--- title: "Carbetocin" canonical_url: https://peptidelibrary.app/library/carbetocin description: "Long-acting synthetic oxytocin analog used in many countries to prevent uterine atony and postpartum haemorrhage after caesarean delivery. It is not approved by the FDA in the United States." updated: 2026-11-07 publisher: Peptide Library notice: "Research and educational use only. Not medical advice." --- # Carbetocin Carbetocin is a long-acting oxytocin analog. Carbetocin is a deaminated, carba-substituted oxytocin analog whose modifications resist enzymatic degradation and extend its half-life well beyond that of oxytocin, allowing a single injection where oxytocin needs an infusion. It binds uterine oxytocin receptors to trigger rhythmic myometrial contraction and sustained uterine tone. Long-acting synthetic oxytocin analog used in many countries to prevent uterine atony and postpartum haemorrhage after caesarean delivery. It is not approved by the FDA in the United States. ## Classification - Type: Long-acting oxytocin analog - Mechanism class: Oxytocin Receptor Agonist - Development stage: Research only - Regulatory class: Investigational, not FDA-approved ## Mechanism Carbetocin is a deaminated, carba-substituted oxytocin analog whose modifications resist enzymatic degradation and extend its half-life well beyond that of oxytocin, allowing a single injection where oxytocin needs an infusion. It binds uterine oxytocin receptors to trigger rhythmic myometrial contraction and sustained uterine tone. ## Properties - Molecular formula: C45H69N11O12S - Molecular weight: 988.2 g/mol - CAS number: 37025-55-1 - Studied routes: Intramuscular, Intravenous, Intranasal ## Evidence - Evidence level: Clinical Trial Evidence - Highest documented: Controlled human trials - Human trials: 4 - Controlled human trials: 4 - Preclinical sources: 0 - Latest source: 2026 Each step shows whether the sources Peptide Library has reviewed include that kind of research. Counts are reviewed sources, not every study ever published. Reviews and programme summaries that describe human use are shown as "reported", not as trials, and registered trials without published results are listed but not counted. A higher step means research has progressed further; it does not mean a compound works better or is safer. Compounds whose evidence has not been reviewed yet show "Not reviewed" instead of a guess. ### Studies 1. Heat-Stable Carbetocin versus Oxytocin to Prevent Hemorrhage after Vaginal Birth. N Engl J Med. 2018. 2018. Controlled human trial. Population: Women giving birth vaginally at 23 sites in 10 countries (29,645 randomised) [Source](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29949473/) 2. Effects of Prophylactic Oxytocin or Carbetocin on Troponin Release and Postpartum Haemorrhage at Planned Caesarean Delivery: A Double-Blind Randomised Controlled Trial. BJOG. 2025. 2025. Controlled human trial. Population: Women aged 18–50 with a singleton pregnancy having a planned caesarean delivery (240 randomised, 215 treated). No difference in troponin change (primary endpoint) or estimated blood loss; rescue treatment was needed less often with carbetocin (27.2% versus 46.4%) [Source](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40772429/) 3. Intranasal Carbetocin Reduces Hyperphagia, Anxiousness, and Distress in Prader-Willi Syndrome: CARE-PWS Phase 3 Trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023. 2023. Controlled human trial. Population: Children and adolescents aged 7–18 with Prader-Willi syndrome (n=130; enrolment stopped early because of COVID-19) [Source](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36633570/) 4. Carbetocin Nasal Spray for the Treatment of Hyperphagia in Prader-Willi Syndrome: Results From the Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Phase 3 COMPASS PWS Study. Clin Ther. 2026. 2026. Controlled human trial. Population: People with Prader-Willi syndrome (n=175). Primary endpoint not met: hyperphagia score changed by -4.8 with carbetocin and -5.1 with placebo (P = 0.79), with no separation on any secondary endpoint [Source](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42486751/) ## Safety Human safety basis: Clinical trial reports Key limitations: Not approved by the FDA for any use.. ## Regulatory status Carbetocin is not an FDA-approved product. It is sold for laboratory research and has no approved medical use. - FDA status: Not Approved - Availability: Prescription-Only ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Carbetocin? Long-acting synthetic oxytocin analog used in many countries to prevent uterine atony and postpartum haemorrhage after caesarean delivery. It is not approved by the FDA in the United States. ### How does Carbetocin work? Carbetocin is a deaminated, carba-substituted oxytocin analog whose modifications resist enzymatic degradation and extend its half-life well beyond that of oxytocin, allowing a single injection where oxytocin needs an infusion. It binds uterine oxytocin receptors to trigger rhythmic myometrial contraction and sustained uterine tone. ### Is Carbetocin FDA approved? No. Carbetocin is not approved by the FDA for any indication and is categorised as prescription-only. It has not been reviewed for safety or efficacy as a medicine, and published research should be read as investigation rather than established use. ### What peptides are similar to Carbetocin? Compounds most often compared with Carbetocin include Oxytocin, Atosiban, ARA 290 (Cibinetide) and Serelaxin. They are grouped by shared mechanism or research area rather than by equivalence, and their regulatory status and evidence base differ. ## References - [Carbetocin vs oxytocin for prevention of postpartum hemorrhage after vaginal delivery: A meta-analysis — Medicine (Baltimore), 2019](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31764790/) - [Carbetocin versus oxytocin in the management of the third stage of labor for preventing postpartum hemorrhage after vaginal delivery — Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992), 2025](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40531762/) - [Intranasal Carbetocin Reduces Hyperphagia, Anxiousness, and Distress in Prader-Willi Syndrome: CARE-PWS Phase 3 Trial — J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2023](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36633570/) - [Uterotonic agents for preventing postpartum haemorrhage: a network meta-analysis — Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2025](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40237648/) - [The future of child and adolescent clinical psychopharmacology: A systematic review of phase 2, 3, or 4 randomized controlled trials of pharmacologic agents without regulatory approval or for unapproved indications — Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 2023](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37001575/) Note: Dose figures are left out of this Markdown version. See the cited sources.