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Longevity · Pill

Glutathione

Compounded Rx

Checked · 23 sources · 7 corrections on this page · No vendors · No affiliates · No one buys a word of it

2 human pilot studies

Clinical Use for its precursor, NAC, in Tylenol overdose · Human pilots for this use · by mouth

Compounded Rx · On FDA’s 503A list — a licensed pharmacy can compound it for you.

Bottom line

Real drug at the biochemistry level. Real industry at the marketing level. The Tylenol-antidote evidence doesn't transfer to the "IV fatigue fix" claim.

Also called
  • GSH
  • L-Glutathione
  • γ-L-Glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine
  • Reduced Glutathione
  • CAS 70-18-8
Category
Tripeptide — Master Endogenous Antioxidant
Class
Endogenous tripeptide antioxidant
Molecular Weight
307.32 g/mol
Half-life (IV)
~10–15 min plasma
Route (studied)
Oral, IV, intranasal, topical, inhaled, buccal (people)
Route (sold)
Oral capsules (supplement); IV/IM/SubQ vials, nebulizer (Rx)
FDA Status
No drug approval; supplement & compounded injectable
Primary Use
Detox, antioxidant support, skin tone
Best Known For
Skin brightening, IV wellness, Parkinson's research
Precursor
NAC (N-acetylcysteine) — FDA-approved drug
Cost & Access
Compounded injectable / OTC supplement

Also for longevity

The other four questions

What does it do? Mops up free radicals, binds toxins so the liver can pass them into bile (Lu, 2009), and shifts pigment production toward lighter skin tones (Sonthalia et al., 2016). Three separate markets built from the same molecule.
Who uses it? Emergency rooms use its precursor, NAC, for Tylenol overdose (Heard, 2008). Wellness clinics for IV drips. Dermatologists in the Philippines and India for skin lightening (Sonthalia et al., 2016). Liposomal capsules at home.
Does the evidence hold up? Mixed. A 2015 randomized trial in 54 adults showed oral doses raised body stores over 6 months (Richie et al., 2015). A 2016 review found small trials supporting oral and topical use for skin lightening, and no evidence for IV injections (Sonthalia et al., 2016). A 1996 open-label pilot in 9 people with Parkinson's reported improvement; two later placebo-controlled trials found no significant difference from placebo (Sechi et al., 1996; Hauser et al., 2009; Mischley et al., 2017).
Bottom line? Real drug at the biochemistry level. Real industry at the marketing level. The Tylenol-antidote evidence doesn't transfer to the "IV fatigue fix" claim.

Dosing from the Literature

Published for longevity: 250 or 1,000 mg a day by mouth raised body stores in one 6-month trial in 54 adults (Richie et al., 2015). Not published: a longevity trial of the IV drips clinics sell.

Glutathione has been given by mouth, by vein, into muscle and by inhaler. IV dosing gives the highest plasma levels but carries more risk, and oral dosing has been less successful at raising them (Handog et al., 2016). The last column of each row names where its figures come from.

