Evidence Grade C — Moderate human evidence. 70 published studies, 29 human. 0 registered clinical trials.
Medically reviewed by a licensed medical professional
Epithalamin is a crude extract from bovine (cow) pineal glands — the parent substance from which the synthetic peptide Epitalon was derived. Unlike Epitalon, it is an undefined biological mixture rather than a single molecule. It has been used clinically in Russia but has not been evaluated through Western regulatory processes.
Epithalamin is also known by these brand and alternate names:
70 published studies: 29 human, 41 animal, 6 in-vitro, 12 reviews
Epithalamin is approved in Russia. It has not been approved by the FDA, EMA, or other major Western regulatory agencies. A study of elderly subjects reported reduced mortality with combined Epithalamin and Thymalin treatment over long-term follow-up. These results come from the Khavinson research programme and have not undergone Western regulatory review.
As an undefined biological extract from bovine pineal tissue, Epithalamin faces the same molecular characterisation and quality standardisation challenges as Thymalin (#121). See also Epitalon (#117) for the synthetic active component.
Research proposes that Epithalamin's active component is the tetrapeptide Epitalon (AEDG), with a proposed mechanism involving telomerase activation through hTERT gene expression. As an undefined extract, the specific active components and their mechanisms cannot be precisely characterised. See Epitalon (#117) for the proposed mechanism of the isolated active component.
Research from the Khavinson group reports reduced mortality with combined Epithalamin and Thymalin treatment in elderly subjects over long-term follow-up. However, every preclinical and clinical study through 2025 was conducted by the same research group, with no independent confirmation. As an undefined crude bovine extract, Epithalamin faces molecular characterisation and quality standardisation challenges that are more severe than for defined synthetic peptides. A theoretical prion contamination risk exists for animal-derived brain tissue products. No formal pharmacokinetic data or safety trials meeting international standards have been conducted. Approximately half of the published studies are in Russian only.
PeptideTrace tracks 0 registered clinical trials for Epithalamin sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov.
No trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov for this compound.
Epithalamin is a crude polypeptide extract from bovine pineal glands, not a single molecular entity. Its active component has been identified as the tetrapeptide Epitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, AEDG, MW 390.35 Da, CAS 307297-39-8, C14H22N4O9). Developed by Vladimir Khavinson at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, Epithalamin is approved in Russia for menopause-related symptoms and hormone-dependent tumors but is not approved outside Russia. Synthetic Epitalon is reported to be effective at 1,000-5,000 times lower concentration than the crude Epithalamin extract. No formal pharmacokinetic data have been published.
Research suggests Epitalon (the active component) reactivates telomerase gene expression in somatic cells by inducing hTERT catalytic subunit expression. In telomerase-negative human fetal fibroblasts, treatment produced 2.4-fold telomere lengthening and 42.5% increase in cellular divisions beyond the Hayflick limit. Epithalamin also increases pineal synthesis of serotonin, N-acetylserotonin, and melatonin via AANAT activation and pCREB transcription factor. Chromatin remodeling includes decondensation of pericentromeric heterochromatin in elderly lymphocytes. Epitalon lowered DNA melting temperature by 41 degrees C, indicating substantial DNA conformational changes.
Lifespan extension studies in multiple species showed 11-31% mean lifespan increases (p<0.05) and mortality rate decreases of 27-52%. A clinical study of N=266 elderly persons over 6-8 years reported 1.6-1.8-fold reduction in mortality with Epithalamin alone, increasing to 4.1-fold with combined annual administration. A cardiovascular study (N=79, 12-15 year follow-up) showed 28% decreased overall mortality, 50% lower cardiovascular mortality, and 50% lower rate of cardiovascular failure. Anti-tumor data showed 1.7-fold decreased spontaneous tumor incidence in CBA mice. The first truly independent confirmation of telomerase effects came in 2025 from a non-Russian group (PMC12411320).
The information on this page is provided for educational and research reference purposes only. This is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any health-related decisions.
GHK has no pharmaceutical authorisation. Small cosmetic studies of the copper-complexed form (GHK-Cu) have reported improvements in skin appearance measures. No pharmaceutical clinical trials for injectable use have been completed. As with GHK-Cu (#85), the cosmetic evidence base for topical use should be distinguished from claims about injectable use. Gene expression profiling studies have reported broad effects, but observational genomic changes do not constitute evidence of therapeutic efficacy. This entry overlaps substantially with GHK-Cu (#85).
GHK-Cu has no pharmaceutical authorisation from any regulatory agency. It is widely available as a cosmetic ingredient in over-the-counter skincare products, where it is marketed for skin conditioning. A small study comparing GHK-Cu cream to vitamin C and retinoic acid creams reported improvements in skin appearance measures. No pharmaceutical clinical trials for injectable GHK-Cu have been completed. The compound's cosmetic use (topical, in formulated skincare products) should be clearly distinguished from its unregulated availability as an injectable research compound. These represent fundamentally different risk profiles.
Argireline has no pharmaceutical authorisation. It is widely available as a cosmetic ingredient in over-the-counter skincare products. Small industry-sponsored studies have reported wrinkle depth reductions of 17–30% with topical application. The key scientific question is whether sufficient peptide penetrates intact skin to reach neuromuscular junctions and produce a meaningful effect. The molecule's size exceeds the conventional limit for transdermal absorption. Argireline's cosmetic use in formulated skincare products represents a fundamentally different risk profile from injectable use.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making decisions about your health.
