What it is
Adipotide is a lab-made peptide with two parts joined together. The first part attaches to prohibitin, a protein on the blood vessels that feed white fat. The second part kills those blood vessel cells after it gets inside them. Without a blood supply, the fat tissue shrinks. It does not act on appetite. It was developed at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Other names: FTPP, Prohibitin-TP01.
What researchers study it for
- White fat loss in obese mice and monkeys
- Insulin and blood sugar control in animals
- Blood vessels that feed fat tissue
- Kidney effects in monkeys
What the studies found
1. Obese mice lost fat when fat blood vessels were destroyed.
This 2004 study found a short peptide that homes in on the blood vessels of white fat. Researchers joined it to a peptide that kills cells. Obese mice given the pair lost stored white fat, and their metabolism returned toward normal. No harmful effects were seen at the doses used. Animal data.
2. Obese monkeys lost 7 to 15 percent of body weight in 4 weeks.
This 2011 study gave obese rhesus monkeys daily shots of adipotide for 28 days. Body weight dropped 7.4 to 14.7 percent. Scans showed total body fat dropped about 39 percent, compared to about 15 percent in untreated monkeys. Insulin response improved. Lean monkeys did not lose weight. Kidney tubes showed changes at higher doses, and these went away after dosing stopped. Weight started coming back after dosing stopped. Animal data.
3. Blood sugar control improved in mice within 2 to 3 days.
This 2012 study gave obese mice the same type of peptide. Their bodies handled sugar better within 2 to 3 days, before they lost weight. Mice fed the same amount of food without the peptide did not improve. Insulin and blood fats also dropped. This suggests the blood vessels in fat help control blood sugar. Animal data.
4. A newer version lowered weight in mice.
This 2025 study built new versions of the peptide using mirror-image amino acids. These break down slower. The top version lowered body weight in obese mice. It partly worked by making fat cell mitochondria burn energy as heat. Animal data.
How much research exists
Mouse and monkey studies only. One human trial, NCT01262664, stopped after 4 people and never published results. No company is developing it.
Facts
- Formula: C111H206N36O28S2
- Weight: about 2557 g/mol
- CAS number: 859216-15-2
- Sequence: CKGGRAKDC-GG-D(KLAKLAK)2. The KLAKLAK part is built from mirror-image (D) amino acids.
- Time in the blood: no published data
- Storage: powder in the freezer, away from light.
Legal status
Not approved by the FDA or any other agency. Development has stopped.
For research use only. Not for human use. Nothing here is medical advice.