RouteDoseFrequencyNotes
IV600–1,200 mg (makers); 600–2,000 mg (clinic protocols)Once or twice a week (makers)Makers’ dose for skin lightening, from a 2016 review that found no evidence it works; the Philippine FDA warned in 2011 that 600 mg to 1.2 g once or twice a week had inadequate safety documentation (Sonthalia et al., 2016). Clinic protocols describe a 5–10 minute push or a 30-minute drip, often alongside vitamin C or NAD+ IVs. In FDA’s 2019 reports, patients were given 1,400 mg and 2,400 mg infusions (FDA, June 7, 2019).
IV (Parkinson's trials)600 mg; 1,400 mgTwice daily for 30 days; three times a week for 4 weeksTrials: open-label, 9 people with early, untreated Parkinson's, whose disability fell 42% (Sechi et al., 1996); randomized, 21 people with Parkinson's, no significant difference from placebo (Hauser et al., 2009).
IM (into muscle)600 mgDaily for two monthsStudies in men with infertility, as summarized in a 2016 review, which found no significant adverse effects reported (Sonthalia et al., 2016). The trials cited here give no dose for under-the-skin (SubQ) use.
Liposomal oral500 or 1,000 mgDaily for 4 weeksPilot study without a placebo group: 12 healthy non-smokers aged 50–80; blood glutathione rose from the first week (Sinha et al., 2018). The authors noted that no direct comparison with standard oral glutathione had been made (Sinha et al., 2018).
Standard oral glutathione250 or 1,000 mgDaily for 6 monthsTrial: 54 non-smoking adults; glutathione in blood and red cells rose at both doses, and in plasma and lymphocytes at 1,000 mg, and fell back to baseline a month after stopping (Richie et al., 2015). A single 3 g dose had not raised plasma glutathione in 7 healthy volunteers (Witschi et al., 1992).
Oral or buccal, for skin lightening250–500 mg (trials); 20–40 mg/kg (makers)Daily for 4–12 weeks (trials)Trials: 500 mg a day in two doses for 4 weeks, 60 medical students (Arjinpathana & Asawanonda, 2012); 250 mg a day for 12 weeks, 60 healthy women (Weschawalit et al., 2017); one 500 mg lozenge a day for 8 weeks, 30 Filipino women, open-label (Handog et al., 2016; Sonthalia et al., 2016). Makers recommend 20–40 mg/kg a day, about 1–2 g, in two doses; the 2016 review found no clear scientific basis for it (Sonthalia et al., 2016).
Nebulized646 mg; about 66 mg/kg a dayTwice daily for 6 months; split into four sessions a day for 8 weeksTrials in cystic fibrosis: 153 patients aged 8 and over, lung function no better than placebo (Griese et al., 2013); 19 patients aged 6–19, peak flow improved against placebo (Bishop et al., 2005). In 8 people with mild asthma, one 600 mg dose in saline narrowed the airways (Marrades et al., 1997).
Acetaminophen overdose (NAC IV, emergency)150 mg/kg, then 50 mg/kg, then 100 mg/kg; or, from 41 kg, 200 mg/kg, then 100 mg/kgOver 21 hours (three bags) or 20 hours (two bags); 300 mg/kg in allFDA label (Acetadote, 2025): adults and children weighing 5 kg or more, after a potentially liver-toxic amount of acetaminophen. Acetylcysteine is the widely accepted antidote (Heard, 2008).
Dosing Disclaimer

No FDA label gives a dose of glutathione itself; the only label doses in this table are NAC's, for acetaminophen overdose (Acetadote label). The IV figures are what makers and clinic protocols describe; the 2016 review found that makers' IV and oral skin-lightening doses have no clear scientific basis (Sonthalia et al., 2016). The oral, liposomal, nebulized and Parkinson's doses come from the trials named in each row.

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What It Is

Glutathione (GSH) is the tripeptide (a chain of 3 amino acids) γ-L-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine — a naturally occurring molecule synthesized in every human cell. It is the most abundant intracellular thiol antioxidant (millimolar concentrations in most cells) and is the central hub of the body's endogenous antioxidant and Phase II detoxification machinery. The unusual γ-peptide bond between glutamate and cysteine (rather than the α-peptide bond of standard peptides) resists degradation by most proteases and gives glutathione its characteristic stability in the cytosol.

Glutathione exists in two interconverting forms: reduced glutathione (GSH, the active antioxidant form with a free thiol) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG, a dimer formed when two GSH molecules donate electrons). The GSH / GSSG ratio in a given tissue is one of the most informative indicators of cellular redox status: a high ratio indicates a well-defended cell; a collapsed ratio indicates oxidative crisis. The enzyme glutathione reductase uses NADPH to regenerate GSH from GSSG, which is why glutathione and the NAD / NADP system are so tightly coupled.

