Delta sleep-inducing peptide
Nonapeptide of uncertain physiological role, first described as a sleep factor
Status
Not approved
Not an approved medicine: FDA's July 2026 review reported that emideltide, the name used for DSIP in compounding, is not a registered drug in any country it searched, and the advisory committee voted 6 to 7 against adding it to the US 503A Bulks List; it left FDA's Category 2 list in April 2026 only because the nominations were withdrawn, which does not make compounding lawful. A DSIP-containing preparation called Deltaran has been listed among peptide products developed in Russia, so its status there is not fully clear.
Evidence
Preliminary
A handful of small intravenous studies in the 1980s and 1990s disagreed with each other, and FDA concluded in 2026 that the evidence for insomnia is inconclusive and at best preliminary.
In sport
WADAProhibited (WADA)
A nine-amino-acid peptide isolated from rabbit blood in 1977 and named for a supposed sleep-promoting effect. Decades later the effect remains unproven, and it is sold only as an unapproved research chemical.
Structure
9 residuesPoint at a bead, or focus the chain and use the arrow keys, to name it. Pick a chemistry to highlight it.
Sequence as text
H-W-A-G-G-D-A-S-G-E-OH
What it is used for
- Chronic insomnia and disturbed sleep (studied)
- Opioid withdrawal and narcolepsy (studied)
- Stress, pain and alcohol detoxification (claimed, unproven)
How it works
DSIP was isolated by the Schoenenberger and Monnier group from the blood of rabbits whose brains had been stimulated into slow-wave sleep, and was assumed to be the factor carrying that signal. No DSIP gene, precursor protein or receptor has been found, and later work suggests the immunoreactivity attributed to DSIP may come from a different, related peptide. Without an identified target, no mechanism for any sleep or stress effect can be described.
How strong the evidence is
Preliminary
Human work is old and contradictory. Schneider-Helmert reported improved sleep after short intravenous courses in people with chronic insomnia, while similarly designed double-blind placebo-controlled studies by Bes (1992) and Monti (1987) did not reproduce it. FDA's 2026 review found no data at all for the subcutaneous route being sold, judged the intravenous evidence inconclusive, and noted that sleep medicine guidelines in the US and Europe do not mention it. Animal work continues, for example accelerated motor recovery after experimental stroke in rats given intranasal DSIP (Tukhovskaya and colleagues, 2021).
Risks and side effects
- No modern safety evaluation: FDA found the substance is not a registered drug in any country it searched
- Risk of immune reactions from aggregation, and FDA noted difficulties in characterising the active ingredient and its impurities
- Injectable and nasal products sold online are unregulated, so dose, purity and sterility are unknown
- The claimed sleep effect is not established, so use can delay proper treatment of insomnia or narcolepsy, both of which have approved therapies
- Prohibited in sport at all times under WADA class S0, which covers substances with no approval by any government health regulator
Regulatory status
Status by country
| Jurisdiction | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USUnited States | No authorised medicine | Source 1 |
| EUEuropean Union | No authorised medicine | Source 7 |
| UKUnited Kingdom | No authorised medicine | Source 8 |
| AUAustralia | No authorised medicine | Source 9 |
| CACanada | No authorised medicine | Source 10 |
Timeline
Sources
- 01Emideltide: FDA Presentation Slides, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee Meeting, July 24, 2026(opens the source in a new tab)
- 02Delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP): a still unresolved riddle(opens the source in a new tab)
- 03FDA advisory panel narrowly rejects compounding of one peptide, backs two others(opens the source in a new tab)
- 04Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide Recovers Motor Function in SD Rats after Focal Stroke(opens the source in a new tab)
- 05Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide, CID 68816(opens the source in a new tab)
- 06Development of Peptide Biopharmaceuticals in Russia(opens the source in a new tab)
- 07Find medicine: centrally authorised medicines(opens the source in a new tab)
- 08MHRA Products: active substances beginning with D(opens the source in a new tab)
- 09Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG)(opens the source in a new tab)
- 10Think twice before injecting peptides bought online: unauthorized products can seriously harm you(opens the source in a new tab)
Educational information, not medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.