Description

Cagrilintide and retatrutide are two investigational medicines being developed primarily for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Both belong to a new generation of injectable peptide-based therapies that work by targeting multiple hormonal pathways simultaneously, offering potentially greater metabolic benefits than earlier single-receptor agents.

Cagrilintide is a long-acting amylin analogue. Amylin is a hormone naturally co-secreted with insulin from the pancreatic beta cells. It helps regulate appetite, slow gastric emptying, and reduce post-meal blood glucose spikes. Cagrilintide mimics these effects, promoting satiety and reducing caloric intake. It is most often studied in combination with semaglutide (a GLP-1 receptor agonist) in a fixed-dose combination known as CagriSema, investigated in the REDEFINE trial programme.

Retatrutide is a triple hormone receptor agonist, acting on three receptors simultaneously:

• GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) — reduces appetite and slows gastric emptying

• GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) — enhances insulin secretion and may improve fat metabolism

• Glucagon receptor — increases energy expenditure and promotes fat breakdown