Amycretin: how does it work, and what have studies found so far?
Clinical review pending
Amycretin acts on both GLP-1 and amylin receptors. What early studies suggest about weight loss and tolerability, and which questions remain open.
What is amycretin?
Amycretin is an experimental medicine for weight management. It activates two receptors through which hormones influence appetite: the GLP-1 receptor and the amylin receptor. Early studies show weight loss; how lasting that effect is, and how well a longer course of treatment would be tolerated, remain open questions.
Amycretin is also known as zenagamtide 1. Novo Nordisk is developing it in two forms: an injection under the skin given once a week and an oral form taken once a day. Amycretin is still being studied in clinical trials and has not yet been approved for any use.
How does amycretin work?
Amycretin combines two signaling pathways that influence appetite. It activates the GLP-1 receptor [2], through which a gut hormone belonging to the incretin family acts. Medicines such as semaglutide also target this receptor. When it is activated:
- Insulin release increases when blood sugar is high.
- The stomach empties more slowly.
- Appetite decreases.
Amycretin also activates the amylin receptor [3]. This receptor responds to amylin, a hormone made by the pancreas that promotes a feeling of fullness.
Each pathway can reduce food intake on its own. Amycretin is designed to combine them in one molecule so that their fullness signals complement each other. The hypothesis is that together they could reduce food intake more than either pathway alone. Whether this mechanism also delivers a lasting benefit needs to be established in clinical trials.
Is amycretin FDA-approved?
No. Amycretin is still being studied in clinical trials and is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration or any other regulatory authority. According to Novo Nordisk, the early trial findings support moving both forms into phase 3 studies for weight management: the subcutaneous form, injected under the skin, and the oral form, taken by mouth. The phase 3 AMAZE 1 trial began enrolling participants in February 2026 4.
What does the research show?
The human data available so far come from early-phase trials. Two published studies examined the subcutaneous and oral forms:
| Study | Duration | Findings |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1b/2a study of the subcutaneous form 3, involving 125 adults with overweight or obesity | Up to 36 weeks | Weight loss increased with dose. At 36 weeks, weight had fallen by 24.3% with a 60 mg dose, compared with 1.1% with placebo 3 (p < 0.0001). Gastrointestinal side effects were mostly mild to moderate. However, a notably high number of participants stopped the study or treatment. |
| First-in-human study of the oral form 5 | 12 weeks | The main focus was safety and drug levels in the body. The study also recorded changes in weight to look for early signs of a possible effect. This analysis was exploratory: it was intended to investigate the possibility rather than establish a firm conclusion. |
Both studies were small and ran for only a short time. Efficacy results from phase 3 trials are not yet available. These early findings therefore do not establish how amycretin works over the longer term or how well it is tolerated with extended use.