DSIP

Also called delta sleep-inducing peptide, emideltide¹

DSIP is a chain of 9 amino acids first isolated in the 1970s from the blood of sleeping rabbits. A handful of tiny human studies in the 1980s gave it by IV drip for insomnia and drug withdrawal. The best-controlled ones found little or no benefit, and no human study tested the injection under the skin that sellers offer.^{1, 13} In July 2026 FDA's advisers voted against letting pharmacies compound it, and it has never been approved.⁴

Often sold alongside epitalon and pinealon as a "sleep" peptide. See every peptide in the peptide library

At a glance

Where to get it

MoveWell sells nothing and earns nothing from this page. There is no legal way to get DSIP in the US. Why

Molecular structure

A straight chain of 9 amino acids with no ring except the tryptophan at the start.

Tryptophan (Trp), the first amino acid

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WTrpAAlaGGlyGGlyDAspAAlaSSerGGlyEGlu

Sequence

WAGGDASGE

Length

9 amino acids

Formula

C35H48N10O15

Weight

848.8 g/mol

Acetate

C35H48N10O15 · x(C2H4O2)

CAS

62568-57-4 (free base)

FDA UNII

YN28Z5YZ73 (free base)

Drawn from the sequence FDA lists. Formula and weight are for the free base, as given by FDA. FDA lists no CAS number or UNII for the acetate.¹

What it is

In 1977 Swiss researchers Guido Schoenenberger and Marcel Monnier described a peptide taken from rabbits put to sleep by electrically stimulating a deep part of the brain, the thalamus. They collected it from the blood leaving the brain. Infused into the brains of other rabbits, it increased slow "delta" brain waves, the pattern of deep sleep. They worked out its 9-amino-acid sequence, made it in the lab, and named it delta sleep-inducing peptide.^{11, 12}

"Emideltide" is the name FDA uses. Products sold today are synthetic. FDA found that neither the free base nor the acetate is well-characterized, and one nomination's testing certificate listed a formula that "does not correspond to any emideltide structure."^{1, 2}

How it works

No one knows for sure. FDA's review of the animal work points to a few ideas:¹

• Opioid system. In rats, the opioid blocker naloxone stopped DSIP from lengthening sleep. DSIP doesn't bind opioid receptors itself, but it has been reported to release the body's own opioid-like enkephalins.^{1, 2}
• Other effects in rodents. Lower body temperature, blunted stress responses, and antioxidant, anti-seizure and pain-relieving effects.¹
• Short-lived. Its half-life is under 10 minutes. It crosses into the brain and is broken down by enzymes.²

Even in animals, FDA notes "inconsistent findings": some studies saw no increase in deep-sleep waves.¹

Evidence map

Each claimed use is graded separately, because the evidence differs by use.

Scale: 5 FDA-approved, 4 strong human, 3 limited human, 2 animal or lab only, 1 anecdotal

Key studies

Every human study gave DSIP by IV drip. FDA found no effectiveness or safety data for the injection under the skin that was nominated and that sellers offer.^{1, 2} The last placebo-controlled trial was published in 1992; the only later study was the 7-person open-label Backmund study.^{2, 18}

By goal and route

Pick your goal to see what the evidence supports.

Sources: FDA briefing and presentations.^{1, 2}

How it's used

No study has worked out a dose for the routes people use now. We don't give one.

Doses in the human studies

The studies gave 25 to 35 nmol/kg by IV drip, usually for 1 to 7 nights.^{1, 13} Online regimens in micrograms under the skin don't come from any study we found. We report these as information, not instruction.

In one early study of healthy people, delayed effects on sleep were also seen 13 to 22 hours after the dose.¹

Side effects and who should avoid it

• Low blood pressure. In the largest study (IV, 107 people), 9 had minor effects such as sweating, headache, nausea and dizziness, and 3 had serious ones: 2 had low blood pressure at the first injection and one had repeated sweating and nausea. One person's blood pressure kept falling on a second injection. The authors blamed some reactions on vials that didn't dissolve well.²
• No toxicology. FDA found no animal toxicity studies and no studies of addiction potential.² Public Citizen flagged the opioid link as a possible addiction concern.¹⁸
• Immune reactions and impurities. FDA says DSIP "poses a risk for immunogenicity, potentially amplified by aggregation." Neither nomination gave impurity limits, endotoxin or microbial testing data.²
• Injections under the skin. "There was no safety information" for this route, FDA said.²
• Reported side effects. FDA's adverse event database had no DSIP reports. FDA said that "does not imply that the substance is safe."²
• Gray-market vials. "Research use only" products carry no identity, strength or sterility checks.
• Athletes. Likely falls under WADA's S0 ban on unapproved substances.¹⁰
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. No human data.

Compared with

Sources: RAPS,⁴ BakerHostetler,⁸ FDA's 503A list.⁷ FDA notes approved medicines exist for insomnia, narcolepsy and opioid withdrawal.¹

Stacks

No combination with DSIP has been tested in people.

Myths vs evidence

All options

MoveWell sells nothing and earns nothing from this page. We list no sellers.

There is no legal US source of DSIP. It isn't FDA-approved, it isn't on FDA's list of substances pharmacies may compound, and the October 28, 2026 HHS policy covers six other peptides, not DSIP.^{7, 8, 9}

Research use only vials

We don't list sellers. In 2020 a Kentucky compounding pharmacy pleaded guilty to distributing unapproved drugs, including DSIP, and forfeited about $1.8 million.¹⁹ In August 2026 FDA warned four more "research" peptide sellers.²⁰

Legal status history

Newest first.

1. Current statusNov 1, 2026Not approved. Not compoundable. Not covered by the HHS peptide policy. Likely banned in sport under S0.^{7, 8, 10}
2. Next · no dateNothing scheduled. The panel's vote is advisory; FDA has said it makes the final decision on the compounding list after weighing the committee's input.¹
3. Oct 28, 2026HHS enforcement discretion policy covers BPC-157, TB-500, epitalon, semax, KPV and MOTS-c. DSIP is left out. Docket HHS-OASH-2026-0496.^{8, 9}
4. Jul 24, 2026FDA's compounding advisory committee votes 6–7, with 1 abstention, against adding DSIP for insomnia, narcolepsy and opioid withdrawal. One panelist cited "low-quality evidence around efficacy."^{3, 4, 5}
5. May 2026FDA staff review recommends against listing either form, citing poor characterization, missing safety data, immune risk and no evidence of benefit.^{1, 2}
6. By Apr 22, 2026FDA's safety-risk page lists DSIP as "nominated but withdrawn," noting it "may pose risk for immunogenicity." It isn't on any category of the compounding list.^{6, 7}
7. Oct 29, 2020A Kentucky pharmacy pleads guilty to distributing unapproved drugs, including DSIP, from 2018 to 2020.¹⁹
8. 1981–1998Small IV studies in insomnia, narcolepsy and withdrawal. None leads to approval.¹
9. 1977Sequence published after isolation from rabbits.¹¹

Why FDA recommended against it

Official meeting minutes weren't posted when we checked; the vote count comes from RAPS and AmSpa.^{3, 4, 5} See every peptide's status in the regulatory tracker.

FAQ

Related guides

References