Glutathione levels decline with age, chronic inflammation, poor diet, toxin exposure, and illness. Low glutathione has been documented in Parkinson's disease (substantia nigra depletion), chronic liver disease, HIV, cystic fibrosis, and normal aging. Restoring optimal glutathione is one of the foundational interventions in the integrative-medicine and wellness-clinic space. In endocrine and critical-care medicine, the role of glutathione is most commercially visible through its precursor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) — an FDA-approved drug (Mucomyst, and generic IV and oral forms) used as the antidote for acetaminophen overdose.

The delivery method matters enormously with glutathione. Orally administered reduced glutathione has historically poor systemic bioavailability because the γ-glutamyl bond that makes it stable in the cytosol is broken in the intestinal brush border by γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, and the cysteine and glycine are absorbed separately. That led to decades of skepticism about oral glutathione — resolved partly by the development of liposomal formulations (which protect the tripeptide through the gut) and partly by the 2015 Richie et al. randomized trial demonstrating that oral glutathione at 250 mg or 1,000 mg/day raised body stores of glutathione (RBC, plasma) over six months. For faster and more quantitative systemic delivery, IV administration is the standard in wellness-clinic practice.

Mechanism of Action

  • Direct ROS scavenging — GSH scavenges free radicals, and with selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase it reduces hydrogen peroxide and organic peroxides (Lu, 2009). In doing so, GSH becomes oxidized to GSSG, which is recycled back to GSH by glutathione reductase using NADPH (Lu, 2009). GSH and GSSG form the major redox pair in animal cells (Wu et al., 2004).
  • Phase II hepatic detoxification — Detoxifying foreign compounds is a major function of glutathione: it binds electrophiles, on its own or through glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), and the conjugates are excreted into bile or turned into mercapturic acids, mostly in the kidney (Lu, 2009). This is how the liver disposes of NAPQI, the toxic metabolite of acetaminophen, until an overdose uses up its glutathione (Heard, 2008).
  • Acetaminophen antidote (NAC → GSH) — The FDA-approved antidote for acetaminophen overdose is N-acetylcysteine (NAC) (Acetadote label), which supplies cysteine, the building block that limits how fast the liver can remake glutathione; restoring liver glutathione is how it prevents liver injury (Heard, 2008).
  • Immune function — In lymphocytes, a rise in glutathione accompanies the start of cell division and is needed for it (Lu, 2009). In healthy adults, 1,000 mg a day by mouth more than doubled natural killer cell activity against placebo at 3 months (Richie et al., 2015).
  • Mitochondrial protection — About 10% of a cell's glutathione sits in its mitochondria, which have no catalase, so mitochondrial glutathione is critical against oxidative stress there; its loss raises reactive oxygen species and leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and ATP depletion (Lu, 2009).
  • Melanin regulation (skin-lightening mechanism) — Glutathione inhibits tyrosinase (the rate-limiting enzyme in melanin synthesis) and shifts melanin production from eumelanin (dark) to pheomelanin (light) through reactions of its thiol group with dopaquinone (Sonthalia et al., 2016). Small trials support a lightening effect of oral and topical glutathione; the 2016 review found no evidence for IV glutathione (Sonthalia et al., 2016).
  • Cysteine reserve function — Glutathione stores cysteine, which is unstable outside cells, and through the γ-glutamyl cycle serves as a continuous source of it; inside cells, most cysteine goes into glutathione, and the rest into protein or is broken down to sulfate and taurine (Lu, 2009).

