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Longevity

Epitalon

A pineal tetrapeptide from longevity research. Linked to telomerase and the sleep/melatonin rhythm.

3 min read 10 sources

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Still from the explainer video about this entry
Early phase 1 (skin serum) · not approvedLab tested in the shop

No time to read it all? The video sums up the whole entry in about a minute, from how it works to the studies and storage.

Summary

At a glance

Sources checked on 26 Oct 2026

Length
4 amino acids

Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, modelled on the pineal extract epithalamin5

More telomerase activity
26 -fold

in normal human epithelial cells in culture, 4-fold in fibroblasts2

Maximum life span (mice)
+12.3 %

mean life span was unchanged3

In phase 3
0 trials

the registry lists only one early trial with epitalon in a skin serum (as of 26 Oct 2026)9

  • Epitalon is the tetrapeptide Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly. It was built from the composition of the pineal extract epithalamin and comes from Russian ageing research.510
  • In cell cultures telomerase activity rose and the telomeres got longer. An independent group in London confirmed this in normal human cells in 2025.12
  • In mice epitalon did not change mean life span. Maximum life span rose by 12.3 percent and chromosome damage in the bone marrow fell.3
  • In pineal cells from rats more melatonin was formed. That is where the link to the sleep-wake rhythm comes from.4
  • There is no approval and large human trials are missing. Everything here is research, not a recommendation.69
Profile

Updated May 2026

Class
Pineal tetrapeptide

bioregulator

Route
Subcutaneous
Mode
As a cycle

1-2x per year

Form
Lyophilised powder

reconstituted with BAC water

Sizes
5 to 50 mg

5 sizes in the shop

Contents 16 sections
  1. At a glance
  2. What is Epitalon?
  3. How it works
  4. What you need
  5. Reconstitution
  6. Injection
  7. Dosing
  8. What the research shows
  9. Research status
  10. Side effects
  11. Practice
  12. Storage
  13. Related compounds
  14. FAQ
  15. Glossary
  16. Sources

What is Epitalon?

Epitalon (also epithalon) is a very short peptide of four amino acids, derived from an extract of the pineal gland. It comes from Russian longevity research (Khavinson) and is linked to the activation of telomerase, the sleep-melatonin rhythm and general anti-aging effects.

It is used subcutaneously, classically as a short cycle once or twice a year. It ships as a freeze-dried powder you dissolve in bacteriostatic water.

Comparison

Short peptides from ageing research

Where each compound acts, as stated in the TPD lexicon. Tap a card to open its entry.

Tetrapeptide, pineal gland Epitalon TelomeraseMelatonin
Modified epitalon N-Acetyl-Epitalon-Amidate TelomeraseMelatonin Different short peptide Pinealon Dipeptide, tested in the same cell study Vilon

How it works

The central idea is that epitalon stimulates telomerase, an enzyme that can lengthen the protective caps of the chromosomes (telomeres). In cell culture exactly that was observed. Alongside, it is said to support melatonin production by the pineal gland and thereby the sleep-wake rhythm.

Honestly: these mechanisms are described in cells and animal models; translation to real lifespan extension in healthy humans is not proven.

Where it acts

Where epitalon acted in experiments

Tap a point or a card. Colour = target, grey = observed. All from cell and animal studies.

  1. Pineal gland

    More melatonin and more of the enzyme AANAT in rat cells4

    Melatonin
  2. Skin and connective tissue cells

    Telomerase more active, telomeres longer (cell culture)2

    Telomerase
  3. Bone marrow

    17.1 percent less chromosome damage, less leukaemia (mice)3

    Observed in trials

Known targets5

Compound PubChem CID 219042: two described targets, type of action on each card.

Telomerase (TERT subunit)
Gene
TERT
UniProt
O14746
ChEMBL
CHEMBL2916
Action
Activity and gene expression rose in cell culture, direct binding not shown
Serotonin N-acetyltransferase (AANAT)
Gene
AANAT
UniProt
Q16613
ChEMBL
CHEMBL6196091
Action
Step of melatonin production, more enzyme formed in rat cells
Glass chromosome with glowing ends, next to short blue 3D peptide chains, a glass enzyme and a glowing cone-shaped gland in the background
Symbolic image.

