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Metabolic

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NNMT inhibitor (small molecule)

5-Amino-1MQ

Also known as: 5-Amino-1-Methylquinolinium, 5-amino-1MQ, NNMT inhibitor

Small-molecule NNMT inhibitor with intriguing mouse-adipocyte data. Almost no human evidence. Tier 3/4. Marketed for fat loss far ahead of the data.

Reviewed 2026-05-04

What it does

5-Amino-1-methylquinolinium (5-Amino-1MQ) is a small-molecule selective inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT). It is included in this library because it is currently being marketed by US compounding pharmacies and supplement vendors as a 'fat-loss peptide,' which it is not — it is a small molecule, not a peptide, and the human evidence base is almost empty. The compound emerged from preclinical work (Neelakantan / Kannt / Ramsden labs) demonstrating NNMT inhibition reduces adipocyte size and improves metabolic parameters in mouse models of diet-induced obesity. Translation to humans is essentially absent — there are no published Phase 2 RCTs and the compound's pharmacokinetics, dosing, and safety in humans are not characterized in the peer-reviewed literature. Mirror NAD+ and MK-677 framing: lead with 'NOT a peptide.'

Used for

Dose

Starting
50,000 mcg · once daily
Common
100,000 mcg · once daily
Upper
150,000 mcg · once daily
When
MorningNNMT inhibition acts on metabolic + redox cycling; community practice puts it pre-fasted-cardio. Avoid evening — the energetic lift can disrupt sleep onset.
Site
oral (compounding extrapolation)

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⚠ Caution

  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding (no human safety data)
  • Active malignancy (NNMT and related methylation pathway pharmacology in cancer biology is complex; consult oncology)
  • Severe hepatic impairment (theoretical concern; not characterized)
  • Known hypersensitivity to formulation excipients

Often stacked with

  • NAD+ — 5-Amino-1MQ inhibits NNMT to spare the nicotinamide-NAD+ pool; direct NAD+ (or precursors) replenishes the oxidised coenzyme pool — mechanistically additive but different routes/forms require separate administration.

Your stack

Track this peptide in your protocol — dose, schedule, vials on hand, refill projection. Stays in your browser; no account needed.

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Co-injection & overlap

Inject separately (do not co-mix): NAD+

Reconstitution & storage

Oral capsules / powder do not require reconstitution. Compounded SubQ formulations vary widely by pharmacy — verify concentration per batch. This is a small molecule, not a peptide, so standard peptide reconstitution conventions (BAC water, U-100 syringe math) apply only loosely depending on the formulation supplied.

Storage. Oral: room temperature, dry, protect from light. Compounded sterile preparations: per pharmacy labeling, typically refrigerate.

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Monitoring & questions

Reported side effects
  • Human safety profile is essentially undefined
  • Theoretical: shifts in cellular methylation balance from sustained NNMT inhibition could affect any methylation-dependent process (gene expression, neurotransmitter synthesis, phospholipid biology)
  • Animal studies have not surfaced major acute toxicity at the doses studied — but absence of evidence is not evidence of absence at human doses or chronic timeframes
  • GI symptoms reported anecdotally with oral dosing; not characterized in trial settings
Biomarkers Juno tracks

Reference

How it works

Selective inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), an enzyme that consumes nicotinamide (a B3 precursor) and SAMe to produce 1-methylnicotinamide. NNMT is upregulated in obese white adipose tissue, where its activity drains both the nicotinamide-NAD+ pool and the SAMe-methylation pool. NNMT inhibition is hypothesized to restore intracellular NAD+ and methylation capacity in adipocytes, which preclinically corresponds to reduced fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity. The mechanism is plausible; the human translation has not been demonstrated.

EvidenceTier 3 — Animal / in vitro

Tiers are per indication. The same molecule can be Tier 1 for one use and Tier 4 for another — the tier reflects published literature, not community framing.

Fat loss / adipocyte reduction

Tier 3high confidence

Preclinical mouse studies (Kannt et al., Neelakantan et al.) show NNMT inhibition reduces diet-induced obesity and white adipocyte size. No published human RCT for fat loss. Compound-marketing language is heavily ahead of the data. Tier 3 specifically because the preclinical work is real and consistent; Tier 4 would be appropriate if the marketing claim were supported only by mechanism speculation.

Neelakantan H et al. 2018Kannt A et al. 2018

Improved insulin sensitivity / metabolic health

Tier 3high confidence

Same preclinical lineage shows improved insulin sensitivity in obese mice. No published human metabolic-endpoint RCT.

Kannt A et al. 2018

Anti-aging / 'longevity' claims

Tier 4high confidence

NNMT inhibition has been hypothesized to support healthspan via NAD+ and methylation pool preservation, but no in-vivo lifespan studies have been published, and there are no human longevity-relevant outcomes. Marketing claim, not an evidenced indication.

No primary citations are anchored to this indication — the tier reflects the absence of usable literature, not a missing reference.

Citations (2)
  1. [1]
    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 · PMID 29050899
    Foundational preclinical paper introducing 5-amino-1MQ as a selective NNMT inhibitor and demonstrating fat-loss effect in diet-induced obese mice. The single most important citation behind the marketing narrative.
    View source
  2. [2]
    A small molecule inhibitor of Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase for the treatment of metabolic disorders
    Kannt A, Rajagopal S, Kadnur SV, et al. · Scientific Reports · 2018 · PMID 30385812
    Independent preclinical replication of NNMT-inhibition metabolic effects; supports the Tier 3 framing of the mechanism.
    View source