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Longevity · Daily shot

Epithalon

Gray market

Checked · 23 sources · 12 corrections on this page · No vendors · No affiliates · No one buys a word of it

3 human pilot studies

Limited Human Data · retinitis pigmentosa · night-shift workers · FDA briefing document 2026

Gray market · FDA panel said yes on July 23–24, 2026 — not legal yet

Sold as a research chemical. Some clinics and pharmacies still supply it; that’s their risk, not a change in the rule.

Not legal to compound — yet The FDA’s advisory committee recommended it on July 23–24, 2026. Recommended is not legal — nothing changes until rulemaking is finished. See every change →

Bottom line

Its biggest human dataset tested a different substance, the parent extract, and no outside group has repeated it.

Also called
Epitalon · AEDG · Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly · pineal tetrapeptide · Epithalamin fragment
Category
Peptide — Pineal Tetrapeptide / Khavinson Bioregulator
Molecular Weight
390.35 Da
Sequence
Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly (4 aa)
Half-life
Not measured (FDA found no pharmacokinetic data, 2026)
Route (studied)
SubQ (mice) · human route not stated
Route (sold)
SubQ vials (research chemical)
FDA Status
Not on 503A List. PCAC recommended 7-4 (Jul 2026)
Origin
Khavinson, St. Petersburg (1980s)
Parent Molecule
Epithalamin (pineal extract)
Primary Claim
Telomerase activation + geroprotection
WADA Status
Not specifically named — prohibited at all times under S0 (no government has approved it for human use)
Cost & Access
Research-only

Also for longevity

The other four questions

What does it do? A 2003 paper from its developers reported that it switched on telomerase, the enzyme that rebuilds chromosome caps, in cultured human fetal cells (Khavinson et al., 2003). In the group's animal studies it restored daily melatonin and cortisol rhythms in old monkeys (Khavinson, 2002) and, in female mice, left total tumor rates unchanged but made leukemia six times rarer (Anisimov et al., 2003).
Who uses it? Longevity buyers: wellness clinics market it for anti-aging, and some of their websites list 5–10 mg a day, in cycles (FDA briefing document, 2026).
Does the evidence hold up? Partially. An unconnected lab reported the telomere effect in human cell lines in 2025 (Al-Dulaimi et al., 2025). The 266-patient mortality data tested Epithalamin, the pineal extract, not synthetic Epithalon: 1.6–1.8× fewer deaths over 6–8 years with it alone, while the 4.1× figure came from a separate, non-randomized group of 20 also given Thymalin. The two studies were run by Khavinson's institute and by a Kyiv institute that works with it, and no outside group has repeated them (Khavinson & Morozov, 2003).
Bottom line? Its biggest human dataset tested a different substance, the parent extract, and no outside group has repeated it.

Dosing from the Literature

Published for longevity: no human dose of Epithalon itself; the 2003 mortality study gave its parent extract, Epithalamin, as 10 mg injections, and a mouse lifespan study gave Epithalon at 1 µg per mouse (below). Not published: a trial of Epithalon for longevity in people.

Every regimen below, published or listed, comes in short courses rather than continuous use.

ProtocolDoseFrequencyNotes
Epithalon under the tongue (people)0.5 mg a day3 sprays twice daily, morning and early afternoon, for 20 daysTrial: 40 middle-aged women working night shifts, with low melatonin output, randomly split between the spray and a placebo; it measured clock-gene activity in blood cells (Khavinson et al., World Heart J 2021)
Epithalon injected beside the eye (people)5 µg per eyeOnce daily for 10 daysTrial: patients aged 18–72 with retinitis pigmentosa, 162 examined, with 46 controls given standard drugs; no randomization described (Khavinson et al., 2002; PMID 12195242)
Epithalamin, the parent extract — not Epithalon (IM)10 mg per injectionDaily for 10 days, a year apart; or 5 doses 2–3 days apart, every 5–6 monthsTrials: 94 women aged 66–94 in St. Petersburg (two courses, 1996–97) and 152 people in Kyiv, mostly with coronary heart disease (six courses over 3 years), each randomized against placebo; a separate group of 20 had it with Thymalin every year for 6 years (Khavinson & Morozov, 2003)
Epithalon SubQ (mice)1 µg per mouse (about 30–40 µg/kg)Daily for 5 days each monthFrom 3 months of age until natural death, in female SHR mice, 54 per group (Anisimov et al., 2003)
What clinic websites list (SubQ or by mouth)5–10 mg a dayDaily, in cyclesWellness-clinic websites, as FDA's 2026 review found them (FDA briefing document, 2026); one lists 20-day cycles, another a course every 4 or 6 months
One online longevity protocol (SubQ)2 mg a dayDaily, in the evening20 days in a row, three times a year; the protocol names its author's own company as the source
Dosing Disclaimer

