Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Head-to-head comparison of Cagrilintide and Orforglipron — mechanism, side effects, legal status, and pricing.
Cagrilintide is a long-acting acylated amylin analog developed by Novo Nordisk. It is investigational and not FDA-approved; Novo Nordisk's lead development path is the CagriSema co-formulation with semaglutide for weight management. Monotherapy cagrilintide was evaluated in Phase 2 but was deprioritized in favor of the combination.
Orforglipron (brand name Foundayo) is Eli Lilly's oral non-peptide small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist. Unlike oral semaglutide (Rybelsus), it does not require the SNAC absorption enhancer or fasting/water restrictions — it can be taken any time of day. Not a peptide.
Cagrilintide
Orforglipron
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Side Effects
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Cagrilintide
Orforglipron
No pricing data yet.
Check Orforglipron prices →COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
Cagrilintide
79
COAs
99.7%
Avg purity
13
Labs
Orforglipron
2
COAs
99.3%
Avg purity
2
Labs
A Phase 2 dose-finding trial of cagrilintide monotherapy demonstrated dose-dependent weight loss of up to 10.8% over 26 weeks versus 3.0% for placebo (Lau et al., The Lancet, 2021). Novo Nordisk pivoted development to the CagriSema co-formulation with semaglutide 2.4 mg. The Phase 3 REDEFINE 1 trial (n=3,417, 68 weeks) in obesity reported ~22.7% mean body weight reduction on the treatment-policy estimand, with 91.9% achieving ≥5% weight loss versus 31.5% for placebo. Novo Nordisk submitted a CagriSema NDA to the FDA in December 2025; the application is under review in 2026. Cagrilintide is not FDA-approved as a standalone therapy, and CagriSema is not yet approved as of April 2026.
Key references
ATTAIN-1 Phase 3 (n=3,127, non-diabetic obesity): mean body-weight change -11.2% with 36 mg at week 72 vs -2.1% placebo; ~59.6% of the 36 mg arm achieved ≥10% loss (Wharton et al., NEJM 2025). ATTAIN-2 (T2D obesity) and the ACHIEVE program (T2D glycemic control) were also positive. FDA approved April 1, 2026 as Foundayo under the Commissioner's National Priority Voucher program for adults with obesity or overweight with ≥1 weight-related comorbidity — the first oral small-molecule GLP-1 RA approved in the US.
Cagrilintide and Orforglipron are both in the Metabolic category and may have overlapping mechanisms. Researchers should review both profiles carefully, understand the mechanisms of action, and monitor the relevant biomarkers when combining compounds in the same class. As always, consult a licensed healthcare provider before making any decisions about combining research compounds.
This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Disclosed Labs