Bioregulator research.
Short peptide bioregulators — often called Khavinson peptides after the Russian gerontologist Vladimir Khavinson, who passed away in 2024. These are 2–4 amino acid sequences derived from animal tissue extracts, studied extensively in Russia since the 1970s for age-related decline. This hub summarizes what has been published in the peer-reviewed literature. It is not a buying guide, and bioregulators are not FDA-approved for human use in the United States.
These profiles describe the literature. They are not medical advice. Full disclaimer.
None of the bioregulators listed below are FDA-approved. None appear on the 503A bulks list or are otherwise legally compoundable in the United States for clinical use. Russian-registered drug products (Thymalin, Cortexin, Retinalamin) are not imported under FDA-authorized channels. All content below is a summary of published research, not a recommendation to obtain or use these compounds.
Profiles in this hub
Epitalon
Also: Epithalon · Epithalamin · AEDG · Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly
Epitalon is a four-amino-acid peptide designed in Soviet-era gerontology research to mimic a fraction of natural pineal-gland extract. Russian studies report anti-aging signals in cell cultures and rodents — longer lifespans, restored melatonin rhythm, and lengthened telomeres in some experiments. The work has almost no replication outside Russia. Human clinical data is limited to small, often unblinded trials conducted by the original research group.
Read the research summaryEpithalamin
Also: Epithalamine · Epitalamin · Pineal gland polypeptide extract · Pineal peptide preparation (epiphyseal bioregulator) · Cytogen / 'Epiphysamine' family preparation (Khavinson group) · Precursor extract of synthetic Epitalon (AEDG, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly)
Epithalamin is not a single peptide but a mixture of small proteins pulled from animal pineal glands (the brain's melatonin-making organ). Russian and Ukrainian gerontology researchers have studied it since the 1970s as an "anti-aging" preparation, and it is the natural extract that inspired the better-known synthetic peptide Epitalon. Most of the evidence is preclinical: in fruit flies, mice, and rats, the same research group reported longer average lifespans, lower oxidative-stress markers, and in some experiments fewer tumors. There are also small human geriatric studies (mostly in older adults with cardiovascular aging) reporting that it nudged night-time melatonin and circadian rhythms back toward a more youthful pattern. The big caveat: nearly all of this comes from one connected group of investigators, the human studies are small and largely unblinded, and there is no large, independent, randomized replication in peer-reviewed English-language literature. So Epithalamin is best understood as an interesting but unproven historical research preparation, not a validated therapy.
Read the research summaryPinealon
Also: Pinealon · EDR · Glu-Asp-Arg
Pinealon is a three-amino-acid synthetic peptide designed as a research tool in Khavinson-group geroscience work. Available data is largely from cell culture and rodent studies suggesting cognitive and antioxidative effects. Human data is very limited. It is not FDA-approved and not legally compoundable in the United States.
Read the research summaryCortexin
Also: Cortexin (Kortexin / Кортексин) · Cerebral cortex polypeptide complex · Cattle/pig cerebral cortex polypeptides · Cortexin-like peptide mixture · A water-soluble polypeptide fraction (MW <10 kDa) — NOT a single named amino-acid code
Cortexin is a Russian prescription injectable made from the brain cortex of cattle and pigs — a mix of small proteins and amino acids, not one defined molecule. In Russia and nearby countries doctors have used it for decades for stroke recovery, head injury, and various cognitive and childhood neurological conditions, and there are hundreds of published human reports. The catch: most of those reports are small, single-center, often unblinded studies published in Russian-language journals, and the strongest independent analysis — a 2023 Cochrane review that pooled a Cortexin trial with similar brain-extract drugs — found no benefit on survival and flagged a possible increase in non-fatal serious side effects for the drug class. So Cortexin has far more human data than the lab-made Khavinson peptides, but the quality of that data is low and the independent evidence is not encouraging. It is not FDA-approved and is not a verified product in the US.
