Compound record · Longevity & mitochondrial
Epitalon
Also Epithalon · Epithalone · Epithalamin (extract) · Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly · AEDG peptide
Synthetic pineal-derived tetrapeptide
'Telomerase-activating' longevity peptide with no controlled human trials
Record reviewed 1 September 2026 · 5 references
In the AERVYN range
1 pen carries Epitalon
- Class
- Synthetic pineal-derived tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly)
- Route
- Injected or nasal 'research' products; oral supplements unproven
- Human trials
- None of epitalon; small non-blinded studies of the extract
- Authorised
- Nowhere
- WADA
- Not on the Prohibited List
01 Overview
What Epitalon is
Summary
Epitalon is a synthetic four-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) developed in St Petersburg as the presumed active component of epithalamin, a bovine pineal gland extract. Claims that it activates telomerase, restores melatonin rhythm and extends lifespan come almost entirely from in-vitro and animal studies by the originating group. The only long-term human data concern the epithalamin extract in small, non-blinded Russian studies of older adults; epitalon itself has no rigorous human trials and no marketing authorisation anywhere.
Mechanism
Proposed to induce telomerase expression and telomere elongation in cultured human cells, to normalise pineal melatonin secretion, and to act as an antioxidant. These mechanisms have been reported mainly by one research group and the relevance of cell-culture telomerase induction to human ageing is unproven.
02 Evidence by goal
What has been shown, for which goal
Grades follow one scale across the site. Insufficient overall means: no reliable human evidence for this use — animal or laboratory data only.
Longevity
InsufficientLifespan extension is reported in mice, rats and fruit flies. Human mortality data (a 28% lower 12-year mortality in 79 elderly cardiac patients) come from small, non-blinded studies of the epithalamin extract, not the synthetic tetrapeptide, and have never been independently replicated.
Sleep
InsufficientClaims rest on normalisation of night-time melatonin in a small Russian study of the extract and on animal circadian data; no controlled human study has measured sleep with epitalon.
General wellbeing
InsufficientNo controlled human evidence for energy, mood or any wellbeing outcome.
03 Regulatory status
Where it is authorised, and for what
Status is recorded per jurisdiction from regulator sources and reviewed by hand. It is never inferred from another region's decision.
United Kingdom
Not authorisedNot authorised as a medicine; sold only as an unregulated 'research chemical'.
04 Dosing research
What the evidence says about exposure
Published human studies and the doses, routes and durations they used — reported as research information, not a recommendation.
Research information — not a recommendation. These are the exposures used in published human studies, reported so you can see what has been tested. They are not dosing instructions and do not apply to any individual.
No studies recorded
No published human dosing studies
No controlled human dosing study of epitalon exists. Telomerase and lifespan data are from cell culture and animals; the human mortality studies used the epithalamin extract (typically 10 mg intramuscularly on alternate days in short courses repeated over years) in small, non-blinded Russian cohorts. Vendor 'protocols' such as '10 mg daily for 10 days' or '5–10 mg subcutaneously, twice a year' are marketing conventions, not evidence.
05 Safety
Adverse effects and contraindications
Common effects seen in trials or reports, serious effects that warrant urgent review, and conditions under which use is not appropriate or needs assessment.
Common adverse effects
- Injection-site reactions
- Headache
- Drowsiness or changes in sleep timing (anecdotal)
Serious adverse effects
- Immune reactions to peptide aggregates or impurities in unregulated products (flagged by the FDA)
- Theoretical concern about telomerase activation in undiagnosed malignancy
- Injection-related infection with non-sterile products
- Unknown long-term effects — no controlled human safety data
Contraindications
- CancerCaution
Telomerase activation is a hallmark of most cancers. Animal studies reported fewer tumours, but the effect of a claimed telomerase activator on an existing or previous malignancy in humans is unknown.
- Hormonal disorderCaution
Claimed effects on pineal and pituitary hormone rhythms are unstudied in people with endocrine disorders.
Do not use = should not be used · Caution = needs assessment
06 Interactions
Medicine classes that need review
Grouped by how seriously the combination should be taken. Class labels match the medicines questionnaire in the assessment.
- Major
- Moderate
- Minor
Moderate
Monitoring or dose review is usually advised.
