ARA-290 (Cibinetide)
Published · Researched 2026-09-21
Overview
ARA-290, also known as cibinetide, is an 11-amino-acid peptide derived from erythropoietin (EPO) that was developed by Araim Pharmaceuticals as an investigational drug. It selectively activates the innate repair receptor (IRR) — a heterodimer of the EPO receptor and CD131 — triggering tissue-protective and anti-inflammatory signaling without stimulating red blood cell production. It reached Phase 2 / IIb clinical trials for diabetic neuropathy and sarcoidosis-associated small fiber neuropathy, with published data showing improved corneal nerve fiber density and neuropathic pain scores. This makes ARA-290 categorically different from the other compounds here: it is a failed-or-stalled pharma development candidate with real human trial data, now sold on the gray market as a research chemical. The investigational drug and the gray-market vials are not the same thing — trial material was GMP-manufactured; vendor vials are unverified research chemicals.
Social standing
Primary-platform signal is thin. The social.search sweeps for ARA-290/cibinetide across Instagram/Threads/Facebook returned no usable results (infrastructure timeouts on the queries; no viral Threads or IG owner content surfaced in the track's earlier sweep either). Unlike BPC-157 or GHK-Cu, ARA-290 has no influencer moment and no dedicated FB Group presence observed.
Where discussion does live (second layer): Reddit, longevity forums, and Substack. A glp1realtalk Substack essay (2026) frames it as "one of the more credible peptides in circulation" — defined receptor targeting, human randomized trials, objective nerve-fiber endpoints — while stressing what is unknown: long-term safety, optimal cycling, durability of nerve regeneration. Brainflow's 2026 guide summarizes community anecdotes: the most common positive reports come from people with diagnosed neuropathy describing reduced burning and tingling with onset over 2–3 weeks (matching trial timelines); a meaningful number report nothing at all; mild injection-site irritation and headaches recur. MuscleChemistry forum roundups quote users calling it "freaking awesome" for pain while noting effects are temporary and ongoing use is expensive. Rapamycin.news longevity-forum members discuss intranasal self-experimentation cocktails.
Main praise: the only compound here with actual human trial data; neuropathy-specific anecdotes (burning/tingling reduction) that line up with trial timelines; defined mechanism (IRR, no erythropoiesis). Main complaints: expensive; effects described as temporary requiring repeat use; frequent product-quality complaints (warm shipping, potency doubts); vendors caught publishing the wrong amino-acid sequence on product pages (only 11 amino acids — easy to get wrong, impossible to eyeball); confusion between ARA-290 and cibinetide naming and between vial size and dose.
Social validation
Tier 3 — flagged. Single-platform-type evidence: discussion lives on Reddit/forums and long-form guides (Substack, Brainflow, PeptideWiki), with no meaningful signal found on Threads, Instagram, or Facebook Groups in this track's sweeps. Included for comparison given its unique regulatory/clinical profile, but community signal is low and concentrated among self-experimenters rather than a broad owner base.
Key specs table
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Sequence | 11-amino-acid EPO-derived peptide (pyroGlu-Glu-Gln-Leu-Glu-Arg-Ala-Leu-Asn-Ser-Ser) — exact vendor sequence UNVERIFIED; multiple vendors have published wrong sequences |
| Molecular weight | ~1.3 kDa (reported as 1257 g/mol free base) — UNVERIFIED, treat vendor figures with caution |
| Typical vial size sold | 10 mg (most common) |
| Half-life | Short plasma half-life with sustained tissue response reported in trial literature — exact figure UNVERIFIED |
| Solubility | Reconstituted in bacteriostatic water per vendor/community guidance; independent verification UNVERIFIED |
| Storage | −20°C long-term; refrigerated after reconstitution (vendor guidance; UNVERIFIED independently) |
| Purity claims | ≥99% HPLC (vendor-claimed; verify against batch COA — critical given documented sequence errors) |
Pricing
Observation date: 2026-09-20. ARA-290 pricing is sparse — few vendors carry it:
- Amino Club — $49.99 for 10 mg (~$39.99 with code BRAINFLOW), 7 rounds of third-party testing claimed with published COAs (per brainflow.co, updated 2026-08-08)
Typical per-mg: roughly $4.00–$5.00/mg based on the one current listing found. Broader vendor coverage UNVERIFIED — ARA-290 has far fewer sellers than BPC-157/TB-500. FB Marketplace used range: N/A — no resale market observed.
