Skin & aging Neuromuscular-relaxing peptide
Dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate
Regulatory status
Status at a glance
503A compounding status
Not nominated
We found no pending nomination for the 503A bulks list. Unless the substance has another legal pathway (for example, a USP monograph or use in an FDA-approved drug), 503A pharmacies generally may not compound with it.
- Also known as
- SYN-AKE
- FDA approval
- Not FDA-approved for any use
- 503B outsourcing
- Not determined
- Anti-doping (WADA)
- Not on the WADA Prohibited List
- DEA schedule
- Not a controlled substance
About peptide status
Most peptides discussed here are not FDA-approved for any use, and products labeled “research use only” are not for human use. Removal from Category 2 does not authorize compounding. PCAC votes are non-binding recommendations; FDA and HHS make the final decisions.
This is not medical or legal advice, and we do not publish dosing, sourcing or reconstitution information. Talk with a licensed clinician before using any peptide.
If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911.
Key takeaway
Dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate, sold under the trade name SYN-AKE, is a synthetic peptide modeled on a component of temple viper venom, used in skincare as a "needle-free" alternative aimed at expression lines. Laboratory work suggests it mimics a venom peptide that blocks the muscle receptor for acetylcholine, which is the rationale for marketing it to soften the look of dynamic wrinkles. As of 2026, the evidence is mainly laboratory and manufacturer data, with human testing done inside multi-ingredient formulas rather than on the peptide alone.
At a glance
- What it is
- Cosmetic ingredient (SYN-AKE), a synthetic venom-mimic peptide
- FDA status
- Cosmetic ingredient rather than a drug, so does not require FDA approval
- Research
- Mechanism based on laboratory work; human evidence comes from combination formulas, not the isolated peptide
- Main uses
- Products targeting the appearance of expression lines on the forehead and around the eyes
- Evidence strength
- Low research
Summary
SYN-AKE, or dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate, is a cosmetic peptide modeled on viper venom. Learn how it works and how strong the evidence is.
What is dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate?
Dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate is a synthetic peptide marketed in skincare under the trade name SYN-AKE, developed by Pentapharm (now part of dsm-firmenich). It is designed to imitate waglerin-1, a small peptide found in the venom of the temple viper. Despite that origin, the cosmetic ingredient is made synthetically and contains no actual venom. It is a cosmetic ingredient, not a drug, and is used in products positioned as a gentler, topical approach to the look of expression lines.
The history of SYN-AKE
SYN-AKE grew out of snake venom research. It is modeled on waglerin-1, a peptide found in the venom of the temple viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri), a snake native to Southeast Asia. In the viper, that venom component briefly interrupts the nerve-to-muscle signal; scientists recreated a stable, synthetic version of its active region for use on skin, containing none of the venom itself.
The ingredient was developed by Pentapharm, a Swiss company known for venom-derived compounds, which introduced it as an anti-wrinkle active around 2005, and later became part of DSM. SYN-AKE went on to become one of the better-known snake venom skincare stories of the late 2000s, when creams built around it were marketed as a needle-free alternative to muscle-relaxing injections.
How does it work?
Laboratory studies suggest the peptide works by quieting the signal that makes facial muscles contract. Normally the neurotransmitter acetylcholine binds to receptors on muscle, called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, to trigger contraction. The venom peptide it is modeled on reversibly blocks that receptor, and the synthetic version is proposed to do the same, so the small muscles that create "expression lines" contract less and the overlying skin looks smoother.
This is the same general idea marketed for other "expression line" peptides, and it is why SYN-AKE is sometimes described as a topical alternative to muscle-relaxing injections. It is important to frame this accurately: The mechanism is demonstrated in laboratory settings, and a topical cosmetic does not reach or paralyze muscle the way an injection does. In finished products the goal is described in appearance terms, the look of fewer or softer dynamic lines.
Is it FDA-approved?
Safety note
Status: Cosmetic ingredient rather than a drug, so does not require FDA approval
Category: Cosmetic and topical · Primary body area: Skin & aging
No, and it does not need to be. The FDA does not pre-approve cosmetic ingredients. A cosmetic may make claims about the appearance of skin, while a claim to relax muscles or otherwise change the body's function would make a product a drug. SYN-AKE is used as a cosmetic ingredient, for the appearance of the skin.
What is it used for?
It is used in "anti-aging" serums and creams aimed at dynamic or expression lines, such as forehead lines and crow's-feet around the eyes. The appearance goal is smoother-looking skin and a reduction in the look of lines that deepen with facial movement. It is frequently combined with other peptides and humectants.
What does the research show?
Editor’s note
Evidence strength: Low research
The mechanism is supported by laboratory work, but there is no sound human trial of the isolated peptide showing an appearance benefit; the available human study tested it only within a multi-ingredient formula.
The direct evidence for the isolated peptide is limited. According to PubMed, a 2026 ex-vivo and clinical study tested a serum that contained dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate together with acetyl hexapeptide-8, niacinamide, and other actives, and reported improvements in the appearance of wrinkles and skin quality. That evidence has three limits:
- Because the peptide was one of several active ingredients, that result cannot be attributed to it alone.
- No independent trial of SYN-AKE by itself measuring appearance outcomes was found.
- Much of the supporting data is laboratory or manufacturer-based.
What are the side effects?
The peptide is generally reported as well tolerated on the skin, with low irritation potential at cosmetic use levels, and topical application is not known to produce a systemic muscle effect. As with any new skincare product, people with sensitive skin may want to patch test, since individual reactions vary.
Sources: an ex-vivo and clinical study of a multi-ingredient serum containing the peptide (Zhu et al., International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2026, DOI: 10.1111/ics.70087), indexed on PubMed; and manufacturer and cosmetic ingredient reference data on SYN-AKE. This document is educational and does not constitute medical advice.
Registered human trials
0 registered human trials on ClinicalTrials.gov that we reviewed
Sources
- [1]
- [2]
- [3]
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