What the Research Shows

  • Acetaminophen overdose (NAC precursor) — IV and oral NAC are the FDA-approved standard-of-care antidote for acetaminophen toxicity, working by supplying cysteine for hepatic glutathione resynthesis. This is the single most clinically evidence-backed element of glutathione biology (decades of clinical use in emergency medicine and toxicology).
  • Oral glutathione raises body stores (Richie 2015, PMID 24791752) — A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (n=54) of oral glutathione 250 mg or 1,000 mg daily demonstrated dose-dependent increases in plasma, erythrocyte, and lymphocyte glutathione levels, with associated NK-cell cytotoxicity increase at the higher dose. This resolved long-standing skepticism that oral glutathione cannot reach systemic circulation.
  • Skin lightening (Sonthalia 2016 review) — Three small randomized trials support a skin-lightening effect of oral and topical glutathione. The 2016 review in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology found no evidence that IV glutathione works, and said the duration of treatment and how long the effect lasts remain unanswered (Sonthalia et al., 2016).
  • Early Parkinson's disease (Sechi 1996, PMID 8938817) — Sechi G et al. Reduced intravenous glutathione in the treatment of early Parkinson's disease. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 1996;20(7):1159-1170. Open-label pilot (n=9) reporting motor-symptom improvement. Subsequent larger randomized trials (Hauser 2009 double-blind placebo-controlled; Mischley 2015 intranasal) have shown more ambiguous results — the Parkinson's evidence is intriguing but not yet definitive.
  • Respiratory applications (cystic fibrosis, COPD) — Nebulized glutathione has been evaluated in cystic fibrosis with modest lung-function improvements in some studies. Bishop 2005, a randomised trial of nebulised glutathione, reported peak flow up 33.7 L/min against 6.5 L/min down on placebo (p = 0.04) and a better self-reported improvement score (4.7 against 2.8, p = 0.004), in a small and short study.
  • Aging and oxidative stress — Observational studies link higher erythrocyte glutathione to lower biological age and slower cognitive decline. Intervention trials showing durable mortality or disability benefit have not been performed at scale.
  • Chronic liver disease — Glutathione and NAC have been studied in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, and viral hepatitis. Supportive but not disease-modifying at typical doses.
  • IV wellness-clinic literature — IV glutathione, often paired with vitamin C or NAD+, is administered in thousands of wellness clinics worldwide. Efficacy for most target complaints (fatigue, brain fog, post-viral recovery) is supported by mechanism and observational experience rather than large RCTs.
Research Limitation — Heterogeneous Evidence Base

Glutathione evidence varies by use: strong for NAC in acetaminophen overdose (Heard, 2008); one 6-month randomized trial showing that oral glutathione raises body stores (Richie et al., 2015); small trials of oral and topical glutathione for skin lightening, and no evidence for IV injections (Sonthalia et al., 2016); placebo-controlled trials in Parkinson's that found no significant difference from placebo (Hauser et al., 2009; Mischley et al., 2017); in cystic fibrosis, a small positive pilot and a 153-patient trial without benefit (Bishop et al., 2005; Griese et al., 2013); and no trial cited here for the fatigue, detox and post-viral uses clinics promote. Evidence for one use does not carry over to another.

Human Data

Unlike many peptides in this database, glutathione has substantial human data — driven by its endogenous role and by decades of clinical use via the NAC precursor pathway.

  • Acetaminophen overdose (NAC) — Thousands of patients treated globally with IV or oral NAC per acetaminophen-overdose protocols. FDA-approved label indication for Acetadote (IV NAC).
  • Richie 2015 (PMID 24791752) — 54 healthy adults; 250 mg or 1,000 mg oral glutathione daily for 6 months. Dose-dependent increases in RBC, plasma, and lymphocyte glutathione. NK-cell cytotoxicity increase at higher dose.
  • Witschi 1992 (PMID 1362956) — Healthy-volunteer study of oral glutathione bioavailability. Early skepticism paper documenting poor systemic delivery of standard oral tripeptide — context for the later liposomal formulation development.
  • Sechi 1996 Parkinson's pilot (PMID 8938817) — n=9 early Parkinson's patients; open-label IV glutathione. Motor-symptom improvement reported.
  • Skin-lightening trials — In Thailand, 500 mg a day by mouth for 4 weeks lowered melanin index more than placebo at two of six skin sites in 60 medical students (Arjinpathana & Asawanonda, 2012); 250 mg a day for 12 weeks did not lower it significantly overall, only in women over 40, at one site (Weschawalit et al., 2017). An open-label study without a placebo group in 30 Filipino women reported lower melanin index after 8 weeks of a daily lozenge (Handog et al., 2016), and a topical lotion lightened skin in a split-face trial in 30 Filipino women; the 2016 review found no evidence for IV glutathione (Sonthalia et al., 2016).
  • Cystic fibrosis nebulized trials — Bishop, Hartl, and others have evaluated nebulized glutathione in CF. Mixed results; included in some palliative regimens.
  • Wellness-clinic IV use — Clinic protocols describe 600–2,000 mg per infusion, often alongside vitamin C or NAD+. No trial of these drips has been published; FDA has reported reactions in patients given compounded IV glutathione made from dietary-supplement-grade powder, eight in 2019 and at least 30 in 2026 (FDA, June 7, 2019; FDA, August 27, 2026).
  • No large Phase 3 outcomes trial for anti-aging — The aging-biomarker glutathione literature is epidemiological rather than interventional at scale.

Reconstitution & Storage

The compounded IV glutathione in FDA’s 2019 adverse-event reports was a 200 mg/mL solution (FDA, June 7, 2019). Liposomal glutathione is sold as a ready-to-take liquid; in the pilot study, one 5.6 mL spoonful held 500 mg (Sinha et al., 2018).

FormatPresentationStorageAmount per dose
Compounded IV solution, 200 mg/mLSterile solution (FDA, June 7, 2019)No label sets it; the intranasal trial kept its compounded solution refrigerated, in opaque bags (Mischley et al., 2017)3–10 mL holds 600–2,000 mg, the clinic range above
Liposomal oral liquidReady to takeNot stated in the pilot study5.6 mL held 500 mg in the pilot study’s product (Sinha et al., 2018)
  • Oxidation sensitivity — Reduced glutathione (GSH) is unstable in water-based solutions, and oral solutions have to be freshly prepared (Sonthalia et al., 2016); the intranasal trial's participants were told to keep their compounded solution away from light and air (Mischley et al., 2017). Compounding labels describe discarding the solution if it turns yellow.
  • Light sensitivity — Compounding labels describe storing it out of direct light; the intranasal trial's compounding pharmacy packed its solution in opaque plastic with an ice pack (Mischley et al., 2017).

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Side Effects & Risks

Important

Every cell makes glutathione (Lu, 2009), but the acetaminophen-antidote evidence is for NAC in overdose (Heard, 2008), not for IV glutathione at wellness clinics. FDA has reported fever, chills, sepsis-like symptoms and hospitalizations after compounded IV glutathione made from dietary-supplement-grade powder (FDA, August 27, 2026). What this means for a given person is a question for a licensed healthcare provider.

