ARA 290, a nonerythropoietic peptide engineered from erythropoietin, improves metabolic control and neuropathic symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes.
An early controlled phase 2 study in type 2 diabetes with painful neuropathy reported metabolic and neuropathic symptom signals over 56 days, with subgroup nerve-fiber findings.
An early controlled phase 2 study in type 2 diabetes with painful neuropathy reported metabolic and neuropathic symptom signals over 56 days, with subgroup nerve-fiber findings.
Research summary
Participants received ARA-290 or placebo for 28 days and were observed for a further month. The publication reported improvements in HbA1c, lipid profiles, and PainDetect neuropathic symptoms in the ARA-290 group. Corneal nerve-fiber improvement was reported in a subgroup with reduced baseline density. No potential safety issues were identified in this short observation window.
Limitations and interpretation
Exploratory metabolic and subgroup findings do not demonstrate durable diabetes control or disease modification. This painful-neuropathy publication is not automatically the same trial as NCT01933529, which describes prediabetes and drug-naive type 2 diabetes; that registry has an unknown current status and no posted results.
Source
Brines M, Dunne AN, van Velzen M, et al. ARA 290, a nonerythropoietic peptide engineered from erythropoietin, improves metabolic control and neuropathic symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes. Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.). 2015 Mar 13. DOI: 10.2119/molmed.2014.00215. PMID: 25387363.
Original PubMed record. Publisher DOI. Sources reviewed October 15, 2026. This page is an educational summary, not a reproduction of the full publication.
Connected compound
ARA-290 / cibinetide monograph. Educational information only; no treatment or personal-use recommendations.
Keywords
Research Goals
(2)For research use only. Not medical advice.