Zenagamtide (Formerly Amycretin): Results, Trials, and Availability
Zenagamtide is Novo Nordisk's new name for amycretin, an investigational GLP-1/amylin drug not yet approved in the US. In a Phase 2 diabetes study, people lost up to 14.5% of body weight at Week 36 on the injection.
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Zenagamtide is the new official name for amycretin, an experimental weight-loss and diabetes drug being developed by Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy [1, 2]. It is a single molecule that acts on two hormone receptors at once — the GLP-1 receptor and the amylin receptor — and it is being studied as both a weekly injection and a daily pill [1, 2]. It is not approved in the United States or anywhere else, and Novo Nordisk has published no filing or launch date [1].
The most complete data so far come from a Phase 2 study in 448 people with type 2 diabetes. At Week 36, people on the weekly injection lost up to 14.5% of their body weight and saw HbA1c (average blood sugar) fall by up to 1.8%, compared with a 2.6% weight loss on placebo [2]. Novo has since committed to Phase 3 development in type 2 diabetes, and several additional zenagamtide studies are now registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, including a head-to-head trial against semaglutide [2, 3].
What is zenagamtide, and is it the same drug as amycretin?
Yes — zenagamtide and amycretin are the same drug. Novo Nordisk renamed amycretin to zenagamtide, and the company’s own materials now list it as “Zenagamtide (Amycretin)” [1, 2]. Older trial records and news coverage still use the amycretin name, so searching for either name will turn up different pieces of the same story [1].
Zenagamtide is described as a “unimolecular long-acting GLP-1 and amylin receptor agonist” — one molecule engineered to activate two receptors that affect appetite and blood sugar [1, 2]. Novo is developing it for two groups of adults: people with overweight or obesity, and people with type 2 diabetes [1]. It is under investigation in both subcutaneous (injected under the skin) and oral (pill) forms [1].
Novo Nordisk states plainly that zenagamtide is not approved in the United States, that its safety and efficacy have not been established, and that there is no guarantee it will ever become commercially available [1].
How is zenagamtide different from CagriSema?
Both drugs target the same two receptors, but they are built differently. CagriSema is a fixed-dose combination of two separate medicines: cagrilintide, a long-acting amylin analog, and semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, delivered as a once-weekly injection [1, 2]. Zenagamtide hits the same GLP-1 and amylin receptors as one molecule instead of two [2].
Novo’s chief scientific officer, Martin Holst Lange, said in September 2025 that the company’s base case is that amycretin will match CagriSema on safety, tolerability, and efficacy [2]. If that holds, he said the single molecule would be “a very valuable offering” because it can go into a single-chamber injection device and could be easier to manufacture, since Novo would need to make one active ingredient rather than two [2].
CagriSema is being studied in the REDEFINE program for overweight or obesity and the REIMAGINE program for type 2 diabetes [1].
What did the Phase 2 diabetes study actually show?
The study enrolled 448 people with type 2 diabetes that was inadequately controlled on metformin; about 40% were also on an SGLT2 inhibitor at the start [2]. Results were reported in November 2025, and Novo’s shares climbed more than 4%, approaching 300 Danish kroner (about $46), after the data were posted [2].
The key Week 36 numbers [2]:
| Measure | Weekly injection | Daily pill | Placebo |
|---|---|---|---|
| HbA1c reduction (max) | up to 1.8% | up to 1.5% | −0.2% (injection group’s placebo); −0.4% (oral group’s placebo) |
| HbA1c below 7% | 89.1% | 77.6% | not reported |
| HbA1c 6.5% or lower | 76.2% | 62.6% | not reported |
| Weight loss (max) | up to 14.5% | up to 10.1% | −2.6% (injection); −2.5% (oral) |
| Mean baseline weight | 99.2 kg | 101.1 kg | — |
| Mean baseline HbA1c | 7.8% | 8% | — |
Two details matter for interpreting these numbers. First, people in the highest subcutaneous dose group had been on their final maintenance dose for only four weeks by Week 36, and weight loss had not yet plateaued on the higher subcutaneous and oral doses — meaning longer trials could show more weight loss, as has happened with other GLP-1 drugs [2]. Second, the safety profile showed the expected mix of mostly mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal adverse events [2].
Is this data peer-reviewed?
No. The Phase 2b diabetes results are scheduled to be presented as a conference abstract — number 1730-P, titled “Zenagamtide (Amycretin), a Novel Unimolecular GLP-1 and Amylin Receptor Agonist: Phase 2b Results in T2D” — at the American Diabetes Association’s 2026 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, June 5–8, 2026, with the poster slot on Sunday, June 7, 12:30–1:30 pm CDT [1]. A conference abstract is a summary submitted for presentation, not a peer-reviewed paper, and it typically carries less detail than a full journal publication.
