- UK status: Not licensed by the MHRA; not available on the NHS or by private prescription.
- Global status: Investigational — not approved by any regulator worldwide.
- US status: Filed with the FDA (announced 18 December 2025); a US decision is expected around the turn of 2026/2027.
- What it is: A once-weekly injectable combining an amylin analogue (cagrilintide) with a GLP-1 medicine (semaglutide).
- Buying it online now: Not safe — there is no legitimate UK supply.
What is CagriSema?
CagriSema is Novo Nordisk's investigational combination for weight management. It pairs two agents that suppress appetite through different pathways: cagrilintide, a long-acting amylin analogue, and semaglutide, the GLP-1 receptor agonist already familiar in the UK as Wegovy (for weight loss) and Ozempic (for type 2 diabetes). The idea is that adding amylin to semaglutide produces more weight loss than semaglutide alone.
An important detail often lost in headlines: in the REDEFINE trials, cagrilintide and semaglutide were given as two separate weekly injections. The product Novo Nordisk has actually filed for approval is a single fixed-dose combination injection (cagrilintide 2.4 mg with semaglutide 2.4 mg) taken once a week. Because CagriSema is not licensed in the UK, this guide gives no dosing instructions — only a description of what was studied.
Is CagriSema 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). CagriSema does not have that authorisation, so:
- It cannot be prescribed on the NHS.
- It cannot be legally supplied by a UK private clinic or pharmacy.
- A US FDA filing or approval does not carry over to the UK — the MHRA runs its own independent review.
For NHS use, even after any future MHRA licence, a medicine also normally needs a NICE appraisal before it is routinely funded. Those are two separate steps still to come.
What did the REDEFINE-1 trial show?
REDEFINE-1 was a large phase 3 trial (about 3,400 adults with overweight or obesity, but without type 2 diabetes) run over 68 weeks and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. These are trial-level, manufacturer-reported figures — not a promise of individual results:
| Measure (REDEFINE-1) | CagriSema | Placebo |
|---|---|---|
| Average weight change at 68 weeks (regardless of adherence) | −20.4% | −3.0% |
| Average weight change if treatment continued as intended | −22.7% | −2.3% |
| Gastrointestinal (gut) side effects | 79.6% | 39.9% |
| Stopped treatment due to side effects | 5.9% | 3.5% |
As with other GLP-1 medicines, the most common side effects were gut-related (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation) — mostly mild to moderate and temporary, but the GI rate in REDEFINE-1 was among the highest reported for this class of drug. A companion trial, REDEFINE-2, studied adults who had both obesity and type 2 diabetes and reported smaller but still meaningful weight loss alongside improved blood-sugar control.
The Novo Nordisk pipeline timeline
Here is the sequence of events and what still has to happen before CagriSema could reach UK patients:
| Stage | Status (July 2026) |
|---|---|
| REDEFINE-1 & REDEFINE-2 phase 3 results | Reported and published (2025) |
| US FDA filing (New Drug Application) | Announced 18 December 2025; US decision expected around the turn of 2026/2027 |
| MHRA (UK) authorisation | Not confirmed — no UK approval in place |
| NICE appraisal for NHS funding | Not started — only possible after an MHRA licence |
| UK availability (NHS or private) | None — not available by any legitimate route |
There is no confirmed UK launch date. Any specific "coming to the UK by a certain month" dates 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 CagriSema or cagrilintide online — there is no safe, legal UK source yet.
- Talk to your GP or pharmacist about weight management. If a medicine is appropriate, licensed options such as Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) are available in the UK through proper routes.
- Ask about side effects and muscle. GLP-1-based medicines can cause meaningful loss of muscle as well as fat — worth discussing before starting any of them.
- Be sceptical of hype. Higher trial weight-loss numbers do not automatically mean a medicine is right, available, or safe for you.
Related reading
Mounjaro (tirzepatide) in the UK
A licensed option: availability, price and NHS rollout.
Wegovy & Ozempic (semaglutide)
Licensed weight-loss and diabetes options in the UK.
Orforglipron (oral GLP-1 pill)
Another new weight-loss drug and its UK status.
Do GLP-1 medicines cause muscle loss?
What the evidence says, and how to protect muscle.
We'll track CagriSema's UK status for you
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Search shortages free →Official & primary sources: MHRA (gov.uk) · NICE technology appraisals · NHS England: medicines for obesity · REDEFINE-1 (NEJM, 2025; PubMed PMID 40544433) · Novo Nordisk FDA filing announcement, 18 December 2025.
MediWatch is not medical advice and is not affiliated with the NHS. 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.