ARA-290 is a research peptide with a specific, well-defined scientific rationale
and a genuine clinical-research history.
Chemical identity & structure.
ARA-290, generic name cibinetide, is a synthetic peptide — an 11-amino-acid
peptide whose sequence corresponds to a region of the erythropoietin (EPO)
molecule. Importantly, it was designed to capture EPO's tissue-protective
activity without EPO's effect on red-blood-cell production.
Mechanism of action.
EPO is best known for stimulating red-blood-cell production, but EPO also has a
separate tissue-protective, anti-inflammatory activity mediated by a different
receptor complex — the "innate repair receptor". ARA-290 was engineered to
selectively engage that tissue-protective pathway. The result is a peptide
intended to be anti-inflammatory and tissue-protective without raising
red-cell counts (and therefore without EPO's thrombotic risk).
Key research findings.
ARA-290/cibinetide has been studied in clinical research, with particular focus
on neuropathic pain and small-fiber neuropathy, including in the context of
the rare disease sarcoidosis. Published clinical research has reported effects
on neuropathic-pain and small-nerve-fiber endpoints.
The research / citation base.
ARA-290 is an investigational compound — not an approved drug — but it has a
real, peer-reviewed clinical-research history conducted by academic and clinical
research groups, with a clearly defined mechanistic rationale. That places it
above the purely preclinical compounds in this library in terms of evidence
quality, while still being investigational.
In the randomized, double-blind pilot trial by Heij and colleagues (2012), 22 patients with sarcoidosis and small fiber neuropathy symptoms received three times weekly intravenous dosing of ARA 290 (2 mg; n = 12) or placebo (n = 10) for 4 wks (PubMed). In the phase 2b randomized trial by Culver and colleagues (2017) in 64 subjects with sarcoid-associated small nerve fiber loss, cibinetide (1, 4, or 8 mg/day) was compared to placebo over 28 days (PubMed).
Research-grade material is supplied as a lyophilized powder.
Quality & sourcing notes.
An 11-residue peptide should be confirmed on a batch-specific COA by mass
spectrometry and HPLC purity. Confirm the product describes ARA-290/cibinetide
specifically.
*Research-use note: Educational summary of published research. ARA-290 is
investigational and not approved; this is research context only and not medical
advice.*
