Khavinson-style course
Community- Dose
- 10 mg
- How often
- Once daily
- How long
- 10 days
100 mg per course, 1–2 courses a year. Named for the Russian protocol, though the human data used the extract Epithalamin.
Draw 60 units50 mg + 3 mL
PreclinicalPineal bioregulator peptide
Epithalon
Epitalon, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly (AEDG)
- Common dose
- 5–10 mg daily for 10–20 days
- Cycle
- 2-week course, about every 5 months
- Vial sizes
- 10, 50 mg
- Typical draw
- 60 units50 mg with 3 mL, 10 mg
A synthetic four-amino-acid peptide identified as an active component of a bovine pineal extract. It has been studied mainly in cells and animals for telomerase and aging markers.
Evidence. Human data come mostly from a related pineal extract (Epithalamin) and one research group. Synthetic Epithalon has only small, poorly reported human studies from the same group, none of them independent or controlled.
Status
- Approval
- Not approved as a drug in the US or EU.
- US compounding
- Nomination withdrawn, so no longer in FDA Category 2 (April 2026). On July 24, 2026 FDA’s advisory committee voted 7 to 4, 1 abstaining, to recommend adding it to the 503A bulks list.
- Sport (WADA 2026)
- Likely banned in sportNot named on WADA’s 2026 list, but its S0 rule bans drugs with no current human approval anywhere, 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.
Protocol
Community
5–10 mg once daily for 10–20 days (50–100 mg per course).
Trial
Korkushko 2006
Extract study: Epithalamin 10 mg IM every 3 days for 5 injections, repeated every 6 months for 3 years.
- Frequency
- Once daily during a course
- Route
- Subcutaneous injection (community)
- Timing
- Evening.
- Cycle
- 10–20 day courses, repeated every 4–6 months.
2-week course, about every 5 months, shown over 26 weeks
Common protocols
The ways Epithalon is most often run, each tagged with where it comes from.
Lower-dose course
Community- Dose
- 5 mg
- How often
- Once daily
- How long
- 10–20 days
Common first course (50 mg total) or a 20-day version (100 mg). Courses are usually 4–6 months apart.
Draw 30 units50 mg + 3 mL
Extract trial schedule
Trial- Dose
- 10 mg Epithalamin, IM
- How often
- Every 3 days, 5 injections
- How long
- Every 6 months for 3 years
Korkushko 2006, 70 older adults with heart disease. A pineal extract, not synthetic Epithalon.
Taking it
Where it goes
Subcutaneous, rotating abdominal sites daily; guides favor evening doses. The extract trials used intramuscular injections.
If you miss a dose
No published guidance. Guides stress keeping the daily course unbroken; take the next dose on schedule and don’t double up.
What to expect
- Over a course
In older adults, the extract Epithalamin restored the nightly melatonin rhythm (Korkushko). Not tested with synthetic Epithalon.
Trial - Years
Extract courses were linked to lower death rates over 6–12 years (28% lower in one 70-person trial). One research group; not independently replicated.
Trial
Side effects and what to do
Injection-site redness
Usually mild; rotate sites.
No severe adverse events in two 3-year extract trials
Reassuring but thin: one research group and no formal safety study (ADDF).
Unknown cancer effect in people
It switches on telomerase in cells, a theoretical worry; mouse data showed no rise in tumors. Guides advise against use with active cancer.
Stop and get medical help
Stop and get medical help for hives, swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing, or spreading redness, heat or fever at an injection site.
Tracking and pairing
Worth tracking
No established labs or checks.
Human studies
4 key published human studies, with how many people took part. Animal studies aren’t listed here.
-
Death rate was 1.6 to 1.8 times lower with Epithalamin than in controls, and 2.5 times lower with Epithalamin plus Thymalin.
- Design
- Controlled long-term observation, randomization not described; Epithalamin pineal extract, not synthetic Epithalon
- Dose
- Courses of Epithalamin and/or Thymalin (dose not given in abstract)
- Length
- 6 to 8 years, treated in the first 2 to 3
Khavinson and Morozov, Neuro Endocrinol Lett 2003, PMID 14523363
-
28% fewer deaths than controls at 12 years and half the cardiovascular deaths; melatonin rhythm normalized.