What's included / what's needed
Lyophilized powder in a sealed vial only. NOT included: bacteriostatic water, syringes, alcohol swabs — buyer sources separately. Quality verification is unusually important here: with documented wrong-sequence listings, a batch COA with identity confirmation (mass spec) is the only real check.
Support reality
The support story for ARA-290 is dominated by quality risk. Brainflow's guide explicitly warns that sourcing matters more here than for most peptides because several vendors have published incorrect sequences and no visual inspection can distinguish compounds. Amino Club is the guide's pick on the strength of 7-round third-party testing with published COAs. General gray-market norms apply otherwise: reship guarantees for lost/damaged orders, no efficacy warranties, research-use-only labeling. There is no compounding or clinical pathway — Araim Pharmaceuticals' development program is the investigational origin, not a current supply route.
Community verdict
ARA-290 is the connoisseur's pick of the healing category — the only one with human randomized-trial data and a defined receptor mechanism, which earns it unusual respect from the evidence-minded corner of the community. But that credibility coexists with a thin, self-experimenter-only user base, temporary-feeling effects, premium pricing, and the worst sequence-accuracy record of any compound here; it is discussed more as a translational curiosity than as a proven tool.
Regulatory & safety status
RESEARCH CHEMICAL — NOT FDA/EMA APPROVED for human use. Critical distinction: ARA-290/cibinetide is an investigational drug developed by Araim Pharmaceuticals that reached Phase 2 trials for neuropathy — it is not an approved drug, not a compounded product, and the gray-market vials sold online are not the trial drug. Clinical trials reported a generally safe profile (injection-site irritation, headaches) with no erythropoietic activity, but long-term safety, optimal cycling, and durability of nerve regeneration are unknown. Athlete note: not explicitly named on the WADA Prohibited List; as a non-approved peptide it falls under WADA's S0 catch-all for athletes. Gray-market vials are sold legally only as research chemicals labeled "not for human or veterinary use" — never imply human-use approval.
Photos
6 distinct real photographs, verified and converted to JPEG. No photo is reused across views or items.
- Views present: hero, side, detail, in-use, scale, box (ara-290-hero.jpg, ara-290-side.jpg, ara-290-detail.jpg, ara-290-in-use.jpg, ara-290-scale.jpg, ara-290-box.jpg).
- Missing views: rear, top — no real photos of these views found; named honestly rather than substituted.
- Honest framing: peptide products are sold as labeled lyophilized vials, so 'side/rear/top' are distinct alternate vendor/product shots, not true multi-angle views. No real owner in-use or scale-context photos exist for these research-chemical products (no owner-photo culture); where those views are present they are additional distinct vendor product shots.
Not medical advice. This is research documentation only, not a recommendation to use any substance. All of these products are sold as research chemicals not intended for human use.
Named sources
- brainflow.co — Amino Club — $49.99 for 10 mg (~$39.99 with code BRAINFLOW), 7 rounds of third-party testing claimed with published COAs (per brainflow.co, updated 2026-08-08) Typical per-mg: roughly $4.00–$5.00/mg based on the one current listing found. (2026-08-08)
- Substack. A glp1realtalk Substack — *Where discussion does live (second layer):** Reddit, longevity forums, and Substack. (2026)
- Brainflow's guide — Brainflow's 2026 guide summarizes community anecdotes: the most common positive reports come from people with diagnosed neuropathy describing reduced burning and tingling with onset over 2–3 weeks (matching trial timelines); a meaningful number report nothing… (2026)
- MuscleChemistry forum roundup — MuscleChemistry forum roundups quote users calling it "freaking awesome" for pain while noting effects are temporary and ongoing use is expensive.
- Brainflow — 2026 guide (2026)
Source URLs were not recorded for these references.