ARA-290 (Cibinetide)
An erythropoietin-derived peptide (cibinetide) studied in clinical trials for small-fiber neuropathy; investigational, not approved.
What it is
ARA-290, or cibinetide, is an 11-amino-acid peptide engineered from erythropoietin — designed to keep EPO's tissue-protective signaling while discarding its red-blood-cell effects. Unusually for the gray market's catalog, it has a genuine clinical-trial history.
Phase 2 trials studied it for painful small-fiber neuropathy in sarcoidosis and diabetes, with encouraging but not definitive results, and development never reached approval. It remains investigational everywhere — which makes online 'cibinetide' another case of trial-stage science bottled early.
What researchers have actually studied it for
Painful small-fiber neuropathy — particularly in sarcoidosis — in real phase 2 clinical trials; development stopped short of approval.
How it works
It selectively targets the innate repair receptor — a complex of the EPO receptor and CD131 that appears on stressed tissue — activating anti-inflammatory, tissue-protective programs without stimulating red-blood-cell production. That selectivity was the whole design goal.
Where it came from
Developed by Araim Pharmaceuticals from research into why EPO protected tissue beyond blood counts, cibinetide advanced through phase 2 in the 2010s for sarcoidosis-associated small-fiber neuropathy, earning orphan designations along the way. Development slowed short of phase 3 success, and the gray market picked up the name.
What the research record actually contains
- Phase 2 trials in sarcoidosis small-fiber neuropathy: improvements in corneal nerve-fiber measures and symptom scores.
- Diabetes neuropathy and other early studies with mixed, encouraging signals.
- No phase 3 success, no approval, no established clinical role yet.
What's known about risks
Trial safety was reasonable in studied doses and durations — a genuinely better data position than most of this library. Long-term safety and real-world unsupervised use remain uncharacterized.
Where it stands legally
Investigational; no approval anywhere; not lawfully sold for human use.
Worth asking a licensed provider
- 1.If small-fiber neuropathy is my issue, has it actually been diagnosed and staged?
- 2.What evaluated treatments exist for my neuropathy before an investigational peptide?
- 3.Is any legitimate trial of cibinetide or successors open to me?