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.
Human clinical trial data
In the randomized, double-blind pilot trial by Heij and colleagues (2012), 22 patients with sarcoidosis and small fiber neuropathy symptoms received ARA 290 (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, three dose levels of cibinetide were 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.*