5-Amino-1MQ
Evidence: CMetabolic / Weight Management
Evidence Snapshot
What this grade covers
Preclinical evidence only; no verified human interventional efficacy or safety evidence was identified in this review.
Regulatory Context
No FDA-approved 5-Amino-1MQ drug product was identified in the official records searched through July 19, 2026. In a 2026 warning letter, FDA stated that 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium iodide used by the inspected outsourcing facility was not eligible for section 503B exemptions because it was not on the 503B bulks list and was not used for a shortage-listed drug.
In Plain English
A quick, research-focused overview. It does not replace, and cannot outrank, the detailed evidence below.
What is it?
A small-molecule quinolinium NNMT inhibitor commonly abbreviated 5A1MQ.
Why are researchers interested in it?
NNMT participates in nicotinamide and methyl-donor metabolism and has been studied as a metabolic target.
What does the evidence look like?
Direct evidence for weight and metabolic effects is preclinical and comes mainly from diet-induced-obesity mouse studies.
Biggest things to know
It is not a peptide, human efficacy and safety are unestablished, and the cation should not be assumed equivalent to every marketed iodide or chloride preparation.
Research Takeaway
5-Amino-1MQ is a small-molecule 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium NNMT inhibitor, not a peptide.
See all 13 evidence claims →Quick Summary
5-Amino-1MQ is a small-molecule inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), not a peptide. Mouse studies report changes in body weight, adiposity, glucose-insulin measures, and liver pathology, but no directly matching human interventional efficacy study was identified in this review. Product salt form, route, purity, and compounding status materially affect interpretation.
Mechanism & Research Overview
5-Amino-1MQ inhibits NNMT, an enzyme that methylates nicotinamide using S-adenosylmethionine. Preclinical work links NNMT inhibition to changes in energy handling, adipose biology, glucose-insulin signaling, and hepatic metabolism. The magnitude, direction, and safety of these effects in humans remain unestablished.
Evidence Claims
Individual scientific statements drawn from the sources cited below, each shown with the specific evidence boundary that statement does not establish.
Supported
5-Amino-1MQ is a small-molecule 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium NNMT inhibitor, not a peptide.
Supported
Mouse studies report reduced adiposity or weight gain and improvements in glucose-related metabolic measures during NNMT inhibition with 5-Amino-1MQ.
Sources: Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase reverse high fat diet-induced obesity in mice; Reduced-Calorie Diet and NNMT Inhibition in DIO Mice; Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibition mitigates obesity and metabolic dysfunction in a sex-dependent manner
Supported
A 2024 mouse study reported improvements in several obesity-related metabolic and liver measures and characterized route-dependent exposure; these findings do not establish human efficacy or safety.
Supported
FDA stated in a 2026 warning letter that 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium iodide was not eligible for the cited outsourcing-facility products to receive 503B exemptions because the bulk substance was not on the 503B bulks list and was not tied to a shortage-listed drug.
Sources: GenoGenix LLC Warning Letter — 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium iodide compounding eligibility
Supported
The 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium cation and its iodide or chloride salt forms should not be treated as automatically interchangeable without exact identity and formulation documentation.
Sources: Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase reverse high fat diet-induced obesity in mice; GenoGenix LLC Warning Letter — 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium iodide compounding eligibility
Supported
FDA's GSRS and PubChem identify the 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium ion separately from its iodide and chloride salt forms. The parent ion, iodide salt, chloride salt, and unspecified vendor material must not be treated as automatically interchangeable in molecular weight, formulation, pharmacokinetics, purity, or safety.
Sources: FDA GSRS 5-Amino-1-methylquinolinium; PubChem 5-Amino-1-methylquinolinium
Supported
A separate mouse study found that NNMT inhibition combined with a lower-calorie diet reduced adiposity and changed the gut microbiome in diet-induced obese mice. Diet was a co-intervention, limiting attribution to NNMT inhibition alone, and this remains preclinical evidence only.
Sources: Reduced-Calorie Diet and NNMT Inhibition in DIO Mice
Supported
An LC-MS/MS bioanalytical method characterized 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium exposure in rat plasma and urine. This is a bioanalytical method study, not a human safety or efficacy trial.
