PreclinicalShort bioregulator peptide (heart)

Cardiogen

Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg (AEDR)

Common dose: ~1 mg daily for 10–20 days (injected)
Cycle: 2-week course, about every 5 months
Vial sizes: 20 mg
Typical draw: 10 units20 mg with 2 mL, 1 mg

A synthetic four-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg) from the Russian bioregulator family, which its developers say they found in a heart-tissue peptide extract. It is sold in Russia as a supplement capsule for heart health and has been studied only in cells and rats.

Evidence. Only cell and rat studies, all from the developers’ group and its partners: it stimulated growth of heart tissue in culture, slowed a transplanted tumor in rats and, per a review citing the developers’ patent, cut deaths after an induced heart attack in rats. No human study has been published. In Russia it is registered as a dietary supplement, not a medicine.

What it’s used for

None of these uses is approved, and none has been tested in people. Here is what each claim rests on.

Heart attack recovery: AnimalUnproven in people: its developers report, citing their patent, three times fewer deaths and smaller damaged areas in rats after an induced heart attack.
Chronic coronary heart disease: No studyUnproven: the Russian supplement is promoted for chronic coronary heart disease, but no human study of Cardiogen has been published.
Heart muscle aging: AnimalUnproven: in heart tissue from young and old rats grown in a dish, it strongly stimulated cell growth and lowered p53, a cell-death signal.
Tissue repair: AnimalUnproven: in mouse fibroblast cultures it raised structural proteins (actin, tubulin, vimentin, lamins) 2–5-fold, which its developers link to repair. Not tested in living animals or people.
Cancer (tumor growth): AnimalUnproven in people: in old rats with a transplanted sarcoma, injections slowed tumor growth in a dose-dependent way by causing bleeding and cell death inside the tumor.

Animal: cell or animal studies only. No study: nothing published supports it.

Every compound’s uses, by body system: evidence map, and by condition: conditions A to Z.

Status

Approval: Not approved as a drug in the US or EU. In Russia it is registered as a dietary supplement (capsules and tablets), not as a medicine. It is unrelated to CardioGen-82, an FDA-approved rubidium-82 generator for heart PET scans.
US compounding: Never nominated for US compounding: it isn’t on FDA’s 503A or 503B bulk lists or their Category 1, 2 or 3 lists (503A categories updated May 14, 2026).
European Union: No marketing authorization; in Russia it is sold as a dietary supplement, not as a medicine.
United Kingdom: No marketing authorization (MHRA).
Canada: No marketing authorization; no Cardiogen product is listed in Health Canada’s Drug Product Database.
Australia: No marketing authorization. Cardiogen isn’t named in the Poisons Standard (June 2026).
Sport (WADA 2026): Likely banned in sportNot named on WADA’s 2026 list. Its Russian registration is as a dietary supplement, not approval for therapeutic use, so the S0 rule on non-approved substances applies: banned at all times.

Category 2 is FDA’s list of bulk substances that may present significant safety risks in compounding. The 503A bulks list adds substances that pharmacies may compound with. Advisory committee votes are advice; FDA makes the final decision. Sport status follows the WADA Prohibited List in force since January 1, 2026; athletes should confirm with their anti-doping organization. Checked October 5, 2026. Status outside the US checked October 7, 2026 against EMA, MHRA, Health Canada and TGA records. By country: EU, UK, Canada, Australia. Status of every compound.

How it works

Cardiogen is a four-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg) with no identified receptor; its developers say they found it in a heart-tissue peptide extract. In rat heart tissue culture it strongly stimulated cell growth and lowered p53, a protein that triggers cell death, and in mouse fibroblasts it raised structural proteins such as actin and lamins 2–5-fold. The group proposes it binds histones, the spools DNA winds around, and changes which genes are read.

AnimalMainly from cell and animal studies; not shown in people.

Not known

No target has been confirmed, nothing is known about what reaches the heart after a capsule or injection, and none of the rat or cell effects has been tested in people.

Protocol

Community

Injected: guides overlap at about 1 mg once daily for 10–20 days; most fall between 200 mcg and 2 mg, and a few list 10 mg or more.

Community

Capsules: the Russian supplement’s directions are 1–2 capsules (100 mcg of peptide each) once or twice daily with meals for 1 month, repeated after 4–6 months.