Epithalon is not FDA-approved. There is no labeled human dose. The published human doses of Epithalon itself are 0.5 mg a day under the tongue and 5 µg per eye; the 10 mg doses were its parent extract's, and no published study has given the 2–10 mg a day that clinic websites and an online protocol list.

→ Calculator — vial-to-syringe math

What It Is

Epithalon (also spelled Epitalon, and referred to as AEDG after its amino acid code) is a synthetic tetrapeptide (a chain of 4 amino acids) with the sequence Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly. It is the best-known member of the "Khavinson bioregulators" — short peptides that Vladimir Khavinson’s group in St. Petersburg designed from the gland extracts it had studied since the 1970s (Khavinson, 2002). The research program's guiding hypothesis was that short peptides derived from fractionated tissue extracts ("bioregulators") could normalize tissue-specific function in aged or damaged organs. Epithalon was designed from the amino-acid make-up of the bovine pineal (small brain gland that makes melatonin) gland extract Epithalamin (Khavinson, 2002); the group reported finding the same four-amino-acid sequence inside the extract in 2017 (Khavinson et al., 2017; PMID 29124531).

What makes Epithalon one of the most-discussed longevity peptides is a single 2003 paper: Khavinson, Bondarev, and Butyugov in Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (PMID 12937682) reported that Epithalon activated telomerase (the enzyme that rebuilds chromosome caps) and elongated telomeres in cultured human somatic cells. That finding — directly linking a short synthetic peptide to one of the central mechanisms of cellular aging (telomere attrition) — made Epithalon the most-cited "anti-aging peptide" in community longevity discussions and generated decades of commercial and experiential use.

The broader Epithalon / Epithalamin evidence base includes two clinical studies from the Khavinson group and a Kyiv institute that works with it, described as randomized and placebo-controlled, reporting reduced mortality in elderly patients over 6–8 years of follow-up with Epithalamin, the parent extract, particularly when combined with thymalin (the thymic peptide bioregulator) (Khavinson & Morozov, 2003). These are among the longest-duration human intervention studies in the entire peptide-longevity space. They are also methodologically heterogeneous, Russian-language-dominant, and have never been replicated at Western Phase 3 regulatory standard. That methodological gap is the central tension of the Epithalon evidence profile.

In the Kalios context, Epithalon sits in the "longevity peptide" category alongside Pinealon, Thymalin, NAD+, and similar bioregulator-class compounds. It is gray-market sourced and not FDA-approved. Clinic websites list 5–10 mg a day in cycles, and one online protocol 2 mg a day for 20 days, three times a year (see Dosing). Individual response is highly variable, and the subjective endpoints (energy, sleep, sense of well-being) are hard to separate from placebo in an uncontrolled setting.

Who Khavinson was, and what his record supports →

Mechanism of Action

Epithalon's proposed mechanisms extend beyond the headline telomerase activation claim. The following synthesizes the Khavinson group's framework and independent molecular biology literature.

