Epitalon
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) developed by Vladimir Khavinson's group in St. Petersburg, based on a pineal gland extract. It is studied in aging and telomere research, with evidence coming mostly from that group.
Overview
Epitalon was developed by Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology in Russia. It was designed as a synthetic counterpart to epithalamin, a polypeptide extract of bovine pineal gland that the same group had studied earlier. Epitalon belongs to a family of short peptides that the group describes as peptide bioregulators, a concept proposing that very short peptides can influence gene expression in specific tissues.
Most published research on epitalon comes from the Khavinson group and its collaborators, including cell-culture studies on telomerase and telomere length, rodent lifespan studies and some clinical observations in older adults in Russia. Independent replication by unrelated laboratories is limited, and large randomized trials have not been published. In July 2026 the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted to recommend adding epitalon to the 503A bulk drug substances list; the vote is advisory and no final FDA action has been announced.
Compare: Epitalon vs pinealon.
Structure
Epitalon is a linear tetrapeptide with the sequence Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly (AEDG), with a free N-terminus and free C-terminal acid. It contains two acidic residues and no cysteine, methionine or tryptophan. The Asp-Gly sequence at the C-terminus is a well-known hotspot for aspartimide and isoaspartate formation, which is the main chemical stability concern. Research material is typically supplied as an acetate or trifluoroacetate salt.
Mechanism
Proposed mechanisms for epitalon come mainly from the Khavinson group. Their studies report that epitalon induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in cultured human somatic cells, and they have proposed that short peptides of this kind can enter cells and interact with DNA or chromatin to influence gene expression. Effects on melatonin secretion and pineal function have also been reported in animals. These mechanisms have not been well characterized by independent groups, and a defined receptor or binding site has not been established, so they should be treated as hypotheses.
Research
Telomerase and telomeres in cell culture
The most cited epitalon findings are in-vitro reports that it activates telomerase and lengthens telomeres in cultured human fibroblasts and other cell types. These experiments come largely from the developing group. Telomerase activation in cultured cells is a laboratory observation and does not by itself indicate an effect on aging or lifespan in organisms; it also raises questions about cell proliferation that would need careful study.
Lifespan and tumor studies in rodents
Studies in mice and rats from the same research network have reported effects on lifespan, age-related changes and spontaneous tumor incidence in treated animals. Rodent lifespan studies are highly sensitive to strain, housing and statistical design, and these results have not been widely reproduced by independent laboratories. They are animal findings. Many of these studies used small group sizes, and full datasets are not always available for independent reanalysis.
Pineal and circadian research
Because epitalon was derived from work on pineal extracts, several studies have examined melatonin secretion and circadian rhythms in aging animals and in small groups of older people in Russia. Reported changes in melatonin rhythms come mainly from the Khavinson group, and the clinical observations were small and often not randomized. Melatonin measurements are also sensitive to sampling time and light exposure, which adds uncertainty when comparing across studies.
State of the evidence
Overall, the epitalon literature is dominated by one research network, with many reports published in Russian or in journals with limited international reach. Human data consist of small observational or open studies. Readers should treat claims about longevity or telomere effects as unconfirmed pending independent replication and controlled human trials. Independent, adequately powered studies using well-characterized material would be needed to test the claims made in this literature.
Regulatory status
Epitalon is not approved by the FDA for any use. In July 2026 the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted to recommend adding epitalon to the Section 503A bulk drug substances list; FDA's own reviewers had recommended against, the vote is advisory, and FDA must act through notice-and-comment rulemaking. No final FDA action has been announced. Status in other countries should be checked locally. For sport, check the current WADA Prohibited List.
Status changes often. See the regulatory tracker for dated updates.
Quality and identity testing
An epitalon certificate of analysis should confirm identity by mass spectrometry against the expected mass shown on this page and report HPLC purity. Because the peptide is very short and polar, it can elute early on standard reverse-phase methods, so the chromatographic method should demonstrate adequate retention and resolution. The Asp-Gly motif can form aspartimide and isoaspartate species; isoaspartate has the same mass as the parent peptide, so separation by HPLC rather than MS alone is needed to detect it. Salt form and net peptide content should be stated.
Open Epitalon in the sequence analyzer to see the expected [M+H]+ and multiply charged ions for an MS identity check.
For a walkthrough of each section of a certificate, see how to read a COA.
Storage and stability
Store lyophilized epitalon sealed at -20 °C, protected from moisture and light. The Asp-Gly sequence makes the peptide prone to isomerization in solution, especially at neutral to basic pH and higher temperatures, so solutions should be prepared close to use, kept cold, aliquoted and not repeatedly freeze-thawed. Allow vials to reach room temperature before opening.
Download the Epitalon data sheet (PDF): sequence, masses, expected MS ions and handling on one printable page.
Latest research
The newest PubMed-indexed papers that mention Epitalon in their title or abstract, retrieved through Europe PMC and refreshed automatically. Inclusion is not an endorsement of a paper's findings.
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Frequently asked questions
Is epitalon FDA approved?
No. Epitalon is not approved by the FDA for any use. In July 2026 the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted to recommend adding it to the 503A bulk drug substances list, but the vote is advisory. FDA must go through notice-and-comment rulemaking before any change, and no final action has been announced.
Who developed epitalon?
Epitalon was developed by Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology in Russia. It was designed as a synthetic counterpart to epithalamin, a pineal gland extract the group studied earlier. Most of the published research on epitalon comes from this group and its collaborators, and independent replication is limited.
What is the difference between epitalon and epithalamin?
Epithalamin is a polypeptide extract prepared from bovine pineal glands, so it is a mixture rather than a single defined compound. Epitalon is a single synthetic tetrapeptide, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, developed by the same Russian group as a defined counterpart to the extract. Being a single sequence, epitalon can be characterized by standard analytical methods such as HPLC and mass spectrometry.
Related compounds
- Pinealon
Pinealon is a synthetic tripeptide (Glu-Asp-Arg) from Vladimir Khavinson's group in St. Petersburg, one of their short peptide bioregulators. It has been studied mainly in cell and animal models of neural aging and stress, with evidence mostly from that group.
- MOTS-c
MOTS-c is a 16-amino-acid peptide encoded within the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene, described in 2015 as a regulator of metabolic homeostasis. Research is mainly in cell and rodent models, with limited human data.
- FOXO4-DRI
FOXO4-DRI is a synthetic D-retro-inverso peptide designed to disrupt the interaction between the transcription factor FOXO4 and p53 in senescent cells. It was described in a 2017 Cell paper as a senolytic in mice; human data are absent.
- NAD+
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is not a peptide; it is a dinucleotide coenzyme essential for redox metabolism and a substrate for sirtuins, PARPs and CD38. It is studied in aging and metabolic research.
References
- PubMed: all indexed literature on Epitalon
- ClinicalTrials.gov: registered studies mentioning Epitalon
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