5-Amino-1MQ: clinical evidence record
Also known as: 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium, 5-Amino-1-methylquinolin-1-ium, NNMT inhibitor
Oliver Mackman · Editorial director · Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937)
Last updated 2026-07-19
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AI-friendly summary · 5-Amino-1MQ
The target was validated by antisense knockdown of NNMT in mice reported in Nature in 2014. The compound itself was described in Biochemical Pharmacology in 2018 by Neelakantan and colleagues, who reported reduced adiposity in diet-induced obese mice. The subsequent literature is a small set of follow-on rodent studies from broadly the same research lineage, covering combination with calorie restriction, microbiome composition, and later metabolic endpoints, plus review articles. This is a thin, largely single-lineage preclinical base with limited independent replication. There are no published human clinical trials of 5-amino-1MQ of any phase, no human pharmacokinetic or safety data, and no marketing authorisation anywhere. It is not a licensed medicine in the United Kingdom and is not a food supplement ingredient with an established safety assessment. Any claim about human bodyweight, muscle or ageing outcomes is an extrapolation from mice and is not supported by human evidence.
Mechanism of action
How 5-Amino-1MQ works
Small-molecule quinolinium salt, not a peptide, despite being sold alongside peptides. Described as a membrane-permeable inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), an enzyme that methylates nicotinamide and is highly expressed in adipose tissue. The proposed mechanism in preclinical work is that inhibiting NNMT preserves the cellular nicotinamide and NAD pool and alters adipocyte energy metabolism.
Top peer-reviewed citations
Selection of the most-cited peer-reviewed literature on 5-Amino-1MQ. Where a verified PMID or DOI is shown, the citation links to the original record. Other citations list the title, authors, journal and year so the reader can locate the paper through the journal index or the PubMed search linked below. PeptideClear publishes editorial commentary, not clinical guidance.
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Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase knockdown protects against diet-induced obesity
Kraus D, Yang Q, Kong D, et al.. Nature, 2014.
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Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase reverse high fat diet-induced obesity in mice
Neelakantan H, Vance V, Wetzel MD, et al.. Biochemical pharmacology, 2018.
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Combined nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibition and reduced-calorie diet normalizes body composition and enhances metabolic benefits in obese mice
Sampson CM, Dimet AL, Neelakantan H, et al.. Scientific reports, 2021.
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Reduced calorie diet combined with NNMT inhibition establishes a distinct microbiome in DIO mice
Dimet-Wiley A, Wu Q, Wiley JT, et al.. Scientific reports, 2022.
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Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibition mitigates obesity-related metabolic dysfunction
Babula JJ, Bui D, Stevenson HL, et al.. Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 2024.
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Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT): a novel therapeutic target for metabolic syndrome
Sun WD, Zhu XJ, Li JJ, et al.. Frontiers in pharmacology, 2024.
Full PubMed search: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=nicotinamide+N-methyltransferase+inhibitor+obesity.
Registered clinical trials
As of 2026-07-13, no interventional trials for 5-Amino-1MQ are listed on ClinicalTrials.gov or the ISRCTN registry. This is itself informative: much of the 5-Amino-1MQ evidence base is preclinical, which is why the evidence grade above matters.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov and the ISRCTN registry, refreshed 2026-07-13. See the peptide clinical-trials tracker for the full picture across compounds.
UK regulatory status
Plain-English summary of where 5-Amino-1MQ sits under the four UK and international frameworks that govern peptide supply. Editorial commentary, not legal advice.
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1971: Not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
- Psychoactive Substances Act 2016: Not scheduled under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.
- MHRA medicines classification: No UK marketing authorisation as a medicine.
- WADA Prohibited List: Not currently listed on the WADA Prohibited List.
Risks and unknowns
What the literature does not yet show about 5-Amino-1MQ
Known concerns
- The published work on 5-Amino-1MQ is preclinical. Findings in rodent or in vitro models do not establish that the same thing happens in people, and the step from an animal model to a human outcome is where most candidate compounds fail.
- Much of the 5-Amino-1MQ literature originates from a small number of connected groups, largely originating from one US laboratory. That is not a criticism of the work, but independent replication by unconnected groups is the standard check on any finding, and here it is limited.
- There are no registered interventional clinical trials for 5-Amino-1MQ on ClinicalTrials.gov or the ISRCTN registry. Nobody is currently running the study that would answer the safety and efficacy questions.
- 5-Amino-1MQ holds no UK marketing authorisation, so nothing you can buy has been assessed by a regulator, released by batch, or dispensed by an accountable pharmacy. Purity, dose accuracy and sterility rest entirely on the seller's own documentation.
Open questions in the literature
- Human pharmacokinetics for 5-Amino-1MQ have not been formally characterised, so how much reaches circulation, for how long, and what the body does with it are open questions.
- Interactions between 5-Amino-1MQ and prescribed medicines are not systematically studied, which matters most for anyone already on treatment for a long-term condition.
- Effects on body composition, and whether any change is maintained after stopping, are among the least well characterised parts of the metabolic literature.
Regulatory note
No UK marketing authorisation as a medicine. Not currently listed on the WADA Prohibited List. The moment a UK seller or commentator makes a therapeutic claim, MHRA can treat the product as an unlicensed medicinal product.
Important: PeptideClear publishes encyclopedia commentary only and does not recommend human use. Speak to a UK-registered prescriber before any medical decision.
Related reading on PeptideClear
Frequently asked questions
What is the evidence level for 5-Amino-1MQ?
What is the UK regulatory status of 5-Amino-1MQ?
Has 5-Amino-1MQ been tested in human clinical trials?
Where can I read the source literature for 5-Amino-1MQ?
Last verified 2026-07-19. Editorial commentary, not legal or clinical advice. Citations without a linked identifier can be located through the PubMed search and the journal index.