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ARA-290 Results: What Studies Measured and When

What published studies measured for ARA-290, when those outcomes were measured, and what is still unproven.

Medically reviewed by Juan Pablo Frías, MD · · DisclosureEPO-derived peptideUpdated

What studies measured

Each outcome below comes from a published study, with its type and size, strongest design first. Animal and cell results are labelled as such and are not human results.

ARA-290 outcomes in published studies
OutcomeResultStudy typeSource
Corneal nerve fiber area (4 mg)Placebo-corrected corneal nerve fiber area change at day 28 was 109 (1 mg), 697 (4 mg, P = 0.012) and 431 (8 mg); only the 4 mg group reached significance.Human RCTn = 64Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 2017, PMID 28475703
PainPain improved in all groups; the placebo-corrected decrease in the 4 mg group among those with moderate-severe pain was not statistically significant (P = 0.157).Human RCTn = 64Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 2017, PMID 28475703
Metabolic controlThe ARA 290 group showed improved HbA1c and lipid profiles over the 56-day observation period.Human controlled trialMolecular medicine 2015, PMID 25387363
Neuropathic symptomsPainDetect neuropathic symptom scores improved significantly with ARA 290.Human controlled trialMolecular medicine 2015, PMID 25387363
Mood and affective symptomsNo effect on mood or affective symptoms in healthy volunteers.Human RCTn = 36European neuropsychopharmacology 2015, PMID 26431906
Small fiber neuropathy symptom scoreThe ARA 290 group improved significantly more than placebo on the small fiber neuropathy screening list score at week 4 (change -11.5 versus -2.9).Human RCTn = 22Molecular medicine 2012, PMID 23168581
Pain intensity (BPI) and fatigueBrief Pain Inventory and fatigue scores improved in both groups, with no difference between treatment and placebo.Human RCTn = 22Molecular medicine 2012, PMID 23168581
Visual acuity and retinal thicknessNo improvement in mean visual acuity, central retinal thickness, retinal sensitivity or tear production at week 12; the questionnaire composite improved.Human uncontrolled trialn = 9Journal of clinical medicine 2020, PMID 32674280
Plasma half-lifeReview reports a short plasma half-life of about 2 minutes but sustained biological effects.ReviewPharmacology & therapeutics 2015, PMID 25728128
Diabetic wound healingCibinetide improved the poor re-epithelialization, angiogenesis and wound strength seen in diabetic mice.Animal · mouse (genetic diabetes, db/db) (not a human result)Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular basis of disease 2018, PMID 29223734
Colitis courseCibinetide improved weight gain and survival in mice with established DSS colitis.Animal · mouse (not a human result)Scientific reports 2017, PMID 29026145
Disease severityARA290 reduced severity and duration of clinical score and spinal cord inflammation in EAE rats.Animal · rat (not a human result)Journal of neuroimmunology 2014, PMID 24518674
Mechanical allodyniaARA290 prevented the development of mechanical allodynia in the neuritis model; heat hyperalgesia was not significantly affected.Animal · rat (not a human result)Neuroscience 2013, PMID 23262243
Renal function after ischemia/reperfusionARA290 increased glomerular filtration rate over the seven-day observation period in pigs.Animal · pig (not a human result)n = 8Journal of translational medicine 2013, PMID 23302512
Neuropathic pain (allodynia)ARA290 gave long-term relief of tactile and cold allodynia in rats, lasting as long as 15 weeks.Animal · rat and mouse (including beta-common receptor knockout mice) (not a human result)n = 8Anesthesiology 2011, PMID 21873879
  • ARA-290 (cibinetide, pHBSP) human evidence: 2 randomized placebo-controlled trials in sarcoidosis small fiber neuropathy (22 and 64 participants), 1 phase 2 controlled trial in type 2 diabetes with painful neuropathy, 1 single-arm phase 2 in diabetic macular edema (9 patients), and 1 randomized study in healthy volunteers. All are small, short (4 to 12 weeks) and several are exploratory.
  • The 64-patient phase 2b trial met its primary endpoint (corneal nerve fiber area) only in the 4 mg group, and the pain difference in that group was not statistically significant.
  • In the sarcoidosis pilot, the Brief Pain Inventory and fatigue scores improved equally in both groups, so the ARA 290-specific gain was on the neuropathy symptom screening list.
  • The diabetic macular edema trial found no improvement in visual acuity or central retinal thickness.
  • The only half-life statement found is a review figure of about 2 minutes; no primary pharmacokinetic study was found.

