Is Cagrilintide a GLP-1? What It Is and How It Differs (October 2026)

01 · The short answer

Is cagrilintide a GLP-1? The clear answer

Cagrilintide is not a GLP-1 receptor agonist.

If you are reading this because you are considering treatment, the practical point is simple. The licensed UK medicines for weight management are Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4mg). For a deeper look at how the GLP-1 side works, our guide to GLP-1 physiology covers the hormone itself.

02 · At a glance

Cagrilintide vs semaglutide vs tirzepatide

This table sets out how the three names relate.

So the answer to "is cagrilintide the same as semaglutide?" is no. They are different medicines in different classes. Tirzepatide is different again, because it is not a single-pathway GLP-1 medicine either: it activates GIP as well as GLP-1.¹

03 · Your decision

What this means if you want treatment

If your real question is "what can I actually use to lose weight in the UK?", the answer is a licensed medicine, prescribed after a proper assessment. You do not need to pick a mechanism yourself. A prescriber reviews your health history, your BMI and any conditions, then recommends a suitable option.

Our free online consultation takes a short health questionnaire, then a GPhC-registered prescriber reviews it. Payment is taken when you place the order; if the prescriber decides the treatment is not suitable, the order is refunded automatically in full. If you are exploring options more broadly, our weight loss clinic page is a good place to start.

Related guides: Glp 1 remyelination and Glp 1 agonis.

Related guide: Glp 1 adoption.

04 · Amylin versus GLP-1

Amylin versus GLP-1: two different hormones

Why does this matter to a patient? Because the class tells you what to expect from the evidence.

05 · How Mounjaro works

How Mounjaro works, for comparison

Mounjaro is the brand name for tirzepatide, a once-weekly injectable prescription medicine made by Eli Lilly. In the UK it is licensed for weight management in adults and for type 2 diabetes.¹

Tirzepatide is the first treatment of its kind to activate two natural gut-hormone receptors at once: GIP and GLP-1. Together these help regulate appetite, slow how quickly the stomach empties, and improve the way the body responds to insulin. In practice, most people feel fuller sooner and less hungry between meals, which supports a reduced-calorie diet.¹

This dual action is what distinguishes Mounjaro from single-action GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide.¹ Cagrilintide is neither of these. It is not single-action GLP-1 and it is not dual GIP and GLP-1.

Mounjaro comes as a pre-filled multi-dose pen (KwikPen) in six strengths: 2.5mg, 5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg and 15mg.¹ You can read how tirzepatide and cagrilintide are being compared in research on our tirzepatide versus cagrilintide page.

06 · Why the confusion

Why cagrilintide is mistaken for a GLP-1

There are several reasons the label sticks, and they are worth separating out.

• Search engines and social media. Many articles use "GLP-1" as a catch-all for any injectable weight-loss peptide. That shorthand is loose and often wrong.
• Peptide sellers. Some websites use the GLP-1 label to make an unlicensed product sound established. A proper class name, such as amylin analogue, is a better signal of accurate information.

If a page tells you cagrilintide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, treat the rest of its claims with care. The accurate description is amylin analogue.

07 · Using it alone

Can cagrilintide be used alone, and how quickly does it work?

Be cautious of anyone offering a precise schedule, weekly amount or time-of-day rule for cagrilintide; your prescriber can advise.

For a licensed medicine, the dose, the timing and the speed of effect come from the product information and your prescriber. For something without a UK licence, that safety net is missing.

For licensed treatment, the results are described in trial terms. In the SURMOUNT-1 trial of 2,539 adults, people taking tirzepatide alongside diet and exercise lost on average 15% of their body weight on 5mg, 19.5% on 10mg and 20.9% on 15mg over 72 weeks, compared with 3.1% with lifestyle changes alone.² These are trial averages, individual results vary, and treatment works alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, not instead of them.²

Do not read that as a comparison with cagrilintide. Different medicines are studied in different trials, and numbers from separate studies should never be set side by side as if they were head to head.

08 · Buying safely

Buying injectable peptides safely

Be wary of any seller offering to supply an injectable weight-loss peptide without a consultation or prescription. A genuine UK pharmacy needs a prescriber to review you first. Sellers that skip this step are not following the route that protects you.

The MHRA publishes counterfeit medicine alerts and runs the Yellow Card scheme for reporting suspected problems.⁷ If you have a side effect from any medicine, or you suspect a product is fake, you can report it through the Yellow Card scheme.¹⁹

Practical checks that help:

• Look the pharmacy up on the GPhC register. Ours is registered under GPhC 9012878.
• Check that you are asked health questions and that a prescriber reviews the answers.
• Be sceptical of dramatic weight-loss claims, vague sourcing and products with no patient leaflet.
• Avoid anything described as a research chemical or sold for "lab use" if you intend to inject it.

Our Mounjaro is supplied through official LillyDirect supply, direct from Eli Lilly's UK distribution, as genuine KwikPens, and delivered free next-day in temperature-controlled packaging.

09 · Storage and shelf life

How long is a pen good for?

For Mounjaro, the rules are clear and come from the product information.¹

Unopened pens are stored in the fridge until first use, and they keep until the printed expiry date.¹³ Once in use, a KwikPen can be kept out of the fridge at a temperature not above 30°C for up to 30 days after first use, and must then be thrown away. Fridge storage means 2–8°C; never freeze the pen.¹ If you are unsure about a pen that has been out of the fridge, check the patient information leaflet and contact the pharmacy rather than guessing.

The same principle applies to anything you inject: use only products with clear storage instructions from a regulated supplier.

10 · NHS and private routes

NHS and private routes to licensed treatment

Mounjaro is available on the NHS, but access is being phased in over several years. NICE recommends it for adults with a BMI of at least 35 plus at least one weight-related condition, and the NHS primary-care rollout began in June 2025 with the highest-need groups first (initially BMI 40+ with four or more qualifying conditions).⁴⁶ Full rollout is expected to take years, which is why many people who meet the licensed criteria choose regulated private treatment rather than waiting.

A private route does not mean a looser one. The consultation is free, a GPhC-registered prescriber reviews it, and monthly reviews are part of ongoing aftercare. Repeat orders re-check suitability and nothing auto-ships.

11 · Questions to ask

Questions worth asking before any weight-loss injection

Whatever product you are considering, a short list of questions cuts through the noise.

• Is it licensed in the UK for weight management? If not, there is no UK product information to rely on.
• Who is prescribing it? It should be a regulated prescriber who has reviewed your health history.
• Where does it come from? Look for a registered pharmacy and a traceable supply chain.
• What does the leaflet say? A genuine medicine comes with one, covering side effects, storage and who should avoid it.
• What happens if something goes wrong? You should have a named pharmacy and support route.

Mounjaro, as a licensed tirzepatide product, meets each of these. Our support team is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, by email at support@everydaymeds.co.uk, through the account portal chat or by phone on 0333 207 0413.

Treatment is used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a prescription-only medicine, supplied only after an online consultation reviewed by a GPhC-registered prescriber. Individual results vary. This page is information, not a substitute for medical advice.