Amycretin

Amycretin is Novo Nordisk’s experimental weight-loss and diabetes drug that combines two mechanisms in one molecule: it activates both the GLP-1 receptor, the same target as semaglutide, and the amylin receptor, the same general target as cagrilintide, at once. In early and mid-stage human trials it produced up to 22% weight loss and meaningful blood-sugar improvement, with both an injectable and a once-daily oral version in development. It is not approved anywhere and remains in clinical testing, with phase 3 trials planned to start in 2026.

Research snapshot

Peptide category	Dual (bifunctional) incretin/amylin receptor co-agonist
Primary research interest	Obesity/weight management, type 2 diabetes
Highest available evidence	Published human clinical trial (phase 1b/2a, subcutaneous, The Lancet, 2025); additional phase 2 data announced by the company but not yet confirmed as independently peer-reviewed
Human research available	Yes — multiple completed human trials (phase 1 oral, phase 1b/2a subcutaneous, phase 2 in type 2 diabetes)
Development status	Phase 2 completed; phase 3 program planned to begin in 2026 across both oral and subcutaneous formulations
Regulatory status	Not approved anywhere; investigational only
Last reviewed	September 27, 2026

Technical identity

Primary name	Amycretin
Alternative names	Zenagamtide (proposed INN), NNC0487-0111, NN9487, NN 9487
Peptide sequence	Not reliably established in publicly available sources reviewed for this page
Amino-acid length	68 amino acids (single peptide chain)
Molecular formula	Not reliably established in publicly available sources reviewed for this page
Molecular weight	Not reliably established in publicly available sources reviewed for this page
CAS Registry Number	Conflicting figures appear across vendor and database listings (3051672-09-1 and 3005889-81-3 both circulate); not resolved to one confirmed number from authoritative sources
PubChem CID	Not identified
UNII	Not established
DrugBank ID	Not established
Chemical modifications	Engineered as a single covalently linked molecule combining GLP-1-analog and amylin-analog activity; the oral formulation is co-formulated with the absorption enhancer SNAC (salcaprozate sodium), also used in oral semaglutide
Peptide class	Dual incretin/amylin receptor co-agonist
Primary biological target	GLP-1 receptor and the amylin receptor (a calcitonin receptor/RAMP complex)
Developer or originator	Novo Nordisk
Development status	Phase 2 complete in both obesity and type 2 diabetes populations; phase 3 program planned to begin in 2026

What is Amycretin?

Amycretin is an experimental drug being developed by Novo Nordisk, the company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, for weight management and type 2 diabetes. What sets it apart from those earlier drugs is that it targets two different hormone receptors with a single molecule instead of one: it activates the GLP-1 receptor, the same target as semaglutide, and it also activates the amylin receptor, the same general target as cagrilintide and pramlintide.

GLP-1 and amylin are both hormones the gut and pancreas release around meals that signal fullness to the brain, but they work through different receptors and somewhat different pathways. Combining agonism at both receptors in one molecule is intended to produce a stronger effect on appetite and weight than hitting either pathway alone, an approach Novo Nordisk is also pursuing with its separate GLP-1/amylin combination products.

Amycretin is being developed in two parallel forms: a once-weekly subcutaneous injection and a once-daily oral tablet, using the same SNAC absorption-enhancer technology as Rybelsus, the oral form of semaglutide. Both forms have completed early- and mid-stage human trials as of this review, with results published or announced showing substantial weight loss and, in people with type 2 diabetes, meaningful blood-sugar improvement. It has not been approved for any use anywhere, and Novo Nordisk has stated it plans to begin phase 3 trials, the final stage before a potential approval application, in 2026.

Because of the strong early results and Novo Nordisk’s track record with semaglutide and tirzepatide-class drugs, Amycretin has attracted significant press and social-media attention as a possible next-generation weight-loss drug, well ahead of any approval or commercial availability.

How does it work?

Plain-English explanation

After eating, your gut and pancreas release hormones that tell your brain you’re full and help regulate blood sugar. Two of those hormones are GLP-1 and amylin. Most current weight-loss drugs, like semaglutide, copy just GLP-1. Amycretin is built to copy both GLP-1 and amylin at the same time with one molecule, which appears to produce a stronger reduction in appetite and food intake than targeting either one alone.