Novo is presenting a total of 40 abstracts at the ADA 2026 sessions, including the phase 2 data on once-weekly injectable zenagamtide [1]. A separate preclinical abstract, 1323-OR, reports that zenagamtide targets feeding-related brain regions and reduced consumption of unhealthy solid and liquid diets in rats; it is scheduled for Monday, June 8, 2:30–2:45 pm CDT [1].
Novo’s stated policy is to submit important results to a conference or journal within 12–18 months after a study is completed, and to submit phase 2–4 results to ClinicalTrials.gov under FDA rules, with layperson summaries posted when results tables are submitted [7]. A full peer-reviewed publication with dropout rates and complete adverse-event detail has not yet appeared [1, 2].
How do the numbers compare with CagriSema?
For context only — these are different drugs in different studies — CagriSema produced a 2.2% mean HbA1c change and a 15.6% body-weight reduction over 32 weeks in a small phase 2 trial, and at Week 68 of a phase 3 trial it produced a 13.7% body-weight reduction with 73.5% of patients reaching HbA1c of 6.5% or lower [2].
Fierce Biotech assessed the amycretin data as being “in the same ballpark” as results from CagriSema trials and rival drugs from Eli Lilly [2]. That is an editorial judgment, not a head-to-head comparison; no trial has directly compared zenagamtide with CagriSema.
What zenagamtide trials are registered?
After seeing the Phase 2 diabetes data, Novo committed to starting Phase 3 development in type 2 diabetes — a shift, since the company had previously framed the drug mainly as an obesity prospect. Lange told analysts in September 2025 that investigating it in diabetes was “prudent” but that obesity was the main interest [2].
Registered ClinicalTrials.gov records include:
- NCT07668414 — zenagamtide versus semaglutide for weight loss in people with excess body weight. This is a head-to-head test against Novo’s own semaglutide [3].
- NCT07720271 — AMAZE 9, testing zenagamtide tablets in people with excess body weight [4].
- NCT07797335 — AMBITION 7, comparing zenagamtide with insulin glargine on blood sugar and body weight in people with type 2 diabetes and increased cardiovascular risk who are treated with 1–3 other diabetes medications [5].
- NCT07668401 — an additional registered zenagamtide study record [6].
Each study’s phase, enrollment count, start date, primary completion date, and recruiting status should be read directly from its live ClinicalTrials.gov record, since those details change as trials progress [3, 4, 5, 6].
Can you sign up for a trial, and what would you actually receive?
To find zenagamtide studies, search ClinicalTrials.gov for both “zenagamtide” and “amycretin,” because older records use the former code name [1]. Novo also runs a trial information hub at novonordisk-trials.com, and it registers all of its studies on ClinicalTrials.gov before recruitment starts; studies with EU sites also appear in the EU Clinical Trials database [7].
One thing to understand before signing up: participation does not guarantee receiving zenagamtide. In NCT07668414, participants may be randomized to semaglutide, and in AMBITION 7, participants may be randomized to insulin glargine — both active drugs, not the study drug [3, 5]. On ClinicalTrials.gov, “not yet recruiting” and “recruiting” are distinct statuses, and an “estimated” enrollment figure is a target number, not a count of people already enrolled [3, 4].
When could zenagamtide be available?
No date can be promised, because none has been published. Novo has stated no FDA filing date and no launch date, and the drug is not approved in any market [1]. The primary completion dates listed in registry records are projections that can change [3, 4, 5]. Even after a trial finishes, Novo’s own policy allows 12–18 months before results are submitted to a conference or journal, and FDA review would follow any filing [7].
Any estimate of an approval year would be an inference from public registry data, not a company statement. The honest answer is that availability depends on Phase 3 results that do not exist yet.
Is “research-use-only” amycretin sold online legitimate?
No approved version of this drug exists anywhere. Zenagamtide is investigational and not approved in the United States, and the only lawful route of access is a registered Novo Nordisk clinical trial [1, 7]. Anything sold online as amycretin or zenagamtide — including products labeled “for research use only” — is not an approved medicine, because no such medicine has been approved.
There is precedent for how this goes: Eli Lilly sued six companies over retatrutide knockoffs sold through compounding and black-market channels [2]. Retatrutide, a GIP/GLP-1/glucagon triple agonist, is Lilly’s next lead candidate and had already become popular through that gray market [2]. Questions about any weight-loss medication should go to a licensed clinician.
Where does zenagamtide fit in the bigger picture?
Novo already markets semaglutide as Wegovy injection 2.4 mg, Wegovy HD injection 7.2 mg, Wegovy tablets 25 mg, Ozempic injection 0.5, 1, or 2 mg, and Ozempic tablets 4 or 9 mg [1]. Its other investigational, not-yet-approved assets include CagriSema, IcoSema, and efruxifermin [1].
On the competitive side, Eli Lilly has Zepbound and Foundayo approved in obesity, with retatrutide as its next lead candidate [2]. Lilly also discontinued an early obesity candidate, LY4064912, in September 2026 after it “didn’t meet our high bar for continued development”; its phase 1 trial, NCT07152002, which had enrolled 77 people, was terminated [2]. Pfizer, meanwhile, completed its acquisition of Metsera after a bidding war with Novo Nordisk [2].