Frequency: Once daily during a course
Route: Subcutaneous injection (community); capsules by mouth (Russian supplement)
Cycle: 10–20 day injected courses, or month-long capsule courses, repeated every 4–6 months.
2-week course, about every 5 months, shown over 26 weeks

Common protocols

The ways Cardiogen is most often run, each tagged with where it comes from.

Injected course

Community

Dose: 1 mg (range 0.2–2 mg)
How often: Once daily
How long: 10–20 days

Where injection guides overlap; repeated 2–3 times a year. No human data on any injected dose.

Draw 10 units20 mg + 2 mL

Supplement capsules

Community

Dose: 1–2 capsules (100 mcg each)
How often: Once or twice daily with meals
How long: 1 month

The Russian supplement’s directions, with a repeat course after 4–6 months. Not tested in a published study.

Taking it

Where it goes

Injected under the skin, rotating between the abdomen, thigh and upper arm. The Russian capsules are swallowed with meals.

If you miss a dose

No published guidance. Resume the next day and don’t double up.

Missed doses for every compound

What to expect

During a course
No human data on what to expect; claimed heart benefits rest on rat and cell studies.
Community
After an induced heart attack (rats)
Its developers report three times fewer deaths and smaller damaged areas, citing their patent. Not tested in people.
Animal

Side effects and what to do

Injection-site redness or soreness

Usually mild; rotate sites. Spreading redness, heat or pus means see a doctor.

None listed in the Russian supplement directions

No published study has recorded side effects, so this means little.

Allergic reaction (possible with any injected peptide)

Stop and get emergency care for hives, facial swelling or trouble breathing.

Stop and get medical help

Stop and get medical help for chest pain, fainting, hives, swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing, or a hot, spreading or pus-filled injection site.

Can it cause …?

There are almost no human safety data for Cardiogen, so most of these can’t be answered either way.

Cancer risk: PrecautionUnknown. In culture it stimulated heart cell growth and lowered the tumor suppressor p53, yet it slowed a transplanted tumor in rats; never tested in people.
TirednessHeadacheNausea or vomitingDiarrhea or constipationDizzinessTrouble sleepingHair lossAcne, rash or skin changesWater retention or swellingJoint or muscle painAnxiety, low mood or irritabilityLow or high blood sugarFast heartbeat or blood pressure changesMore hungerLiver strainKidney problems: No dataNo human safety data: no human study of Cardiogen has been published.

Precaution: a concern that follows from how it works or from a related drug, not measured. No data: no human safety data. A side effect that hasn’t been reported can still happen, especially with long or high-dose use. Any of these across every compound: the side-effect finder.

Who should avoid it

No product label covers Cardiogen, so these come from human studies and from precautions based on how it works. Most important first.

Anyone with active or past cancer: PrecautionIn heart tissue culture it stimulated cell growth and lowered p53, a tumor-suppressing protein. A rat study found slower growth of a transplanted tumor, but effects in people are untested.
People with heart disease: PrecautionIt is promoted for heart health, yet no human study has tested it in anyone with heart disease or alongside heart drugs.
Pregnancy or breastfeeding: PrecautionNo human safety data exist, and the Russian supplement’s directions rule out both.
Anyone relying on product quality: PrecautionResearch vials aren’t an approved product, so they have no regulated standard for identity, purity or sterility; the Russian capsules are regulated only as supplements.

Interactions

No interaction studies have been published, and no product label lists any.

Precaution: follows from how it works or from a related drug, and hasn’t been tested. This isn’t a complete list: a pharmacist or doctor can check a specific medicine or condition. Every documented interaction, by medicine: drug interactions.

Special situations

What’s known about pregnancy, breastfeeding, kidney and liver problems, age and surgery. Where nothing has been studied, the row says so.

Pregnancy: PrecautionNo human data. The Russian supplement’s directions list pregnancy as a reason not to take it.
Breastfeeding: PrecautionNo human data. The Russian supplement’s directions say to stop breastfeeding while taking it.
Kidney problems: PrecautionNot studied in people with kidney disease; how the body clears it is unknown.
Liver problems: PrecautionNot studied in people with liver disease; how the body breaks it down is unknown.
Older adults: PrecautionNo published human study in any age group. Its effects on heart tissue were studied in cultures from young and old rats only.
Children and teens: PrecautionNot studied in anyone under 18. The Russian supplement directions are for adults only.
Surgery and anesthesia: PrecautionNo data; tell the surgical team about any injected compound or supplement.