Supported
Cell and mouse research has examined 5-Amino-1MQ in cervical-cancer (HeLa) cells and tumor-microenvironment models, with results showing antiproliferative or immunotherapy-sensitizing effects. These results remain preclinical. NNMT biology is context-dependent, and systemic inhibition could have effects not predicted by isolated cell or animal models; 5-Amino-1MQ must not be described as preventing or treating cancer in humans.
Sources: 5MQ Antiproliferative Activity in HeLa Cells; NNMT Inhibition in Bladder Cancer Models
Supported
Recent preclinical studies have evaluated NNMT inhibition in kidney and other fibrosis models, with some reporting reduced senescence or fibrosis markers. These models do not prove treatment of chronic kidney disease, liver disease, pancreatic disease, cardiac fibrosis, or age-related tissue dysfunction in humans.
Supported
The frozen evidence set contains no controlled human therapeutic trial establishing the efficacy or safety of 5-Amino-1MQ for obesity or metabolic disease.
Sources: Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase reverse high fat diet-induced obesity in mice; Reduced-Calorie Diet and NNMT Inhibition in DIO Mice; Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibition mitigates obesity and metabolic dysfunction in a sex-dependent manner
Supported
A clinically validated human adverse-event profile, therapeutic window, and long-term safety margin for 5-Amino-1MQ are not established by the cited evidence.
Sources: Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase reverse high fat diet-induced obesity in mice; Reduced-Calorie Diet and NNMT Inhibition in DIO Mice; Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibition mitigates obesity and metabolic dysfunction in a sex-dependent manner
Supported
Compounded or grey-market 5-Amino-1MQ products should not be represented as clinically validated obesity treatments or as equivalent to a reviewed FDA-approved drug.
Sources: GenoGenix LLC Warning Letter — 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium iodide compounding eligibility
Safety & Evidence Limitations
Considerations reported in the sources cited on this page — not a complete list of every possible risk, and not medical advice.
Safety Consideration
The direct metabolic evidence reviewed is from mice; human weight-loss and metabolic outcomes are unestablished.Safety Consideration
Animal tolerability and route-dependent mouse exposure cannot establish human risk, duration, or route equivalence.Safety Consideration
The 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium cation, iodide salt, chloride salt, and finished formulations should not be treated as automatically equivalent.Safety Consideration
Several key mouse studies involved researchers affiliated with the compound developer; this does not invalidate the work but increases the importance of independent replication.Safety Consideration
FDA’s 503B warning-letter findings concern legal eligibility and facility compliance and do not establish clinical benefit.
Research Areas Being Studied
Research areas discussed on this page reflect the Metabolic / Weight Management category and the sources cited below.
Findings Reported in Studies
Educational summary only — reported in cited studies, not a claim of proven benefit.
No Human Study Findings Listed Yet
See preclinical, regulatory, and review sources below.
Study Tables by Evidence Type
Human Studies & Clinical Data
No Human Studies & Clinical Data Listed Yet
This section will be updated as sources are added.