  • Telomerase activation (hTERT expression) — The flagship mechanism. Khavinson et al. (2003; PMID 12937682) reported that Epithalon activates telomerase in cultured human somatic cells. Al-Dulaimi et al. 2025 (PMID 40908429) extended this, showing Epithalon increases telomere length in human cell lines through both telomerase upregulation and ALT (alternative lengthening of telomeres) activity — a modern, independent replication of the central claim.
  • Gene expression modulation (proposed DNA binding) — Khavinson's group proposes that short peptides like Epithalon pass into the cell nucleus and bind specific DNA sequences, switching genes on or off; the evidence it offers is its own, such as computer models of short peptides docked on DNA (Khavinson et al., 2016; PMID 27909961).
  • Pineal gland / melatonin axis — In old rhesus monkeys, Epithalon restored the daily rhythm of melatonin production, the group reported (Khavinson, 2002; PMID 12374906). This is the mechanistic link back to Epithalamin (the pineal extract from which Epithalon is derived).
  • Antioxidant / free radical modulation — In old rats, the group reported antioxidant effects for Epithalon and for Epithalamin, which also raised the expression of antioxidant enzymes (Kozina et al., 2007; PMID 17317455).
  • Immune function — In rats given a colon carcinogen, Epithalon increased immune-cell (lymphoid) infiltration in and around the tumors (Kossoy et al., 2003; PMID 12964022).
  • Anti-tumor signaling — In SHR mice, Epithalon did not change total spontaneous tumor incidence but made leukemia six times less frequent (Anisimov et al., Biogerontology 2003). In the carcinogen-treated rats above, it slowed tumor-cell division and raised cell death in the tumors (Kossoy et al., 2003; PMID 12964022).
  • Circadian rhythm restoration — In old rhesus monkeys, the group also reported the daily cortisol rhythm restored (Khavinson, 2002; PMID 12374906).
  • Retinal protection — In Campbell rats, which inherit retinal degeneration, Epithalon prolonged the retina's functional integrity, the group reported (Khavinson, 2002; PMID 12374906).
  • Pharmacokinetics — Not measured: FDA's 2026 review found no pharmacokinetic data in people, and in animals only one rabbit study of where a fluorescent-labeled dose went (FDA briefing document, 2026).

What the Research Shows

Epithalon itself has been given to people in three published studies, all from the Khavinson group, FDA's 2026 review found: injections beside the eye in retinitis pigmentosa, and two reports on an under-the-tongue spray in night-shift workers (FDA briefing document, 2026). The long mortality data often quoted for it tested its parent extract, Epithalamin, in two studies from Khavinson's network that no outside group has repeated (Khavinson & Morozov, 2003).

  • Telomerase activation (Khavinson, Bondarev, Butyugov 2003; PMID 12937682) — Foundational paper showing Epithalon induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human somatic cells in culture. The citation that launched modern community interest.
  • SHR mice lifespan / tumor (Anisimov et al., Biogerontology 2003; PMID 14501183) — Female Swiss-derived SHR mice. Epithalon did not change mean life span or total spontaneous tumor incidence; the longest-lived 10% lived 13.3% longer, maximum life span rose 12.3%, and leukemia was six times less frequent. Part of a broader Khavinson-group mouse longevity program.
  • Elderly mortality with the parent extract (Khavinson cohort, Neuro Endocrinol Lett 2003; PMID 14523363) — The study used Epithalamin, the pineal extract, not synthetic Epithalon. 266 patients over age 60 followed 6–8 years. Epithalamin lowered mortality 1.8× over 6 years in St. Petersburg and 1.6× over 8 years in Kyiv; with thymalin, 2.5× (St. Petersburg). The 4.1× figure came from a separate group of 20, including men, given both extracts every year for 6 years and compared with the women given placebo; it was not one of the randomized groups. Among the largest long-duration peptide mortality data in the literature; the paper calls its allocation “stratification randomization”, with placebo controls, and gives no further detail.
  • Retinitis pigmentosa (Khavinson et al., 2002; PMID 12195242) — Synthetic Epithalon injected beside the eye, 5 µg per eye daily for 10 days: the authors report a positive clinical effect in more than 90% of treated patients, against improved vision in 31.5% of cases among 46 controls given standard drugs. 162 patients were examined; no randomization or blinding is described.
  • Cardiovascular disease elderly (Russian clinical series) — Multiple reports in elderly patients with cardiovascular and metabolic disease over 30+ years of clinical use.
  • Telomere length in human cell lines (Al-Dulaimi et al., 2025; PMID 40908429) — Modern Western-lab replication showing Epithalon increases telomere length through both telomerase upregulation and ALT pathway activation. The most important recent independent validation of the central Khavinson telomere claim.
  • Pineal melatonin restoration — In old rhesus monkeys, Epithalon restored the daily rhythm of melatonin production, the group reported (Khavinson, 2002; PMID 12374906).
  • Comprehensive modern review (Int J Mol Sci 2025) — "Overview of Epitalon — Highly Bioactive Pineal Tetrapeptide with Promising Properties" summarizing 25 years of research on Epitalon in a modern open-access format.
  • Combined extracts — In the 2003 paper, mortality was lowest with Epithalamin, the parent extract, given with thymalin (thymic peptide), not with synthetic Epithalon (Khavinson & Morozov, 2003). No clinical study combining synthetic Epithalon with thymalin was found.
  • Absence of Phase 3 Western trial — No modern randomized placebo-controlled Phase 3 trial with Epithalon has been published in a Western regulatory framework. This is the central evidence gap.
Honest Evidence Framing

The largest mortality dataset attached to Epithalon in this database — the 266-person elderly cohort with 6–8 year follow-up and 1.6–4.1× mortality reduction vs control — was on Epithalamin, its parent pineal extract, not on synthetic Epithalon. It is also one of the peptides whose evidence is most concentrated in a single Russian research group, without the Western-methodology Phase 3 replication that would be required for FDA approval. Both observations are correct, and both matter. Community use is very common; mainstream Western clinical endocrinology does not recognize it as validated.

Human Data

Key human datasets:

  • Khavinson elderly cohort (266 patients, 6–8 year follow-up) — Mortality reduction 1.6–4.1× depending on regimen, with the Epithalamin extract, not Epithalon. Described as randomized and placebo-controlled, with no detail on how. The single largest long-duration human peptide-longevity dataset.
  • Russian clinical practice (30+ years) — Epithalon has been in clinical use in Russian geriatrics and ophthalmology for decades, accumulating an experiential evidence base.
  • Retinitis pigmentosa — More than 90% of treated patients improved, the authors reported, against 31.5% of control cases given standard drugs; no randomization or blinding described (Khavinson et al., 2002; PMID 12195242).
  • Cardiovascular / metabolic disease series — Multiple Russian clinical reports in elderly patients.
  • Combined bioregulator regimens — The 2003 paper combined Thymalin with Epithalamin, the parent extract, not with synthetic Epithalon (Khavinson & Morozov, 2003).
  • Case reports (longevity / biological age) — Modern functional-medicine case reports describing biological-age marker improvement with Epithalon protocols.
  • In-vitro telomerase replications — Al-Dulaimi 2025 provides independent modern confirmation of the Khavinson telomerase-activation claim.
  • No modern Western Phase 3 — The gap that separates Epithalon from approved drugs.

The critical methodological point: Epithalon's own human evidence is three short studies from one research group (FDA briefing document, 2026); the long-duration mortality data come from its parent extract. The biological-mechanism evidence (telomerase activation in cell lines) has independent replication. The clinical-outcome evidence (mortality reduction in elderly cohorts) has not been reproduced at Phase 3 level anywhere in the world.

Reconstitution & Storage

Sellers list Epithalon as a freeze-dried powder in vials of 10, 20, 25 and 50 mg; some sell 3 mg or 3.3 mg capsules or an oral spray (FDA briefing document, 2026).

Vial SizeBAC WaterConcentration5 mg Dose10 mg Dose
10 mg1 mL10 mg/mL50 units (0.5 mL)100 units (1.0 mL)
10 mg2 mL5 mg/mL100 units (1.0 mL)Entire vial
50 mg5 mL10 mg/mL50 units (0.5 mL)100 units (1.0 mL)
50 mg2.5 mL20 mg/mL25 units (0.25 mL)50 units (0.5 mL)
  • Storage — Supplier data cited in FDA's 2026 review: the powder is stable for 3 weeks at room temperature, and the supplier advises keeping it dry below −18°C; mixed, it is stable for 2–7 days at 4°C, or below −18°C for later use. A nominator's certificate for the acetate form lists 2–8°C in a sealed container, in a fridge or freezer (FDA briefing document, 2026).
  • Solubility — FDA's reviewers found little reliable data on how well Epitalon dissolves in water and wrote that a 3 mg/mL injection of the free base may not be possible with water as the solvent (FDA briefing document, 2026); every row of the table above is stronger than 3 mg/mL.

→ Calculator — vial-to-syringe math

Side Effects & Risks

Important

No clinical study of Epithalon's safety has been published, FDA's 2026 review found, and FDA concluded there are no clinical data to support its safety in people (FDA briefing document, 2026). What this means for a given person is a question for a licensed healthcare provider.

Its developers report no side effects: none in the eye study's patients, including those with a history of allergy (Khavinson et al., 2002; PMID 12195242), and none in 25 years of use of the two gland extracts, by the 2003 paper's account (Khavinson & Morozov, 2003). The under-the-tongue study reported no safety data, and FDA's adverse-event database held no reports for Epitalon through December 2025 (FDA briefing document, 2026).

  • Cancer (theoretical) — FDA's reviewers raised it: Epithalon activates telomerase and lengthens telomeres, and longer telomeres are generally linked to higher cancer risk. In the mouse studies total tumor rates did not rise and leukemia was rarer (Anisimov et al., 2003), but FDA judged them too limited to settle the question (one fixed dose, female mice only, short exposure) and found no two-year cancer study (FDA briefing document, 2026). The 2003 human study, of the parent extract, did not report causes of death (Khavinson & Morozov, 2003).
  • Hormonal effects — In old monkeys, the group reported that Epithalon restored the daily rhythms of melatonin and cortisol (Khavinson, 2002).
  • Allergic and immune reactions — The eye study reported none, even in patients with a history of allergy (Khavinson et al., 2002; PMID 12195242). FDA's reviewers raised the possibility that injected Epitalon could provoke an immune response, through aggregation or peptide impurities, and found no study that tested it (FDA briefing document, 2026).
  • Drug interactions — No study of interactions with any drug was found.
  • Pregnancy / lactation — FDA's 2026 review found no reproductive or developmental safety studies (FDA briefing document, 2026).
  • Purity / sourcing — Sold as a research chemical, it is not made to drug standards. The certificates of analysis FDA's reviewers found listed purity but no endotoxin or microbial tests and no profile of individual impurities (FDA briefing document, 2026).
  • WADA status — Not named on the Prohibited List, but prohibited at all times under S0, non-approved substances, because no government has approved it for human therapeutic use (WADA Prohibited List 2026).
  • FDA status — Not approved; not a controlled substance.

Bloodwork & Monitoring

No trial, label or guideline sets monitoring for Epithalon. Its human studies measured eyesight, visual fields and the retina's electrical response in retinitis pigmentosa (Khavinson et al., 2002; PMID 12195242) and clock-gene activity in the blood cells of night-shift workers (Khavinson et al., World Heart J 2021); the 2003 study of the parent extract tracked immune, hormone and metabolic blood tests, and deaths (Khavinson & Morozov, 2003).

Commonly Stacked With

Thymalin

Thymus-derived bioregulator. The 2003 paper gave it with Epithalamin, the pineal extract Epithalon was modelled on, and its 4.1× lower mortality came from a separate, non-randomized group of 20 given both every year for 6 years (Khavinson & Morozov, 2003). No study giving Thymalin with synthetic Epithalon was found.

Tested together in people: none published · Read the receipt →

NAD+ / NR / NMN

A clinic's age-reversal program lists Epitalon courses with daily NMN and optional monthly NAD+ infusions, and one online protocol's author writes that he takes NMN or NR alongside it. No study of the pair was found.

Tested together in people: none published · Read the receipt →

GHK-Cu

Copper tripeptide. One online longevity protocol includes both, each on its own schedule; no study of the pair was found.

Tested together in people: none published · Read the receipt →

Resveratrol

The clinic age-reversal program that lists Epitalon with NMN also lists resveratrol among its supplements; no study of the pair was found.

Stacking this? Read the receipt →

→ Calculator — vial-to-syringe math

Legal Status

PCAC vote — July 24, 2026: 7 yes, 4 no, 1 abstain, 3 not voting. The FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee recommended Epitalon (free base and acetate forms) for inclusion on the Section 503A Bulks List; FDA staff had recommended against. A recommendation is advisory — Epitalon is not yet legal to compound. Full tracker →
Current Status — September 2026

Epithalon is not approved by the FDA, EMA, or any major Western regulator. It is in clinical use in Russia as part of the Khavinson bioregulator framework for geriatric practice and has 30+ years of Russian clinical experience.

Epitalon was removed from Category 2 on April 22, 2026 (FDA notice April 15, 2026). PCAC recommended it on July 23–24, 2026. Rulemaking pending — not legal to compound today. On July 24, 2026 the committee voted 7 yes, 4 no, 1 abstention (3 not voting) to recommend Epitalon (both free base and acetate forms) for inclusion on the Section 503A Bulks List. FDA staff had recommended against inclusion.

A PCAC recommendation is advisory. FDA has not initiated notice-and-comment rulemaking to add Epitalon to the 503A Bulks List, and no rulemaking deadline has been announced. Until a final rule takes effect, Epitalon is not on the 503A Bulks List and cannot be legally compounded from bulk drug substance under 503A.

Epithalon is not named on the WADA Prohibited List, but S0 prohibits at all times any substance with no current government approval for human therapeutic use (WADA Prohibited List 2026).

Epithalon is not a DEA-scheduled controlled substance in the United States. Community availability is through research-chemical suppliers or international pharmacy import. Personal-use import is in a gray area.

Cost & Access

Epithalon (Epitalon, AEDG) is not approved for human use in the United States, the EU, or any major Western jurisdiction. It is available through research suppliers for laboratory research purposes only.

U.S. compounding pharmacies cannot legally compound Epitalon from bulk drug substance under current FDA rules — Epitalon is not on the Section 503A Bulks List. The July 2026 PCAC vote is a recommendation for future inclusion, not a rule change. Research-chemical vendors sell lyophilized Epithalon in 10 mg or 50 mg vials; Kalios doesn’t name or link vendors. At the 5–10 mg a day that clinic websites list, a 20-day cycle uses 100–200 mg.

Russian and Belarusian pharmacies sell Epithalamin (the injectable pineal polypeptide complex Epithalon was derived from) and, in some markets, AEDG-specific formulations through the Peptide Bioregulators framework. Personal-use import to the United States exists in a legal gray area; bulk import is prosecuted.

Epithalon was removed from Category 2 on April 22, 2026 (FDA notice April 15, 2026). PCAC recommended it on July 23–24, 2026. Rulemaking pending — not legal to compound today. Absent a sponsor advancing Epithalon through the U.S. NDA pathway (highly unlikely given the 30-year Khavinson publication history without Western regulatory engagement) or explicit inclusion in a future FDA bulk-substance action, Epithalon will remain in the research-only category for the foreseeable future.

Estimated pricing as of April 2026. Actual costs vary by provider, location, and prescription status. Kalios does not sell compounds.

References

  1. Khavinson VKh, Bondarev IE, Butyugov AA. Epithalon Peptide Induces Telomerase Activity and Telomere Elongation in Human Somatic Cells. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2003;135(6):590-592. PMID: 12937682.
  2. Anisimov VN, Khavinson VKh, Provinciali M, Alimova IN, Baturin DA, Popovich IG, Zabezhinski MA, Imyanitov EN, Mancini R, Franceschi C. Effect of Epitalon on biomarkers of aging, life span and spontaneous tumor incidence in female Swiss-derived SHR mice. Biogerontology. 2003;4(4):193-202. PMID: 14501183.
  3. Al-Dulaimi MS, et al. Epitalon increases telomere length in human cell lines through telomerase upregulation or ALT activity. 2025. PMID: 40908429. PMC12411320. (Modern Western-lab replication of the central telomerase-activation claim.)
  4. Khavinson VKh, Morozov VG. Peptides of pineal gland and thymus prolong human life. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2003;24(3-4):233-240. PMID: 14523363. (266-patient elderly mortality cohort.)
  5. Khavinson VKh. Peptides and Ageing. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002;23 Suppl 3:11-144. PMID: 12374906. (Comprehensive Khavinson monograph.)
  6. Khavinson VKh, Kopylov AT, Vaskovsky BV, Ryzhak GA, Lin'kova NS. Identification of peptide AEDG in the polypeptide complex of the pineal gland. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2017;164(1):41-43. PMID: 29124531.
  7. Anisimov VN, Khavinson VKh. Peptide bioregulation of aging: results and prospects. Biogerontology. 2010;11(2):139-149. PMID: 19830585.
  8. Khavinson VKh, Solov'ev AY, Zhilinskii DV, Shatayev VS, Morozov VG. Effect of epithalon on activity of antioxidant enzymes. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2011;151(4):472-473.
  9. Kossoy G, Zandbank J, Tendler E, Anisimov V, Khavinson V, Popovich I, Zabezhinski M, Zusman I, Ben-Hur H. Epitalon and colon carcinogenesis in rats: proliferative activity and apoptosis in colon tumors and mucosa. Int J Mol Med. 2003;12(4):473-477. PMID: 12964022.
  10. Khavinson VKh, Bondarev IE, Butyugov AA, Smirnova TD. Peptide promotes overcoming of the division limit in human somatic cell. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2004;137(5):503-506. PMID: 15455129.
  11. Labunets IF, Butenko GM, Dragunova VA, Magdich LV, Khavinson VKh. Effect of epithalamin, thymalin, and tocopherol on age-associated involution of the pineal gland in rats. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2004;137(5):510-512.
  12. Korkushko OV, Khavinson VKh, Shatilo VB, Antonyk-Sheglova IA. Peptide geroprotector Epitalamin: effects on vascular endothelial function in elderly patients. Adv Gerontol. 2010;23(3):440-446.
  13. Khavinson VKh, Linkova NS, Tarnovskaia SI. Short peptides regulate gene expression. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2016;162(2):288-292. PMID: 27909961.
  14. Overview of Epitalon — Highly Bioactive Pineal Tetrapeptide with Promising Properties. Int J Mol Sci. 2025;26(6):2691. DOI: 10.3390/ijms26062691. (Comprehensive 40-year review.)
  15. Kozina LS, Arutjunyan AV, Khavinson VKh. Antioxidant properties of geroprotective peptides of the pineal gland. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2007;44 Suppl 1:213-216. PMID: 17317455.
  16. Khavinson V, Ilina A, Kraskovskaya N, Linkova N, Kolchina N, Mironova E, Erofeev A, Petukhov M. Neuroprotective Effects of Tripeptides-Epigenetic Regulators in Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021;14(6):515. PMID: 34071923.
  17. Khavinson VKh, Sibarov DA, Tsai PY, Adushkin BV, Ryzhak GA. Short peptides stimulate serotonin release and attenuate hyperexcitation in the hippocampus. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2017;163(4):539-541.
  18. Khavinson V, Popovich I. Short peptides regulate gene expression, protein synthesis and enhance life span. In: Anti-aging Drugs (Drug Discovery series). Royal Society of Chemistry; 2017:496-513. DOI: 10.1039/9781782626602-00496.
  19. FDA. Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the FD&C Act (503A categories list), versions updated April 15, April 22 and May 14, 2026. fda.gov/media/94155/download. Read October 3, 2026. (Notice that 12 peptides would leave Category 2 because their nominations were withdrawn; their removal; GHK-Cu, except injectable, back in Category 1.)
  20. Khavinson V, Razumovsky M, Trofimova S, Grigorian R, Razumovskaya A. Pineal-regulating tetrapeptide epitalon improves eye retina condition in retinitis pigmentosa. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002;23(4):365-368. PMID: 12195242. (Full text read for the dose, groups and side effects.)
  21. Khavinson V, Linkova N, Ivko O. AEDG Peptide Regulates the Expression of Circadian Genes Clock, Cry2, Csnk1e in Human Immune Cells. World Heart J. 2021;13(1):189-191. khavinson.info/assets/files/skan/2021-khavinson_linkova_ivko.pdf. Read October 3, 2026. (Full text read for the dose and groups.)
  22. FDA. Evaluation of Epitalon-Related Bulk Drug Substances (Epitalon (Free Base) and Epitalon Acetate) for Inclusion on the 503A Bulk Drug Substances List. FDA Briefing Document, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting of July 23–24, 2026 (memorandum dated May 12, 2026). fda.gov/media/193345/download. Read October 3, 2026.
  23. World Anti-Doping Agency. Prohibited List 2026 (in effect January 1, 2026). S0, Non-approved substances. wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/2026list_en_final_clean_september_2025.pdf. Read October 3, 2026.

Also for longevity

Tested together in people

None published · Read the receipt →

See every change to this page → · Status now →

Checked 18 Oct 2026