At a glance
- AICAR (acadesine) is not an FDA-approved drug: Drugs@FDA has no record of it.
- PubMed lists 2,587 publications mentioning it, including 13 randomized controlled trials and 1,177 animal-only studies.
- ClinicalTrials.gov lists 5 registered studies testing it (0 active).
- FDA’s adverse event system (FAERS) has no reports mentioning it.
Research topics
Most frequent MeSH subject headings in the latest PubMed records (English, as indexed).
Regulatory status
Drugs@FDA applications
No application found in Drugs@FDA, FDA's database of approved drugs.
Source: Drugs@FDA (openFDA) · verified October 30, 2026 · API query
FDA compounding safety list
Not on FDA's list of bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks in compounding.
Source: FDA.gov — Category 2 bulk drug substances · verified October 30, 2026
Removal of a substance from a regulatory list does not mean it has been approved. A "research use only" label does not make a product safe or legal for human use.
Scientific publications
Counts are PubMed records that mention the peptide in the title or abstract. Categories overlap, and a mention is not the same as testing the peptide as a treatment. Each number opens the exact PubMed search. Effects seen in laboratory or animal studies may not occur in humans. A registered clinical trial does not show that a substance is effective or safe.
Latest publications
- [Jiaotaiwan improves lipid metabolism abnormalities in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease by regulating the AMPK signaling pathway].
- Hyperglycemia-Induced Loss of Astrocytic Kir4.1 Is Associated with Increased DNMT1 Activity and Altered AMPK/SIRT1 Signaling.
- AICAR-induced energy supply and paracrine activity of endothelial cells accelerate chronic diabetic wound healing by promoting angiogenesis and modulating macrophage reprogramming.
- NUAK isoforms promote glucose and glutamine metabolic reprogramming driven colon cancer progression and migration through regulation of AMPK/mTOR signaling.
- Quantitative Analysis Reveals IL-17A Widens Nasal Epithelial Tight Junction Gaps via AMPK in Allergic Rhinitis.
- Sirt3 deficiency impairs AMPK-Acc1 antilipogenic signaling in female adipocytes.
- High-Calorie Diet Aggravates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation in Juvenile Mice: Association of Acetate-Mediated Macrophage Polarization with AMPK/YAP Signaling.
- PKP2 orchestrates OXPHOS expression in cardiomyocytes via a PGC1α-dependent mechanism.
- Impaired fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial injury mediated by the AMPK/PPARα pathway: A key mechanism in high-fat diet-aggravated ulcerative colitis.
- Caffeic acid phenethyl ester inhibits adipogenic differentiation in association with INSR suppression and AMPK activation.
Source: PubMed (NCBI) · verified October 30, 2026
Clinical trials
- Registered
- 5
- Active
- 0
- With posted results
- 1
Conditions studied
| Study | Status | Phase | Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| GFM-Acadesine: A Phase I-II Trial of Acadesine | Terminated | Phase 1, Phase 2 | Jun 2013 |
| The Effect Of Acadesine On Reducing Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Adverse Events In Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Surgery (Study P05633 AM1)(TERMINATED) | Terminated | Phase 3 | Apr 2009 |
| Safety and Tolerability Open Label Dose Escalation Study of Acadesine in B-CLL Patients | Completed | Phase 1, Phase 2 | Dec 2007 |
| Contraction (Exercise) Mediated Glucose Uptake as a Therapeutic Target in Type 2 Diabetes | Completed | N/A | Oct 2002 |
| Phase II Pilot Study of Aminoimidazole Carboxamide Riboside (AICAR), a Precursor of Purine Synthesis, for Lesch-Nyhan Disease | Completed | Phase 2 | Feb 1996 |
All 5 studies on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · verified October 30, 2026
Adverse event reports
No FAERS reports mention this peptide.
Change history
No changes since monitoring began on October 30, 2026.