Novo Nordisk's dual GLP-1 and amylin receptor agonist has a new name. The compound reported in the literature as amycretin is now referred to as zenagamtide. The change appeared in the company's 2026 communications, including the press release announcing its American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2026 data and its Q2 2026 investor presentation.

The rename does not change the molecule or the evidence base. What follows sets out where zenagamtide currently sits: a single peptide sequence that engages both the GLP-1 receptor and the amylin receptor, under investigation in subcutaneous and oral forms, and unlicensed in the UK. Nothing here is a treatment recommendation, and the compound is a research-stage molecule only.

One molecule, two receptors

Most of the late-stage metabolic pipeline is built from combinations. CagriSema pairs a GLP-1 analogue with the amylin analogue cagrilintide as two separate peptides; retatrutide engages three receptors in a single molecule. Zenagamtide is a unimolecular GLP-1 and amylin receptor co-agonist: one sequence activating both receptors. Novo Nordisk describes it as a unimolecular long-acting GLP-1 and amylin receptor agonist, developed for adults with overweight or obesity and for adults with type 2 diabetes, in subcutaneous and oral administration.

The amylin arm is what distinguishes it from a plain GLP-1. The amylin analogues are a separate sub-class with their own tolerability profile, covered elsewhere in this library.

What is published

The key peer-reviewed dataset is the Phase 1b/2a subcutaneous study, reported in The Lancet in 2025. It was a randomised, controlled dose-finding study in participants with overweight or obesity, registered as NCT06064006, with safety and tolerability as the primary endpoint and body-weight change a secondary measure.

The tolerability findings were consistent with the incretin and amylin classes: treatment-emergent adverse events were predominantly gastrointestinal, and the majority were mild to moderate in severity. Company-reported dose-response data from the same programme show a widening separation from placebo across 36 weeks as the dose rises, with the largest body-weight change recorded at the 60 mg dose.

ADA 2026 and the Phase 2b type 2 diabetes data

At the ADA Scientific Sessions in New Orleans (5-8 June 2026), Novo Nordisk presented Phase 2b results for once-weekly injectable zenagamtide in type 2 diabetes as a poster presentation, alongside a symposium on the CagriSema REIMAGINE 1-3 Phase 3 results. The Phase 2b programme's primary endpoint was change in HbA1c from baseline to week 36, with body-weight change a secondary endpoint. The company states that zenagamtide will advance into Phase 3 in type 2 diabetes following significant reductions in both body weight and HbA1c in Phase 2. Peer-reviewed publication of the Phase 2b type 2 diabetes study is awaited.

The Phase 3 programmes

Zenagamtide's Phase 3 development runs under two programme names.

  • AMAZE (obesity). Initiated in the first quarter of 2026, with the company exploring doses up to 40 mg. Two further trials have been initiated: AMAZE 4, in obesity with obstructive sleep apnoea, and AMAZE 6, in obesity with knee osteoarthritis.
  • AMBITION (type 2 diabetes). Due to start in the second half of 2026.

The company's pipeline disclosure indicates that the Phase 3 tables include head-to-head comparisons, with semaglutide among the comparators, and that both subcutaneous and oral formulations are being taken forward. Programme timelines are company-stated and directional.

The UK position

Zenagamtide holds no marketing authorisation anywhere, and none in the UK. The MHRA has not licensed it, it is not available on the NHS, and it is not a compound that can be lawfully supplied to consumers as a medicine. A product sold as zenagamtide or as amycretin would sit outside the authorised supply chain and outside the MHRA's oversight.

Evidence grade

On the Peptide Data four-tier scale, zenagamtide is Limited. There is a small randomised Phase 1b/2a dataset with peer-reviewed publication, company-reported Phase 2 data in type 2 diabetes, and Phase 3 programmes now beginning. There are no completed Phase 3 outcomes and no regulatory decision. Across this class, Phase 2 weight-loss signals have not consistently predicted Phase 3 magnitude, and that uncertainty is stated here rather than implied.

What to watch

The AMAZE and AMBITION readouts, and peer-reviewed publication of the Phase 2b type 2 diabetes data.

This article is AI-researched and editorially reviewed. It is provided for research and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Research peptides are not licensed for human consumption in the UK.