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 Semaglutide — 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.
Semaglutide is an FDA-approved GLP-1 receptor agonist marketed as Ozempic (SubQ, type 2 diabetes), Wegovy (SubQ, chronic weight management and cardiovascular risk reduction in obesity), and Rybelsus (oral, type 2 diabetes). It is a synthetic analog of native GLP-1 with a fatty-acid (C18 diacid) side chain that enables albumin binding, giving it a ~165-hour half-life suitable for once-weekly injection.
Cagrilintide
Semaglutide
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Half-life
Side Effects
COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
Cagrilintide
Semaglutide
COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
Cagrilintide
79
COAs
99.7%
Avg purity
13
Labs
Semaglutide
128
COAs
99.6%
Avg purity
13
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
The STEP program (STEP 1–8) showed average weight loss of roughly 15% of body weight over 68 weeks with weekly 2.4 mg semaglutide (STEP 1: Wilding et al., NEJM 2021, PMID 33567185). The SUSTAIN program established A1c and cardiovascular benefit in type 2 diabetes. The PIONEER program established efficacy of oral semaglutide (Rybelsus) versus placebo, sitagliptin, empagliflozin, and liraglutide (PIONEER 4, PMID 31186120). The SELECT trial (Lincoff et al., NEJM 2023, PMID 37952131) showed a 20% relative reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with overweight/obesity and established cardiovascular disease but without diabetes, leading to an expanded Wegovy indication.
Cagrilintide and Semaglutide 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