Animal / Cell / Preclinical Data
| Title | Year | Population / Model | Dose / Duration / Finding | Safety Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibition mitigates obesity and metabolic dysfunction in a sex-dependent manner | 2024 | 5A1MQ treatment limited weight and fat-mass gain and improved glucose-related measures in mice, with sex-dependent effects. The paper remains preclinical and provides no basis for a human dosing or safety recommendation. | |||
| Reduced-Calorie Diet and NNMT Inhibition in DIO Mice | 2022 | Mouse microbiome/metabolic study | A mouse study found that NNMT inhibition combined with a lower-calorie diet reduced adiposity and changed the gut microbiome in diet-induced obese mice. Diet was a co-intervention, limiting attribution to NNMT inhibition alone. | Preclinical only; animal/cell findings do not establish human safety or efficacy. | |
| 5-AMQ LC-MS/MS Assay in Rat Plasma and Urine | 2021 | Analytical method | An LC-MS/MS bioanalytical method characterized 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium exposure in rat plasma and urine. This is a bioanalytical method development study, not a safety or efficacy trial. | Preclinical only; animal/cell findings do not establish human safety or efficacy. | |
| Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase reverse high fat diet-induced obesity in mice | 2018 | The study developed methylquinolinium NNMT inhibitors, including the 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium scaffold, and demonstrated anti-obesity effects in high-fat-diet mouse models. This establishes 5-Amino-1MQ as a small-molecule NNMT inhibitor, not a peptide. | |||
| Selective NNMT inhibitors including 5-amino-1MQ | 2018 | Preclinical/cell/mouse | Adipocyte and mouse studies — 5-amino-1MQ inhibited NNMT and reduced adiposity/metabolic markers in models. | Preclinical only; animal/cell findings do not establish human safety or efficacy. | |
| 5MQ Antiproliferative Activity in HeLa Cells | Cell studies reported antiproliferative activity of 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium-related compounds in cervical-cancer (HeLa) cells. This is preclinical cell evidence and does not establish that 5-Amino-1MQ prevents or treats cancer in humans. | ||||
| NNMT Inhibition in Bladder Cancer Models | Cell and mouse research examined NNMT inhibition in bladder-cancer tumor-microenvironment models, reporting antiproliferative or immunotherapy-sensitizing effects. These results remain preclinical and must not be presented as evidence that 5-Amino-1MQ treats cancer in humans. | ||||
| NNMT Inhibition in Kidney Fibrosis Models | Preclinical studies evaluated NNMT inhibition in kidney-fibrosis models and reported reduced senescence or fibrosis markers. These models do not prove treatment of chronic kidney disease or other fibrotic conditions in humans. |
Regulatory Documents & Official Trial Registries
| Title | Year | Population / Model | Dose / Duration / Finding | Safety Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FDA GSRS 5-Amino-1-methylquinolinium | 2026 | FDA's GSRS identifies the 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium ion as a distinct substance record, separate from its iodide and chloride salt forms. | |||
| GenoGenix LLC Warning Letter — 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium iodide compounding eligibility | 2026 | FDA warning letter to a registered outsourcing facility | The letter addresses 503B eligibility and manufacturing/compliance findings; it is not evidence of efficacy. | The warning letter also described serious manufacturing deficiencies and a sterile-product recall at the inspected facility. Those facility findings should not be generalized to every product, but they illustrate compounding-quality risk. | FDA. GenoGenix LLC Warning Letter, January 20, 2026. |
| PubChem 5-Amino-1-methylquinolinium | 2026 | PubChem CID 950107 records the 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium ion as a defined chemical entity, distinct from its iodide and chloride salt forms. |
Review Articles / Secondary Sources
| Title | Year | Population / Model | Dose / Duration / Finding | Safety Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NNMT roles in obesity and 5-amino-1MQ | 2021 | Review | Obesity/metabolic pathway — Summarizes 5-amino-1MQ-treated mouse findings and NNMT obesity biology. | Secondary source; useful for context but not a substitute for primary study review. |
Anecdotal Reported Patterns — Not Medical Advice
Anecdotal Reported Patterns — Not Medical Advice
Reported dosing patterns are included for educational context only. They are self-reported, unverified, not medical advice, and not instructions for human use. Community-submitted patterns are not yet available in this Phase 1 prototype; this section is a placeholder reserved for moderated, aggregated community data.
Lab Markers to Discuss With a Clinician
Educational topics only — not self-monitoring instructions.
FAQ
Disclaimer
5-Amino-1MQ remains a preclinical research small molecule. Mouse weight-loss and metabolic findings are not instructions, proof of human benefit, or evidence that a marketed product is safe or correctly identified.
Educational use only. This content is provided for informational and research-summary purposes only. It is not medical advice, not a treatment recommendation, not a dosing guide, and not a substitute for care from a licensed medical professional. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, prevent, or mitigate disease. Reported dosing patterns, when shown elsewhere on the site, must be labeled either as Study / Trial Dosing or Anecdotal Reported Patterns — Not Medical Advice. Community reports are self-reported, unverified, and not scientific proof.
Community-reported experiences, once enabled, must be displayed only as moderated, anonymized, or aggregated data. They are anecdotal, self-reported, unverified, and should never be presented as proof of safety, efficacy, or expected results.
Content status: Published. Last updated 2026-07-26.
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