Imcivree (Setmelanotide): How the MC4R Drug Works
Imcivree works by switching on MC4R, a receptor in the brain that tells the body it has eaten enough. Its drug, setmelanotide, is a ring of 8 amino acids copied from alpha-MSH, one of the body's own messengers. That lets it turn MC4R on even when an earlier step in the brain's hunger relay is broken.
Rhythm Pharmaceuticals makes it. In the US it is a prescription drug for three rare groups only. They are acquired hypothalamic obesity, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, and POMC, PCSK1 or LEPR deficiency found by a gene test. It is not a GLP-1 drug, and it is not for ordinary weight loss.
Key facts
What it is: Setmelanotide, an MC4 receptor agonist. It is a ring-shaped peptide of 8 amino acids, about 1,117 daltons, modeled on alpha-MSH.
What it targets: MC4R, the last receptor in a brain relay that runs from leptin to POMC to alpha-MSH. It acts at the end of the chain, so a break further up can be skipped.
Who it is for, as of 8 November 2026: US prescription only. It covers acquired hypothalamic obesity from age 4. It also covers Bardet-Biedl syndrome or gene-confirmed POMC, PCSK1 or LEPR deficiency from age 2.
Who it is not for: General obesity. The label says it would not be expected to work there.
Its best known side effect: Darker skin, seen in most people in the trials, because it also nudges MC1R on pigment cells.
Sources: Imcivree prescribing information, FDA, March 2026; Drugs@FDA, NDA 213793; EMA Imcivree medicine page
What is setmelanotide made of?
Setmelanotide is a short peptide: 8 amino acids joined in a ring. The FDA label calls it an analog of alpha-MSH, which means a built copy of that natural hormone. It weighs about 1,117 daltons, close to bremelanotide, another melanocortin drug, at about 1,025.
The label spells out its full chemical name, and that name lists every building block in order. Read that way, the molecule looks like this:
| Position | Building block | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arginine | Carries an acetyl group on its front end. |
| 2 | Cysteine | One end of the ring. Its sulfur bonds to the cysteine at position 8. |
| 3 | D-alanine | The D form, a mirror image of the usual L form of alanine. |
| 4 | Histidine | Starts a run of four blocks that bremelanotide, another melanocortin drug, also carries. |
| 5 | D-phenylalanine | The second D (mirror-image) block. |
| 6 | Arginine | Part of the shared four-block run. |
| 7 | Tryptophan | Ends the shared four-block run. |
| 8 | Cysteine (as an amide) | Closes the ring through a sulfur to sulfur (disulfide) bond with position 2. |
The ring. The two cysteines, at positions 2 and 8, are joined by a disulfide bond, a link between two sulfur atoms. That bond is what bends the chain into a ring. Two blocks, at positions 3 and 5, are marked D in the chemical name, the mirror-image form. The label does not say why each choice was made, so we do not guess.
A family resemblance. Bremelanotide, the drug in Vyleesi, also acts on melanocortin receptors. Its FDA label shows a ring with the same four-block run: histidine, D-phenylalanine, arginine, tryptophan. Matching the two labels side by side is our own reading, not a claim either label makes.
Its first name. Before it became Imcivree, setmelanotide was tested under the code name RM-493. A 2015 paper came from scientists at the US National Institutes of Health, Vanderbilt University and Rhythm. It notes that RM-493 had already lowered weight and raised energy use in monkeys.
Sources: Imcivree prescribing information, FDA, March 2026; Vyleesi (bremelanotide) label, openFDA; Setmelanotide review, touchREVIEWS in Endocrinology 2024; Calorie burn study, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2015
What is the MC4R hunger relay?
The MC4R relay is a chain of signals in the hypothalamus. It turns "I have eaten" into "I am full." A 2023 review lays it out in steps. After a meal, leptin binds its receptor on POMC nerve cells. Those cells then make more POMC. The enzyme PCSK1 cuts POMC into alpha-MSH and beta-MSH, and these switch on MC4R, which promotes fullness and energy use.
