Claimed effect · ARA-290 (cibinetide)

Does ARA-290 (cibinetide) help with neuropathic pain?

C
Grade C — weak human evidenceSame trial + earlier phase 2 · effect size: not measurable
Short answerWeak human evidence. Same trial + earlier phase 2: enough to be interesting, not enough to count on. Where an effect is seen it is no measurable effect, or none yet shown. Pain improved in every arm including placebo; the placebo-corrected difference in the 4 mg group did not reach significance.

What the studies show

Pain improved in every arm including placebo; the placebo-corrected difference in the 4 mg group did not reach significance.

“Pain improved significantly in all groups, with subjects having moderate-severe pain reporting a clinically meaningful placebo-corrected decrease in pain intensity in the 4 mg group (P = 0.157).”

Verbatim, from the abstractCulver DA, Dahan A, Bajorunas D, et al. Cibinetide improves corneal nerve fiber abundance in patients with sarcoidosis-associated small nerve fiber loss and neuropathic pain. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2017

A few small or poorly-controlled human studies. Enough to be interesting; not enough to count on. Most of what gets called “clinically proven” online lives here.

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In context

ARA-290 is a short peptide copied from a surface of the erythropoietin molecule that signals tissue protection but not red-cell production. Its developer has run small randomised trials in small-fibre neuropathy, mostly in sarcoidosis: in a 64-person, 28-day phase 2, the 4 mg dose measurably increased nerve fibres in the cornea and skin, while pain improved on placebo as much as on drug. No phase 3 has been completed and it is not approved anywhere. The grey market sells it for pain, healing and inflammation on the strength of that early signal.

ARA-290 (cibinetide) is not approved; investigational. Legal status differs by country — see the regulation section or the jurisdiction pages.

Questions

Is ARA-290 (cibinetide) proven to help with neuropathic pain?
No. The human evidence is weak (Same trial + earlier phase 2); LYO grades it C.
What studies are behind the grade?
Pain improved in every arm including placebo; the placebo-corrected difference in the 4 mg group did not reach significance.
Is ARA-290 (cibinetide) approved for this?
No. ARA-290 (cibinetide) is not approved; investigational; it is not an approved medicine for any indication in the jurisdictions LYO covers.

Other outcomes for ARA-290 (cibinetide)

Written and maintained by LYO Research — how pages are written and checked. Reviewed 10 September 2026. Grades count human evidence only; see how LYO grades. Not medical advice. Correct this page →