Read the research summaryCortagen
Also: Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro · AEDP · Cortagen (Cytogen series) · synthetic brain-cortex tetrapeptide · AEDP tetrapeptide
Cortagen is a lab-made four-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) created by a single Russian gerontology institute as the "brain cortex" entry in its family of short peptides. It is marketed online for brain, nerve, and cognitive "support." The reality is that the published science is thin and almost entirely from that one group: a handful of rodent and test-tube studies (nerve-regeneration experiments in rats, gene-expression assays in mouse tissue and isolated immune cells) plus one lab study on blood cells taken from elderly people. There are no published clinical trials in people testing whether Cortagen improves memory, thinking, or any neurological condition, and no large independent randomized trials of any kind. What you can say is that early-stage, single-group laboratory work exists; what you cannot say is that any human benefit has been shown.
Read the research summaryThymalin
Also: Timalin · Thymus polypeptide extract
Thymalin is a polypeptide extract from calf thymus gland studied mostly in Russia as an immune-system support in older adults, patients recovering from infection, and selected post-surgical patients. It is a registered drug in Russia. In the United States it has no regulatory approval and is not legally compoundable. The peer-reviewed literature is largely Russian-language and was produced by the same research group that developed the product.
Read the research summaryThymogen
Also: Glu-Trp · L-Glu-L-Trp · EW (single-letter code) · glutamyl-tryptophan · alpha-glutamyl-tryptophan · Timogen (transliteration) · Thymogenum · IM862 (same dipeptide, Western oncology development name)
Thymogen is a lab-made two-amino-acid molecule (glutamic acid joined to tryptophan) that came out of Russian thymus-peptide research in the 1980s. It is sold and used in Russia as an immune-system modulator, usually as an add-on before surgery or alongside other drugs in people with weakened immunity. The reality: there is some human data, including one small placebo-controlled trial, but almost all of it is Russian-language, comes from a narrow set of research groups, and has not been independently reproduced in large Western trials. Intriguingly, the exact same molecule was tested in the United States (as "IM862") for cancer-related uses and did not beat placebo there. None of this is a basis for treating any condition, and it is not approved in the US.
Read the research summaryVilon
Also: Vilon · KE · Lys-Glu · L-Lysyl-L-Glutamic acid · lysylglutamic acid
Vilon is a two-amino-acid synthetic peptide (lysine + glutamic acid, abbreviated KE) created in Russian gerontology research as a simplified, fully defined stand-in for thymus-gland extracts. Most of what is published comes from cell-culture and rodent experiments by the original research group: reports of longer lifespan and fewer spontaneous tumors in mice, changes in gene activity, and effects on the gut and immune tissue of aged rats. Notably, the animal record is not all positive — at least one mouse study found Vilon increased mammary tumors rather than decreasing them. Human data is very limited — small Russian reports and laboratory experiments on lymphocytes from elderly donors — with no rigorous, independently replicated clinical trials. It is not FDA-approved and is not legally compoundable in the United States.
Read the research summaryCrystagen
Also: Glu-Asp-Pro · EDP (single-letter amino-acid code) · glutamyl-aspartyl-proline · Crystagenum · Cytogen-class immune peptide
Crystagen is one of the lesser-known synthetic "peptide bioregulators" from a single Russian research institute, marketed as an immune-support peptide and usually listed as the three-amino-acid chain Glu-Asp-Pro. The short version: there is almost nothing published on it. We could find only one peer-reviewed, PubMed-indexed study, and it was done in a dish on spleen tissue cultures, not in living animals and not in people. In that study Crystagen appeared to "activate" certain immune cells (B-cells) but did not show the tissue-renewing effect seen with some related peptides. There are no human trials, no pharmacokinetic data, and no independent replication. Any claims you see online about Crystagen "boosting immunity" go far beyond what the published evidence can support.
Read the research summaryBronchogen
Also: Bronchogen · Ala-Glu-Asp-Leu (AEDL) · Ala-Asp-Glu-Leu (ADEL — as printed in one primary paper) · Bronchial Cytogen peptide
Bronchogen is a lab-made short peptide from the Russian 'Khavinson' Cytogen family, marketed for lung and breathing support. It does have a small real research record — but it is laboratory work on cells and DNA, not clinical studies in people with lung disease: experiments showing it nudges differentiation markers in cultured human bronchial cells, and that it binds DNA in test tubes. There are no human clinical trials, no studies showing it improves any respiratory condition, and even the published amino-acid sequence is inconsistent (most papers print Ala-Glu-Asp-Leu, one prints Ala-Asp-Glu-Leu). It is not FDA-approved and is sold online only as an unregulated 'research chemical.'
