Independent · non-commercial · publishes on a quarterly cycle|Current cycle 2026 Q3
Compound Evidence InstituteEvidence synthesis · established 2023Graded assessments of compounds, trials, methods and supply
Document set current to 30 July 2026
Compound monograph · §2

Pramlintide — pharmacology

Molecular targets, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics and interactions as characterised in humans.

Document identifier
CEI-MN-019/2
Series
Compound monograph
Version
1.3
Published
15 Jul 2026
Last reviewed
15 Jul 2026
Next review
15 Jul 2028
Identifier
10.71829/cei.mono.19
Certainty
Moderate
Cycle
2026 Q3

§2Pharmacology

§2.1Molecular targets

Table 2. Molecular targets recorded for Pramlintide, with the character of the interaction and the potency where the Institute holds it.

TargetInteractionNote
Amylin receptors (AMY1–AMY3)AgonistRetains native amylin receptor activity
Calcitonin receptor (CTR)AgonistComponent of the amylin receptor complex

§2.2Mechanism of action

Pramlintide reproduces the postprandial actions of endogenous amylin, which is deficient in insulin-deficient diabetes: it slows gastric emptying, suppresses inappropriate postprandial glucagon secretion, and promotes satiation. It has no effect on insulin secretion and is therefore used as an adjunct to insulin rather than as a secretagogue.[1,2]

§2.3Pharmacokinetics

Terminal half-life
≈48 min
Time to maximum concentration
≈20 min
Volume of distribution
not extensively distributed
Plasma protein binding
≈40 %
Clearance
≈1 L/min
Bioavailability
30–40 % absolute

Renal metabolism with the principal metabolite des-lys pramlintide retaining activity. Not recommended in severe renal impairment.

Reconstructed plasma concentration–time profilePlasma concentration plotted against time after dosing, reconstructed from published pharmacokinetic parameters.0.00.20.40.60.80112233Time after first dose (hours)Relative concentrationt max ≈ 0 ht½ ≈ 1 h
Modelled profileSimulated observationsDose administration
Figure 2. Illustrative. Plasma concentration–time profile reconstructed by the Institute from the published half-life and time-to-maximum-concentration parameters using a one-compartment model with first-order absorption. The curve is not digitised from a published figure and its vertical scale is relative. It is published to convey the shape of the profile and the approach to steady state, not to supply a concentration at any time point.

§2.4Interactions

  • Insulin — mandatory prospective dose reduction
  • Any oral medicine dependent on rapid absorption should be taken at least one hour before or two hours after
  • Anticholinergics compound the gastric-emptying delay

References cited on this page

References are numbered in order of first citation in this document. Each superscript in the text links to its entry below.

  1. Hollander PA, Levy P, Fineman MS, Maggs DG, Shen LZ, Strobel SA, Weyer C, Kolterman OG. Pramlintide as an adjunct to insulin therapy improves long-term glycemic and weight control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a 1-year randomized controlled trial. Diabetes Care 2003;26(3):784–790. doi:10.2337/diacare.26.3.784 · PMID 12610038
  2. Lau DCW, Erichsen L, Francisco AM, Satylganova A, le Roux CW, McGowan B, Pedersen SD, Pietiläinen KH, Rubino DM, Batterham RL. Once-weekly cagrilintide for weight management in people with overweight and obesity: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled and active-controlled, dose-finding phase 2 trial. The Lancet 2021;398(10317):2160–2172. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01751-7 · PMID 34798060

Identifiers are reproduced only where the Institute holds them. Where a digital object identifier or PubMed identifier is not shown, the Institute has recorded the journal and year and has not constructed an identifier.

Nothing published by the Institute is medical advice, a diagnosis, a prescription, a treatment recommendation or a purchasing recommendation. Compounds supplied for research use are not approved for human or veterinary use in any jurisdiction, and a favourable analytical assessment of a supplier is not a statement that any product is safe or effective. The Institute publishes certainty ratings and never recommendations. No telephone number, messaging handle or ordering channel appears anywhere on this site.