Typical timeline

When measurable changes appeared in studies of ARA-290: not reported in study abstracts (PubMed search, 2 Oct 2026).

Before-and-after photos

We don't publish before-and-after photos. They can't be verified, rarely show dose, diet or other drugs, and only the most dramatic results get posted.

Common questions

How long does ARA-290 take to work?

The study abstracts we summarised for ARA-290 do not report when outcomes were measured (PubMed search, 2 Oct 2026).

Do you show ARA-290 before and after photos?

No. Photos can't be verified, rarely show dose, diet or other drugs, and only the most dramatic ones get posted. We summarize measured outcomes instead.

More on ARA-290

DosageDoses used in published studies, with the source for each.PricePrice per mg and per week from dated listings. No vendor links.

Sources

  1. 1Cibinetide Improves Corneal Nerve Fiber Abundance in Patients With Sarcoidosis-Associated Small Nerve Fiber Loss and Neuropathic Pain.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2017PMID 28475703Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  2. 2ARA 290, a nonerythropoietic peptide engineered from erythropoietin, improves metabolic control and neuropathic symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes.Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.) · 2015PMID 25387363Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  3. 3Testing the antidepressant properties of the peptide ARA290 in a human neuropsychological model of drug action.European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2015PMID 26431906Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  4. 4Safety and efficacy of ARA 290 in sarcoidosis patients with symptoms of small fiber neuropathy: a randomized, double-blind pilot study.Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.) · 2012PMID 23168581Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  5. 5A Phase 2 Clinical Trial on the Use of Cibinetide for the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema.Journal of clinical medicine · 2020PMID 32674280Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  6. 6Flipping the molecular switch for innate protection and repair of tissues: Long-lasting effects of a non-erythropoietic small peptide engineered from erythropoietin.Pharmacology & therapeutics · 2015PMID 25728128Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  7. 7Activation of the EPOR-β common receptor complex by cibinetide ameliorates impaired wound healing in mice with genetic diabetes.Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular basis of disease · 2018PMID 29223734Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  8. 8Cibinetide dampens innate immune cell functions thus ameliorating the course of experimental colitis.Scientific reports · 2017PMID 29026145Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  9. 9Therapeutic effects of nonerythropoietic erythropoietin analog ARA290 in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis rat.Journal of neuroimmunology · 2014PMID 24518674Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  10. 10The erythropoietin-derived peptide ARA290 reverses mechanical allodynia in the neuritis model.Neuroscience · 2013PMID 23262243Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  11. 11ARA290, a non-erythropoietic EPO derivative, attenuates renal ischemia/reperfusion injury.Journal of translational medicine · 2013PMID 23302512Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  12. 12ARA290, a peptide derived from the tertiary structure of erythropoietin, produces long-term relief of neuropathic pain: an experimental study in rats and β-common receptor knockout mice.Anesthesiology · 2011PMID 21873879Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  13. 13PubMed search: (ARA-290[tiab] OR ARA290[tiab] OR cibinetide[tiab]) (75 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  14. 14PubMed search: (ARA-290[tiab] OR ARA290[tiab] OR cibinetide[tiab]) AND (sarcoidosis[tiab] OR neuropath*[tiab] OR patients[tiab] OR randomized[tiab]) (29 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  15. 15PubMed search: (ARA-290[tiab] OR ARA290[tiab] OR cibinetide[tiab]) AND (half-life[tiab] OR pharmacokinetic*[tiab]) (2 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026

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