Cagrilintide is a synthetic long-acting analog of amylin — a pancreatic peptide hormone —
developed under the code AM833. It is not a GLP-1 analog, and it is not a multi-receptor incretin agonist. It acts on
the calcitonin receptor family, which is a separate branch of receptor pharmacology from the incretin compounds it is
often listed beside.
Product page: Cagrilintide.
Identity
PubChem catalogues cagrilintide under CID 171397054 with the molecular formula
C194H312N54O59S2 and a molecular weight of approximately
4409 g/mol. Its structure is a modified amylin backbone carrying a lipid side chain, a design used to extend
circulating half-life; lipidation is a strategy used across long-acting peptide analogs. The development designation AM833 appears in the pharmacology
literature and refers to the same molecule.
Receptor pharmacology
Native amylin signals through receptors formed when the calcitonin receptor associates with receptor
activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs). Fletcher and colleagues characterised AM833 across calcitonin-family G
protein-coupled receptors and compared it with six selective and non-selective agonists, describing it as an agonist of
this receptor family rather than a selective single-receptor ligand.
That paper is the appropriate primary reference for what the molecule does at the receptor level, and it is
laboratory pharmacology rather than a clinical outcome study.
How it differs from the GLP compounds in this catalog
| Material | Class | Primary receptor target |
|---|---|---|
| Cagrilintide | Amylin analog | Calcitonin receptor family (with RAMPs) |
| LP1-S | GLP-1 analog | GLP-1 receptor |
| LP3-R | Triple-receptor agonist | GIPR, GLP-1R and glucagon receptor |
Grouping these three as “GLP compounds” is a category error. They share a research context —
metabolic and endocrine signalling — but not a receptor family, and results from one do not describe another.
Evidence context and limitations
The receptor-pharmacology characterisation is well described. Beyond that, published work on cagrilintide is largely
clinical and concerns endpoints outside the scope of this page. For laboratory research purposes, the useful
literature is the receptor and structural work; anything else should be read as belonging to a clinical development
programme rather than to in-vitro research design.
Research use only
Supplied strictly for in-vitro laboratory research. This page describes identity and receptor pharmacology only. It
contains no dosing, administration or treatment information.
References
PubChem. Cagrilintide — Compound Summary, CID 171397054. National Library of Medicine.