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Cognitiveearly_human

Orexin-A

Hypocretin-1
Cognitive
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Category
Cognitive
Evidence grade
C
PubMed records
2,369
Female-tagged
587
Sex-analysis
10
CAS
—
C
Evidence grade C, Early human data only (Phase 1 / small-n) across 2369 indexed studies. How grades work →
Female evidence: Extrapolated
Orexin-A: of 2,369 PubMed records, 587 are tagged as including female subjects and 10 carry a sex-analysis tag.Counts reflect PubMed records as of 2026-07-21. “Female” uses the Female MeSH filter and “sex-analysis” the Sex Factors MeSH filter, automated proxies pending manual study-level review. Methodology →

Overview

Orexin-A, also called hypocretin-1, is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that helped reshape how researchers understand the biology of wakefulness. It is produced by a small, defined population of neurons and acts through the orexin receptor system, which gives it a relatively specific mechanism to study.

In neuroscience research, orexin-A has been studied for its role in arousal, sleep-wake regulation, feeding behavior, and reward signaling. Investigators working on wakefulness models, energy balance, and motivated behavior have used it as a primary research material, and the orexin system as a whole has become a well-mapped target in central-nervous-system work.

What makes orexin-A a useful catalog entry is the concentration of its signaling in defined circuits, which makes it easier to study in isolation. Whether these mechanisms translate the same way across female physiology remains an open research question; our evidence review tracks how many of the underlying studies included women.

Summary

Orexin-A (hypocretin-1) is a wake-promoting neuropeptide whose deficiency causes narcolepsy. It is studied for wakefulness and cognition, including small intranasal human studies; it is not an approved therapy and its results are not analyzed for female-specific outcomes.

Evidence in women

Menstrual cycle
Unstudied
No study examined orexin-A administration across the menstrual cycle.
Pregnancy & lactation
Unstudied
No pregnancy or lactation safety data exist.
Hormonal interactions
Unstudied
No controlled data on reproductive- or thyroid-hormone interactions.
Perimenopause & menopause
Unstudied
No perimenopause- or menopause-specific analyses, though sleep complaints rise around menopause.
Sex differences
Unstudied
Human studies included women, but were not analyzed by sex.

Mechanism

Activates orexin OX1/OX2 receptors to promote wakefulness, arousal, and appetite; loss of orexin neurons underlies narcolepsy type 1.

Reported dosing & routes

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We don't give dosing or medical advice. The figures below describe what was used in published research, not a recommendation. Decide with your clinician.

Reported range (literature)Intranasal orexin-A has been used in small human studies; no established therapeutic dose.
Routesintranasal
Female-specific dosingNot established

Contraindications: insufficient data to characterize

Side effects

Reported in the research literature. Sex-specific incidence has not been separately analysed in the available records.

insufficient human data to fully characterize

Orexin-A reconstitution calculator

Enter this vial's amount, the bacteriostatic water you add, and a target amount to get the concentration and the U-100 syringe units to draw. Handling arithmetic for research use, not a dose recommendation.

Reconstitution

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Draw for Orexin-A

5
units on a U-100 insulin syringe
020406080100
U-100 insulin syringe — 1 mL = 100 units
That's 0.05 mL drawn to the 5-unit mark.
Concentration5 mg/mL (5,000 mcg/mL)
Volume to draw0.05 mL
Doses per vial40

Reference chart at 5 mg/mL

Target amountVolume (mL)U-100 units
100 mcg0.02 mL2
250 mcg0.05 mL5
500 mcg0.1 mL10
750 mcg0.15 mL15
1000 mcg0.2 mL20

Research-use arithmetic only. This tool converts a vial amount, diluent volume, and a target amount into a concentration and syringe draw for laboratory handling. It is not dosing guidance, a recommendation, or a claim of safety or efficacy, and it does not account for overfill, dead space, or peptide purity. Nothing here is medical advice. “U-100” means 100 units = 1 mL; confirm your syringe graduation before measuring. See the reconstitution & storage handbook for handling detail.

Frequently asked questions

Answers drawn only from Orexin-A's research facts and, where reviewed, its sex-disaggregated evidence. Nothing here is medical advice, dosing, or a claim of safety or efficacy.

What is Orexin-A?

Orexin-A, also known as Hypocretin-1, is a research compound in our cognitive category. Orexin-A (hypocretin-1) is a wake-promoting neuropeptide whose deficiency causes narcolepsy.

Is Orexin-A studied in women?

Orexin-A: of 2,369 PubMed records, 587 are tagged as including female subjects and 10 carry a sex-analysis tag. We grade this extrapolated: women appear in the record, but no study is tagged for a sex-specific analysis, so female-relevant conclusions are inferred from mixed or male data rather than measured in women. See our methodology.

Has Orexin-A been studied during pregnancy or breastfeeding?

Unstudied. No pregnancy or lactation safety data exist. This is not a safety clearance or a recommendation. Vera, our research chat, deliberately hard-stops on pregnancy, breastfeeding, and trying-to-conceive questions rather than answer them.

What evidence grade does Orexin-A have, and why?

Orexin-A carries evidence grade C. Early human data only (Phase 1 / small-n) across 2369 indexed studies.. Grades are derived from the research record, never hand-assigned; see how grades work.

Is there a female-specific dose for Orexin-A?

No. A female-specific dose for Orexin-A is not established, and this site does not provide dosing or medical advice. Any figures we show describe what published research used, not a recommendation. Decide anything about use with a qualified clinician.

How is Orexin-A administered in research?

In the published literature, Orexin-A is administered via intranasal. Reported dose ranges on the Dosing tab describe what studies used for laboratory research, not a protocol for people. We don't provide dosing.

What side effects have been reported for Orexin-A?

Effects reported in the research literature include insufficient human data to fully characterize. Sex-specific incidence has not been separately analysed in the available records, so these are not broken out for women.

How should Orexin-A be stored and handled?

Orexin-A sold for research is supplied as a lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder. Lyophilized peptides are generally kept cold and dry, at roughly -20°C for longer-term storage and 2-8°C short-term, protected from light. Once reconstituted they are typically refrigerated and used within a short window, avoiding repeated freeze-thaw cycles. This is general laboratory handling for research use only, not a directive for human use. Always follow the handling and purity details on the product's Certificate of Analysis.

Where can I buy Orexin-A for research?

Orexin-A is not currently listed by our research-use partner, Aurevena Research, but their catalog carries related compounds. Code research15 applies 15% off. We may earn a commission when you purchase through this link, at no extra cost to you. Products are for laboratory research use only.

Browse the Aurevena catalog
Research-use supplier: Orexin-A isn't currently listed by our research-use vendor. Their catalog carries related compounds. Code research15 for 15% off, applied automatically at checkout. We may earn a commission when you purchase through this link, at no extra cost to you. Products are for laboratory research use only.
Browse the catalog →

Citations (PMID)

34052813 · 35624073

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Educational information for laboratory and research use only. Not medical advice, a recommendation, or a claim of safety or efficacy; no personal dosing. “Unstudied” means no qualifying study was found, not that a compound is safe or unsafe.