What Is 5-Amino-1MQ? The NNMT Inhibitor Explained

NNMT is an enzyme that adds a methyl group to nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3). Researchers found that NNMT levels are higher in the fat tissue of obese people and animals.

• Protects NAD+ building blocks: NNMT uses up nicotinamide, which the body needs to make NAD+, a key molecule for cellular energy. Blocking NNMT may leave more available for NAD+.
• Preserves methyl donors: NNMT also consumes SAM, the body’s main methyl donor. Blocking it may shift how fat cells regulate their genes.
• Shrinks fat cells: in mouse studies, NNMT inhibition reduced fat-cell size and increased energy use in fat tissue.

Obese mice. In the key 2018 study (Neelakantan et al., Biochemical Pharmacology), mice with diet-induced obesity were treated with 5-Amino-1MQ for 11 days. They lost body weight and white fat, their fat cells became smaller, and cholesterol improved, without changes in food intake.

Aging muscle. A 2019 study from the same group found that NNMT inhibition helped muscle stem cells in aged mice repair damaged muscle more effectively.

Humans. There are no published human clinical trials of 5-Amino-1MQ. Human safety, absorption and effective amounts have not been established.

The mouse studies did not report obvious toxicity over the short treatment periods tested, but there are no human safety data. NNMT is also active in the liver, where it helps clear certain compounds, so blocking it could have effects that have not been studied. Anecdotal reports describe mild digestive upset and headache, but these are not controlled data.

No. 5-Amino-1MQ is not an FDA-approved drug or an approved dietary supplement ingredient, and it is not on the 503A Bulks List. It is sold only as a research chemical, not for human use.

5-Amino-1MQ vs NAD+ precursors. NMN and NR try to raise NAD+ by adding more building blocks. 5-Amino-1MQ takes the opposite approach, slowing one of the processes that uses those building blocks up. Neither approach has strong human weight-loss data.

Why it differs from GLP-1s. GLP-1 drugs reduce how much people eat. In mouse studies, 5-Amino-1MQ reduced fat without changing food intake, which is why it attracts interest, but that has not been tested in people.

Products sold as 5-Amino-1MQ by research suppliers are laboratory chemicals, not medicines. They are not made under drug manufacturing rules, so quality varies a lot between vendors. If you are evaluating a 5-Amino-1MQ supplier for lab research, these are the checks that matter:

• Batch-specific COA: the certificate should match the lot number on your vial, not a generic sample.
• Independent lab: testing should come from a named third-party lab, ideally with a way to verify the report online.
• Identity, not just purity: HPLC purity alone does not confirm the right molecule; look for mass spectrometry (MS) identity confirmation.
• Endotoxin and sterility results: these matter for any injectable research material.
• Correct fill amount: the measured content should be close to the labeled milligrams.

Our Trusted Sources page lists vendors we track, with current community codes. Our guide to reading a certificate of analysis explains each line of a COA.

• 5-Amino-1MQ is a small molecule, not a peptide, that blocks the enzyme NNMT.
• NNMT is overactive in obese fat tissue and uses up NAD+ building blocks.
• In obese mice, it reduced weight and fat-cell size without changing food intake.
• There are no published human trials.
• It is not FDA-approved and is sold only as a research chemical.

What is 5-Amino-1MQ?

5-Amino-1MQ is a small molecule that blocks the enzyme NNMT. It is studied for fat loss and metabolism, but only in animals so far.

Is 5-Amino-1MQ a peptide?

No. It is a small molecule, although it is often sold alongside research peptides.

Does 5-Amino-1MQ work for fat loss?

In obese mice it reduced body weight and fat-cell size without changing food intake. There are no published human trials.

Does 5-Amino-1MQ raise NAD+?

Blocking NNMT may preserve the building blocks used to make NAD+, but this has not been measured in people.

Is 5-Amino-1MQ FDA-approved?

No. It is not an approved drug or supplement ingredient and is sold only as a research chemical.

• Biochemical Pharmacology – Neelakantan et al. (2018), Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of NNMT reverse high fat diet-induced obesity in mice
• Biochemical Pharmacology – Neelakantan et al. (2019), Small molecule NNMT inhibitor activates senescent muscle stem cells
• Kraus et al. (2014), Nature – Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase knockdown protects against diet-induced obesity