The potential market is large: according to 2023 CDC data, 40.1 million people in the United States have diabetes, and type 2 accounts for 90–95% of cases — an estimated 36–38 million people [1].
What should you watch for next?
A few concrete milestones will tell the story as it develops:
- Peer-reviewed publication of the Phase 2b diabetes dataset, including dropout rates and full adverse-event detail [1, 2].
- Registry status changes — whether the registered obesity and tablet studies begin recruiting; the live ClinicalTrials.gov records show each study’s current status [3, 4].
- The head-to-head readout versus semaglutide in NCT07668414 [3].
Researchers may eventually be able to request anonymized participant-level data for Novo’s phase 2–4 studies started after January 2014 through the Vivli platform — but only once the product is approved in both the EU and the US, which zenagamtide is not [7].
Sources
- Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk advances cardiometabolic pipeline with new data featuring CagriSema and zenagamtide at the American Diabetes Association’s 2026 Scientific Sessions. May 27, 2026.
- Fierce Biotech. Novo expands pivotal program after amycretin shines in diabetes. November 25, 2025.
- ClinicalTrials.gov. A Research Study Investigating How Well the Medicine Zenagamtide Helps People With Excess Body Weight Lose Weight Compared to Semaglutide (NCT07668414).
- ClinicalTrials.gov. AMAZE 9: A Research Study Investigating How Well Zenagamtide Tablets Help People With Excess Body Weight Lose Weight (NCT07720271).
- ClinicalTrials.gov. AMBITION 7: A Research Study Investigating How Well Zenagamtide Lowers Blood Sugar and Body Weight Compared to Insulin Glargine in People With Type 2 Diabetes (NCT07797335).
- ClinicalTrials.gov. Clinical study record NCT07668401.
- Novo Nordisk. Our commitment to share information about clinical studies.
- PubMed. Amycretin, a novel, unimolecular GLP-1 and amylin receptor agonist administered subcutaneously: results from a phase 1b/2a randomised controlled study. Lancet. July 12, 2025.
Frequently asked questions
Is amycretin the same drug as zenagamtide?
Yes. Zenagamtide is the new name for amycretin, the Novo Nordisk investigational drug that acts on both GLP-1 and amylin receptors as a single molecule. Novo's own abstract lists it as "Zenagamtide (Amycretin)," and older trial records still use the amycretin name [1, 2].
Is zenagamtide approved or available by prescription anywhere?
No. Novo Nordisk states that zenagamtide is not approved in the United States, that safety and efficacy have not been established, and that there is no guarantee it will become commercially available. No FDA filing or launch date has been published.
How much weight did people lose on zenagamtide in the diabetes study?
At Week 36 of the Phase 2 study in 448 people with type 2 diabetes, those on the weekly injection lost up to 14.5% of body weight from a mean baseline of 99.2 kg, versus 2.6% on placebo. The daily pill produced up to 10.1% weight loss. Weight loss had not plateaued at Week 36 on higher doses.
How does zenagamtide differ from CagriSema?
CagriSema combines two separate medicines — cagrilintide and semaglutide — in one weekly injection. Zenagamtide hits the same GLP-1 and amylin receptors but as a single molecule, which Novo says allows a single-chamber device and one active ingredient instead of two [1, 2].
Is there a zenagamtide pill as well as an injection?
Yes, both forms are under investigation. Novo lists zenagamtide for oral and subcutaneous administration, and the Phase 2 study tested a once-daily oral version alongside the weekly injection. A registered study, AMAZE 9 (NCT07720271), tests zenagamtide tablets [1, 2, 4].
What side effects were seen in the trials?
The Phase 2 diabetes study showed the expected mix of mostly mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal adverse events, according to Novo. Full adverse-event detail, including dropout rates, awaits a peer-reviewed publication; the current data are a conference abstract, number 1730-P, at the ADA 2026 sessions, June 5–8, 2026 [1, 2].
Can I sign up for a zenagamtide trial, and what would I be randomized to?
Search ClinicalTrials.gov for both "zenagamtide" and "amycretin" and check each record's live recruiting status. Note that in NCT07668414 participants may be randomized to semaglutide, and in AMBITION 7 to insulin glargine — active comparators, not the study drug [1, 3, 5].
Is 'research-use-only' amycretin sold online legitimate?
No approved version of this drug exists anywhere. Zenagamtide is investigational and not approved in the United States, and the only lawful access route is a registered Novo Nordisk clinical trial. Lilly's lawsuits over retatrutide knockoffs sold through compounding and black-market channels show how gray-market copies of unapproved drugs emerge [1, 2, 7].
This article summarizes FDA labeling, published research and company information current as of September 14, 2026. It is not medical advice and does not replace a conversation with your own healthcare provider. How we research and verify.