An elegant piece of drug design. Erythropoietin has a tissue-protective effect entirely separate from its red-cell effect, mediated by a different receptor — a heterocomplex of EPOR and the common beta receptor CD131. ARA-290 is an 11-amino-acid sequence from EPO's helix B that engages only that innate repair receptor. You get the cytoprotection without raising haematocrit, which is what made EPO itself unusable for this purpose.
Genuine clinical trials, principally in small-fibre neuropathy associated with sarcoidosis and in type 2 diabetes, reporting improvements in neuropathic symptoms and corneal nerve fibre measures. Modest sample sizes. Development has not reached approval.
Not FDA-approved. Investigational, with orphan designations historically.
Trial safety has been favourable, and the design specifically avoids EPO's thrombotic risk by not stimulating erythropoiesis. Long-term data are limited.
Forge Bioenergy does not publish dosing, reconstitution, or administration protocols for any peptide. See our editorial policy for why. If you are considering any substance on this page, that conversation belongs with a licensed physician.
Regulatory status changes. This page reflects our reading of public sources as of July 2026 and should be independently verified before it is relied upon.