  • Well tolerated in the trials — Glutathione is made in every cell (Lu, 2009). Oral, buccal and IV glutathione were well tolerated in the trials cited here (Arjinpathana & Asawanonda, 2012; Handog et al., 2016; Hauser et al., 2009). In one, two of 60 women stopped with raised liver enzymes that returned to normal within weeks (Weschawalit et al., 2017); in another, one person on intranasal glutathione developed heart-muscle disease (cardiomyopathy), and the authors could not say whether the drug caused it (Mischley et al., 2017). None of these trials gave it under the skin.
  • Sulfur taste — Glutathione's cysteine carries sulfur (Lu, 2009), and oral glutathione solutions have a foul sulfurous taste (Sonthalia et al., 2016).
  • GI effects (oral) — In the 4-week trial of 500 mg a day in 60 medical students, one on glutathione reported flatulence in the first days and one on placebo reported constipation (Sonthalia et al., 2016).
  • IV infusion reactions — In FDA’s 2019 reports, seven clinic patients given 1,400 mg had nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, chills, body aches and sneezing within minutes, and one was hospitalized with low blood pressure and trouble breathing; the glutathione powder used held up to five times the endotoxin limit (FDA, June 7, 2019). In 2026, FDA reported at least 30 more patients with fever, chills, signs of shock or sepsis-like symptoms, some hospitalized, after compounded IV glutathione made from dietary-supplement-grade powder (FDA, August 27, 2026).
  • Skin lightening — In a 4-week trial of 500 mg a day by mouth, melanin index fell at all six skin sites measured, significantly more than on placebo at two (Arjinpathana & Asawanonda, 2012). How long the effect lasts after stopping is not known (Sonthalia et al., 2016).
  • Nebulized bronchospasm — In 8 people with mild asthma, a single 600 mg nebulized dose narrowed the airways (FEV1 down 19%, against 1% on placebo) and caused cough in four and breathlessness in three; the authors attributed it to sulfite formed from the glutathione (Marrades et al., 1997). In cystic fibrosis, adverse events were no more common than on placebo over 6 months (Griese et al., 2013), and none were noted on glutathione in an 8-week pilot (Bishop et al., 2005).
  • Serious adverse events with IV glutathione for skin whitening — The Philippine FDA, which warned in 2011 that IV doses of 600 mg to 1.2 g once or twice a week had inadequate safety documentation, listed reported reactions including skin eruptions up to Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, thyroid dysfunction, kidney dysfunction and severe abdominal pain (Sonthalia et al., 2016). Proponents blame additives in the vials; untrained injectors, unsterile needles and counterfeit vials carry their own risks of infection and embolism (Sonthalia et al., 2016).
  • Pregnancy / lactation — None of the trials cited here was done in pregnant or breastfeeding women.
  • Chemotherapy (theoretical) — Raised glutathione inside tumor cells is a major contributor to resistance to some chemotherapy drugs (Lu, 2009); no trial cited here tested whether supplements blunt chemotherapy. The Philippine FDA's 2011 warning gives IV glutathione's only approved use there as an add-on to reduce cisplatin's nerve toxicity (Sonthalia et al., 2016).

Bloodwork & Monitoring

No label or guideline sets monitoring for glutathione supplements or injections. The oral trial measured glutathione in blood, red cells, plasma, lymphocytes and cheek cells, and the ratio of oxidized to reduced glutathione (Richie et al., 2015). The 12-week skin trial took blood counts, liver and kidney tests, blood lipids and LDH at every visit; two of its 60 women stopped with raised liver enzymes, which returned to normal within weeks, and its authors suggested blood chemistry checks even for over-the-counter supplements (Weschawalit et al., 2017).

Commonly Stacked With

NAD+ — cellular defense stack

Clinic protocols describe giving glutathione alongside NAD+ IVs. No trial of the pair is cited here.

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

Vitamin C (IV or oral)

Clinic protocols describe glutathione given with IV vitamin C, and some oral glutathione pills contain vitamin C, which lets makers pack up to 750 mg of glutathione into a pill (Sonthalia et al., 2016). No trial of the pair is cited here.

NAC (N-acetylcysteine) — precursor support

Some oral glutathione products also contain NAC (Sonthalia et al., 2016). NAC supplies cysteine, the building block that limits glutathione synthesis in the liver (Heard, 2008), and is FDA-approved as the acetaminophen antidote (Acetadote label). No trial of the pair is cited here.

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)

Some oral glutathione products also contain alpha-lipoic acid, which a 2016 review describes as a disulfide that raises glutathione in whole blood and cells (Sonthalia et al., 2016). No trial of the pair is cited here.

Stacking this? Read the receipt →

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Legal Status

Current Status — April 2026

Glutathione itself is a naturally occurring endogenous molecule and does not hold FDA drug approval as a finished pharmaceutical. It is available through three legitimate pathways: (1) as an oral dietary supplement (standard and liposomal), (2) through 503A pharmacies and 503B outsourcing facilities for injectable (IV / IM / SubQ) and nebulized use under physician prescription — glutathione is in Category 1 of both FDA lists, so it is compounded under FDA’s interim policies while FDA evaluates it (it is on neither final bulks list) — and (3) as an IV infusion ingredient in licensed wellness / integrative-medicine clinics.