Cancer treatment
Chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy
Interactions are unstudied. A compound marketed as a telomerase activator is a theoretical concern alongside cancer treatment and should be disclosed to the oncology team.
Minor
Generally compatible; awareness is sufficient.
Hormone replacement therapy
Oestrogen, progesterone
Interactions are unstudied; listed because of claimed effects on neuroendocrine hormone rhythms.
07 Pregnancy & breastfeeding
Status in pregnancy
No human or animal reproductive safety data; use in pregnancy or breastfeeding cannot be assessed.
08 Monitoring
What is usually monitored
Parameters that trials and product information track. A clinician decides what applies to an individual.
- 01A clear, measurable objective — 'longevity' cannot be monitored; sleep or energy outcomes can
- 02Age-appropriate cancer screening, given the telomerase claims
- 03Sleep timing and quality if used for sleep
- 04Injection sites for reactions or infection
09 Combinations
What is known about combining it
Notes on pairing with other compounds in the directory: whether the combination has been studied in people, and where mechanisms overlap.
MOTS-c
No human studies
Overlap · Both are marketed as 'longevity' peptides.
Commonly sold together in longevity stacks; no human data on either compound alone or in combination.
Thymosin alpha-1
No human studies
The extract-era Russian studies combined epithalamin with the thymic extract thymalin, not thymosin alpha-1; no data on this combination.
DSIP
No human studies
Overlap · Both are marketed for sleep via claimed effects on melatonin or circadian rhythm.
No combination data; neither compound has controlled modern human evidence for sleep.
Elamipretide
No human studies
Overlap · Both are marketed as 'cellular ageing' peptides.
No human data on the combination; elamipretide's approved use is a rare mitochondrial disease, not ageing.
GHK-Cu
No human studies
Overlap · Both appear in 'anti-ageing' stacks.
No combination data.
Selank
No human studies
Marketed together as 'bioregulator' stacks; no combination data and neither compound has robust human evidence.
FOXO4-DRI
No human studies
Overlap · Both are marketed for ageing — epitalon for telomeres and circadian rhythm, FOXO4-DRI as a senolytic.
Sold together in 'longevity' stacks. No human data on either compound alone, let alone in combination.
Discuss any proposed combination with a qualified healthcare professional.
10 Source considerations
Supply, quality and legitimacy
How the compound reaches people in practice, and what that means for product quality.
- 01Every product available is an unregulated 'research chemical'; the FDA has flagged aggregation, impurity and immunogenicity risks for epitalon.
- 02Oral 'peptide bioregulator' capsules sold under similar names are supplements with no evidence of absorption or effect.
- 03Independent certificates of analysis rarely confirm identity, purity and sterility of vials sold for injection.
11 Questions for your clinician
Take these to your appointment
Specific to this compound. The personal assessment adds questions drawn from your own history and medicines.
- 01Is there any human evidence that epitalon itself, rather than the pineal extract it is modelled on, does anything?
- 02What is the concern about telomerase activation for someone with my cancer history or risk factors?
- 03Which interventions with actual human longevity evidence — blood pressure, lipids, activity, sleep — should come first?
- 04How would we know whether it is working, and what would make us stop?
The personal assessment tailors this list to your responses.
12 References
Sources behind this record
Regulator documents and peer-reviewed publications used to derive every grade and statement above.
- 01Khavinson VK, Bondarev IE, Butyugov AA. Epithalon peptide induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human somatic cells. Bull Exp Biol Med 2003;135:590–592
- 02Korkushko OV et al. Geroprotective effect of epithalamine in elderly subjects with accelerated aging. Bull Exp Biol Med 2006;142:356–359
- 03Korkushko OV et al. Peptide geroprotector from the pituitary gland inhibits rapid aging of elderly people: 15-year follow-up. Bull Exp Biol Med 2011
- 04Khavinson VK, Morozov VG. Geroprotective effect of thymalin and epithalamin. Adv Gerontol 2002
- 05FDA — Bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks (503A Category 2)
The Peptide Checkup provides educational information and a structured summary of published research and regulatory status. It is not medical advice, does not diagnose or treat any condition, and does not replace a consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.
Personal assessment
Check Epitalon against your history
Seven minutes of structured questions about your goal, history and medicines, mapped against this record by a deterministic, clinician-reviewable rules engine. The report tells you when not to buy.