Precaution: not studied, so the caution follows from how it works or from a related drug. Ages are given as approved or studied; this site never gives doses for children. Across every compound: pregnancy, breastfeeding, kidney disease, liver disease, older adults and surgery.

Human studies

No published human studies of Cardiogen turned up in our October 2026 review. The evidence note at the top of this page sums up what is known.

Trials under way

No ongoing trial of Cardiogen is registered, and none has finished recently without publishing its results. Checked on ClinicalTrials.gov, October 7, 2026. Every compound: trials under way.

Limits of the evidence

Nothing has been measured in people: no human study has been published. The evidence is tissue cultures, mouse fibroblasts and a rat tumor study, all from the developers’ group and partners; the reported drop in rat deaths after induced heart attacks comes from their patent, cited in a review. Doses people use, absorption from capsules, long-term safety and product purity are untested.

Mixing your vial

Vial	Water	Common dose	Draw	Strength	Action
20 mg	2 mL	1 mg	10 units (0.10 mL)	10 mg/mL

20 mg vials are the usual size; with 2 mL of water, 1 mg is a 10-unit draw. The Russian supplement comes as capsules (0.2 g or 0.275 g, 100 mcg of peptide in the 0.2 g capsule) and tablets.

Dose chart

20 mg vial

Syringe units for common doses at different water volumes. Select a cell to open it in the calculator.

Dose	Water added
Dose	1 mL	2 mL	3 mL
0.2 mg
0.3 mg
0.4 mg
0.6 mg
0.75 mg
1 mg
1.5 mg
2 mg

U-100 insulin syringe: 100 units is 1 mL. Draws over 100 units show in mL. Faded values are under 2 units, which is hard to measure. Check that your vial holds the larger volumes.

Datasheet

Half-life: No reliable value has been published.
Type: Peptide, 4 amino acids
Molecular weight: 489.5 g/mol
Formula: C₁₈H₃₁N₇O₉
Sequence: AEDR
Storage before use: Freezer (−20 °C) for long-term storage; fridge is fine for short periods.
After mixing or opening: Refrigerate (2–8 °C) after mixing and use within about 4 weeks.

Molecule: PubChem CID 11583989 (H-Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg-OH); named Cardiogen in its developers’ papers
Storage: Community Common practice for research peptide vials; no approved product label exists

Every compound side by side: the half-life chart and the storage chart.

Identifiers

CAS number: 857267-11-9
UNII (FDA): None assigned
PubChem CID: 11583989
ATC code: None assigned
Development codes: AKS-K (peptide complex name on the Russian supplement); also written AEDR (Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg)
Brand names: Cardiogen (Russian dietary supplement); unrelated to CardioGen-82, a US rubidium-82 generator
First described: Developed by Vladimir Khavinson’s St Petersburg group from heart-tissue peptides; first PubMed report in 2006.

Every compound’s numbers: the identifiers table.

Product form and quality

A four-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg). CardioGen-82, an unrelated FDA-approved rubidium-82 generator, shares the name, and some databases map “Cardiogen” to carnitine. Research vials are usually 20 mg; the Russian capsules hold 100 mcg. Nothing regulates vial identity, purity or sterility.

Cautions

No human study has been published; heart claims rest on rat and cell work.
Not CardioGen-82, an FDA-approved rubidium-82 generator used for heart scans.
Guide doses run from 200 mcg to over 10 mg.
The Russian supplement’s directions rule out pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Questions

What is Cardiogen?

How does Cardiogen work?

Is Cardiogen FDA-approved?

Not approved as a drug in the US or EU. In Russia it is registered as a dietary supplement (capsules and tablets), not as a medicine. It is unrelated to CardioGen-82, an FDA-approved rubidium-82 generator for heart PET scans. Never nominated for US compounding: it isn’t on FDA’s 503A or 503B bulk lists or their Category 1, 2 or 3 lists (503A categories updated May 14, 2026).

What is the usual Cardiogen dose?

