Amycretin: The GLP-1 + Amylin Drug Hitting 24% Weight Loss
Novo Nordisk's answer to retatrutide takes a different route - pairing GLP-1 with amylin, a satiety hormone the entire industry had largely ignored. And unusually, both an injection and a pill are advancing at the same time.
Last updated: August 3, 2026
Amycretin Is Not FDA Approved
Amycretin is investigational. It is not approved, not available by prescription, and cannot legally be dispensed by any pharmacy, including compounding pharmacies. Anything sold online as "amycretin" is operating outside pharmaceutical regulation entirely. Approved, physician-supervised options are covered at the end of this article.
Quick Answer
Amycretin is a unimolecular GLP-1 and amylin receptor co-agonist from Novo Nordisk - one molecule that activates two different satiety systems. In results published in The Lancet, once-weekly subcutaneous amycretin at up to 60 mg reduced body weight by 24% at 36 weeks, versus about 1% on placebo. The 60 mg group specifically showed -24.3% versus -1.1%.
An oral version is advancing in parallel. Exploratory results showed 100 mg per day of oral amycretin produced 13.1% mean weight loss versus 1.2% on placebo - a remarkable figure for a pill.
Novo Nordisk has advanced both the subcutaneous and oral formulations into Phase 3, with trials expected to begin around early 2026. No approval date exists.
What Is Amycretin?
Amycretin (development code NNC0487-0111) is an investigational obesity medication from Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy. It is described as a unimolecular GLP-1 and amylin receptor co-agonist.
"Unimolecular" is the technically interesting word. It means amycretin is a single engineered molecule that activates both the GLP-1 receptor and the amylin receptor - not two drugs combined in one syringe. That distinction matters, and it is what separates amycretin from CagriSema, which combines two separate molecules (semaglutide and cagrilintide) in a fixed-dose formulation.
Novo Nordisk is developing amycretin in two formulations at once: a once-weekly subcutaneous injection and a daily oral tablet. Running both through late-stage development in parallel is unusual and signals genuine confidence in the molecule.
Why Amylin Is the Interesting Part
Almost every headline obesity drug of the past decade has worked by stacking incretin hormones - GLP-1, then GIP, then glucagon. Amycretin goes somewhere different.
Amylin is a hormone co-secreted with insulin by the pancreas. It is a genuine satiety signal, but it works through separate pathways from GLP-1:
- Different brain targets. Amylin acts largely in the area postrema and hindbrain, complementing rather than duplicating GLP-1's hypothalamic effects.
- Meal termination. Amylin contributes to the signal that ends a meal - the sense of having had enough - rather than general background hunger suppression.
- Slows gastric emptying through its own mechanism.
- Suppresses inappropriate glucagon after meals.
Why combining them may beat stacking incretins. GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon are all incretin-family signals working through overlapping machinery, which is part of why adding each one yields diminishing returns. Amylin is a genuinely separate satiety system. Activating two independent pathways at once may produce a more additive effect - and there is preliminary interest in whether amylin agonism helps preserve lean mass better than incretins alone, though that remains an open question rather than an established finding.
Novo is pursuing amylin on two fronts. CagriSema pairs semaglutide with the amylin analogue cagrilintide as separate molecules; amycretin builds both activities into one. See our CagriSema guide for the other approach.
Trial Results: Injectable and Oral
Early-phase results for subcutaneous amycretin were published in The Lancet, examining safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and effects on body weight.
| Formulation and Dose | Duration | Mean Weight Loss | Placebo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subcutaneous, up to 60 mg weekly | 36 weeks | 24% (60 mg group: -24.3%) | ~1% (-1.1%) |
| Subcutaneous, 20 mg | 28 weeks | ~22% | - |
| Subcutaneous, 5 mg | 28 weeks | ~16% | - |
| Oral, 100 mg daily | Exploratory | 13.1% | 1.2% |
Two things stand out. First, the dose-response is steep and clean - 16% at 5 mg, 22% at 20 mg, 24% at 60 mg. That is the signature of a drug where higher exposure genuinely delivers more, rather than plateauing early.
Second, 24% at just 36 weeks is exceptionally fast. For comparison, retatrutide reached 28.3% but took 80 weeks to get there, and tirzepatide's roughly 20-22% comes from 72-week trials. Amycretin was still on a downward trajectory when the 36-week measurement was taken - what it would reach at 72 or 80 weeks is genuinely unknown.
Separate work in type 2 diabetes reported estimated weight loss of 9.7% at 20 weeks on a 1.25 mg dose and 16.2% at 28 weeks, alongside HbA1c reductions - the usual pattern where diabetes populations lose less than non-diabetic ones.
Important caveat on early-phase data. These are early-phase and exploratory results with small sample sizes and short durations. Phase 3 trials are larger, longer, and more rigorous, and effect sizes frequently shrink when a drug moves from early trials into full development. Treat 24% as a promising signal, not a confirmed outcome.
Oral vs Injectable Amycretin
| Factor | Subcutaneous | Oral |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Once weekly | Daily |
| Reported weight loss | Up to 24% at 36 weeks | 13.1% (exploratory) |
| Dose studied | Up to 60 mg weekly | 100 mg daily |
| Phase 3 status | Advancing | Advancing |
The oral figure deserves context rather than dismissal. 13.1% from a pill would place oral amycretin among the most effective oral obesity drugs ever tested - ahead of Foundayo's roughly 12% and competitive with the Wegovy pill's 13.6%. Amycretin is a peptide, so an oral version faces the same absorption problem semaglutide does, and getting 13.1% out of that is a real achievement.
For where oral GLP-1s stand today, see our best oral GLP-1 comparison.