Technical explanation

Amycretin is a single, unimolecular 68-amino-acid peptide combining GLP-1 receptor agonist activity with amylin receptor agonist activity. The amylin receptor is a complex formed from the calcitonin receptor and a receptor activity-modifying protein (RAMP), so amylin-receptor agonists in this class are sometimes described as also engaging calcitonin-receptor biology. Dual activation of the GLP-1 and amylin receptors is thought to act on complementary appetite-regulating circuits in the brainstem and hypothalamus, and amylin receptor agonism in particular has been associated with reduced body-weight defense, the body’s tendency to resist weight loss, which may help explain the larger weight-loss magnitude seen in early trials compared with GLP-1-only drugs.

Potential benefits and research applications

Weight loss in people with overweight or obesity

In a phase 1b/2a randomized, placebo-controlled trial (125 participants, subcutaneous dosing, up to 36 weeks), amycretin produced weight loss of up to 22% at the highest maintenance dose, compared with roughly a 2% weight gain in the placebo group. A separate phase 1 oral trial (12 weeks, healthy participants with overweight or obesity) showed 10.4% and 13.1% weight loss at the two doses tested, versus 1.1% with placebo. This is published and company-reported human clinical trial evidence, among the strongest available for any compound on this site, though sample sizes remain modest and trials were short relative to a lifetime of use.

Blood-sugar control in type 2 diabetes

In a phase 2 trial in 448 people with type 2 diabetes (HbA1c 7.0–10.0%) inadequately controlled on metformin, amycretin reduced HbA1c by up to 1.8 percentage points (subcutaneous) or 1.5 percentage points (oral), with the majority of participants in the higher-dose groups reaching an HbA1c below 7%. Weight loss was also substantial in this population, up to 14.5% subcutaneous and up to 10.1% oral. This is company-announced human trial data; independent full peer-reviewed publication had not been confirmed for this specific trial at the time of this review.

What dosage information circulates?

Figures in this section summarize amounts and schedules reported in published research or circulating online. Their inclusion documents what is reported and does not establish that a regimen is verified, safe, effective, or appropriate.

Reported use or research objective	Route reported	Amount reported	Frequency reported	Reported duration	Evidence or source category
Weight loss, overweight/obesity	Subcutaneous	1.25 mg, 5 mg, or 20 mg (maintenance dose)	Once weekly	Up to 36 weeks	Published human clinical trial (The Lancet, 2025)
Weight loss, overweight/obesity	Oral	50 mg or 100 mg	Once daily	12 weeks	Registered human trial, company-reported topline results
Weight loss and glycemic control, type 2 diabetes	Subcutaneous	0.4 to 40 mg (six dose groups)	Once weekly	Up to 36 weeks	Registered human trial, company-reported topline results
Weight loss and glycemic control, type 2 diabetes	Oral	6, 25, or 50 mg	Once daily	Up to 36 weeks	Registered human trial, company-reported topline results
General “research peptide” use (community)	Subcutaneous (as sold)	No consistent figure identified	No consistent figure identified	No consistent figure identified	Social media / community / vendor reported, origin unclear

Amounts studied in human research

Subcutaneous phase 1b/2a trial in overweight/obesity: 1.25 mg, 5 mg, or 20 mg maintenance dose, once weekly, up to 36 weeks (published, The Lancet, 2025). Oral phase 1 trial in overweight/obesity: 50 mg or 100 mg once daily, 12 weeks (registered human trial, company-reported topline results). Type 2 diabetes phase 2 trial: six subcutaneous dose groups from 0.4 to 40 mg once weekly, and three oral doses of 6, 25, or 50 mg once daily, both up to 36 weeks (registered human trial, company-reported topline results). Every figure here comes from Novo Nordisk’s own registered clinical trials; there is no approved product, and no independent human dosing outside the company’s trial program exists.

Amounts studied in animal research

Not consistently reported in the sources reviewed for this page; Novo Nordisk’s public disclosures on amycretin have focused on the human trial program rather than published preclinical dosing.