From community reports, not established: Injected: guides overlap at about 1 mg once daily for 10–20 days; most fall between 200 mcg and 2 mg, and a few list 10 mg or more. Capsules: the Russian supplement’s directions are 1–2 capsules (100 mcg of peptide each) once or twice daily with meals for 1 month, repeated after 4–6 months. These are the amounts sources reference, not recommendations.

How much water do I mix Cardiogen with?

There’s no single right amount, because the water only sets the strength. With 2 mL of bacteriostatic water in a 20 mg vial, the strength is 10 mg/mL, so 1 mg is 10 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. More water makes small doses easier to measure. The dose chart above shows other volumes.

Who should avoid Cardiogen?

No product label covers Cardiogen, so these come from human studies and from precautions based on how it works. Anyone with active or past cancer: In heart tissue culture it stimulated cell growth and lowered p53, a tumor-suppressing protein. A rat study found slower growth of a transplanted tumor, but effects in people are untested. People with heart disease: It is promoted for heart health, yet no human study has tested it in anyone with heart disease or alongside heart drugs. Pregnancy or breastfeeding: No human safety data exist, and the Russian supplement’s directions rule out both. The “Who should avoid it” section lists 1 more group.

How should Cardiogen be stored?

Before mixing: Freezer (−20 °C) for long-term storage; fridge is fine for short periods. Refrigerate (2–8 °C) after mixing and use within about 4 weeks. This is common practice; no product label covers it.

Is Cardiogen banned in sport?

Probably. Not named on WADA’s 2026 list. Its Russian registration is as a dietary supplement, not approval for therapeutic use, so the S0 rule on non-approved substances applies: banned at all times.

Has Cardiogen been studied in people?

No published human studies turned up in our October 2026 review. The evidence note at the top of this page sums up what is known.

How long has Cardiogen been studied in people?

No data No human studies.

Does Cardiogen come in other forms, like a pill or nasal spray?

No data The Russian supplement is swallowed as capsules or tablets; guides inject research vials under the skin. Neither route has published human data.

Can you drink alcohol while taking Cardiogen?

No study No data. No study has looked at Cardiogen and alcohol together.

Can Cardiogen be taken with semaglutide or tirzepatide?

No study No study has combined them. No interaction is known, but none has been looked for.

What happens if you take too much Cardiogen?

No data There’s no label and no overdose data. Call Poison Help (1-800-222-1222), or emergency services for severe symptoms.

Sources

Chalisova et al., amino acids and Cardiogen in rat heart tissue culture (Adv Gerontol 2009, in Russian) PMID 20210190
Khavinson et al., H-Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg-OH and cytoskeletal and nuclear proteins in mouse fibroblasts (Bull Exp Biol Med 2012) PMID 22977870
Levdik and Knyazkin, Cardiogen and transplanted M-1 sarcoma in old rats (Bull Exp Biol Med 2009) PMID 20396706
Khavinson et al., cardiovascular cell aging and peptide regulation, including AEDR (Cells 2022) PMID 36611900
Cardiogen dietary supplement entry, based on the manufacturer’s 2012 instruction, RLS drug encyclopedia (Russian)

For how it works, who should avoid it and the limits of the evidence

Fedoreyeva et al., short peptides including Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg bind wheat histones (Biochemistry (Mosc) 2013) PMID 23581987

For uses, the side-effect questions, special situations, trials, identifiers and status outside the US

Zakutskii et al., Cardiogen and other synthetic peptides in rat organ cultures (Adv Gerontol 2006, in Russian) PMID 17152728
Khavinson et al., peptide regulation of gene expression, a systematic review listing AEDR as Cardiogen (Molecules 2021) PMID 34834147
CardioGen-82 (rubidium Rb 82 generator) prescribing information, effective May 2026 (openFDA)
PubChem CID 11583989; FDA GSRS search (the name maps only to rubidium chloride Rb-82)
ClinicalTrials.gov and Health Canada Drug Product Database searches (October 8, 2026); Australian Poisons Standard, June 2026

Doses tagged Community come from public dosing guides and user reports, checked against at least two of them. Those sites aren’t named here because many of them sell peptides or earn commissions on them.

By Vial Guide editorsLast reviewed October 7, 2026

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