5-Amino-1MQ

A tiny enzyme blocker meant to push fat cells from storing energy toward burning it. So far it’s only been shown in cells and mice.

Evidence: ELab & animal what's this?
Grade E. No human study of any kind has been published.
Also known as: 5A1MQ · 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium
Class: Small-molecule NNMT inhibitor (~159 Da). Not a peptide.

The 30-second version

WhatA small synthetic chemical that blocks the enzyme NNMT inside fat cells.

Why people use itFor fat loss during a cut, and for NAD+-related longevity reasons.

The honest catchNo human trial, no human dose and no human safety data.

What it is

5-Amino-1MQ isn’t a peptide. It’s a small lab-made molecule, but it’s used the same way as peptides here, as a daily injectable in the fat-loss space. It has one job: to block NNMT (nicotinamide N-methyltransferase), an enzyme that becomes overactive in the fat tissue of people with obesity.

How it works

NNMT attaches a methyl group to nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3), using SAM as the methyl donor. When the enzyme runs too hot, it drains nicotinamide that would otherwise be recycled into NAD+, and it uses up SAM. A fat cell short on NAD+ tends to store fat rather than burn it.

Jams the enzyme. Sits in NNMT’s active site as a competitive inhibitor.

Marker drops. Less 1-MNA, the reaction’s product, is made. That’s the sign the enzyme is blocked.

Supplies return. Nicotinamide and SAM build back up.

NAD+ rises. More nicotinamide is salvaged into NAD+.

Shift. In cell studies, fat cells stored less fat and used more oxygen.

What the research shows

In people: nothing. No Phase 1, no pilot. Human pharmacokinetics are unpublished.

In animals: Kraus and colleagues showed that genetically switching off NNMT in mouse fat protected against diet-induced obesity¹. That validated the target but didn’t test this drug. Neelakantan and colleagues then gave an inhibitor from this family to obese mice on a high-fat diet (20 mg/kg three times daily for 11 days). Body weight, fat mass, fat-cell size and cholesterol all fell, without the mice eating less².

In the lab: in cultured fat cells, including human ones, blocking NNMT lowered 1-MNA, raised NAD+ and suppressed new fat building in a dose-dependent way.

A clean mechanism and real mouse results. Whether any of it happens in a person is unknown.

Evidence at a glance

Use	Grade	Best evidence	Main gap	Read
Fat loss in people	ELab & animal	Fat fell in obese mice without eating less²	No human trial	Unproven
NNMT as a target	ELab & animal	Knockdown protected mice from obesity¹	Not the drug, not human	Promising
Longevity via NAD+	ELab & animal	Preserves NAD+ precursor	No outcome data	Theory

Dosing: what has been reported

Not a recommendation. These figures describe what was studied or what circulates in practice, kept separate so you can see how solid each one is. Speak with a qualified clinician before acting on any of it.

Setting	Figure	Route	Grade
Published human	None exists	—	—
Clinical	None established	—	—
Community, low band	150–500 mcg/day	Subcutaneous	D
Community, high band	2.5–5 mg/day	Subcutaneous	D

The two community bands differ roughly tenfold, which shows how unsettled this is. The mouse dose of 20 mg/kg three times a day is an animal research figure. Never scale it up to a person.

Preparing & storing

Usually dissolves in bacteriostatic water. If a vial stays cloudy, a slightly acidic solvent helps. Keep the powder cool and dark, and refrigerate once mixed. No compound-specific stability data have been published, so follow the general rules conservatively.

Reported side effects

Mild nausea, mostly early or on an empty stomach
Transient headache in the first week
Stimulant-like warmth, raised heart rate or jitters
Insomnia if taken later in the day
Injection-site stinging
Occasional reports of TSH rising after 8–12 weeks (unvalidated)

All of these come from anecdotal reports and aren’t measured rates. If it’s used at all, sensible checks are glucose, lipids and a thyroid panel at baseline and after 8–12 weeks.

Who should avoid it

Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Anyone with a serious condition or on regular medication
Known methylation issues (e.g. MTHFR variants): NNMT uses SAM, so get a clinician’s view
Tested athletes: falls under WADA S0

Regulatory status checked Oct 2026

Body	Status	Detail
FDA (US)	Not approved	Research-use-only small molecule; not controlled.
EMA (EU)	Not approved	No marketing authorisation.
CDSCO (India)	Not approved	No approval identified.
WADA	S0 likely	Not named; unapproved injectables fall under S0.

The NexGen read

An interesting target, with no human evidence yet

The biology is coherent and the mouse data are real but short. Nobody knows whether it works in people, or at what dose. Treat it as a research compound and use independently tested supply only.

References

Kraus D, Yang Q, Kong D, et al. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase knockdown protects against diet-induced obesity. Nature. 2014;508(7495):258–262. PMID 24717514
Neelakantan H, Vance V, Wetzel MD, et al. Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of NNMT reverse high fat diet-induced obesity in mice. Biochem Pharmacol. 2018;147:141–152. PMID 29155147