Peptide data sheet
Epitalon
Longevity · Epithalon · Epithalone · Epitalon tetrapeptide · Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly
Verdict
unprovenThe unproven label reflects a real but thin and largely single-region evidence base: laboratory and small early human studies from a handful of Russian groups report effects on aging markers, but independent, blinded, long-term human trials that would establish a benefit do not exist.
By MrPepTalks Editorial
Reviewed for scientific accuracy · research information, not medical advice
Last updated Reviewed
Quick answer
Epitalon (epithalon) is a synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) modeled on a pineal-gland extract. It is commonly researched for telomere biology and markers of aging, and people report interest in it for longevity. Laboratory and small early human studies suggest effects on aging markers, but independent long-term human trials are lacking. It is not FDA-approved and is sold for research use only.
- Class
- Synthetic pineal tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly); a synthetic analog of the pineal extract epithalamin
- Half-life
- very short — reported in minutes for small peptides of this size
- FDA status
- Not FDA-approved. Never approved for any use; studied mainly outside large regulated trials and sold for laboratory research use only.
- WADA banned?
- No
Which form actually works?
Injectable (subcutaneous)
Unproven
The form used in most of the early human research from Russian groups. This is where the aging-marker observations were reported, and also where the thinness of the independent evidence base shows up most clearly.
Intranasal / oral
Unproven
Routes people still ask about because they avoid needles. They carry even less human research than the injectable path; how much intact peptide reaches its target by these routes is itself an open question.
Third-Party Testing & Certificate of Analysis (COA)
A certificate of analysis (COA) is a lab document that reports what a specific batch of material actually contains. Reputable research suppliers publish one for every batch, tied to a lot number you can match against the vial you received.
- HPLC — purity
- High-performance liquid chromatography reports purity as a percentage: how much of the sample is the intended compound rather than impurities.
- Mass spectrometry (MS) — identity
- Mass spectrometry confirms identity by measuring the sample's molecular mass, so it matches the peptide the label names.
It also matters who ran the test. In-house results come from the seller's own lab; an independent third-party lab has no stake in the result, so its COA generally carries more weight. Look for a named testing laboratory, a batch or lot number, and a test date that lines up with the vial in hand.
New to reading one? This guide walks through a COA line by line: how to read a peptide COA.
Sources
- Khavinson VK et al. Effect of epitalon on the lifespan increase in Drosophila melanogaster. Mech Ageing Dev, 2000.
- Khavinson VK, Bondarev IE, Butyugov AA. Epithalon peptide induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human somatic cells. Bull Exp Biol Med, 2003.
- Anisimov VN, Khavinson VK. Peptide bioregulation of aging: results and prospects. Biogerontology, 2010.
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