| Step | What it does | If it breaks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Leptin | A hormone made by fat cells. After a meal it carries the news to the hypothalamus, a small part of the brain. | Leptin gene defects are a separate condition, not on the Imcivree label. |
| 2. LEPR | The leptin receptor, sitting on POMC nerve cells. When leptin binds, those cells make more POMC. | LEPR deficiency: the fullness signal cannot be sent. Approved use. |
| 3. POMC | Pro-opiomelanocortin, one long protein that is later cut into several smaller messengers. | POMC deficiency: too little of the message is made. Approved use. |
| 4. PCSK1 | A cutting enzyme that slices POMC into alpha-MSH and beta-MSH. | PCSK1 deficiency: POMC is not cut properly. Approved use. |
| 5. Alpha-MSH and beta-MSH | The small messengers that carry the signal to the last receptor. | Setmelanotide is built as a copy of alpha-MSH, so it can stand in here. |
| 6. MC4R | The melanocortin 4 receptor. Switched on, it promotes fullness and energy use. | MC4R deficiency: not on the Imcivree label. |
One protein, many messages. POMC is not only a hunger signal. A 1998 paper notes that it is cut into ACTH, the hormone that drives the adrenal glands, as well as the MSH hormones and beta-endorphin. That is why a broken POMC gene can cause adrenal problems and pigment changes too, not just hunger.
Sources: Melanocortin pathway review, 2023; EMA Imcivree medicine page; Imcivree prescribing information, FDA, March 2026; POMC defects and red hair, Nature Genetics 1998
What happens when a link in the relay breaks?
When one link breaks, the "meal is done" message never arrives. The European regulator says people with these conditions feel hungry all the time and gain weight fast. The FDA adds a detail for POMC, PCSK1 and LEPR deficiency. Babies are usually a normal weight at birth, but they become severely obese at a young age. In 2020 it counted only about 150 reported cases of the three combined.
What are POMC, PCSK1 and LEPR deficiency?
These are three single-gene conditions, each named for the step that fails. In POMC deficiency, too little of the long POMC protein is made, so there is too little MSH. In PCSK1 deficiency, the cutting enzyme fails, and POMC piles up uncut, as a 1997 case report found. In LEPR deficiency, the leptin receptor does not work, so the fullness signal cannot be sent. A 1998 study was the first to show this in a human family.
What is Bardet-Biedl syndrome?
Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare genetic condition linked to cilia, the tiny antenna-like parts on the surface of cells. The BBS trial report says changes in 27 different genes can cause it. Researchers think faulty cilia upset the MC4R pathway and cause strong hunger, but they also say the exact mechanism is not fully understood. BBS affects more than weight, and this page covers only the part that ties to the relay and to Imcivree.
What is hypothalamic obesity?
Acquired hypothalamic obesity is weight gain that starts after the hypothalamus itself is damaged. That is the part of the brain where the relay runs. The European regulator says it can follow an injury or an underlying disease. To join the TRANSCEND trial, people needed a past hypothalamic tumor, lesion or injury. Here the whole relay station is hurt, not one gene.
What about MC4R deficiency?
A faulty MC4R gene is the most common single-gene cause of obesity. A 2003 study found it in 29 of 500 people with severe childhood obesity, or 5.8%. But it is not on the Imcivree label. In this case the last lock itself is faulty, which is a different problem from a missing message.
Sources: EMA Imcivree medicine page; FDA approval news, 27 November 2020; Prohormone convertase 1 gene defect, Nature Genetics 1997; Leptin receptor gene defect, Nature 1998; BBS trial full text (author manuscript); TRANSCEND, New England Journal of Medicine 2026; MC4R gene study, NEJM 2003; Imcivree prescribing information, FDA, March 2026
How does setmelanotide skip the broken step?
Setmelanotide skips the broken step by going straight to the end of the relay. The European regulator explains that MC4R is normally switched on through leptin and MSH. Setmelanotide attaches to MC4R directly, so it can work even when the steps before it have failed.
How sure is that? The FDA label words it carefully. It says lab and animal work (nonclinical evidence) suggest setmelanotide may restore the MC4R signal. That applies to people whose condition leaves the receptor with too little signal. The label expects the effect to come from eating less and burning more energy.
The calorie study. In a 2015 study, 12 healthy adults with ordinary obesity spent 72 hours on the drug and 72 hours on placebo, in random order. Resting calorie burn rose 6.4% on the drug, about 111 calories a day. The study measured energy use, not weight loss.
So why not for everyone? The FDA label is blunt. Imcivree is not approved for people like those in that study. It is not for general obesity, other genetic syndromes, or gene results read as harmless, because it would not be expected to work there. It is not alone in having a narrow label. Tesamorelin, the peptide our tesamorelin calculator covers, is approved only for belly fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy. Its label calls it weight neutral.
Sources: EMA Imcivree medicine page; Imcivree prescribing information, FDA, March 2026; Calorie burn study, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2015; Egrifta SV (tesamorelin) label, openFDA
Imcivree vs Zepbound: is Imcivree a GLP-1 drug?
No, Imcivree is not a GLP-1 drug. Its label classes it as an MC4 receptor agonist and does not mention GLP-1 at all. Zepbound holds tirzepatide, which acts on two gut hormone receptors, GIP and GLP-1. The two drugs act on different receptors and are approved for different people.
| Imcivree | Zepbound | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug inside | Setmelanotide | Tirzepatide |
| Receptor it turns on | MC4R in the brain | GIP and GLP-1 receptors |
| Natural messengers for those receptors | Alpha-MSH and beta-MSH | GIP and GLP-1, two gut hormones |
| Approved for | Acquired HO (age 4 and up), BBS and gene-confirmed POMC, PCSK1 or LEPR deficiency (age 2 and up) | Adults with obesity, or overweight with a weight-related condition; sleep apnea in adults with obesity |
| General obesity | Not approved, and the label says it would not be expected to work | Yes, in adults |
| Maker | Rhythm Pharmaceuticals | Eli Lilly |
Tirzepatide got its own animated breakdown in the first Molecule Mechanics episode. The numbers behind it are in the tirzepatide reconstitution calculator. Semaglutide, the GLP-1 drug in Wegovy, gets its own close look in our oral semaglutide episode. Its math has a page of its own, the semaglutide reconstitution calculator. For the whole GLP-1 family in one place, see What is GLP-1?
Sources: Imcivree prescribing information, FDA, March 2026; Zepbound (tirzepatide) label, openFDA
Who is Imcivree approved for?
Imcivree is approved in the US to lower excess body weight and keep it down over the long term in three groups. The first is acquired hypothalamic obesity, from age 4. The second is Bardet-Biedl syndrome, from age 2. The third is POMC, PCSK1 or LEPR deficiency, from age 2. For that group, a gene test must find a change read as harmful, likely harmful, or of unclear meaning.
- 25 November 2020: first FDA approval, for POMC, PCSK1 or LEPR deficiency from age 6. The FDA called it the first approved treatment for these conditions and gave it orphan, Breakthrough Therapy and Priority Review status. Its news release came two days later.
- 16 July 2021: authorised across the European Union.
- 16 June 2022: Bardet-Biedl syndrome added, still from age 6.
- 20 December 2024: both genetic uses lowered to age 2.
- 19 March 2026: acquired hypothalamic obesity added, from age 4. Rhythm calls it the first and only FDA-approved therapy for that condition.
In Europe. The European regulator lists the same three groups, with the same ages, and treats Imcivree as an orphan medicine, one made for rare diseases. Its wording is a little different: obesity and the control of hunger. For BBS, Europe asks for a genetic confirmation.
What it does not do. In 2020 the FDA said plainly that Imcivree leads to weight loss in these conditions. It does not treat the genetic defects behind them, or their other signs.
Sources: Imcivree prescribing information, FDA, March 2026; First Imcivree label, November 2020; Imcivree label, June 2022; Imcivree label, December 2024; Drugs@FDA, NDA 213793; FDA approval news, 27 November 2020; EMA Imcivree medicine page; Rhythm release, 19 March 2026 (SEC filing)
What did the Imcivree trials find?