What you need

For subcutaneous use you need:

Supplies

5 things, numbered as in the picture

Tick off what you already have. Vial and BAC water are our real shop photos at the same size.

Epitalon vial and bacteriostatic water at the same size with the black TPD label, next to two U-100 insulin syringes, two alcohol swabs and a sharps container with a blue lid

  1. Epitalon vial

    The Epitalon vial with the freeze-dried powder

    In the shop

  2. Bacteriostatic water

    Bacteriostatic water to dissolve it

    In the shop

  3. U-100 insulin syringes

    U-100 insulin syringes

    Amazon (opens a new tab)

  4. Alcohol swabs

    Alcohol swabs for the vial cap and the skin

    Amazon (opens a new tab)

  5. Sharps container

    A sealable sharps container for used needles

As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links open Amazon - no extra cost for you.

Reconstitution

The powder is dissolved in bacteriostatic water. How much water you add sets the concentration and therefore how many units you draw for your dose on the insulin syringe.

Use the peptide calculator for this: pick your vial size and the water volume to see the concentration and units per dose.

When dissolving, just add the bac water, it does not matter if it hits the powder directly. Then swirl or shake until everything has dissolved, both are fine.

Step by step

Dissolving the powder

Four steps, the same for every vial size.

  1. 1Wipe the cap

    Clean the rubber stopper with an alcohol swab.

  2. 2Add BAC water

    Just add it, it does not matter if it hits the powder directly.

  3. 3Swirl or shake

    Until everything has dissolved, both are fine.

  4. 4Draw up

    With the U-100 insulin syringe.

Less water higher concentration fewer units on the syringe Example: 10 mg + 2 ml = 5 mg/ml

Injection

The injection is subcutaneous, into the fat layer under the skin, classically the abdomen (keep clear of the area around the navel), the front and the inner side of the thigh or the back of the upper arm. Some place the dose in the evening, fitting the melatonin link.

Injection

Where and at what angle

Pick a spot or switch the angle. Subcutaneous means: into the fat layer, not the muscle.

Rotate the spot each time, never the same one twice in a row.

90°More fat under the skin

Rule of thumb: where there is more fat under the skin, insert straight at 90 degrees. In lean people with little fat, 45 degrees, so the needle stays in the fat layer. Simplified diagram.

  1. Clean the spot with an alcohol swab and let it dry

  2. Pinch up a small fold of skin

  3. Insert the needle: at 90 degrees where there is more fat under the skin, at 45 degrees in lean people with little fat

  4. Inject slowly, wait a moment, then withdraw

  5. Put the needle straight into the sharps container

Rotate the site.

Dosing

Dosing

Dosing, titration and syringe

Loading the dosing information …

  • Getting started and stepping up, drawn as a staircase
  • Units on the U-100 syringe for every step
  • How long one vial lasts

What the research shows

There is a real study showing that epithalon activates telomerase and lengthens telomeres in human cells. Alongside, there are animal and observational data on lifespan and melatonin. Important for honesty: almost all the research comes from a single group and independent replication in the West is limited. Lifespan extension in healthy humans is not proven.

The study with a link is in the source block below.

Study results

What the trials measured

Interactive: switch tabs, tap points, show or hide arms. Arms are named relative to each other, no dosing advice.

Lifelong dosing in mice3

Change compared with the control group in percent, 54 female mice each

Mean life span3 no difference
Without epitalon (comparison) 0.0%
With epitalon 0.0%
Life span of the last 10 percent3
Without epitalon (comparison) 0.0%
With epitalon +13.3%
Maximum life span3
Without epitalon (comparison) 0.0%
With epitalon +12.3%
Chromosome damage in the bone marrow3
Without epitalon (comparison) 0.0%
With epitalon -17.1%

Values according to the abstract. Food intake, body weight and the number of all tumours stayed the same, leukaemia was less common. A single study from the group that developed epitalon.

