Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Head-to-head comparison of ARA-290 and Thymalin — mechanism, dosing, side effects, legal status, and pricing.
ARA-290 (Cibinetide) is a synthetic 11-amino-acid peptide derived from the helix-B surface of erythropoietin (EPO), developed by Araim Pharmaceuticals. It selectively activates the innate repair receptor (IRR) for anti-inflammatory, tissue-protective, and neuroprotective signaling without stimulating erythropoiesis. ARA-290 is not FDA-approved; it has received FDA Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations for sarcoidosis-associated small fiber neuropathy and remains in clinical development as of April 2026.
Thymalin is a heterogeneous polypeptide extract from calf thymus (a mixture, not a single defined peptide) developed in the 1970s by V. Kh. Khavinson and V. G. Morozov at the Military Medical Academy / St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. Registered as a pharmaceutical in the USSR/Russia for immunocorrection. Distinct from Thymulin (Bach's zinc-dependent nonapeptide pGlu-Ala-Lys-Ser-Gln-Gly-Gly-Ser-Asn, originally called FTS) and from Thymosin alpha-1 (a 28-amino-acid synthetic peptide). Not FDA-approved in the US; research-use only.
ARA-290
Thymalin
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Dose Range
Route
Frequency
COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
ARA-290
Thymalin
COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
ARA-290
36
COAs
99.4%
Avg purity
10
Labs
Thymalin
13
COAs
99.5%
Avg purity
6
Labs
Dahan et al. (Molecular Medicine, 2013, PMID 24136731) conducted a blinded placebo-controlled trial of 28 days of subcutaneous ARA 290 in sarcoidosis patients with documented small nerve fiber loss; treatment improved neuropathic symptoms, increased corneal nerve fiber density on confocal microscopy, altered thermal thresholds, and improved 6-minute walk distance. Brines et al. (Molecular Medicine, 2015, PMID 25387363) reported a placebo-controlled trial of 4 mg daily SubQ ARA 290 for 28 days in type 2 diabetes: the active arm showed improvements in HbA1c, lipid profile, and PainDetect neuropathic symptom scores, with recovery of intraepidermal nerve fiber measurements versus no change on placebo. Heij et al. (2012) and additional Phase 2 work have supported the tissue-protective signal. ARA-290 has not advanced to Phase 3 registration trials and is not FDA-approved.
Key references
Evidence base is almost entirely single-lab (Khavinson/Morozov, St. Petersburg). Long-term observational work in elderly Russian cohorts reported reduced all-cause mortality and lower incidence of respiratory infections with Thymalin (alone or with Epithalamin) over 6–8 years, but these were not blinded Western RCTs and have not been independently reproduced. No FDA-registered clinical trials.
ARA-290 (Recovery) and Thymalin (Immune) are in different categories and target different biological pathways. This is a common pattern in multi-compound research protocols. Researchers should monitor the biomarkers from both profiles and watch for interactions listed in each compound’s contraindications. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before combining any research compounds.
This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.
Dosing Notes
Side Effects
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Disclosed Labs