ARA-290
Anti-Inflammatory, Repair and Recovery, Neuropathic Pain
In short
- An 11-amino-acid peptide derived from erythropoietin, engineered to keep EPO's tissue-protective effects WITHOUT stimulating red blood cell production.
- That separation is the whole point and is genuinely clever — it targets the innate repair receptor rather than the classical EPO receptor.
- Has real human trials, most notably in sarcoidosis-associated small fibre neuropathy, with reported improvements in neuropathic symptoms and corneal nerve fibre density.
- Because it does not raise haematocrit, the doping concern that applies to EPO does not apply in the same way.
- Not approved anywhere; development has been slow.
Structure
How it works
Erythropoietin has two distinct activities: erythropoiesis through the classical homodimeric EPO receptor, and tissue protection through a heteromeric receptor combining the EPO receptor with the beta-common receptor — sometimes called the innate repair receptor.
ARA-290 is a peptide corresponding to a helix B surface region of EPO that engages only the tissue-protective receptor. It therefore produces anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects without stimulating red cell production.
This is a genuinely elegant piece of drug design, and it addresses the reason EPO itself could never be used for tissue protection — you cannot give someone enough EPO to protect tissue without dangerously raising haematocrit.
What the research shows
A phase 2 trial in sarcoidosis-associated small fibre neuropathy reported improvements in neuropathic pain, autonomic symptoms, and corneal nerve fibre density.
Studies in type 2 diabetes reported improvements in metabolic parameters and neuropathic symptoms.
Results are encouraging but the trials are small, and the programme has not advanced to approval.
Dosing in the literature
Figures below are quoted from published studies, with the species or population they were measured in. They are records of what was studied, not recommendations.
| Studied in | Amount | Route | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human — phase 2 sarcoidosis small fibre neuropathy trial | 2 mg or 4 mg daily for 28 days | subcutaneous | PubMed |
| Human — type 2 diabetes studies | Comparable daily subcutaneous dosing; see source | subcutaneous | PubMed |
Commonly reported ranges
These are amounts people report using. They are not from any study, have not been evaluated for safety, and are reproduced here only because they circulate widely and are better seen alongside the evidence than instead of it.
| Reported by | Amount | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Commonly reported | 2–4 mg daily in courses | subcutaneous |
Trial doses exist and community use tracks them closely, which is unusual in this library. Courses of around four weeks were the trial design rather than continuous indefinite use.
Handling and storage
Supplied as a lyophilised powder requiring reconstitution with bacteriostatic water. The powder is comparatively stable; once reconstituted it is refrigerated and used within weeks. Track the date you reconstitute each vial — the Inventory section does this, and it is the difference between knowing a vial is three weeks old and guessing.
Daily subcutaneous injection in courses of roughly four weeks is the pattern from the trials.
Side effects
The trials reported good tolerability with no significant adverse effects at studied doses — genuine human safety data, uncommon in this library.
Injection-site reactions are the main reported issue.
Critically, and by design, it does not raise haemoglobin or haematocrit, which removes the thrombotic risk that limits EPO itself.
Long-term safety data does not exist; the trials ran for weeks.
Combinations
No interaction data. Its anti-inflammatory mechanism is distinct from most compounds here, so overlap is limited.
It is worth noting it does NOT stack meaningfully with EPO-like effects — it deliberately lacks them.
Research status
Developed by Araim Pharmaceuticals based on work from Michael Brines and Anthony Cerami on tissue-protective EPO derivatives.
The underlying science on the innate repair receptor is published and legitimate. The clinical programme is small but real, and has not progressed to approval.
Legal status
Not approved in any jurisdiction. Sold for research use only.
WADA status
Not specifically named on the Prohibited List. Note that EPO and EPO-receptor agonists are prohibited under S2 — ARA-290 is designed specifically NOT to be an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent, but an athlete should assume scrutiny and verify against the live list rather than relying on that distinction.
Conclusion
ARA-290 is one of the more scientifically interesting compounds in this library: a deliberate separation of EPO's two activities, with real human trials in a real neuropathic condition.
The evidence is early and the trials small, but the design logic is sound and the safety data, as far as it goes, is genuinely reassuring rather than merely absent.
Sources
Track your own ARA-290 protocol
Peppers logs your doses, models your levels from this half-life, tracks your vials and tells you when you will run out. Free on iPhone.
Reference and educational information only. Not medical advice. Nothing here diagnoses, treats, or prescribes, and nothing here is a recommendation to use any compound. The compounds described are research chemicals and are not approved for human consumption. Legal and anti-doping status change — the review date above is when these claims were last checked. Talk to a qualified clinician about anything you intend to take.