Educational reference, not medical advice. This page summarizes information from published research and regulatory filings for educational purposes. It is not a recommendation to use any compound and should not replace guidance from a licensed healthcare provider. Most peptides discussed here are not approved for the uses described.
What it is
5-Amino-1MQ — short for 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium — is a small synthetic molecule, not a peptide, despite often being sold and discussed alongside research peptides. It is a selective, membrane-permeable inhibitor of the enzyme nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT). NNMT consumes nicotinamide (the precursor for NAD+) and S-adenosylmethionine to produce methylnicotinamide, and its expression is elevated in obese white adipose tissue and in certain cancers. Pharmacologically inhibiting NNMT raises intracellular NAD+ and S-adenosylmethionine, both of which influence energy metabolism.
The compound was developed at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston as part of an effort to translate the genetic findings that NNMT knockdown protected mice from diet-induced obesity into a drug-like inhibitor.
History
The genetic rationale for NNMT inhibition came from Kraus et al. (Nature 2014), who showed that knocking down NNMT in mouse white adipose tissue protected against diet-induced obesity and improved insulin sensitivity. The Neelakantan lab at UTMB then developed and tested a series of NNMT inhibitors; 5-amino-1MQ emerged as one of the lead compounds and was reported in Biochemical Pharmacology in 2018. In that study, the compound reduced body weight and adiposity in mice fed a high-fat diet without changing food intake, with effects attributed to increased energy expenditure.
Subsequent work has investigated NNMT inhibition in muscle stem cell function, fibrosis, and cancer biology. As of 2026 there are no registered or published human trials of 5-amino-1MQ.
Regulatory status
5-Amino-1MQ has no approved use in any country. It is not a peptide, so it does not fall under the FDA's 503A bulk substances list, but it is also not an approved drug or compounded substance. It is sold strictly as a research chemical with not-for-human-use labeling. The World Anti-Doping Agency has not listed the compound specifically, but any non-approved metabolic agent could be considered under WADA's S0 (non-approved substances) category in competition.
How researchers describe its action
The published mechanism papers describe 5-amino-1MQ as a selective NNMT inhibitor that:
- Raises intracellular NAD+ by sparing nicotinamide from methylation, with downstream effects on sirtuin signaling and mitochondrial function.
- Raises S-adenosylmethionine, which influences methylation reactions broadly.
- Increases energy expenditure in obese mice without changes in food intake — the reported reason for the weight-loss effect in the preclinical model.
- Activates muscle stem cells in aged mice in a separate set of experiments, suggesting an effect on tissue regeneration that has not been demonstrated in humans.
These effects have been described primarily in cultured cells and mice. Whether they translate to humans at tolerable doses is not known.
Half-life and dosing intervals
The published pharmacokinetic data is limited to rodents. In mice, the oral half-life of 5-amino-1MQ has been reported in the range of 4 to 8 hours with reasonable oral bioavailability — adequate for once- or twice-daily oral dosing in the published mouse efficacy studies.
In the 2018 efficacy study, mice received 5-amino-1MQ at doses of approximately 20 mg/kg/day via intraperitoneal injection over multiple weeks. There is no validated human dose. The doses described in online observational use (commonly 50 to 150 mg per day orally) are extrapolations from the mouse data rather than clinical findings.
Reconstitution example
5-Amino-1MQ is a small molecule typically supplied as a powder in capsules or as bulk powder in 10 mg, 50 mg, or 150 mg quantities. It is taken orally and does not require injection or reconstitution with sterile water.
When sold as bulk powder, accurate weighing on a precision scale calibrated to milligram-level accuracy is necessary because the doses described in observational use are small and milligram errors are material. Vial's calculator does not apply to oral small molecules.
What to know
- Not a peptide. Despite frequent appearance in peptide marketplaces, 5-amino-1MQ is a small molecule with a different regulatory and pharmacological profile.
- Preclinical only. All efficacy claims come from rodent studies. There are no published human trials of efficacy or long-term safety.
- Oral, not injected. The compound is orally bioavailable and is taken by mouth in the published research; injection is not necessary or supported.
- Long-term safety unknown. NNMT influences methylation reactions broadly; chronic systemic inhibition has not been studied in humans.
- Storage. Stable as a dry powder at room temperature; protect from moisture and light per the supplier's certificate of analysis.
Sources
- 1.Neelakantan H et al. (2018). Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase reverse high fat diet-induced obesity in mice. Biochemical Pharmacology.
- 2.Kraus D et al. (2014). Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase knockdown protects against diet-induced obesity. Nature.
- 3.Neelakantan H et al. (2019). Small molecule nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibitor activates senescent muscle stem cells and improves regenerative capacity of aged skeletal muscle. Biochemical Pharmacology.
- 4.Eckert MA et al. (2019). Proteomics reveals NNMT as a master metabolic regulator of cancer-associated fibroblasts. Nature.