New Weight Loss Drug CagriSema Shows Impressive Results in Clinical Trials
CagriSema is a once-weekly injection of semaglutide and cagrilintide. Clinical trial results for CagriSema showed significant improvements in A1C, weight loss, and time in range, marking it as a promising new type 2 diabetes and weight management treatment.
Developed by Novo Nordisk, CagriSema is a combination medication of cagrilintide and the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide.
You may be familiar with semaglutide, known by its brand name Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight management. Cagrilintide mimics the hormone amylin, which is produced by the pancreas. Together with insulin, amylin makes people feel full after eating a meal.
CagriSema has been shown to work for weight loss and lowering blood sugar in multiple clinical trials, indicating it could be a potential new treatment option for type 2 diabetes and weight management.
What the research says
Recent results from a late-stage clinical trial called REDEFINE 1, which included 3,417 people with overweight or obesity (without type 2 diabetes), showed that CagriSema led to almost 23% weight loss, surpassing cagrilintide and semaglutide alone. Nearly all participants lost at least 5% of their body weight, and roughly 60% reached their weight loss target of 20% or more.
Another recently completed phase 3 clinical trial called REDEFINE 2, which included 1,207 adults with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity, found that after 68 weeks, CagriSema led to weight loss of almost 16% – experts say the highest yet in the type 2 population, compared to other weight management drugs like tirzepatide (Mounjaro for diabetes, Zepbound for weight loss) and semaglutide. Roughly 30% of participants achieved their weight loss target of 20% or more.
While not as high as the 23% weight loss seen in REDEFINE 1, 16% is still significant. Around 74% of participants also achieved an A1C of 6.5% or less, indicating that CagriSema could be another effective treatment option for type 2 diabetes and weight management. Researchers aren't exactly clear why the drug appears to work better in people with overweight or obesity (but not diabetes) compared to people with diabetes who also have overweight or obesity.
Similar to other GLP-1 drugs, CagriSema had mild to moderate side effects, which were mainly gastrointestinal (including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation) and diminished over time. There were no instances of level 2 (less than 54 mg/dL) or level 3 hypoglycemia (severe low blood sugar requiring the assistance of others).
CagriSema is still in the research phase and has not yet been approved by the FDA. Several other CagriSema trials are currently ongoing, including one for people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease and another comparing CagriSema and tirzepatide for type 2 diabetes.
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