- UK status: Not licensed by the MHRA; not available on the NHS or by private prescription.
- Global status: Not approved by any regulator — still in clinical trials.
- Developer: Novo Nordisk (the company behind Wegovy and Ozempic).
- What it is: A single molecule acting on both the GLP-1 and amylin receptors, in development as a once-weekly injection and a once-daily tablet.
- Buying it online now: Not safe — there is no legitimate supply anywhere.
What is amycretin?
Amycretin is an experimental obesity and type 2 diabetes drug from Novo Nordisk. It belongs to the same broad family as Wegovy and Ozempic (semaglutide), because it activates the GLP-1 receptor — but it is designed as a single molecule that also switches on the amylin receptor, a second appetite-regulating pathway. Novo Nordisk is developing two versions: a once-weekly under-the-skin injection and a once-daily oral tablet.
It is an early-stage, investigational medicine. Because it is not licensed anywhere, this guide gives no dosing information — there is no approved dose, and no legal way to obtain it in the UK.
Is amycretin available in the UK?
No. For any medicine to be prescribed or sold in the UK it must first be authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Amycretin has no such authorisation — in fact it has not been approved by any regulator in the world, because it is still being tested in clinical trials. So:
- It cannot be prescribed on the NHS.
- It cannot be legally supplied by a UK private clinic or pharmacy.
- There is no approved version of it anywhere in the world to import.
For NHS use, even after any future MHRA licence, a medicine also normally needs a NICE appraisal before it is routinely funded. For amycretin, both of those steps are still years away.
What did the trials show?
Amycretin has been through early-phase (phase 1 and phase 2) trials, which is why it has been in the news. These are early studies focused mainly on safety, in relatively small numbers of people — not the large, long registration trials a licence is based on. The figures below are trial-level, manufacturer-reported results, not a promise of what any individual would experience.
| Study | Form & group | Reported result |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1b/2a (125 adults with overweight/obesity) | Weekly injection, highest dose (60 mg), 36 weeks | Average weight loss of up to 24.3% versus 1.1% with placebo |
| Phase 1 (144 adults with overweight/obesity) | Daily tablet, highest dose (100 mg), 12 weeks | Average weight loss of 13.1% versus 1.2% with placebo (an exploratory finding) |
| Phase 2 (448 adults with type 2 diabetes) | Injection or tablet, 36 weeks | Weight loss of up to 14.5%, plus improved blood-sugar (HbA1c) control — press-release only, not yet peer-reviewed |
The phase 1b/2a injection data and the phase 1 oral data were published in The Lancet in 2025. The type 2 diabetes phase 2 results were announced by Novo Nordisk in a press release in November 2025 and have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal — so they should be treated more cautiously.
As with other GLP-1 medicines, the most common side effects were gut-related (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea). The early trials also reported a notable number of participant withdrawals, and detailed long-term safety data are not yet available. There is no completed cardiovascular-outcomes trial, and no head-to-head trial against injectable medicines like Mounjaro — so eye-catching comparisons to existing treatments should be treated with caution until the full phase 3 evidence is in.
When might amycretin reach the UK?
There is no confirmed UK launch date, and realistically it is years away. Novo Nordisk has moved amycretin into phase 3 trials — the large, final-stage studies needed before any licence. The main obesity trial (part of the "AMAZE" programme) began recruiting in early 2026 and is not expected to complete until around 2029. Only after those results would regulators such as the MHRA and the European Medicines Agency review it, and NHS funding would then require a separate NICE appraisal.
Any specific "coming to the UK by a certain date" claims you see online are estimates, not official commitments. We will update this page as the UK regulatory position changes.
What UK patients can do now
- Don't try to buy amycretin or "zenagamtide" online — there is no safe, legal source anywhere in the world.
- Talk to your GP or pharmacist about weight management. If a medicine is appropriate, licensed options such as Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) are available in the UK through proper routes.
- Be sceptical of headline numbers. A "24%" figure comes from a small, early trial focused on safety; it is not a guarantee, and the long-term UK evidence and licensing are not yet in place.
- If you take a GLP-1 medicine already, read up on protecting muscle during weight loss in our guide on GLP-1 medicines and muscle loss.
Related reading
Orforglipron (oral GLP-1 pill)
Another next-generation weight-loss drug and its UK status.
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) in the UK
A licensed option: availability, price and access.
Wegovy & Ozempic (semaglutide)
Licensed weight-loss and diabetes options in the UK.
Do GLP-1 medicines cause muscle loss?
What the evidence says, and how to protect muscle.
We'll track amycretin's UK status for you
MediWatch monitors UK medicine availability and licensing. Search and set up free alerts.
Search shortages free →Official & primary sources: MHRA (gov.uk) · NICE technology appraisals · Amycretin phase 1b/2a (subcutaneous) and phase 1 (oral) results, The Lancet, 2025 · Novo Nordisk phase 2 type 2 diabetes press release, 25 November 2025 · ClinicalTrials.gov AMAZE-1 phase 3 obesity trial (primary completion ~2029).
MediWatch is not medical advice. Do not buy prescription medicines from unregulated sellers. Always ask a pharmacist, GP, specialist, NHS 111, or emergency services if you are unsure or unwell.