Description
Cagrilintide functions as a non-selective agonist for amylin receptors (AMYRs) and calcitonin receptors (CTRs). It is designed to help manage obesity through mechanisms that reduce food intake and promote weight loss in a dose-dependent manner.
The primary mechanism of cagrilintide involves its interaction with AMYRs and CTRs, which are widely expressed in the brain and are crucial for regulating satiety. By activating these receptors, cagrilintide effectively communicates a sense of fullness to the brain’s homeostatic centers, particularly in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and area postrema (AP) of the brainstem. This may reduce patients’ desire to eat and decrease their overall food intake, leading to weight loss. Cagrilintide slows gastric emptying and suppresses glucagon secretion. These effects contribute to longer periods of satiety after meals and more stable blood glucose levels, which are beneficial for weight management and metabolic health.
As evident from the results, 2.4 mg/weekly cagrilintide proved more effective for weight reduction than 2.4 mg/weekly semaglutide. Moreover, cagrilintide significantly enhances the weight loss and antidiabetic properties of the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide.
