ARA-290

What is ARA-290?

ARA-290, also called cibinetide, is an 11-amino-acid peptide derived from erythropoietin (EPO). Researchers took the part of the EPO molecule responsible for protecting tissue and left out the part that raises red blood cells, producing a peptide that keeps the repair signal without the blood-thickening risk that limits EPO itself. It is a research compound with real Phase 2 human trial history, which is more than most peptides in this library can claim, but it is not an approved drug.

How ARA-290 works

EPO does more than build red blood cells. It also protects nerves and other tissue and dampens inflammation, and it does those jobs through a different receptor. ARA-290 targets that second pathway, the innate repair receptor, a complex made of the EPO receptor paired with the beta-common receptor (CD131). Because it activates this receptor rather than the classic one that drives red cell production, it can act on damaged nerves and inflamed tissue while leaving your blood count largely alone.

What the research shows

The strongest evidence is in sarcoidosis-associated small-fiber neuropathy, a painful nerve condition. Phase 2 trials reported that cibinetide reduced neuropathic pain and, notably, increased corneal nerve fiber density, an objective sign that nerves were regenerating rather than just symptoms being masked. It has also been studied in diabetic neuropathy and metabolic inflammation. The limitation is on the finish line, not the data quality: it earned FDA orphan drug and fast track designations but never completed a Phase 3 program, and development stalled, so it stopped short of the trials that lead to approval.

Dosage and how it is used

Clinical trials used subcutaneous injection in the low milligram range, commonly around 4 mg per day over a set number of weeks. Those are study regimens run under supervision, not a validated protocol for self-administration, so treat any figure outside a trial as unproven.

→ How to reconstitute ARA-290: calculator, units to draw & storage

Side effects and safety

ARA-290 was generally well tolerated in its trials, which is part of the appeal: because it avoids the red-blood-cell effect, it sidesteps the clotting and blood-pressure risks that come with EPO. That said, its human exposure is measured in Phase 2 studies, not long-term real-world use, so the safety record is encouraging but still early, and there is no approved product or standardized supervision behind self-use.

• Research depth: moderate. Real Phase 2 human trials, but no completed Phase 3 and no approval.
• Generally well tolerated in trials; built to avoid EPO's red-cell and clotting risks.
• Not FDA-approved. Legal status varies by jurisdiction; verify it independently.

Frequently asked questions

References

• Heij L et al. ARA 290 improves symptoms in patients with sarcoidosis-associated small nerve fiber loss and increases corneal nerve fiber density. Mol Med (PMC3883966), 2012.
• Brines M et al. Targeting the innate repair receptor to treat neuropathy. PMC5741312, 2017.