ARA-290[Cibinetide; pyroglutamate helix B surface peptide (pHBSP)]
Compound snapshot
Class
Erythropoietin-derived innate repair receptor peptide
FDA approved
No — investigational
Clinical development
Phase 2
Last reviewed
September 2026
Research areas
Tissue repair / Gastrointestinal lining / Musculoskeletal recovery
Regulatory status
Investigational — not approved
Internet attention
Low
Registry query
ARA-290
An 11-amino-acid peptide engineered from a tissue-protective region of erythropoietin. Unlike erythropoietin, it was designed not to stimulate red-blood-cell production.
Reality check — what we actually know
Supported by human evidence
- No adequately powered randomised human trials establish the outcomes this compound is marketed for.
Animal research only
- Improved neuropathic and autonomic symptoms in small Phase 2 studies of sarcoidosis-associated small-fiber neuropathy
- Increased corneal small-nerve-fiber measures in a 28-day placebo-controlled trial
- Improved neuropathic symptoms and some metabolic markers in a small study of people with type 2 diabetes
Mechanistically plausible
- Activates the innate repair receptor, a complex formed by the erythropoietin receptor and the beta-common receptor CD131. This can trigger anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and tissue-repair signalling without activating the classical erythropoietin receptor responsible for making red blood cells.
Common internet claims
- Online discussion frequently presents ARA-290 as a proven treatment rather than a research compound.
Not established
- Human efficacy for the outcomes commonly claimed
- Optimal route, quantity and duration in humans
- Long-term human safety
Evidence distribution
Each band is a live PubMed search for ARA-290, filtered to that kind of study. Top is the strongest evidence; the base is reasoning, not proof. A band with no records means that kind of study has not been published for this compound yet.
Mechanism and reported findings
Activates the innate repair receptor, a complex formed by the erythropoietin receptor and the beta-common receptor CD131. This can trigger anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and tissue-repair signalling without activating the classical erythropoietin receptor responsible for making red blood cells.
- Improved neuropathic and autonomic symptoms in small Phase 2 studies of sarcoidosis-associated small-fiber neuropathy
- Increased corneal small-nerve-fiber measures in a 28-day placebo-controlled trial
- Improved neuropathic symptoms and some metabolic markers in a small study of people with type 2 diabetes
- Reduced pain behaviours and promoted nerve-repair signalling in animal injury models
Strength of the evidence: Several small Phase 2 human trials provide a meaningful early signal for small-fiber neuropathy, but there are no pivotal Phase 3 trials and no approved indication. Trials were short, so long-term benefit and safety remain unknown.
Safety and known cautions
Not an approved treatment. Published trials do not establish long-term safety, effectiveness for general pain, or a self-treatment protocol. Products sold outside clinical research have no assured identity, sterility or potency.
Evidence at a glance
No single score, on purpose. The line beside each bar shows how much reported outcomes vary between studies.
Development stage
- Discovery
- Preclinical
- Phase 1
- Phase 2Current
- Phase 3
- Regulatory review
- Approved