Antimicrobial · Research Phase
Magainin 2
No lawful US pathway
01 · Overview
Magainin 2 is one of a family of 23-amino acid antimicrobial peptides isolated from the skin of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis (PMID 3299384). The magainins are water soluble, potentially amphiphilic and nonhemolytic at their effective antimicrobial concentrations (PMID 3299384).
Magainin 2 belongs to the alpha-helical cationic antimicrobial peptide family and has served as a template for numerous synthetic analogs. Its membrane-directed mechanism differs from that of conventional antibiotics.
02 · Research summary & key findings
At low concentrations the magainins inhibit growth of numerous species of bacteria and fungi and induce osmotic lysis of protozoa (PMID 3299384). Magainin 2 itself was not developed as a clinical product. The synthetic analog pexiganan was taken into controlled clinical trials as a topical cream for mildly infected diabetic foot ulcers (PMID 18990064).
03 · Regulatory status
Magainin 2 is in the research phase with limited clinical data in humans. Current evidence is primarily derived from preclinical (animal or in vitro) studies.
No lawful pathway today
Magainin 2 is not FDA-approved and does not currently have a lawful prescription or compounding pathway in the United States, so we do not sell it and will not book a consultation for it. That can change: in 2026 FDA began reviewing several peptides for compounding.
See the 3 FDA-approved compounds in Antimicrobial
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04 · Administration routes
- Topical
References
- [1]Topical versus systemic antimicrobial therapy for treating mildly infected diabetic foot ulcers: a randomized, controlled, double-blinded, multicenter trial of pexiganan cream Clin Infect Dis, 2008. PMID 18990064
- [2]Magainins, a class of antimicrobial peptides from Xenopus skin: isolation, characterization of two active forms, and partial cDNA sequence of a precursor Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1987. PMID 3299384
Primary literature
- PubMed: "Magainin 2"
Peer-reviewed literature indexed by the National Library of Medicine.
- ClinicalTrials.gov: "Magainin 2"
Registered interventional and observational studies, including status and phase.
- PubChem: "Magainin 2"
Chemical structure, molecular properties, and bioactivity data.
Related peptides in Antimicrobial
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