Cognitive & Nootropic

Orexin-A

Hypocretin-1 · HCRT-1 · orexin A

Endogenous 33-aa wake peptide (hypocretin-1). Limitless-style nasal SKU. Orexin-receptor agonists (not this peptide) are the actual narcolepsy-drug story. A gray-market vial of orexin-A is not TAK-861, not pitolisant, and not a substitute for diagnosed narcolepsy care. Blood-brain delivery of the native peptide is the hard problem the drugs were built to avoid.

Not FDA-approved — research chemical
Reviewed by CalcMyPeptide Editorial Team
Last updated: April 2026Evidence: Low1 peer-reviewed citation
Typical research dose
Intranasal vendor ranges only — not a narcolepsy prescription
Frequency
Vendor nasal (typically daytime)
Half-life
~30 min class (IV literature; nasal SKU unpublished)
Common vials
5 mg
CAS
205640-90-0
Molecular weight
~3.5 kDa
Dose it
5 mg + 5 mL BAC water → 1 mg/mL · 100 mcg ≈ 10 units (U-100)
Open in calculator

Mechanism of Action

Orexin-A (hypocretin-1) is the endogenous 33-aa wake peptide at OX1R/OX2R. Narcolepsy type 1 is orexin-neuron loss. The approved/near-approved drug story is small-molecule OX2R agonists — not gray-market native peptide.

Native peptide BBB and PK are why medicinal chemistry did not ship a nasal research vial as standard of care. This leaf is identity for a Limitless-style SKU plus a refusal to dress it as narcolepsy treatment.

Source: Discovery PMID: 9417642; clinical narcolepsy care is not this SKU

Not a narcolepsy prescription

Orexin-A in a research vial is not TAK-861, not pitolisant, not modafinil. Do not delay sleep-medicine care.

Dosing Protocol

Typical DoseIntranasal vendor ranges only — not a narcolepsy prescription
FrequencyVendor nasal (typically daytime)
Half-Life~30 minutes (IV class; nasal research SKUs unpublished)
Common Vial Sizes5 mg

Dosing Protocols

Human disease care

Dose
Not this SKU
Frequency
n/a
Note: Use approved/standard narcolepsy therapies with a clinician.

Research nasal

Dose
Vendor ranges only
Frequency
Vendor
Note: Not a label.

Administration

Route
Intranasal (vendor SKU). Endogenous peptide is hypothalamic.
Timing
Wake-promoting biology is daytime — not a reason to self-treat.
Fasting Required?
No — food timing not critical

Expected Timeline

Endogenous
Stabilizes wakefulness via OX receptors. A vial does not recreate that anatomy.

Who Is It For?

Catalog identity

Low

Listed because people search hypocretin-1 / orexin-A nasal. Not an endorsement.

Reconstitution Example

Vial
5 mg
Diluent
5 mL
Concentration
1 mg/mL
Per Unit (100u syringe)
10 mcg
Dose of 100 mcg = 10 units on a 100-unit insulin syringe
🧮 Calculate Your Exact Orexin-A Dose →

Safety & Considerations

Wake peptides can disrupt sleep. Unknown purity on research SKUs. Not a substitute for sleep-disorder diagnosis or treatment.

Regulatory & Legal Status

FDA Status (US)
Research Only

Native hypocretin-1. Not an approved narcolepsy agonist. Gray-market nasal is not a prescription

WADA Status (2026)
Not Listed

Not currently on the WADA 2026 Prohibited List. Policies may change — verify before competition.

Classification

Research Chemical

US Compounding: Not eligible / not available

⚠️ This information is for educational purposes only and may not reflect the most current regulatory updates. Always verify with official FDA, WADA, and jurisdiction-specific sources before use.

Orexin-A vs. DSIP

AttributeOrexin-ADSIP
JobEndogenous wake peptide (OX1R/OX2R)Delta-sleep-inducing peptide (research)
Narcolepsy drugsNative peptide is not the approved agonist classNot a narcolepsy drug either
SKUNasal researchResearch peptide

Verdict: Orexin-A is a wake peptide. DSIP is a sleep-research peptide. Opposite jobs. Neither is a prescription sleep-disorder therapy from a research vial.

Dosing Quick Reference

Orexin-A— Dosing Guide
Dose Range
Intranasal vendor ranges only — not a narcolepsy prescription
Half-Life
~30 minutes (IV class; nasal research SKUs unpublished)
Frequency
Vendor nasal (typically daytime)
Route
Subcutaneous
5 mg vial
💧 5 mL BAC water📐 1 mg/mL💉 10 mcg/unit (100u syringe)
Cognitive & Nootropiccalcmypeptide.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this treat narcolepsy?▼
No. Native orexin-A is not the approved agonist class. See a sleep clinician.

References

  1. Sakurai T et al. “Orexins and orexin receptors (discovery).” Cell (1998). PMID: 9417642

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