Gastrointestinal · Investigational
Motilin
No lawful US pathway
01 · Overview
Motilin is a 22-amino acid peptide hormone released from endocrine cells of the duodenal mucosa at roughly 100-minute intervals during fasting, and it is a key regulator of the interdigestive migrating motor complex (PMID 9210180). It acts mainly by facilitating enteric cholinergic activity, and its receptor is largely restricted to the gastrointestinal tract (PMID 23189978).
The therapeutic rationale for motilin receptor agonists includes gastroparesis and other conditions requiring faster gastric emptying. The antibiotic erythromycin is a non-peptide motilin receptor agonist, which made clinical use of this pathway possible (PMID 9210180).
02 · Research summary & key findings
In healthy volunteers, intravenous motilin induced early antral phase III activity of the migrating motor complex (PMID 16918728), and in 9 patients with diabetic gastroparesis, motilin infusion accelerated gastric emptying to near-normal values (PMID 1991439). Motilin itself has short-lasting effects, and erythromycin-derived motilides have largely been unsuccessful (PMID 23189978). The motilide ABT-229 did not relieve symptoms in diabetic patients (PMID 11511562), and mitemcinal accelerated gastric emptying in gastroparesis without beating a large placebo effect on symptoms (PMID 17894654). Camicinal, a non-motilide small-molecule agonist, has been studied in early clinical trials (PMID 25341626).
03 · Regulatory status
Motilin is in the investigational stage. While preclinical and early-phase data exist, it has not received regulatory approval for clinical use in the United States.
No lawful pathway today
Motilin 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 7 FDA-approved compounds in Gastrointestinal
Tell me if the status changes
One email, only if this compound's regulatory standing actually moves. Not a newsletter, not a sales sequence.
04 · Administration routes
- Intravenous
References
- [1]Effects of a motilin receptor agonist (ABT-229) on upper gastrointestinal symptoms in type 1 diabetes mellitus: a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial Gut, 2001. PMID 11511562
- [2]Intragastric acidification inhibits motilin-induced phase III activity in humans Neurogastroenterol Motil, 2006. PMID 16918728
- [3]Clinical trial: effect of mitemcinal (a motilin agonist) on gastric emptying in patients with gastroparesis - a randomized, multicentre, placebo-controlled study Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 2007. PMID 17894654
- [4]Effect of motilin on gastric emptying in patients with diabetic gastroparesis Diabetes Care, 1991. PMID 1991439
- [5]Motilin: towards a new understanding of the gastrointestinal neuropharmacology and therapeutic use of motilin receptor agonists Br J Pharmacol, 2013. PMID 23189978
- [6]The investigational drug camicinal for the treatment of gastroparesis Expert Opin Investig Drugs, 2015. PMID 25341626
- [7]Motilin and clinical application Peptides, 1997. PMID 9210180
Primary literature
- PubMed: "Motilin"
Peer-reviewed literature indexed by the National Library of Medicine.
- ClinicalTrials.gov: "Motilin"
Registered interventional and observational studies, including status and phase.
- PubChem: "Motilin"
Chemical structure, molecular properties, and bioactivity data.
Related peptides in Gastrointestinal
Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational and research purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting any peptide therapy. The Peptide Association does not endorse or recommend any specific treatment protocol. See our editorial policy for how this content is produced and reviewed. Clinicians: join the network.