5-Amino-1MQ

5-Amino-1MQ (5-amino-1-methylquinolinium) is a synthetic quaternary aromatic small molecule — a quinolinium salt, not a peptide — that selectively inhibits nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT). Despite being sold alongside research peptides, it has no amino acid residues and is chemically a drug-like small molecule (PubChem CID 950107; MW ~159 Da as the free cation, ~286 Da as the iodide salt). It was identified and developed primarily by the Watowich/Neelakantan laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), with most published research emerging from that group between 2017 and 2024. NNMT is a metabolic enzyme that is markedly overexpressed in adipose tissue of obese individuals. It consumes SAM (S-adenosylmethionine) and diverts nicotinamide (NAM) away from NAD+ synthesis, creating an intracellular environment that promotes adipogenesis and suppresses fat cell energy expenditure. 5-Amino-1MQ was designed to occupy the nicotinamide-binding pocket of NNMT, blocking this process. In diet-induced obese mice, the compound reduced fat mass and body weight without altering food intake, and in aged mice it improved skeletal muscle mass and function. As of mid-2026, there are no published human clinical trials for 5-Amino-1MQ or for any small-molecule NNMT inhibitor. The entire drug class is preclinical. The compound is sold in research peptide markets as an oral capsule or injectable, but dosing protocols are entirely extrapolated from animal studies, and no human safety, pharmacokinetic, or efficacy data has been published. This entry is for research reference only.