What it means
Pramlintide is a lab-made version of amylin, a hormone released alongside insulin. It slows stomach emptying, lowers glucagon after meals and adds to the feeling of fullness. The FDA approved it as Symlin in 2005 for adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who use mealtime insulin.
It is injected before main meals because its action is short. Some people lose a little weight on it, but it is not approved for weight management.
The label carries a boxed warning: combined with insulin, pramlintide can cause severe low blood sugar, especially in type 1 diabetes. Prescribers usually lower the mealtime insulin dose when starting it.
Pramlintide matters to the weight-loss story because it proved amylin could be turned into a medicine. Newer long-acting amylin drugs, such as cagrilintide, build on that idea and are being studied for obesity.
Why it matters
Pramlintide is the only approved amylin medicine so far, and it shows why amylin drugs are now a major research target.
Related terms
Sources
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