ARA-290

ARA-290, also called cibinetide, is an 11-amino-acid peptide derived from the tertiary structure of erythropoietin (EPO). Unlike full-length EPO, ARA-290 has no effect on red blood cell production — it was specifically engineered to keep EPO's tissue-protective and anti-inflammatory actions while removing its hematopoietic activity. It binds the innate repair receptor (IRR), a heterocomplex of EPO receptor and the beta common receptor expressed on injured tissue. It is sold strictly for laboratory research.

Erythropoietin is famous for boosting red blood cell production — the thing endurance athletes (illegally) use to oxygenate their muscles. But EPO also has a quieter second job: it tells injured tissue to calm down inflammation and start repairing. ARA-290 is the stripped-down version that keeps only the repair signal. Researchers study it for nerve damage, chronic inflammation, and conditions like small-fiber neuropathy and sarcoidosis. It is one of the few peptides in this category with completed clinical trials in humans.

ARA-290 selectively activates the innate repair receptor (IRR), an EPO receptor isoform expressed mainly on damaged or stressed cells. Activation suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokines, reduces oxidative stress, and supports neuronal and tissue repair without raising hematocrit. This receptor-selective design avoids the cardiovascular risks associated with full EPO.

Engineered peptide from EPO. Activates innate repair pathways. Targets neuropathic pain.

1. ARA-290
2. Local growth-factor and angiogenic signalling
3. Cell migration, matrix remodelling and inflammatory modulation
4. Connective-tissue, gut-lining and wound-repair endpoints

A plain-English read on how much published evidence currently exists for ARA-290. These ratings describe the volume and maturity of the literature — not effectiveness, safety, or suitability for any use.

Current limitations: most compounds in this category are studied in preclinical or small-sample settings. Absence of large controlled human trials is the single biggest limitation to keep in mind when reading any summary of ARA-290.

Lyophilized compounds are supplied as a dry powder. Concentration is simply the total amount in the vial divided by the volume of bacteriostatic water added:

Concentration (mg/mL) = total mg in vial ÷ mL of diluent added

Commonly supplied vial sizes

8mg or 16mg vial

Worked concentration example

16mg + 2mL BAC water → 8mg/mL On U-100 insulin syringe:

• • 50 units = 4.0mg

Run your own numbers with the reconstitution calculator — it converts vial size and diluent volume into mg/mL and mcg/mL.

The figures below are reported here descriptively, because they are the values most frequently cited in publicly available research literature and reference material. They are not instructions, not a protocol, and not a recommendation. These compounds are supplied for laboratory research use only and are not approved by the FDA for human consumption.

Commonly cited amounts

4mg daily subcutaneous

Commonly cited frequency

Daily

Commonly cited study duration

4–8 weeks

Peptides are supplied freeze-dried because peptide bonds degrade far faster in solution than in a dry state. Understanding storage is part of understanding why the powder form exists at all.

• •Lyophilized powder: stored refrigerated, typically stable for months to years.
• •Reconstituted solution: refrigerated at 2–8°C, generally discussed as stable for roughly 30–60 days.
• •Heat and direct light accelerate degradation — vials are kept cool and dark.
• •Reconstituted material is not re-frozen; ice crystal formation disrupts peptide structure.
• •Bacteriostatic water contains 0.9% benzyl alcohol as a preservative, which is what allows multi-day storage after reconstitution.

More detail in the storage & handling guide and how peptide quality is evaluated.

• •Small-fiber neuropathy and sarcoidosis pain
• •Diabetic neuropathy
• •Wound healing in diabetic models
• •Anti-inflammatory cytokine modulation
• •Innate repair receptor biology
• •Neuroprotection after ischemic injury

ARA-290 occupies a small but devoted corner of the chronic-pain and neuropathy internet. Patients with small-fiber neuropathy and sarcoidosis-related pain reference it frequently because of published clinical work showing symptom improvements. On r/Peptides, threads tend to be more measured than other categories — fewer 'gains' claims, more careful discussion of inflammation, neuropathy, and the published Araim Pharmaceuticals data.

“EPO without the blood-doping side.”

ARA-290 is rarely stacked aggressively. The most common combinations in research discussion are with BPC-157 or thymosin alpha-1 in chronic-pain or autoimmune contexts where multiple repair and immune pathways are theoretically involved.

ARA-290 (cibinetide) is an 11-amino-acid EPO-derived peptide that activates the innate repair receptor to reduce inflammation and support tissue repair without affecting red blood cell production. It has been studied in clinical trials for small-fiber neuropathy and sarcoidosis and is sold for laboratory research only.