Read the research summaryChonluten
Also: Glu-Asp-Gly · EDG · Khavinson lung peptide bioregulator · Chonluten (Cytogen series) · bronchogen (informal vendor synonym)
Chonluten is a lab-made three-amino-acid peptide (Glu-Asp-Gly) from the same Russian research program (the Khavinson group in St. Petersburg) that produced Epitalon. It is one of a family of "tissue-specific" peptides, and this one is aimed at the lungs and airways. The bottom line: there is almost no published research on Chonluten itself. The single peer-reviewed English-language study that names it was done in a dish, on cultured immune cells, not in people — it suggested the peptide can dial down some inflammation signals. Beyond that there are general review articles from the same group describing the idea that short peptides influence lung-cell genes, but no human trials, no dosing studies, and no independent confirmation that it does anything for breathing, lung disease, or respiratory health. Anything sold online as "Chonluten" is an unregulated research chemical, and the marketing claims run far ahead of the evidence.
Read the research summaryOvagen
Also: EDL · Glu-Asp-Leu · EDL tripeptide · liver peptide bioregulator (vendor name) · Cytogen (marketing class name)
Ovagen is marketed as a tiny three-amino-acid peptide (Glu-Asp-Leu, abbreviated EDL) said to "support" the liver and digestive system, sold as part of the Russian Khavinson "bioregulator" family. Put plainly: there is essentially no published science on this exact compound. A PubMed search for the molecule turns up nothing relevant, and a search for the name "Ovagen" actually returns a veterinary fertility drug for sheep, not this peptide. The general idea behind these peptides - that short fragments might nudge gene activity in specific tissues - comes from a single research group and rests mostly on lab-dish and computer-modeling studies of other, related peptides, not this one. There are no human trials, no animal efficacy studies, and no independent replication for Ovagen itself. Treat the marketing claims as unproven hypotheses, not established facts.
Read the research summaryLivagen
Also: Lyvagen · KEDA · Lys-Glu-Asp-Ala · K-E-D-A tetrapeptide · synthetic analog of Hepalin/liver cytomedin
Livagen is a four-amino-acid synthetic peptide (Lys-Glu-Asp-Ala, often written KEDA) created in Russian gerontology research as the 'liver' member of a family of short peptides, each matched to an organ. Published work is almost entirely preclinical: rat hepatocyte and rat liver-tissue cultures where it reportedly increased protein synthesis, plus in-vitro enzyme assays and experiments on chromatin in lymphocytes taken from elderly donors. There are no published human clinical trials of Livagen, and almost no work outside the original group and its Tbilisi-based collaborators. It is not FDA-approved and is not legally compoundable in the United States. One housekeeping note: some vendor and secondary sources list the sequence as Lys-Glu-Ala-Ser, but the peer-reviewed studies from the Khavinson group consistently describe Lys-Glu-Asp-Ala — readers should treat the KEDA sequence as the published one and the alternative as unverified.
Read the research summaryProstatilen (Prostamax)
Also: Prostamax · Prostatilen AC (zinc arginyl-glycinate variant) · Vitaprost (clinical sister-formulation of the same prostate extract) · Prostate polypeptide complex / prostate cytomedine · Related designed short peptide: Vesugen (Lys-Glu-Asp, KED)
Prostatilen (also sold as Prostamax, and closely related to Vitaprost) is not a single molecule — it is a mixture of small peptides extracted from cattle prostate glands. It came out of the same Soviet/Russian "tissue bioregulator" program as Khavinson's other organ extracts, and in Russia and nearby countries it is a registered prescription drug for prostate conditions, given as a rectal suppository or injection. There is more human data behind it than behind most peptides in this category: small clinical trials in chronic prostatitis and benign prostate enlargement going back to 1991, plus a 2022 Phase III trial of a zinc-added version (Prostatilen AC) in men with sperm problems. The catch is that almost all of this research comes from a narrow group of Russian and Ukrainian urology centers, the studies are mostly small and open-label (patients and doctors knew who got the drug), and the strongest trial tested the zinc-enhanced formula rather than plain Prostatilen. It is not approved or legal for clinical use in the United States. None of this should be read as evidence that it cures or treats any condition.
