Independent · non-commercial · publishes on a quarterly cycle|Current cycle 2026 Q3
Compound Evidence InstituteEvidence synthesis · established 2023Graded assessments of compounds, trials, methods and supply
Document set current to 30 July 2026
Compound monograph · §2

DSIP — pharmacology

Molecular targets, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics and interactions as characterised in humans.

Document identifier
CEI-MN-038/2
Series
Compound monograph
Version
1.2
Published
24 Jul 2025
Last reviewed
24 May 2026
Next review
24 May 2028
Identifier
10.71829/cei.mono.38
Certainty
Very low
Cycle
2025 Q3

§2Pharmacology

§2.1Molecular targets

Table 2. Molecular targets recorded for DSIP, with the character of the interaction and the potency where the Institute holds it.

TargetInteractionNote
Mechanism not establishedNo receptor identifiedDespite five decades of study no receptor for DSIP has been identified, which is itself a substantive negative finding

§2.2Mechanism of action

DSIP was isolated on the hypothesis that it mediated sleep induction. Subsequent work has not established a receptor, a consistent pharmacological effect, or a physiological role, and the somnogenic activity that gave the peptide its name has not been reproduced consistently. The Institute records that the compound is supplied principally on the strength of its name.[1,2]

§2.3Pharmacokinetics

Terminal half-life
reported as approximately 15 min
Time to maximum concentration
rapid
Volume of distribution
not published
Plasma protein binding
not published
Clearance
not published
Bioavailability
not established

Rapid peptidase degradation.

Reconstructed plasma concentration–time profilePlasma concentration plotted against time after dosing, reconstructed from published pharmacokinetic parameters.0.00.20.40.60.801122Time after first dose (hours)Relative concentrationt max ≈ 0 ht½ ≈ 1 h
Modelled profileSimulated observationsDose administration
Figure 2. Illustrative. Plasma concentration–time profile reconstructed by the Institute from the published half-life and time-to-maximum-concentration parameters using a one-compartment model with first-order absorption. The curve is not digitised from a published figure and its vertical scale is relative. It is published to convey the shape of the profile and the approach to steady state, not to supply a concentration at any time point.

§2.4Interactions

  • Not characterised

References cited on this page

References are numbered in order of first citation in this document. Each superscript in the text links to its entry below.

  1. D’Hondt M, Bracke N, Taevernier L, Gevaert B, Verbeke F, Wynendaele E, De Spiegeleer B. Related impurities in peptide medicines. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis 2014;101:2–30. doi:10.1016/j.jpba.2014.06.012 · PMID 25044089
  2. Manning MC, Chou DK, Murphy BM, Payne RW, Katayama DS. Stability of protein pharmaceuticals: an update. Pharmaceutical Research 2010;27(4):544–575. doi:10.1007/s11095-009-0045-6 · PMID 20143256

Identifiers are reproduced only where the Institute holds them. Where a digital object identifier or PubMed identifier is not shown, the Institute has recorded the journal and year and has not constructed an identifier.

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