Recovery
ARA-290 is a research-use product carried by vendors we track, grouped under Recovery. For research use only; an editorial review is pending.
ARA-290 is offered by one or more vendors we track. We have not yet written a detailed editorial summary for this compound. The offerings below reflect what vendors currently carry. For research use only — verify dosing, handling, and safety against primary sources.
Where to buy
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Best $/mg
Atomik LabzTestedARA-290 – 16mg (Current batch tested at 20mg)
$79.00
$4.94/mg · 16mg
Solution PeptidesTestedARA-290 – 16mg (Current batch tested at 20mg)
$79.00
$4.94/mg · 16mg
Evidence level
Preclinical only
An 11-amino-acid peptide derived from the helix-B region of erythropoietin (EPO). Designed to retain EPO's tissue-protective effects without the red-blood-cell-stimulating activity; studied for neuropathic pain and sarcoidosis-associated small-fiber neuropathy.
Mechanism
Mechanism not yet documented.
Researched benefits
Neuropathic pain reduction
Phase II trials in sarcoidosis-associated small-fiber neuropathy (Heij et al. 2012, n=22) showed significant reductions in pain scores and improvements in autonomic symptom burden over 4 weeks of daily dosing. This is the strongest human signal.
Tissue protection without erythropoiesis
Unlike parent EPO, ARA-290 does not significantly stimulate red blood cell production, avoiding the thrombotic risks that have limited EPO's use outside anemia. It signals through the innate repair receptor (IRR), a heteromer of EPOR and the beta-common receptor (βcR).
Anti-inflammatory effects (preclinical)
Rodent and primate models show reductions in tissue inflammation and improved healing in models of myocardial infarction, kidney injury, and diabetic neuropathy.
Possible benefit in type 2 diabetes
A small phase II trial (Brines et al. 2015) suggested modest improvements in HbA1c and neuropathy symptoms in T2D patients with small-fiber neuropathy. Preliminary.
Risks & cautions
Limited long-term safety data
Phase II trials run weeks to a few months. There is no published multi-year human safety data, and ARA-290 has not received regulatory approval.
Theoretical residual erythropoietic activity at high doses
Designed to spare erythropoiesis, but at supraphysiologic dosing some red cell mass effects cannot be excluded. The safety margin in trials has been wide.
Injection-site reactions
Mild and transient in published trials. No serious site reactions reported.
Uncertain effect in cardiovascular disease
The parent EPO pathway has complex cardiovascular effects (both protective and pro-thrombotic). ARA-290 was specifically designed to avoid the thrombotic side, but caution in advanced cardiovascular disease is reasonable given limited data.
Dosing
2–4 mg subcutaneously once daily for 4 weeks, often repeated as cycles.
Vial sizes
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Half-life
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Route
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Phase II protocols used 4 mg/day SC for 28 days as a standardized cycle. Plasma half-life of ARA-290 (also called cibinetide) is approximately 2 minutes, but the downstream IRR-mediated effects appear to persist longer. Reconstitute with sterile saline or bacteriostatic water.
Contraindications
In depth
ARA-290 (also known as cibinetide) is an 11-amino-acid peptide engineered by Anthony Cerami and Michael Brines, the same researchers who originally characterized erythropoietin's tissue-protective effects beyond red blood cell production. The peptide is a structural mimic of the helix-B region of EPO — the portion implicated in tissue protection rather than erythropoiesis.
The motivating problem: recombinant EPO is an effective neuroprotectant in stroke and tissue injury models, but its red-cell-stimulating activity creates thrombotic risk that has limited use outside anemia. ARA-290 was designed to dissociate these two activities.
EPO classically signals through the homodimeric EPOR on erythroid progenitors. The tissue-protective effects are mediated by a distinct heteromeric receptor — the innate repair receptor (IRR) — composed of EPOR and the beta-common receptor (βcR) (shared with GM-CSF, IL-3, and IL-5 receptors).
ARA-290 selectively binds the IRR and does not engage the homodimeric EPOR. Downstream effects include:
The IRR is upregulated specifically in injured or stressed tissue — meaning ARA-290 acts preferentially where damage signals are present, which is part of its safety rationale.
The most-cited trial:
The compound has not received regulatory approval as of this writing.
Substantial preclinical work across multiple labs:
Effects are reproducible and the mechanism (IRR engagement) is well-defined.
Limited stacking literature given ARA-290 is a more research-stage compound than the popular orthopedic peptides. Conceptually:
References