Practitioner and community-reported protocols

No established or reliably sourced consumer dosing information was identified. There is no meaningful community dosing tradition for amycretin the way there is for older peptides, because it has never been available as an approved or even widely accessible compounded product. What does exist is a growing amount of social media and press coverage treating amycretin as a likely “next Ozempic,” largely on the strength of the 22% weight-loss headline figure, well before any approval, and a handful of peptide-vendor listings selling material labeled “Amycretin” or by its development code, with CAS numbers that do not agree with each other across sites and no dosing information independent of Novo Nordisk’s own trial data.

Side effects, risks, and limitations

The most consistently reported side effects across all amycretin trials so far are gastrointestinal: nausea, vomiting, and related complaints, generally described as mild to moderate and consistent with what is seen with other GLP-1- and amylin-based drugs. Because amycretin has not completed phase 3 trials or been used in a large, long-term, or diverse population, its full safety profile, including rare adverse events and effects with years of continuous use, remains unknown. There is no long-term cardiovascular, cancer-risk, or pregnancy safety data yet, which is typical for a compound at this stage of development but still a real limitation. Any peptide sold online under the name “Amycretin” outside Novo Nordisk’s own clinical trial program is not a verified, tested, or regulated version of the actual investigational drug, and carries the same generic unregulated-compound risks as any other research-chemical peptide: unverified identity, purity, concentration, and sterility.

Regulatory and developmental status

Amycretin is not approved for any use anywhere in the world. It remains an investigational drug in Novo Nordisk’s pipeline. As of this review, it has completed phase 1 (oral), phase 1b/2a (subcutaneous, obesity/overweight), and phase 2 (both formulations, type 2 diabetes) trials, with Novo Nordisk stating an intention to begin phase 3 development in 2026 across multiple indications and both the oral and subcutaneous formulations. Phase 3 is typically the final stage of testing before a company can apply for regulatory approval, but approval itself, if it comes, is still likely years away. Date verified: 2026-09-21.

Frequently asked questions

What is Amycretin?

An experimental Novo Nordisk drug that activates both the GLP-1 receptor and the amylin receptor with a single molecule, being developed for weight loss and type 2 diabetes.

How is Amycretin different from Ozempic or Wegovy?

Those drugs (semaglutide) only target the GLP-1 receptor. Amycretin targets GLP-1 and amylin receptors together, which early trials suggest produces greater weight loss.

What dosage has been studied?

Subcutaneous doses of 1.25, 5, and 20 mg weekly, and oral doses of 50–100 mg daily, in the completed obesity trials; a wider range of subcutaneous and oral doses in the type 2 diabetes trial. All of this is trial-only dosing, not a consumer product.

How much weight loss has been shown?

Up to 22% in the subcutaneous obesity trial and up to 14.5% in the type 2 diabetes trial, both substantially more than placebo.

Has it been studied in humans?

Yes. Amycretin has completed multiple human trials, phase 1 and phase 1b/2a in obesity/overweight, and phase 2 in type 2 diabetes, with phase 3 trials planned to start in 2026.

Is it approved for anything?

No. It remains investigational.

Can I buy Amycretin as a peptide?

Some research-chemical vendors sell material labeled “Amycretin” or by its development code, but there is no approved product, no verified consumer dosing information, and no way to confirm the identity or purity of what is being sold.

What remains unknown?

Long-term safety over years of use, how it performs in phase 3 trials with larger and more diverse populations, and when or whether it will ultimately be approved.

Bottom line

Amycretin has some of the strongest published human clinical trial evidence of any compound on this site, including a well-designed, peer-reviewed phase 1b/2a study showing up to 22% weight loss. It is a genuinely promising drug in active late-stage development, not a fringe or purely theoretical compound. That said, it remains unapproved, has not completed phase 3 trials, and has real gastrointestinal side effects that were common even in short trials. Social media and press interest already treat it as a likely blockbuster, and unregulated vendors have started selling material under its name, well ahead of any approval, verified consumer dosing, or long-term safety data. The clinical story here is genuinely encouraging; the online marketplace around it is running well ahead of the science.