Its precursor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has FDA drug approval as an oral and IV medication (Acetadote / Mucomyst and generics) for acetaminophen overdose and for use as a mucolytic. NAC was briefly challenged by the FDA in 2020–2022 as a dietary supplement (on the basis that it had been approved as a drug before it was marketed as a supplement), but FDA announced enforcement discretion in August 2022 and NAC remains widely available as a dietary supplement in the United States (FDA, Federal Register, August 2, 2022).

Glutathione is not on the FDA Category 2 Bulk Drug Substances list, and it was not among the 12 peptides FDA removed from that list in April 2026 (FDA 503A categories list, April 22, 2026) — it has long been available through compounding and supplementation pathways and is not controlled in the way peptide-drug-class substances are.

WADA: Glutathione is not listed on the WADA Prohibited List and is not considered a performance-enhancing substance.

Cost & Access

Glutathione is accessible through legitimate channels in the United States:

Oral supplement (OTC): Standard reduced-glutathione capsules, liposomal liquid (Quicksilver, Pure Encapsulations, others), and ready-to-use sachets are widely available without prescription at health-food stores and online. No FDA restriction on oral use.

Compounded injectable (prescription): 503A compounding pharmacies produce IV / IM / SubQ glutathione under physician prescription. Wellness clinics, integrative-medicine practices, and some dermatology practices routinely use compounded injectable glutathione. The compounded IV products in FDA’s 2019 adverse-event reports were 200 mg/mL solutions (FDA, June 7, 2019).

Nebulized (prescription): Compounded for respiratory applications (cystic fibrosis, chronic respiratory disease) under physician prescription.

NAC precursor (OTC + prescription): N-acetylcysteine is both an FDA-approved drug (Acetadote IV, Mucomyst oral solution) and a widely available OTC dietary supplement at 500–1,000 mg capsule dosing.

Access is stable and long-established; FDA’s 2026 changes to Category 2, which concerned BPC-157, GHK-Cu and ten other peptides, did not concern glutathione. Kalios does not sell compounds.

Access and regulatory status as of April 2026. Actual availability varies by provider and jurisdiction. Kalios does not sell compounds.

