5-Amino-1MQ (5-amino-1-methylquinolinium) is a small-molecule drug that blocks the enzyme NNMT. It cut body weight and fat in obese mice[1] and strengthened aging muscle in mice,[4][5] which is why it is sold online for fat loss. Despite being marketed with peptides, it is not a peptide. No human study has been published, and none is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.[14]
What is 5-Amino-1MQ?
5-Amino-1MQ belongs to a family of methylquinolinium compounds that researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch screened as NNMT inhibitors.[2] It was chosen because it blocked NNMT selectively, without affecting related enzymes in the NAD+ recycling pathway, and passed easily through cell membranes.[1]
It is not a peptide. Peptides are chains of amino acids. 5-Amino-1MQ is a single ring-based molecule with no amino acids. Its charged form weighs about 159 daltons,[9] far smaller than even short peptides.
The lead researcher, Stanley Watowich, founded Ridgeline Therapeutics, and several co-authors work for the company, which they disclose in their papers.[5][6][8]
How 5-Amino-1MQ works
NNMT is an enzyme that attaches a methyl group to nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3). Mice with NNMT knocked down in fat and liver were protected from diet-induced obesity, burned more energy, and had higher levels of NAD+ and SAM, two molecules central to energy metabolism.[3]
5-Amino-1MQ is meant to copy that effect with a drug. In fat cells grown in the lab, it raised NAD+ and SAM levels and reduced fat production.[1] Because it is thought to act partly by raising NAD+, it is often discussed alongside NAD+ injections and precursors.
What the research shows
All research is in cells, mice and rats.
Fat loss in obese mice
- First mouse study: obese mice on a high-fat diet got injections three times a day for 11 days. They lost about 5% of body weight while untreated mice gained about 1.4%. Their main fat pad was about 35% smaller, cholesterol was about 30% lower, and they ate the same amount of food.[1]
- Combined with a diet change: obese mice switched to a lean diet lost about 29% of their fat mass with 5-Amino-1MQ, compared with about 3% from the diet switch alone, and their body composition returned to that of lean mice.[6] The same group also found a distinct gut-bacteria pattern in these mice.[7]
- Metabolic health: over 28 days, it limited weight and fat gain in mice that stayed on a high-fat diet, improved blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity, and reduced fatty liver.[8]
Muscle and aging in mice
- Injured old muscle: in 24-month-old mice, it increased muscle stem cell activity after a leg muscle injury. Treated mice had nearly twice the muscle fiber size and about 70% more peak strength in the injured muscle.[4]
- Exercise: over 8 weeks in old mice, sedentary treated mice had about 40% greater grip strength than controls, compared with 20% for exercise alone and 60% for exercise plus the drug.[5]
Has 5-Amino-1MQ been tested in humans?
No. We found no published human study, and a ClinicalTrials.gov search found no registered trials.[14] Claims about fat loss in people come from mouse data and user reports, not clinical trials.
5-Amino-1MQ dosage: what was studied
There is no studied human dose. Doses used in animals were:
| Study | Animal | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Obesity[1] | Mice | 20 mg/kg injected 3 times daily (about 34 mg/kg/day) for 11 days |
| Metabolic health[8] | Mice | 10 or 32 mg/kg per day for 28 days |
| Aged muscle injury[4] | Mice | 5 or 10 mg/kg twice daily for 2 to 4 weeks |
| Aged muscle and exercise[5] | Mice | 10 mg/kg once daily for 8 weeks |
Mouse doses cannot be converted directly into safe human doses. In rats, about 38% of a dose taken by mouth reached the bloodstream.[9]
How long does 5-Amino-1MQ last?
In rats, its half-life was about 3.8 hours after an intravenous dose and 6.9 hours after an oral dose.[9] No human data exist.
5-Amino-1MQ side effects and safety
- Human safety is unknown: no human study has been published and none is registered, so there is no information on side effects, safe doses or long-term use in people.[14]
- Mouse studies: researchers reported no observable adverse effects and no change in food intake during the 11-day obesity study.[1] Studies lasted days to weeks, so long-term effects are unknown.
- Cell toxicity at high doses: in lab-grown mouse cells, it caused modest cell death at 100 to 300 µM and killed about 40% of cells at the highest concentration tested (600 µM).[1]
- Unclear long-term biology: NNMT is involved in NAD+, SAM and histone methylation, so blocking it changes several basic cell processes.[3]
- Product quality: products sold online are not tested for identity, purity or dose.
5-Amino-1MQ vs MOTS-c, SLU-PP-332 and AOD-9604
These compounds are often sold together for fat loss, but none has been compared with the others in a trial.
| 5-Amino-1MQ | MOTS-c | SLU-PP-332 | AOD-9604 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Small molecule | Mitochondrial-derived peptide (16 amino acids) | Small molecule (ERR agonist) | Modified growth hormone fragment (16 amino acids) |
| Main idea | Blocks NNMT[1] | Activates AMPK energy signaling | Switches on exercise-related genes | Fat breakdown without growth hormone receptor binding |
| Human data | None published[14] | None published | None | Human trials; the largest found no weight loss |
Details and sources for the other compounds are in each linked profile.
Is 5-Amino-1MQ legal?
- Not FDA-approved.
- Compounding: in a January 2026 warning letter, FDA told an outsourcing facility that drugs made with 5-Amino-1MQ are not eligible for 503B exemptions because it is not on the 503B bulks list and is not used to make a drug in shortage.[10] It also does not appear on FDA’s list of substances nominated for 503A pharmacy compounding[11] or on its list of substances with significant safety risks.[12]
- Sports: not named on WADA’s 2026 list. In our reading it falls under class S0, which bans at all times any drug with no government approval for human use and not covered elsewhere on the list.[13]
This is general information, not legal advice.
