What it is
ARA-290 is a peptide made of 11 amino acids. It is made in a lab. It copies one small section of erythropoietin, called helix B. Erythropoietin, or EPO, is the hormone that makes red blood cells. EPO also protects tissue through a second receptor, called the innate repair receptor. ARA-290 acts only on this second receptor. It does not raise red blood cell counts. The innate repair receptor shows up mostly in injured or inflamed tissue. Araim Pharmaceuticals is developing it. Other names: Cibinetide, pHBSP.
What researchers study it for
- Small nerve fiber damage in sarcoidosis
- Nerve pain in type 2 diabetes
- Blood sugar and blood fats in type 2 diabetes
- Tissue protection after stroke and kidney injury in animals
- Swelling in the back of the eye from diabetes
What the studies found
1. The EPO section protected tissue without making red blood cells.
This 2008 study showed that EPO uses one receptor to make red blood cells and a different one to protect tissue. An 11 amino acid peptide copying helix B protected brain tissue after stroke and kidney tissue after lost blood flow in rodents. It also sped up wound healing. It did not make red blood cells in lab tests or in animals. Lab and animal data.
2. Nerve pain scores improved in people with sarcoidosis.
A 2012 pilot trial gave 22 people with sarcoidosis nerve symptoms ARA-290 or placebo by IV for 4 weeks. Scores on a small fiber nerve symptom test improved more with ARA-290. Pain and physical function scores on a quality of life test also improved. No safety problems were found. Human data.
3. Small nerve fibers in the eye increased in people with sarcoidosis.
A 2017 phase 2b trial gave 64 people with sarcoidosis nerve loss ARA-290 at one of three doses, or placebo, for 28 days. At the 4 mg dose, the area of nerve fibers in the cornea grew more than with placebo. The cornea is the clear front of the eye. Regrowing nerve fibers in skin samples also increased. The pain result did not reach statistical significance. Human data.
4. Blood sugar and nerve symptoms improved in type 2 diabetes.
A 2015 phase 2 trial gave people with type 2 diabetes and nerve pain ARA-290 or placebo daily for 28 days. They were followed for 56 days total. HbA1c and blood fats improved. Nerve pain questionnaire scores improved. No safety problems were found. The trial was small. Human data.
5. It was safe over 12 weeks but did not improve vision.
A 2020 phase 2 trial gave 9 people with diabetic swelling in the back of the eye ARA-290 daily for 12 weeks. Vision and retina thickness did not improve in a meaningful way. No serious side effects happened. No antibodies against the drug were found. The trial had no placebo group. Human data.
How much research exists
Many animal studies and several small phase 1 and phase 2 human trials. The largest had 64 people. The longest dosing was 12 weeks. No phase 3 trial has been published.
Facts
- Formula: C51H84N16O21
- Weight: about 1257 g/mol
- CAS number: 1208243-50-8
- Sequence: pGlu-Glu-Gln-Leu-Glu-Arg-Ala-Leu-Asn-Ser-Ser
- Time in the blood: about 2 minutes. Effects in tissue last much longer.
- Storage: powder in the freezer, away from light.
Legal status
Not approved by the FDA or any other agency. The FDA gave it orphan drug status for sarcoidosis in 2016. Orphan status is not approval. WADA bans it in sport as an EPO-related substance.
For research use only. Not for human use. Nothing here is medical advice.