References

  1. Richie JP Jr, Nichenametla S, Neidig W, Calcagnotto A, Haley JS, Schell TD, Muscat JE. Randomized controlled trial of oral glutathione supplementation on body stores of glutathione. Eur J Nutr. 2015;54(2):251-263. PMID: 24791752. (Pivotal oral-glutathione bioavailability RCT.)
  2. Witschi A, Reddy S, Stofer B, Lauterburg BH. The systemic availability of oral glutathione. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1992;43(6):667-669. PMID: 1362956. (Early skepticism paper documenting poor standard-oral bioavailability.)
  3. Wu G, Fang YZ, Yang S, Lupton JR, Turner ND. Glutathione metabolism and its implications for health. J Nutr. 2004;134(3):489-492. PMID: 14988435. (Comprehensive metabolic review.)
  4. Sonthalia S, Daulatabad D, Sarkar R. Glutathione as a skin whitening agent: Facts, myths, evidence and controversies. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2016;82(3):262-272. PMID: 27088927. (Comprehensive skin-lightening evidence review.)
  5. Sechi G, Deledda MG, Bua G, Satta WM, Deiana GA, Pes GM, Rosati G. Reduced intravenous glutathione in the treatment of early Parkinson's disease. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 1996;20(7):1159-1170. PMID: 8938817. (Parkinson's IV glutathione pilot.)
  6. Hauser RA, Lyons KE, McClain T, Carter S, Perlmutter D. Randomized, double-blind, pilot evaluation of intravenous glutathione in Parkinson's disease. Mov Disord. 2009;24(7):979-983. PMID: 19230029. (Subsequent double-blind placebo-controlled Parkinson's trial — more ambiguous results.)
  7. Mischley LK, Lau RC, Shankland EG, Wilbur TK, Padowski JM. Phase IIb Study of Intranasal Glutathione in Parkinson's Disease. J Parkinsons Dis. 2017;7(2):289-299. PMID: 28436395. (Intranasal glutathione trial.)
  8. Weschawalit S, Thongthip S, Phutrakool P, Asawanonda P. Glutathione and its antiaging and antimelanogenic effects. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2017;10:147-153. PMID: 28490897.
  9. Handog EB, Datuin MS, Singzon IA. An open-label, single-arm trial of the safety and efficacy of a novel preparation of glutathione as a skin-lightening agent in Filipino women. Int J Dermatol. 2016;55(2):153-157. PMID: 26148180.
  10. Arjinpathana N, Asawanonda P. Glutathione as an oral whitening agent: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Dermatolog Treat. 2012;23(2):97-102. PMID: 20524875.
  11. Rushworth GF, Megson IL. Existing and potential therapeutic uses for N-acetylcysteine: the need for conversion to intracellular glutathione for antioxidant benefits. Pharmacol Ther. 2014;141(2):150-159. PMID: 24080471.
  12. Prescott LF, Park J, Ballantyne A, Adriaenssens P, Proudfoot AT. Treatment of paracetamol (acetaminophen) poisoning with N-acetylcysteine. Lancet. 1977;2(8035):432-434. PMID: 70646. (Foundational NAC-acetaminophen antidote paper.)
  13. Heard KJ. Acetylcysteine for acetaminophen poisoning. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(3):285-292. PMID: 18635433. (Modern clinical review.)
  14. Bishop C, Hudson VM, Hilton SC, Wilde C. A pilot study of the effect of inhaled buffered reduced glutathione on the clinical status of patients with cystic fibrosis. Chest. 2005;127(1):308-317. PMID: 15653998. (Nebulized glutathione in CF.)
  15. FDA. Acetadote (acetylcysteine) Injection Prescribing Information. FDA.gov. (NAC FDA approval reference for acetaminophen overdose.)
  16. Lu SC. Regulation of glutathione synthesis. Mol Aspects Med. 2009;30(1-2):42-59. PMID: 18601945. (Cellular glutathione synthesis review.)
  17. WADA Prohibited List 2026. World Anti-Doping Agency. wada-ama.org. (Glutathione not listed.)
  18. 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.)
  19. Sinha R, Sinha I, Calcagnotto A, Trushin N, Haley JS, Schell TD, Richie JP Jr. Oral supplementation with liposomal glutathione elevates body stores of glutathione and markers of immune function. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2018;72(1):105-111. PMID: 28853742. (Liposomal glutathione pilot: 500 or 1,000 mg a day for 4 weeks in 12 healthy adults aged 50–80, no placebo group.)
  20. Griese M, Kappler M, Eismann C, Ballmann M, Junge S, Rietschel E, et al. Inhalation treatment with glutathione in patients with cystic fibrosis. A randomized clinical trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2013;188(1):83-89. PMID: 23631796. (646 mg inhaled twice daily for 6 months in 153 patients; lung function no better than placebo.)
  21. Marrades RM, Roca J, Barberà JA, de Jover L, MacNee W, Rodriguez-Roisin R. Nebulized glutathione induces bronchoconstriction in patients with mild asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1997;156(2 Pt 1):425-430. PMID: 9279219. (600 mg nebulized in 8 people with mild asthma.)
  22. FDA. FDA highlights concerns with using dietary ingredient glutathione to compound sterile injectables. Compounding alert, June 7, 2019. fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/fda-highlights-concerns-using-dietary-ingredient-glutathione-compound-sterile-injectables. Read October 4, 2026 (Internet Archive copy). (Reactions in eight patients given compounded IV glutathione, 200 mg/mL, 1,400 or 2,400 mg per infusion, made from dietary-supplement-grade powder with up to five times the endotoxin limit.)
  23. FDA. FDA reminds compounders not to use dietary supplement grade glutathione for injectables. August 27, 2026. fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/fda-reminds-compounders-not-use-dietary-supplement-grade-glutathione-injectables. Read October 4, 2026 (Internet Archive copy of October 2, 2026). (At least 30 patients with adverse events after compounded IV glutathione made from dietary-supplement-grade glutathione; two pharmacy recalls for endotoxin.)

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Checked 18 Oct 2026