Research use only. Nothing on this page is medical advice.
ARA-290 (cibinetide) is an 11-amino-acid peptide built from erythropoietin (EPO). Five small phase 2 trials (mid-stage human tests) in 182 people tested it for nerve damage. Nerve fibers grew at one of three doses, pain fell in every group including placebo, and no phase 3 trial was ever registered. It is not approved.
- Trials: 5 phase 2 trials, mostly 28 days long (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
- Nerve fibers: in the largest trial they grew at the middle dose only (4).
- Status: not approved, and no phase 3 trial is registered.
- Buying: three sellers below, two with posted lot reports from a named lab.
Where to buy ARA-290: 3 sellers and what their reports show
Amino Club
ARA-290 10 mg · from $49.99
- Lot ARA0002 report from ILS Laboratories, an independent ISO/IEC 17025 lab: 99.93% purity by HPLC
- 10.53 mg measured against 10 mg labeled, with sterility (no growth) and endotoxin results reported
- Heavy metals and fentanyl screen not detected
NextGen Peptides
ARA-290 16 mg · $60 ($3.75 per mg)
- Lot ARA16-01 report from ILS Laboratories: 99.62% purity, 16.59 mg measured against 16 mg labeled
- Identity confirmed by HPLC retention time. Sterility, heavy metals and fentanyl screen passed
- Research-use-only, ships from the US
Elite Edge Biotech
ARA-290 5 mg · $49.90 (50% off $99.99)
- Product page says a certificate is available on request, so ask for the report that matches your lot
- US shipping, free over $200
- Third-party COA library for its other peptides
HPLC measures purity, and mass spectrometry or a reference match confirms identity. Ask any seller for the report that matches your lot number, and compare more in best peptide vendors and our NextGen review.
What is ARA-290?
ARA-290 copies the tissue-protective part of EPO, the hormone that tells your body to make red blood cells, without the red-cell effect (3). It targets the innate repair receptor, a pairing of the EPO receptor and CD131, also called the beta common receptor (6).
- Other names
- Cibinetide, ARA 290, pHBSP
- Sequence
- pGlu-Glu-Gln-Leu-Glu-Arg-Ala-Leu-Asn-Ser-Ser (11 amino acids)
- Molecular weight
- About 1,257 g/mol
- Origin
- Helix B of erythropoietin
- Target
- Innate repair receptor (EPO receptor plus CD131)
- Highest trial phase
- Phase 2, five patient trials
- Status
- Not approved anywhere
What do the human trials show?
How to read the table. Symptoms improved: patients scored better than placebo. Mixed, One dose only: results held for a subgroup or a single dose. No benefit: no improvement.
| Trial | What it found | Main limit |
|---|---|---|
| Heij 2012: sarcoidosis (an immune disease that can damage small nerves), 22 people, 4 weeks | Symptoms improvedThe symptom score (SFNSL, a small fiber neuropathy checklist) fell 11.5 points versus 2.9 on placebo (p < 0.05). Pain and fatigue scores improved equally in both groups. No safety concerns (1) | Pilot study with 22 people |
| Dahan 2013: sarcoidosis, 38 people, 28 days | Symptoms improvedNeuropathic symptoms improved, corneal (eye surface) small nerve fiber density rose, and six-minute walk distance improved on ARA-290 versus placebo (2) | Developer staff co-authored the paper |
| Brines 2015: type 2 diabetes, 49 people, 28 days | MixedHbA1c (3-month blood sugar) and lipids improved, and the PainDetect pain questionnaire improved. Corneal nerve fibers rose only in people who started more than 1 standard deviation below normal (3) | Nerve fiber result limited to a subgroup |
| Culver 2017: sarcoidosis, 64 people, 3 doses vs placebo, 28 days | One dose onlyCorneal nerve fiber area rose 697 µm² versus placebo at the middle dose (p = 0.012). The lowest and highest doses were not significant. Pain improved in every group, placebo included (4) | The dose response was not a straight line |
| Lois 2020: diabetic macular edema, 9 people, 12 weeks | No benefitNo improvement in vision (-2.9 letters) or retinal thickness. No serious adverse events and no antibodies to the drug (5) | Open-label, 9 people, no placebo |
- Four of the five were randomized, placebo-controlled trials. The macular edema study had no placebo arm.
- Pain scores improved in the placebo groups too, so the pain signal is weak.
- Nobody has followed patients past 12 weeks, and the developer co-authored the neuropathy papers.
Does ARA-290 work for your condition?
| Condition | Human evidence | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Sarcoidosis small fiber neuropathy | 3 placebo-controlled trials, 124 people (1, 2, 4) | Best evidence |
| Diabetic neuropathy | 1 placebo-controlled trial, 49 people (3) | One trial |
| Diabetic macular edema | 1 open-label trial, 9 people. No benefit (5) | Did not help |
| Nerve injury and sciatica | None. Rat studies only (7) | Animal only |
| Multiple sclerosis | None. Rat model only (8) | Animal only |
| Fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel, back pain, arthritis | None | Untested |
The human data cover small fiber neuropathy only, the burning and tingling kind that harms the thinnest pain and temperature nerves. Nothing shows ARA-290 repairs a cut or pinched nerve, as in sciatica. For joints, see peptides for joint pain, and for other repair peptides see peptides for healing and peptides for injury recovery.
Is ARA-290 safe? Does it cause cancer?
