Compounds / Epitalon

Epitalon

Also known as: Epithalon, Tetrapeptide AEDG, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly

Preclinical Not FDA-approved · PCAC review July 2026 Category: Longevity and Mitochondrial

The compounds described in this library are research-use-labeled chemicals and are not FDA-approved for human use. This content is factual scientific reference drawn from published literature. It is not medical, dosing, or purchasing advice. VialReport does not sell, supply, or distribute any compound.

Short summary

A synthetic tetrapeptide developed in Russia, studied there in the context of ageing and pineal function. The available human literature is almost entirely from a single research lineage and has not been independently replicated.

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Origin and Development

Developed by Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues in St Petersburg as a synthetic analogue of a peptide preparation derived from the pineal gland. It sits within a broader Russian research program on short peptides and ageing.

Mechanism as Understood in the Literature

The most cited claim in the literature concerns telomerase activation in cell culture. Other proposed mechanisms involve melatonin regulation and gene expression effects. Mechanistic support outside the originating research group is thin.

Research Status

This is the evidence-base caveat in its strongest form. A body of published work exists, including reports of long-term human observation, but it originates overwhelmingly from one research group and has not been independently replicated by outside laboratories. Claims about telomerase activity in particular rest on cell-culture work that has not been widely reproduced. Badge note: "Limited human reports, no independent confirmation", reflected here as Preclinical per the badge definitions (human evidence limited to small/uncontrolled pilots, if any).

Regulatory status

Not FDA-approved for any indication. Removed from the FDA's Category 2 bulk drug substances list in April 2026 without being moved to Category 1, and scheduled for Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee review on July 23, 2026.

Commonly Confused With

Sometimes conflated with Epithalamin, the pineal extract preparation that Epitalon was derived from. Epitalon is the defined synthetic tetrapeptide; Epithalamin is a tissue extract, and results from one do not transfer to the other. This matters when reading the Russian mortality literature, much of which concerns Epithalamin rather than the defined AEDG tetrapeptide.

How This Compound Is Marketed

Vendor marketing for this compound typically references longevity, sleep, and telomere support. VialReport does not evaluate or endorse these claims. See Research Status above for what the published literature actually establishes.

Analytical Profile

Four amino acids, sequence AEDG, molecular weight approximately 390 Da. RP-HPLC with low-wavelength UV detection may estimate chromatographic purity, but the method must demonstrate adequate retention, specificity, and detection of relevant impurities. Very short, polar peptides are not always well retained on standard reversed-phase columns. Chromatographic purity alone establishes neither identity nor the quantity in the vial.

Stability and Handling

Supplied lyophilized. Short peptides are generally robust lyophilized.

Key Literature

  1. 01 Khavinson VK, et al. Epithalon peptide induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human somatic cells. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2003;135(6):590-592.
  2. 02 Khavinson VK, Morozov VG. Peptides of pineal gland and thymus prolong human life. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2003;24(3-4):233-240. [Note: this literature substantially concerns Epithalamin, the pineal extract, rather than the defined AEDG tetrapeptide. Read with that distinction in mind.]

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Published reports

Reports for Epitalon

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