Evidence review: Open Peptide Project (verified against primary PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov & FDA records) · Last checked 2026-10-27. ← Back to Evidence Library
BAM15: what the evidence says
At a glance
What it is: Caution Not a peptide. BAM15 is a small-molecule mitochondrial uncoupler (an oxadiazolopyrazine), not an amino-acid chain. It is listed here only because it is sold alongside research peptides. R1, R2 It has never been tested in people.
What the evidence says: Unknown no human trial found on CT.gov or PubMed (searched Oct 27, 2026). Animal in mice on high-fat diets it cut fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity without changing food intake or body temperature. R3, R4
Biggest risks: unknown in people. It works the same basic way as DNP (2,4-dinitrophenol), an older uncoupler linked to at least 62 published deaths, mostly from runaway body temperature. Whether BAM15 avoids that risk in humans has never been tested. Banned in sport. R5, R6
Rating
| Human Human evidence | No human data: none found |
| Animal Animal / lab evidence | Mice and cells R2, R3, R4 |
| Regulatory | Not approved anywhere · not on FDA's 503A or 503B bulk-substance category lists and not on FDA's compounding safety-risk page R7, R8, R9 · named on WADA S4.4.1 R6 |
| Established human dose | No |
Evidence verdict: Weight loss, metabolic health or longevity in people: No human data · Animals: mouse obesity and insulin-resistance studies
This page reports what studies used. It is not dosing advice.
Legend: HUMAN data · ANIMAL / LAB data · UNKNOWN · UNVERIFIED: not yet confirmed against a primary source
About the evidence: all evidence is from cells and mice. Fat-burning results in mice do not show that a compound is safe or effective in people.
What is it?
Related pages: slu-pp-332, mots-c, aicar, 5-amino-1mq.
Does it work?
- Unknown People: no trial found.
- Animal Cells: raised mitochondrial respiration without depolarizing the cell's outer membrane, unlike the older uncouplers FCCP and DNP in the same tests. R2
- Animal Mice: reversed diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance and lowered liver fat without changing food intake, lean mass or body temperature; R3 resisted diet-induced weight gain and improved glucose control. R4 It also reduced fat in a mouse model of age-related muscle loss with obesity. R10
- Animal A 2025 comparison of 15 uncouplers found their effects differed widely. R11
How it compares with DNP
- Human DNP speeds up heat production; poisoning causes high fever, fast heart rate and sweating, and can be fatal. A 2011 review counted 62 published deaths. R5, R12
- Animal In mice, BAM15 did not raise body temperature. R3 This has not been tested in people.
Is it safe?
- Unknown No human safety data.
- Human Overheating, the main danger of DNP, is the key theoretical risk for any uncoupler. R5
- Products sold for research are not made to drug standards and have no quality control. UNVERIFIED for any specific product.
Gray-market vials: extra risks
A gray-market vial has no quality control and no guarantee of identity, strength or sterility. We test retail vials blind under the Open Peptide Standard; see /tests/. A passing test covers one batch on one date and does not mean the compound is safe.
Is it legal?
- US: not FDA-approved; no Drugs@FDA application found (openFDA searched Oct 27, 2026).
- Compounding: not on FDA's 503A or 503B bulk-substance category lists and not on FDA's compounding safety-risk page. R7, R8, R9
- Sport: WADA 2026 names BAM15 under S4.4.1 (metabolic modulators: AMPK activators), banned at all times. R6
Study details
Study details
These are amounts researchers used, not recommendations.
| Study | People / model | Route | Amount used | Follow-up | Reported | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No human study found | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alexopoulos 2020 (mice) | Diet-induced obese mice | Oral, mixed into food | Per study | Weeks | Less fat, better insulin sensitivity; body temperature unchanged | PMID 32409697 |
| Axelrod 2020 (mice) | Mice on high-fat diet | Oral | Per study | Weeks | Resisted weight gain; better glucose control | PMID 32519812 |
Full reference list (PubMed, CT.gov, FDA and WADA checked Oct 27, 2026)
- R1 PubChem CID 565708, Bam15 (N5,N6-bis(2-fluorophenyl)-[1,2,5]oxadiazolo[3,4-b]pyrazine-5,6-diamine), checked Oct 27, 2026. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/565708
- R2 Kenwood BM, et al. Mol Metab. 2014. PMID 24634817
- R3 Alexopoulos SJ, et al. Nat Commun. 2020. PMID 32409697
- R4 Axelrod CL, et al. EMBO Mol Med. 2020. PMID 32519812
- R5 Grundlingh J, et al. J Med Toxicol. 2011. PMID 21739343
- R6 WADA. The 2026 Prohibited List, S4.4.1 Metabolic modulators, AMPK activators (BAM15 named). https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/2026list_en_final_clean_september_2025.pdf
- R7 FDA, 503A bulk drug substances categories list (updated May 14, 2026). https://www.fda.gov/media/94155/download
- R8 FDA, 503B bulk drug substances categories list (updated Mar 21, 2025). https://www.fda.gov/media/94164/download
- R9 FDA, Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks (content current Apr 22, 2026). https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks
- R10 Dantas WS, et al. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2022. PMID 35304976
- R11 Shah DP, et al. Mol Metab. 2025. PMID 40639664
- R12 Sousa D, et al. Arch Toxicol. 2020. PMID 32078021
Disclaimer
This page is for education and harm reduction, not medical advice or a recommendation to use BAM15. This compound is not FDA-approved. Any product sold under this name in the US is unregulated. Report problems to FDA MedWatch (https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch).