Ara-290
Stocked in 10mg at MontanaPep in Great Falls, Montana. Sold for laboratory research use only.
| Size | Catalog no. | Price per vial |
|---|---|---|
| 10mg | RA10 | $30 |
Classification
11-residue non-erythropoietic EPO-derived peptide with genuine Phase II human data
Structure and chemistry
ARA-290, also called cibinetide or pyroglutamate helix B surface peptide (pHBSP), is an 11-amino-acid synthetic peptide modeled on the helix-B surface of erythropoietin — the face of the EPO molecule that is exposed to solvent and not involved in binding the classical receptor. It reproduces that surface without reproducing EPO’s blood-forming activity.
What the published research shows
ARA-290 has better human evidence than most compounds in this catalog: completed Phase II randomized controlled trials, not merely animal work. Trials in sarcoidosis-associated small fiber neuropathy reported improvements in neuropathic pain scores and in corneal nerve fiber density, an objective structural measure rather than a symptom score. What does not exist is Phase III data, and the development program appears to have stalled rather than concluded.
Mechanism of action
This is the interesting part, and it explains the compound’s whole rationale. Erythropoietin signals through two different receptor arrangements. Red blood cell production runs through the EPO receptor homodimer. Tissue protection runs through a separate heteromeric complex — the innate repair receptor — made of the EPO receptor paired with the beta-common receptor subunit CD131, signalling via JAK2. ARA-290 binds the heteromeric innate repair receptor with high selectivity and essentially does not engage the homodimer. The result is EPO’s anti-inflammatory and tissue-protective effects without raising hematocrit. Despite a short plasma half-life, it produces sustained biological effects once concentrations exceed the receptor’s low nanomolar affinity.
Development history
Developed from work by Michael Brines and Anthony Cerami on erythropoietin’s non-blood-related effects. The pivotal insight, published by Leist and colleagues in Science in 2004, was that chemically modifying EPO to remove its erythropoietic activity did not remove its tissue-protective activity — implying two separable receptor systems and creating the target ARA-290 was built to hit.
Current regulatory status
ARA-290 is not approved by the FDA or any regulator, has no approved formulation in the United States, and no Phase III data exists. It has not been placed on FDA’s bulk drug substances lists. ARA-290 was engineered to engage erythropoietin’s tissue-protective signalling without its red-cell-stimulating activity — the direct contrast with EPO, also in this catalog.
Analytical testing
An 11-residue peptide is straightforward to verify by mass spectrometry against a certified reference standard. One structural detail matters specifically: the N-terminal pyroglutamate. Pyroglutamate formation changes the mass relative to an unmodified glutamine or glutamic acid N-terminus, and the name pHBSP refers to that modification, so a COA should confirm it rather than report sequence alone.
Ordering from Great Falls
MontanaPep, also known as Montana Peptides, is an independently owned supplier based at 715 13th Ave S, Great Falls, Montana. Local pickup is available by arrangement, and we ship to research addresses across Montana including Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, Butte, Kalispell and Havre. Call (406) 799-0812 or email customerservice@montanapep.com.