- Design
- Randomized study in older adults with coronary disease; Epithalamin pineal extract, not synthetic Epithalon
- Dose
- Epithalamin 10 mg IM, 5 doses per course, 6 courses over 3 years, plus usual care
- Length
- 3 years of treatment, 12 to 15 years of follow-up
Korkushko et al., Bull Exp Biol Med 2006, PMID 17426848; 15-year update 2011, PMID 22451889
-
Night-time melatonin rose in elderly people with low pineal function; no side effects were reported.
- Design
- Small clinical study, design not described in abstract; tested synthetic Epitalon and Epithalamin
- Dose
- Not stated in abstract
- Length
- Not stated in abstract
Korkushko et al., Adv Gerontol 2007 (Russian), PMID 17969590
-
Authors report a positive clinical effect in 90% of treated patients.
- Design
- Clinical report on synthetic Epitalon in retinitis pigmentosa, controls not described, alongside a rat study
- Dose
- Not stated in abstract
- Length
- Not stated in abstract
Khavinson et al., Neuro Endocrinol Lett 2002, PMID 12195242
Mixing your vial
| Vial | Water | Common dose | Draw | Strength | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 mg | 1 mL | 10 mg | 100 units (1.00 mL) | 10 mg/mL | |
| 50 mg | 3 mL | 10 mg | 60 units (0.60 mL) | 16.67 mg/mL |
Dose chart
Syringe units for common doses at different water volumes. Select a cell to open it in the calculator.
| Dose | Water added | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mL | 2 mL | 3 mL | |
| 5 mg | |||
| 6 mg | |||
| 7.5 mg | |||
| 10 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
- 390.3 g/mol
- Formula
- C14H22N4O9
- Sequence
- AEDG
- 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 219042
- Storage: Community Common practice for research peptide vials; no approved product label exists
Cautions
- Human data come from one group and haven’t been independently replicated.
- No long-term safety data for injected Epithalon.
Questions
What is Epithalon?
A synthetic four-amino-acid peptide identified as an active component of a bovine pineal extract. It has been studied mainly in cells and animals for telomerase and aging markers.
Is Epithalon FDA-approved?
Not approved as a drug in the US or EU. Nomination withdrawn, so no longer in FDA Category 2 (April 2026). On July 24, 2026 FDA’s advisory committee voted 7 to 4, 1 abstaining, to recommend adding it to the 503A bulks list.
What is the usual Epithalon dose?
From community reports, not established: 5–10 mg once daily for 10–20 days (50–100 mg per course). From human studies (Korkushko 2006): Extract study: Epithalamin 10 mg IM every 3 days for 5 injections, repeated every 6 months for 3 years. These are the amounts sources reference, not recommendations.
How much water do I mix Epithalon with?
There’s no single right amount, because the water only sets the strength. With 3 mL of bacteriostatic water in a 50 mg vial, the strength is 16.67 mg/mL, so 10 mg is 60 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. More water makes small doses easier to measure. The dose chart above shows other volumes.
How should Epithalon 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 Epithalon banned in sport?
Probably. Not named on WADA’s 2026 list, but its S0 rule bans drugs with no current human approval anywhere, at all times.
Has Epithalon been studied in people?
Yes. The human studies section lists 4 published studies. Among them, from 2003: Death rate was 1.6 to 1.8 times lower with Epithalamin than in controls, and 2.5 times lower with Epithalamin plus Thymalin.
Sources
- Khavinson & Morozov, peptides of the pineal gland and thymus (2003)
- ADDF Cognitive Vitality report: Epithalamin and Epithalon
- FDA advisory committee backs 6 peptides for compounding (AJMC, July 2026)
For the protocol details
- Khavinson & Morozov, peptides of pineal gland and thymus prolong human life (PubMed, 2003) PMID 14523363
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.