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MariTide (Maridebart Cafraglutide): A Research Guide to Amgen’s Monthly GLP-1 Agonist / GIP Antagonist

Updated June 18, 2026 · 9 min read

Short answer: MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide, code AMG 133) is Amgen’s investigational obesity drug — a peptide–antibody conjugate that agonises the GLP-1 receptor and antagonises the GIP receptor, with a ~21-day half-life supporting once-monthly subcutaneous dosing. Phase 2 (NEJM, 2025) reported mean weight loss of up to ~20% at 52 weeks in obesity without diabetes, with no plateau. It is in the Phase 3 MARITIME programme and has no marketing authorisation anywhere in the world. MariTide is a proprietary conjugate, not a reference peptide — New-U does not sell it. Part of our next obesity-research wave overview.

Plain-English summary. MariTide is an unapproved investigational drug. The FDA, MHRA and EMA have not authorised it. It is also structurally a biologic (an antibody conjugate), not a simple peptide that research-compound suppliers stock. This page is general information, not legal or medical advice; do not use unapproved compounds on people.

What MariTide actually is

Most obesity drugs are peptides. MariTide is not — it is a peptide–antibody conjugate: a monoclonal-antibody scaffold with GLP-1 analogue peptides chemically attached. That architecture is the whole point. Antibodies circulate for weeks, so bolting the active peptides onto an antibody backbone stretches the half-life to roughly 21 days — about three times semaglutide’s ~7 days — which is what makes once-monthly (and potentially less-frequent) dosing realistic.

Its developmental code was AMG 133; the generic name is maridebart cafraglutide. The molecular and pharmacology detail is indexed under PubMed: maridebart cafraglutide.

The GIP paradox: agonise GLP-1, block GIP

Here is the genuinely counter-intuitive part. Tirzepatide, the most successful incretin drug to date, activates the GIP receptor. MariTide does the opposite — it blocks it — while still agonising GLP-1. And yet both produce major weight loss. How can activating and blocking the same receptor both work?

For the contrasting GIP-agonist design, see our tirzepatide research guide.

The Phase 2 evidence

The Phase 2 trial was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2025 and presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 85th Scientific Sessions. Headline findings over 52 weeks:

PopulationMean weight change at 52 weeksNotable
Obesity, without type-2 diabetesup to ~−20%No plateau by week 52
Obesity, with type-2 diabetesup to ~−17%HbA1c reduced up to ~2.2%

Beyond weight, the trial reported improvements across pre-specified cardiometabolic measures — waist circumference, blood pressure, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and selected lipids. The fact that the weight curve had not flattened at 52 weeks is one reason the Phase 3 readouts are closely watched.

Phase 3: the MARITIME programme

MariTide has advanced into the MARITIME Phase 3 programme — 72-week studies evaluating efficacy, safety and tolerability in people with obesity or overweight, with and without type-2 diabetes. Topline timing and any regulatory submission schedule are subject to change; refer to Amgen investor disclosures for the current position. Registered studies are listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How MariTide compares

CompoundReceptor profileFormatCadenceStatus
MariTideGLP-1 agonist + GIP antagonistPeptide–antibody conjugate~MonthlyPhase 3, no approval
TirzepatideGLP-1 + GIP agonistPeptideWeeklyApproved
RetatrutideGLP-1 + GIP + glucagon agonistPeptideWeeklyPhase 3, no approval
SemaglutideGLP-1 agonistPeptideWeeklyApproved

MariTide’s distinctive selling points are the monthly cadence and the GIP-antagonist mechanism — both unusual in a field otherwise converging on weekly GIP agonists.

MariTide and research compounds

Because MariTide is an antibody conjugate rather than a short synthetic peptide, it sits outside what research-compound suppliers can characterise and verify by HPLC and mass spec. New-U does not sell MariTide, and any listing claiming to is selling something it cannot authenticate. The lawful, verifiable research references in the same therapeutic area are the established GLP-1-class peptides:

Each ships as a sealed, lyophilised reference peptide with a per-batch Certificate of Analysis, verified to >99% HPLC purity, research use only, not for human consumption.

Red flags on MariTide listings

Because there is no licensed MariTide product anywhere, treat any “buy MariTide” listing with maximum caution. Walk away if it:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MariTide?
Amgen’s investigational obesity drug maridebart cafraglutide (AMG 133) — a peptide–antibody conjugate that agonises GLP-1 and antagonises GIP, dosed about once a month.

Is MariTide approved?
No. As of mid-2026 it has no marketing authorisation anywhere; it is in the Phase 3 MARITIME programme.

How much weight loss did it show?
Up to ~20% mean over 52 weeks in obesity without diabetes (Phase 2, NEJM 2025), without a plateau.

Why block GIP when tirzepatide activates it?
An open question — likely receptor desensitisation and central-vs-peripheral GIP signalling. Both designs produce weight loss; the mechanism is unsettled.

Can I buy MariTide as a research compound?
No — it is a proprietary antibody conjugate, not a verifiable reference peptide. New-U catalogues the established GLP-1-class references instead. Research use only.

Primary sources & further reading

External links are provided for research reference only; New-U is not affiliated with the cited organisations and links carry no endorsement either way.

Lab-Verified GLP-1-Class Research References

New-U Research Compounds catalogues semaglutide, tirzepatide and retatrutide as sealed 10-vial packs of lyophilised reference peptide, independently verified by Janoshik and Freedom Diagnostics for >99% HPLC purity, with a per-batch Certificate of Analysis. Research use only — not for human consumption.

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