Read the research summaryTestagen
Also: KEDG · Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly · H-Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly-OH · lysyl-glutamyl-aspartyl-glycine · Testagen (Cytogen/Cytogen-series synthetic peptide)
Testagen is a lab-made four-amino-acid peptide (Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly) from the same Russian research lineage as Epitalon and the other "bioregulator" peptides. Its name suggests it does something for the testes or male reproductive health, but that idea does not appear anywhere in the published scientific literature we could find. The handful of real studies that exist are either test-tube experiments showing the peptide can enter cells and stick to DNA, or animal experiments in birds where it was used as a pituitary-type peptide affecting the thyroid and thymus — not the testes. There are no human studies of any kind. Anything sold online as "Testagen" for reproductive or anti-aging benefit is being marketed well beyond what the evidence shows.
Read the research summaryEvidence grade
The letter grade on each profile reflects confidence in human clinical evidence of efficacy. It does not rate safety or regulatory status. A high-grade peptide can still carry safety concerns or be legally restricted.
Grade A
High confidence
Multiple independently-replicated randomized controlled trials in humans with adequate power and transparent methodology.
Grade B
Moderate
At least one well-designed human RCT plus supporting evidence. Not yet independently replicated at scale.
Grade C
Emerging
Limited human data — small open-label trials, observational cohorts, or preclinical work with early human signals.
Grade D
Preclinical
Primarily animal, in-vitro, or mechanistic evidence. Human data absent or anecdotal.
Grade F
Insufficient
No peer-reviewed human evidence. Claims rely on marketing or unreplicated case reports.
How we cover bioregulators
- Each profile describes what is reported in the published literature, not a recommendation to obtain or use.
- Methodology grades (A/B/C/D) are applied per study, not per peptide — aggregate evidence strength appears at the top of each profile.
- Citations link to PubMed author searches rather than isolated PMIDs so readers can browse the full body of evidence themselves.
- Independence-of-review concerns (e.g., author overlap across Khavinson-group publications) are disclosed on each profile.
- No compounder or vendor affiliate relationships exist for any peptide listed in this hub — and no US compounding source is lawful.
Read more: our full methodology · medical disclaimer
Primary literature
What's changed
- 2026-06-24 Multi-source research pass beyond PubMed (ClinicalTrials.gov + Russian-language databases eLibrary.ru/CyberLeninka) on the five higher-evidence extracts. Added independent systematic reviews and previously-uncited Russian RCTs (incl. a 12-year placebo-controlled Epithalamin mortality trial and a phase III Prostatilen fertility RCT); noted that none of the 19 bioregulators has a ClinicalTrials.gov-registered trial. Thymogen and Epithalamin raised Theoretical→Emerging on documented randomized/placebo-controlled human data; Cortexin held at Theoretical (independent SR shows only one small RCT).
- 2026-06-24 Hub expanded from 3 to 19 profiles: added Cortexin, Retinalamin, Thymogen, Epithalamin, Prostatilen and the synthetic Cytogen family (Vilon, Vesugen, Cortagen, Pancragen, Cardiogen, Bronchogen, Chonluten, Ovagen, Livagen, Testagen, Crystagen). Profiles now grouped by organ system; evidence graded conservatively (most synthetic Cytogens have no human data); citations link to PubMed author/topic searches. Compliance-checked.
- 2026-04-17 Hub v1 published with Epitalon, Thymalin, and Pinealon profiles. Compliance-checked framing; all citations link to PubMed author searches rather than specific PMIDs to ensure reader-verifiable sourcing.
Russian-language lit, translated.
We read the Khavinson-group literature so you don't have to. New entries and revisions land in the weekly newsletter.