ACE-031
Also known as: ACVR2B-Fc, Myostatin Inhibitor
Buy in shop
ACE-031 from $99/kit
2 verified vendors, ≥99% purity, COAs included.
Key Facts: ACE-031
- Category
- Hormonal
- FDA Status
- Not FDA Approved
- Clinical Status
- Development halted - Safety concerns
- Administration
- Subcutaneous injection
- Typical Dose
- Limited community data available
- Frequency
- See research protocols
- Duration
- Trials discontinued
Mechanism of Action
Myostatin and several related TGF-beta superfamily ligands normally bind the activin type IIB receptor on muscle to restrain growth. ACE-031 is a soluble decoy version of that receptor: it floats in the circulation and grabs myostatin (and ligands like certain activins) before they can reach the real receptors on muscle, releasing the natural brake on muscle growth. Because it works as a circulating trap rather than acting locally, it affects myostatin signaling throughout the body. The catch, which became the central problem, is that those same activin-receptor pathways also influence blood vessels, which is the leading hypothesis for the bleeding-related side effects seen in trials.
Research Summary
ACE-031 was studied in real human trials, including a single-ascending-dose study in healthy volunteers and a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled ascending-dose Phase 2 study in ambulatory boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, with results later published in Muscle and Nerve in 2017. The drug showed pharmacodynamic trends toward increased lean mass, decreased fat mass, and changes in bone mineral density and 6-minute walk distance, hinting at the intended muscle effect. But the DMD trial was stopped early after the second dosing regimen because of safety signals, specifically epistaxis (nosebleeds) and telangiectasias (small dilated blood vessels), pointing to off-target vascular effects. No serious or severe adverse events were formally attributed, but the safety concerns were enough to halt the program. The honest takeaway: the muscle-growth concept showed early promise in humans, but ACE-031 itself was abandoned, and there are no approved or ongoing trials supporting its use.
Dosing Information
Note: Animal study doses may not translate directly to humans.
Typical Dosingⓘ
Community experience
Limited community data available
See research dosing
See research protocols
Research Dosingⓘ
Scientific studies
From clinical trials before discontinuation
Doses from Studies
0.5-3 mg/kg every 2 weeks in trials
Duration
Trials discontinued
Administration
Subcutaneous injection
Timing & Administration
Best Time to Take
Morning, same day each week
Once weekly
Food Recommendation
With or without food
Why This Timing?
ACE-031 is a myostatin inhibitor with weekly dosing. Morning allows for monitoring.
Possible Side Effects
Not everyone experiences these effects. Individual responses vary based on dosage, duration, and personal factors.
- ●Nosebleeds
- ●Gum bleeding
- ●Spider veins (telangiectasias)
- ●Injection site reactions
- ●FSH level decrease
- ●Clinical trials discontinued due to safety
References
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27462804/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/mus.25268
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2717722/
Research This Peptide Further
Buy in shop
ACE-031 from $99/kit
2 verified vendors, ≥99% purity, COAs included.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ACE-031 do?
ACE-031 was an experimental muscle-building drug, technically a fusion protein that joins the activin receptor type IIB to the Fc portion of an antibody, designed to mop up myostatin and related growth-limiting signals from the bloodstream. It was developed by Acceleron Pharma and tested in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy with the goal of preserving muscle. It is not approved, and its development was stopped over safety concerns, so it exists today only as a discontinued investigational compound.
How does ACE-031 work?
Myostatin and several related TGF-beta superfamily ligands normally bind the activin type IIB receptor on muscle to restrain growth. ACE-031 is a soluble decoy version of that receptor: it floats in the circulation and grabs myostatin (and ligands like certain activins) before they can reach the real receptors on muscle, releasing the natural brake on muscle growth. Because it works as a circulating trap rather than acting locally, it affects myostatin signaling throughout the body. The catch, which became the central problem, is that those same activin-receptor pathways also influence blood vessels, which is the leading hypothesis for the bleeding-related side effects seen in trials.
Is ACE-031 FDA approved?
No, ACE-031 is not currently FDA approved. Current status: Development halted - Safety concerns
What are the side effects of ACE-031?
Reported side effects include: Nosebleeds, Gum bleeding, Spider veins (telangiectasias), Injection site reactions, FSH level decrease. Individual responses vary based on dosage, duration, and personal health factors.
What is the typical dose of ACE-031?
Community-reported common dose: Limited community data available (See research protocols). Range: See research dosing. Administration: Subcutaneous injection. Community-reported doses. Not medical advice. Consult healthcare provider.
Related Peptides
Peptides commonly compared with ACE-031 or used in similar applications.
Kisspeptin
Clinical TrialsKisspeptin is the master switch that tells your brain to start reproduction. It is a family of peptides (the full length is kisspeptin-54, with shorter active fragments KP-14, KP-13, and KP-10) made from the KISS1 gene, and it acts as the upstream trigger for the entire reproductive hormone cascade. It is not an approved drug, but it has been tested in real human trials for fertility, hypothalamic amenorrhea, and male hypogonadism, with promising early results.
HormonalMOTS-c
PreclinicalMOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide your own mitochondria make, encoded inside the 12S rRNA region of mitochondrial DNA and discovered in 2015. It is studied as a metabolic regulator and a so-called exercise mimetic, because its levels rise when you work out and it improves insulin sensitivity in animals. The catch: the impressive results are almost entirely in mice, with no completed published human efficacy trials.
HormonalOxytocin
FDAOxytocin is a 9-amino-acid hormone made in the hypothalamus, famous as the chemistry behind labor contractions, breastfeeding, and social bonding. As an injectable drug it is FDA-approved to induce labor and control postpartum bleeding, but the intranasal 'love hormone' versions sold for trust, anxiety, and autism are experimental and the human results are genuinely mixed. The hype runs well ahead of the evidence.
HormonalGonadorelin
FDAGonadorelin is a synthetic copy of natural GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone), a 10-amino-acid peptide (pGlu-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-Gly-Leu-Arg-Pro-Gly-NH2) that tells the pituitary to release LH and FSH. It is FDA-approved for evaluating pituitary function and has historical use in inducing ovulation. In the peptide world it is mostly used off-label to keep the testes working during testosterone replacement, and the catch is that timing matters enormously: pulse it and you stimulate, give it continuously and you shut the system down.
HormonalLeuprolide
FDALeuprolide (brand name Lupron) is a synthetic GnRH agonist, a modified peptide about 20 times more potent than natural GnRH, and it is FDA-approved for advanced prostate cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and central precocious puberty. The clever part is counterintuitive: it works by overstimulating the GnRH system so hard that the pituitary shuts down sex hormone production. It is a real, long-established prescription drug, not a research peptide, and it carries meaningful side effects from the low-hormone state it creates.
HormonalDesmopressin
FDADesmopressin (dDAVP) is a synthetic tweak of the natural hormone vasopressin, redesigned to keep the water-retaining effect while dropping most of the blood-pressure effect. It is a long-established FDA-approved drug used for central diabetes insipidus, bedwetting and nocturia, and certain bleeding disorders like von Willebrand disease and mild hemophilia A. This is settled medicine, not an experimental peptide, and its main real-world danger is straightforward: it can drop your blood sodium dangerously low if you drink too much fluid on it.
HormonalWant updates on ACE-031 research?
Subscribe to get notified when we add new research findings, protocol updates, and related peptide information.