The Imcivree trials found weight and BMI drops in every approved group. But most were small, and several had no placebo group. BMI is a weight-for-height score. The label reports five trials, one for each group and age band:
| Trial | Who | Placebo? | Main result |
|---|---|---|---|
| POMC or PCSK1 deficiency (Trial 3) | 10 people aged 6 and up | No placebo group for the main result | 8 of 10 lost at least 10% of body weight at 1 year. Average change -23.1%. |
| LEPR deficiency (Trial 4) | 11 people aged 6 and up | No placebo group for the main result | 5 of 11 lost at least 10% at 1 year (the label rounds it to 46%). Average change -9.7%. |
| Bardet-Biedl syndrome (Trial 2) | 44 people aged 6 and up | Placebo for the first 14 weeks only | BMI fell 4.6% on the drug and 0.1% on placebo at 14 weeks. After 52 weeks on the drug, BMI fell 7.9% on average (31 people). |
| Acquired HO, TRANSCEND (Trial 1) | 142 people aged 4 and up | Randomized against placebo for the full year | BMI fell 15.84% on the drug and rose 2.55% on placebo. That is an 18.40 point gap. |
| Ages 2 to 5, VENTURE (Trial 5) | 12 children with POMC or LEPR deficiency or BBS | No placebo group | 10 of 12 lowered their BMI Z score by at least 0.2. Average BMI change -18%. |
The placebo swap. In the POMC and LEPR trials, 16 people who lost at least 5 kg early on took part in a blinded switch. For 4 weeks they got placebo without knowing it. On average they regained 5.5 kg in the POMC trial and 5.0 kg in the LEPR trial. When the drug restarted, weight fell again. In these trials, the weight came back within weeks of stopping.
Two counts of one trial. TRANSCEND, the hypothalamic obesity trial, has two sets of numbers. The FDA label analyzed 142 people: BMI fell 15.84% on the drug and rose 2.55% on placebo. The journal paper reports 120 people: BMI fell 16.5% on the drug and rose 3.3% on placebo. The European regulator uses the 120. We keep them apart, because the groups are not the same.
BBS and Alstrom syndrome. The BBS trial also enrolled people with Alstrom syndrome, another cilia disease. In the journal report, 32.3% of patients aged 12 and up reached a 10% weight loss after a year, all of them with BBS. The results in Alstrom syndrome were inconclusive, and Alstrom syndrome is not on the label.
Where it started. The first human report, in 2016, covered just two people with POMC deficiency. Both had a lasting drop in hunger and large weight loss. Two people prove little on their own, which is why the larger trials matter. All of these are group averages from small groups, not a promise for any one person.
Sources: Imcivree prescribing information, FDA, March 2026; POMC and LEPR trials, Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2020; BBS and Alstrom trial, Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2022; TRANSCEND, New England Journal of Medicine 2026; VENTURE, ages 2 to 5, Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2025; First POMC patients treated, NEJM 2016; EMA Imcivree medicine page
Why does Imcivree make skin darker?
Imcivree makes skin darker because it also switches on MC1R, a related receptor on pigment cells. The FDA label explains that switching on MC1R builds up melanin, the skin's dark pigment, even without ultraviolet light. Setmelanotide is about 20 times less active at MC1R than at MC4R. That is still enough to darken skin in most people.
| Trial group | Skin darkening |
|---|---|
| Acquired HO (Trial 1, against placebo) | 58% on the drug, 10% on placebo |
| Bardet-Biedl syndrome (Trial 2, 52 weeks on the drug) | 63% |
| POMC, PCSK1 or LEPR deficiency (Trials 3 and 4) | 78% |
| Ages 2 to 5 (Trial 5) | 83% |
The red hair clue. The link between hunger and pigment showed up long before the drug. In 1998, the first two people found with broken POMC genes had early obesity, adrenal problems and red hair. The authors had predicted that mix, since alpha-MSH plays a part in both eating and hair color. As a copy of alpha-MSH, setmelanotide touches both systems too.
What the label says to watch. The darkening goes away after the drug is stopped. Imcivree can also darken existing moles or cause new ones. So the label advises a full-body skin check before treatment starts, and again from time to time. Bremelanotide's label describes the same MC1R pigment effect.
Sources: Imcivree prescribing information, FDA, March 2026; POMC defects and red hair, Nature Genetics 1998; Vyleesi (bremelanotide) label, openFDA
What are the side effects of Imcivree?
The most common side effects of Imcivree are skin darkening, skin reactions where it is given, nausea, headache, diarrhea, belly pain, vomiting, depression and spontaneous erections. Each was seen in 20% or more of people in at least one trial group. In the placebo-controlled hypothalamic obesity trial, nausea hit 55% on the drug against 25% on placebo, and vomiting 38% against 19%.
Warnings on the label:
- Sexual side effects: spontaneous erections in males and sexual reactions in females. An erection lasting more than 4 hours needs emergency care.
- Depression or suicidal thoughts. Some drugs that act on the brain can cause them, and the label asks prescribers to watch mood closely.
- Serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Anyone who has had one to setmelanotide or its other ingredients must not use it.
- Darker skin, darker moles and new moles, covered in the section above.
- Adrenal trouble: among people with acquired HO who also had low adrenal function, 5% on the drug had serious reactions, against none on placebo.
- Salt balance: among people with acquired HO who also had central diabetes insipidus, low blood sodium hit 6% on the drug and 2% on placebo.
The label limits the last two warnings to people with acquired hypothalamic obesity who also have those hormone problems. How these risks weigh up for a given patient is a question for their care team.
Is Imcivree FDA approved, and where does it stand today?
Yes. As of 8 November 2026, Imcivree is FDA approved and listed as a prescription drug under Rhythm's application, NDA 213793. The newest approved change is the hypothalamic obesity use from 19 March 2026, and Drugs@FDA lists nothing newer. The entry before it, in August 2025, was a labeling update.
In the EU it has been authorised since 16 July 2021, and the European overview was last updated on 27 May 2026. Our medical review policy sets out how we confirm approval and label facts before publishing.
Sources: Drugs@FDA, NDA 213793; openFDA data for NDA 213793; EMA Imcivree medicine page
What else do people ask about Imcivree?
What is Imcivree?+
Imcivree is the brand name for setmelanotide, a prescription drug from Rhythm Pharmaceuticals that the FDA first approved on 25 November 2020. It is a small ring-shaped peptide of 8 amino acids, built as a copy of the body's own messenger alpha-MSH. It switches on MC4R, a receptor in the brain that helps control hunger, fullness and energy use.
What is the mechanism of action of Imcivree?+
Setmelanotide is an MC4 receptor agonist, which means it binds to MC4R and switches it on. Normally that receptor is switched on through leptin and the MSH hormones, near the end of a hunger relay in the hypothalamus. The European regulator explains that setmelanotide attaches to MC4R directly, so it does not need the earlier steps. The FDA label adds that the idea it restores the pathway rests on nonclinical evidence, meaning lab and animal work.
Is Imcivree a GLP-1 or a weight loss drug?+
It is neither. Imcivree works on MC4R, not the GLP-1 receptor. It is approved only for three rare groups: acquired hypothalamic obesity, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, and gene-confirmed POMC, PCSK1 or LEPR deficiency. The label says it is not for general obesity and would not be expected to work there.
What are the differences between Imcivree and Zepbound?+
They act on different receptors and are approved for different people. Imcivree (setmelanotide) switches on MC4R. It is approved only for a few rare causes of obesity, from age 2 or 4 depending on the cause. Zepbound (tirzepatide) switches on the GIP and GLP-1 receptors. It is approved for adults with obesity, or adults with overweight and a weight-related condition. It is also approved for sleep apnea in adults with obesity. They also come from different companies: Rhythm Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly.
What are some examples of melanocortin drugs?+
Three FDA-approved drugs act on melanocortin receptors. Setmelanotide (Imcivree) switches on MC4R for rare causes of obesity. Bremelanotide (Vyleesi) acts on several melanocortin receptors, mostly MC1R and MC4R, and is approved for a type of low sexual desire in premenopausal women. Afamelanotide (Scenesse) switches on MC1R. It is approved for adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria, a rare disease that makes light painful, to allow more pain-free time in light. The body's own melanocortins include alpha-MSH, beta-MSH and ACTH, all cut from POMC.
What is MC4R?+
MC4R is the melanocortin 4 receptor, a switch on nerve cells in the brain. The FDA label says MC4 receptors in the brain help control hunger, fullness and energy use. Alpha-MSH and beta-MSH switch it on after a meal. It is the target of setmelanotide.
What is the treatment for melanocortin-4 receptor deficiency?+
Imcivree is not approved for it. MC4R deficiency means the receptor itself is faulty, and the Imcivree label does not list it among its uses. A 2003 study of 500 people with severe childhood obesity found MC4R changes in 29 of them (5.8%). It called this the most common single-gene form of obesity. Care for any of these conditions is planned by a specialist with the person and their family.
What is hypothalamic obesity?+
Acquired hypothalamic obesity is weight gain that follows damage to the hypothalamus. That part of the brain balances how much energy the body takes in and burns. The European regulator says the damage can follow an injury or an underlying disease. In the TRANSCEND trial, people had to have a past hypothalamic tumor, lesion or injury. Imcivree has been FDA approved for it from age 4 since 19 March 2026.
