2D," shown on June 7 ^[2]. A separate presentation on June 8 described an animal study, conducted in rats, that found zenagamtide affected brain regions tied to feeding behavior and reduced consumption of unhealthy solid and liquid foods ^[2]. The company's press release states plainly that zenagamtide is not approved in the United States and that its safety and effectiveness have not been established ^[2].

The same ADA meeting featured a symposium on Phase 3 results for CagriSema, Novo Nordisk's other GLP-1 and amylin combination drug, which pairs cagrilintide with semaglutide in a fixed-dose injection ^[2]. CagriSema is further along in development than zenagamtide. Novo Nordisk filed for FDA approval of CagriSema for weight management in December 2025 and has said it expects a decision by late 2026 ^[1]. In a separate trial called REIMAGINE 4, reported by the company alongside its second-quarter earnings, CagriSema produced 15.2% weight loss and a 1.9 percentage point drop in blood sugar measure HbA1c over 68 weeks, compared with 15.8% weight loss and a 2.2 point HbA1c drop for tirzepatide 15 mg; the combination met the study's bar for weight loss but missed it for blood sugar control ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

For now, zenagamtide is not something a US patient can be prescribed. It remains in testing, and the sources describe only mid-stage human data plus early animal research, not a completed late-stage program ^[2]. A name change on its own does not change what is known about how well the drug works or how safe it is long term; those answers depend on results from larger, longer trials that have not yet been reported in these sources.

Patients interested in GLP-1 and amylin combination treatments have a nearer-term reference point in CagriSema, which is already under FDA review, though its most recent head-to-head trial against tirzepatide gave mixed results depending on which measure is examined ^[1]. Anyone tracking zenagamtide should expect the name to now appear in place of amycretin in company communications and pipeline trackers going forward ^[1][2].

What happens next

Novo Nordisk has said it expects an FDA decision on CagriSema by late 2026 ^[1]. No US regulatory timeline for zenagamtide is given in these sources, and further details on its Phase 3 plans are not yet known from the material reviewed here.