Amycretin vs Retatrutide vs CagriSema
| Drug | Mechanism | Weight Loss | Maker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amycretin | GLP-1 + amylin (one molecule) | 24% at 36 weeks | Novo Nordisk |
| Retatrutide | GLP-1 + GIP + glucagon | 28.3% at 80 weeks | Eli Lilly |
| CagriSema | GLP-1 + amylin (two molecules) | Up to ~25% | Novo Nordisk |
| MariTide | GLP-1 agonist + GIP antagonist | ~20% at 52 weeks | Amgen |
| Tirzepatide (approved) | GLP-1 + GIP | ~20-22% | Eli Lilly |
On raw percentage, retatrutide leads. But the time axis matters enormously and is usually ignored in these comparisons. Amycretin's 24% arrived at 36 weeks; retatrutide's 28.3% took 80. If amycretin sustains its trajectory over a comparable period, the ranking could look very different - which is precisely what Phase 3 is designed to answer.
See also our guides to retatrutide, MariTide, and survodutide.
Development Timeline
Novo Nordisk announced it was advancing amycretin to Phase 3 based on early-phase results published in The Lancet, with trials expected to begin around early 2026 testing both the injectable and oral formulations.
Realistic sequencing from there:
- Phase 3 enrollment and dosing - large trials typically run 68 to 80 weeks for obesity endpoints
- Data readout and analysis - months after the last patient completes
- Regulatory submission and review - additional months, and priority pathways can compress but not eliminate this
Practical translation: amycretin is years away, not months. No approval date has been announced, and obesity drug timelines routinely slip. Do not build a treatment plan around it.
What to Do Now
The case against waiting is the same one that applies to every pipeline drug: the health costs of carrying excess weight accrue continuously, while approval dates remain uncertain. Losing 20% starting now beats losing 24% starting at an unknown future date.
There is also a practical benefit to starting on an approved GLP-1: you learn how your body handles this class of drug, which makes any future transition smoother. Tirzepatide at roughly 20-22% is the most effective approved option, and Wegovy HD reaches about 20.7%.
Start With an Approved Option Today
Amycretin is years from market. Physician-supervised compounded semaglutide is available now from $249/month through Coreage Rx - consultation, medication, shipping, and ongoing dose management included, with every step handled by licensed clinicians.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much weight loss does amycretin produce?
In results published in The Lancet, once-weekly subcutaneous amycretin at up to 60 mg reduced body weight by 24% at 36 weeks versus about 1% on placebo, with the 60 mg group specifically at -24.3% versus -1.1%. Lower doses produced roughly 16% at 5 mg and 22% at 20 mg over 28 weeks. Oral amycretin at 100 mg daily produced 13.1% versus 1.2% on placebo in exploratory results.
When will amycretin be available?
No approval date has been announced. Novo Nordisk advanced amycretin to Phase 3 based on early-phase results, with trials expected to begin around early 2026 for both injectable and oral formulations. Phase 3 obesity trials typically run 68 to 80 weeks, followed by analysis, regulatory submission, and review. Realistically that means years, and obesity drug timelines frequently slip.
What is the difference between amycretin and tirzepatide?
Tirzepatide activates GLP-1 and GIP receptors - both incretin hormones. Amycretin activates GLP-1 and amylin receptors, and amylin is a genuinely separate satiety system acting largely through the hindbrain rather than duplicating GLP-1's pathways. Both are single engineered molecules. Tirzepatide is approved and available; amycretin is investigational.
Is amycretin better than retatrutide?
Too early to say, and the trials are not directly comparable. Retatrutide reported 28.3% at 80 weeks; amycretin reported 24% at just 36 weeks. Amycretin got most of the way there in less than half the time, but nobody knows where it lands at 80 weeks. Both are investigational, neither is approved, and only head-to-head Phase 3 data would settle it.
How is amycretin different from CagriSema?
Both are Novo Nordisk products combining GLP-1 and amylin activity, but structurally they differ. CagriSema is a fixed-dose combination of two separate molecules - semaglutide plus the amylin analogue cagrilintide. Amycretin is unimolecular: a single engineered molecule that activates both receptors. CagriSema is further along in development.
Can I buy amycretin online?
No, not legally or safely. Amycretin is investigational and not FDA approved, so no pharmacy - including compounding pharmacies - can legally dispense it. Anything marketed online as amycretin, typically labeled a research peptide, operates entirely outside pharmaceutical regulation, with no verified identity, potency, purity, or sterility, and no medical oversight.
What is amylin and why does it matter?
Amylin is a hormone co-secreted with insulin by the pancreas that signals satiety, slows gastric emptying, and suppresses inappropriate glucagon. It works largely through the hindbrain, separate from GLP-1's hypothalamic pathways. Because GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon are all incretin-family signals with overlapping machinery, pairing GLP-1 with a genuinely independent system like amylin may produce more additive effects than stacking further incretins.
Should I wait for amycretin instead of starting treatment now?
Generally no. Amycretin is years from potential approval with no announced date, while the health effects of untreated obesity accumulate the entire time you wait. Approved options already deliver 20-22%. Starting now also teaches you how your body responds to this drug class, which makes any future switch smoother.
Medical Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Amycretin is an investigational drug that has not been approved by the FDA and is not available by prescription. Nothing here should be interpreted as encouragement to obtain it from any source. Clinical trial figures cited come from early-phase and exploratory studies with small sample sizes; effect sizes commonly change in larger Phase 3 trials and do not predict individual results. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication or weight loss strategy. HealthyPound may receive compensation from affiliate partners mentioned in this article. See our affiliate disclosure and full medical disclaimer.