What is Bardet-Biedl syndrome?+
Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare genetic condition. Changes in any of 27 genes can cause it, and those genes help build or run cilia, tiny antenna-like parts of cells. Researchers think faulty cilia upset the MC4R pathway, causing strong hunger and early obesity, but the exact mechanism is not fully understood. Imcivree is FDA approved for obesity due to BBS from age 2.
What is POMC deficiency?+
POMC deficiency is a rare genetic condition where the body cannot make enough working POMC. POMC is the long protein that is cut into alpha-MSH and other messengers. Without enough of those messengers, the fullness signal stays weak. The first two people found with it, reported in 1998, had early severe obesity, adrenal problems and red hair. Imcivree is approved for it when a genetic test confirms it.
What is leptin receptor deficiency?+
Leptin receptor (LEPR) deficiency is a rare genetic condition where the receiver for the hormone leptin does not work. So the brain does not get the fullness signal from fat cells. A 1998 study first described a family with a faulty human leptin receptor gene and early severe obesity. Imcivree is approved for LEPR deficiency confirmed by a genetic test, from age 2.
What are the side effects of Imcivree?+
The label lists these as the most common: skin darkening, skin reactions where it is given, nausea, headache, diarrhea, belly pain, vomiting, depression and spontaneous erections. Each showed up in 20% or more of people in at least one trial group. Its warnings cover sexual side effects, depression or suicidal thoughts, serious allergic reactions, and new or darker moles. Some people with acquired hypothalamic obesity also face adrenal and sodium problems.
Does Imcivree fix the gene problem?+
No. When it approved Imcivree in 2020, the FDA said it leads to weight loss in these conditions. But it does not treat the genetic defects that cause them, or their other signs. In the POMC and LEPR trials, when people swapped to placebo for 4 weeks without knowing it, their weight went back up.
How does Imcivree work?+
Imcivree switches on the MC4 receptor, the final relay point of the brain pathway that signals fullness, which alpha-MSH normally activates. In each rare condition on its label, a step upstream of that receptor is broken, so the natural message never gets through. Setmelanotide stands in for the missing message and turns the receptor on directly. The label words this with care: it says evidence from lab and animal studies suggests the drug may bring that signal back in these groups.
Sources: Imcivree prescribing information, FDA, March 2026; Drugs@FDA, NDA 213793; EMA Imcivree medicine page; Zepbound (tirzepatide) label, openFDA; Vyleesi (bremelanotide) label, openFDA; Scenesse (afamelanotide) label, openFDA; MC4R gene study, NEJM 2003; TRANSCEND, New England Journal of Medicine 2026; BBS trial full text (author manuscript); POMC defects and red hair, Nature Genetics 1998; Leptin receptor gene defect, Nature 1998; FDA approval news, 27 November 2020; POMC and LEPR trials, Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2020
What did we learn about Imcivree?
Imcivree is a ring-shaped copy of alpha-MSH that lands on the last receptor of the brain's fullness relay. Sometimes an earlier runner drops the baton, as in POMC, PCSK1 or LEPR deficiency, BBS or a damaged hypothalamus. Then Imcivree hands the signal straight to MC4R. That is also why the label limits it to these groups and says it would not be expected to work in general obesity. Its weaker touch on MC1R is why skin darkens.
Molecule Mechanics turns drug labels and trial papers into short animations about how peptide medicines are put together and how they act. The channel does not give personal medical advice. Narration comes from an ElevenLabs AI voice over original artwork, and the source list for every episode is in the video description. Other episodes cover cagrilintide, a gut hormone copy of a different kind.
Saxenda and Wegovy, the Novo Nordisk drugs built on liraglutide and semaglutide, are set side by side in our Saxenda vs Wegovy article. Retatrutide, a newer drug in the GLP-1 family that is still experimental, has a page of its own: the retatrutide calculator. Spotted something wrong? The corrections policy explains how to tell us.
See every Molecule Mechanics video
Sources: Molecule Mechanics channel; Drugs@FDA data for Saxenda and Wegovy (openFDA)
This page is for learning, not medical advice. Everything here restates what the Imcivree label, regulators and published trials report. Choices about prescription medicine belong to a patient and the clinician treating them.