Cognitive · Research Phase
Orexin B
No lawful US pathway
01 · Overview
Orexin B (hypocretin-2) is a 28-amino acid neuropeptide derived from the same precursor as orexin A and produced in hypothalamic neurons; central administration stimulated food intake in rats (PMID 9491897). It is generally described as acting preferentially at orexin receptor 2 (OX2R) relative to OX1R.
Orexin B contributes to the maintenance of arousal and the integration of metabolic and circadian signals.
02 · Research summary & key findings
In rats, intracerebroventricular orexin B increased wake time and reduced REM and non-REM sleep, but less strongly than orexin A, and a modified OX2R-selective orexin B analog produced larger increases in wakefulness than native orexin B (PMID 15919057). These findings support a role for OX2R signaling in sleep-wake control. Evidence for native orexin B is limited to animal studies; no human trials of orexin B were found, and drug development has instead focused on small-molecule OX2R agonists, one of which suppressed cataplexy in mouse models (PMID 28507129).
03 · Regulatory status
Orexin B 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
Orexin B 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. If you are working on the goal it is studied for, a licensed clinician can tell you what is lawfully available, which may be something else.
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Looking for a lawful, clinician-prescribed option for cognitive support?
Orexin B is a research compound, is not FDA-approved, and has no lawful US compounding pathway, so we do not offer it and no clinician we work with will prescribe it. Products sold online as “research chemicals” are not made or tested to the standards required of medicines. If you are working on cognitive support, a licensed clinician can tell you at a free consultation whether an FDA-approved or lawfully compounded treatment fits you, or whether nothing does.
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04 · Administration routes
- Intracerebroventricular
References
- [1]Selective stimulation of orexin receptor type 2 promotes wakefulness in freely behaving rats Brain Res, 2005. PMID 15919057
- [2]Nonpeptide orexin type-2 receptor agonist ameliorates narcolepsy-cataplexy symptoms in mouse models Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2017. PMID 28507129
- [3]Orexins and orexin receptors: a family of hypothalamic neuropeptides and G protein-coupled receptors that regulate feeding behavior Cell, 1998. PMID 9491897
Primary literature
- PubMed: "Orexin B"
Peer-reviewed literature indexed by the National Library of Medicine.
- ClinicalTrials.gov: "Orexin B"
Registered interventional and observational studies, including status and phase.
- PubChem: "Orexin B"
Chemical structure, molecular properties, and bioactivity data.
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