- In the trials. No safety concerns in the sarcoidosis pilot (1). In the diabetes trial, one serious event, worsening kidney disease after a diuretic change, was judged possibly related (3). The macular edema trial found no serious events and no antibodies to the drug (5).
- Cancer. No evidence shows ARA-290 causes cancer, and none shows it is safe in people who have it. EPO-type drugs raised deaths during treatment by 17% across 53 trials and 13,933 cancer patients (9). ARA-290 does not raise red blood cells, but it has never been tested in people with cancer.
- Excluded groups. The main sarcoidosis trial excluded anyone with a serious cancer in the previous five years (10). Pregnancy, children, repeat courses and long-term use are untested.
- Retractions. Two pHBSP papers, a 2012 kidney study and a 2014 insulin resistance study, were retracted. Treat vendor pages that cite them with caution.
Is ARA-290 approved or legal?
- Not approved. No regulator has approved ARA-290, and no phase 3 trial is registered.
- Designations. In May 2017 the developer, Araim, announced US orphan drug (rare disease) and fast track status for sarcoidosis nerve pain (11). Those help development and are not approval.
- Sport. ARA-290 is not named on the current WADA list, but S2.1.5 prohibits innate repair receptor agonists at all times, the receptor ARA-290 targets. Tested athletes should treat it as prohibited (12).
How do you check an ARA-290 vial?
- Match the lot number on your vial to a lab report from a named lab.
- Look for identity data. A mass near 1,256.6 Da by mass spectrometry is ideal, and a reference match is the next best proof.
- Check purity: at least 98% by HPLC, with the milligrams measured against the label.
- Check for sterility and endotoxin results. Amino Club’s lot report lists both.
- Walk away if there is no report, the price is far below other sellers, or the seller has an FDA warning letter.
Our COA guide explains each line, and peptide scams to avoid lists sellers to skip. Comparing repair peptides? See BPC-157 and the KLOW peptide blend, or browse our full list of peptides.
ARA-290 FAQ
What is ARA-290?
ARA-290, also called cibinetide, is an 11-amino-acid peptide built from the tissue-protective part of erythropoietin (EPO). It targets the innate repair receptor and does not raise red blood cells. It is not approved for any use.
Is ARA-290 the same as cibinetide?
Yes. Cibinetide is the drug name for ARA-290, and it is also written ARA 290, ARA290 and pHBSP.
Does ARA-290 regrow nerves?
Partly, in small studies. In a 64-person trial, corneal nerve fiber area rose versus placebo at the middle dose only. Pain improved in every group, placebo included. No trial shows it repairs a cut or compressed nerve.
Is ARA-290 FDA approved?
No. The developer announced US orphan drug and fast track designations in 2017, but no phase 3 trial was registered and no regulator has approved it.
Does ARA-290 work for diabetic neuropathy?
One 49-person phase 2 trial found better HbA1c, lipids and neuropathy symptom scores. Corneal nerve fibers rose only in people who started well below normal. One small trial is not enough to rely on.
Does ARA-290 work for sciatica or MS?
No human trial exists for either. Rat studies found less pain after sciatic nerve injury and a milder disease course in a multiple sclerosis rat model.
Is ARA-290 banned in sport?
It is not named on the 2026 WADA list, but S2.1.5 prohibits innate repair receptor agonists at all times, and ARA-290 targets that receptor. Tested athletes should treat it as prohibited.
Where can you find third-party tested ARA-290?
Amino Club and NextGen Peptides each post a lot report from ILS Laboratories with purity and measured content. Match the lot number on your vial to the report, and use our COA guide to read it.
Sources
Show references (12)Hide references
- Heij L, et al. Safety and efficacy of ARA 290 in sarcoidosis patients with symptoms of small fiber neuropathy: a randomized, double-blind pilot study. Mol Med 2012. Source
- Dahan A, et al. ARA 290 improves symptoms in patients with sarcoidosis-associated small nerve fiber loss and increases corneal nerve fiber density. Mol Med 2013. Source
- Brines M, et al. ARA 290, a nonerythropoietic peptide engineered from erythropoietin, improves metabolic control and neuropathic symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes. Mol Med 2015. Source
- Culver DA, et al. Cibinetide improves corneal nerve fiber abundance in patients with sarcoidosis-associated small nerve fiber loss and neuropathic pain. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017. Source
- Lois N, et al. A phase 2 clinical trial on the use of cibinetide for the treatment of diabetic macular edema. J Clin Med 2020. Source
- Brines M, et al. Erythropoietin mediates tissue protection through an erythropoietin and common beta-subunit heteroreceptor. PNAS 2004. Source
- Swartjes M, et al. ARA290, a peptide derived from the tertiary structure of erythropoietin, produces long-term relief of neuropathic pain: an experimental study in rats and beta-common receptor knockout mice. Anesthesiology 2011. Source
- Chen H, et al. Therapeutic effects of nonerythropoietic erythropoietin analog ARA290 in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis rat. J Neuroimmunol 2014. Source
- Bohlius J, et al. Recombinant human erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and mortality in patients with cancer: a meta-analysis of randomised trials. Lancet 2009. Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT02039687: phase 2 dose-ranging study of ARA 290 in sarcoidosis. Source
- Araim Pharmaceuticals. Cibinetide (ARA 290) regenerates small nerve fibers and improves neuropathic clinical symptoms in the orphan disease of sarcoidosis. PR Newswire, May 2017. Source
- WADA. The 2026 Prohibited List. Source