What is amylin?
Amylin is a pancreatic-beta-cell hormone co-secreted with insulin in response to nutrient intake — a 37-residue peptide also designated IAPP (islet amyloid polypeptide). Amylin regulates gastric emptying, glucagon secretion, and satiety via central amylin-receptor and calcitonin-receptor signalling. The synthetic amylin analogue cagrilintide is the amylin-arm component of.
What the research literature says
The hormone is co-secreted with insulin from pancreatic beta cells in response to meal-induced glucose intake. Its primary actions are at amylin-class receptors formed by heterodimerisation of the calcitonin receptor with receptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs). Through these receptors, amylin slows gastric emptying, suppresses glucagon secretion, and produces centrally-mediated satiety effects — actions complementary to insulin but operating on a different time course and through different receptor pathways.
The synthetic amylin analogue cagrilintide was developed as a long-acting research and pharmaceutical compound. The Kruse cagrilintide development paper characterised the molecule’s engineering — sequence modifications for amylin-receptor selectivity plus a fatty-acid sidechain for albumin-binding-mediated half-life extension (PMID 34288673). The Lau phase 2 dose-finding trial established the weight-management efficacy framework for cagrilintide monotherapy (PMID 34798060).
The combined-formulation the cagrilintide-and-semaglutide combination pairs cagrilintide with semaglutide to engage both amylin-receptor and GLP-1-receptor pharmacology simultaneously. The Enebo phase 1b trial characterised the safety and pharmacokinetic profile of the co-administered combination (PMID 33894838). The Frias phase 2 trial documented efficacy in type 2 diabetes (PMID 37364590).
Why this matters in research context
The amylin-receptor pharmacology axis is a distinct angle on metabolic-and-weight-management research compared to the incretin-receptor (GLP-1, GIP, glucagon) axis. Researchers studying combined-mechanism approaches to weight management increasingly use amylin + incretin combinations as a parallel strategy to multi-receptor incretin agonists. the cagrilintide-and-semaglutide combination represents the most clinically-advanced amylin + incretin combination.
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References
- Enebo LB et al. Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of concomitant administration of multiple doses of cagrilintide with semaglutide 2·4 mg for weight management: a randomised, controlled, phase 1b trial. Lancet 2021;397(10286):1736-1748. [PMID 33894838]
- Kruse T et al. Development of Cagrilintide, a Long-Acting Amylin Analogue. J Med Chem 2021;64(15):11183-11194. [PMID 34288673]
- Lau DCW et al. Once-weekly cagrilintide for weight management in people with overweight and obesity: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled and active-controlled, dose-finding phase 2 trial. Lancet 2021;398(10317):2160-2172. [PMID 34798060]
- Frias JP et al. Efficacy and safety of co-administered once-weekly cagrilintide 2·4 mg with once-weekly semaglutide 2·4 mg in type 2 diabetes: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, active-controlled, phase 2 trial. Lancet 2023;402(10403):720-730. [PMID 37364590]
Research-questions pages describe research-context use of peptide-research terminology. They do not constitute medical, veterinary, or clinical advice. Every compound in the Ronin catalog is sold strictly for laboratory and research use only.