Telomere mechanisms in human cells2

Rise compared with untreated cells, as a multiple

Telomerase activity, normal epithelial cells2
With epitalon 26-fold
Telomerase activity, normal fibroblasts2
With epitalon 4-fold
ALT activity, breast cancer cell line2 second cancer cell line 3-fold
With epitalon 10-fold

In normal cells the telomeres got longer via telomerase, in cancer cells via another route (ALT). In normal cells that route barely switched on. Cell culture only, not tested in humans.

Glass cross-section model of a brain with a small golden pineal gland, next to a frosted glass sphere that looks like a moon
Symbolic image.

Research status

Where the research stands

Registered trials with status, participants and results. As of 26 Oct 2026. 9

  1. Preclinical Cell culture and animal studies
  2. Phase 1 1 trial, 0 completed
  3. Phase 2 no registered trial
  4. Phase 3 no registered trial
  5. Approval not yet
Not approved. Older human data come from small studies and are not in the registry. There is no adequately powered randomised trial.8

Apart from 1 phase 1 trial there is no registered trial in phase 2 or later. 9

Side effects

Epitalon is considered well tolerated, with mostly only mild injection-site reactions reported. Solid long-term human safety data are missing, though, precisely because independent research is thin. That is why the short cycles with long breaks make sense.

Practice

  1. Think of it as a cycle: 10 to 20 days, then a long break, 1-2x per year.

  2. Evening dosing fits the melatonin link.

  3. Keep expectations realistic, the longevity claims are not proven.

Nightstand in the evening with a cup of chamomile tea, a light blue sleep mask, a moon lamp and a small vase of chamomile flowers

Storage

The undissolved powder is robust, normal room temperature (around 20 to 25 degrees) is fine, ideally kept in the dark. The reconstituted solution goes into the fridge (2 to 8 degrees) and stays stable there for at least 4 to 6 months with barely any loss of potency, in practice considerably longer. The bacteriostatic water brings a preservative that keeps the dissolved form stable for longer.

Shelf life

How long it keeps

Undissolved (powder) Room temperature, around 20 to 25 degrees, dark

Robust, no fridge needed.

Dissolved (mixed) Fridge, 2 to 8 degrees

At least 4 to 6 months with barely any loss of potency. The bacteriostatic water brings a preservative.

  • Keep it dark
  • Dissolved: 2 to 8 degrees
  • Note the mixing date on the vial
Nine vials with white powder and blue caps in the door shelf of a bright fridge
Powder dark at room temperature, once dissolved into the fridge (2 to 8 degrees), stable there for at least 4 to 6 months. Symbolic image.

Related

Related compounds

Same targets or a different path: all in the TPD lexicon.

Epitalon
N-Acetyl-Epitalon-Amidate Epitalon with protected ends Vilon Was tested alongside in the melatonin cell study Pinealon Different short peptide from ageing research Thymalin Thymus preparation from the same research line DSIP Different peptide linked to sleep FOXO4-DRI Different anti-ageing approach: removing old cells

FAQ

Common questions about Epitalon

Short answers, each backed by the sources below.

Is epitalon approved or studied in humans?

It is not approved. As of 26 October 2026 ClinicalTrials.gov lists only one early trial in which epitalon is one of several peptides in a skin serum. A 2026 review sums up: in humans there are only small studies on measured values and an older study on a retinal disease, no adequately powered randomised trial.86

How does it differ from epithalamin?

Epithalamin is an extract from bovine pineal glands with many peptides. Epitalon was built as a single, chemically made tetrapeptide from its amino acid composition. Later the same sequence was also found in the pineal peptide mixture. Studies with epithalamin therefore cannot simply be transferred to epitalon.56

Does epitalon lengthen telomeres?

In cell cultures, yes. In 2003 epitalon activated telomerase in fetal human fibroblasts and lengthened the telomeres. In 2025 an independent group in London confirmed this in normal human cells: telomerase was 4-fold more active in fibroblasts and 26-fold in epithelial cells. Whether that happens in the body has not been studied.12

What do the animal studies show on life span?

In 54 mice dosed for life, mean life span stayed the same. The last 10 percent of the animals lived 13.3 percent longer and maximum life span rose by 12.3 percent. Chromosome damage in the bone marrow fell by 17.1 percent, leukaemia was less common. The study comes from the group that developed epitalon.3

What does epitalon have to do with melatonin?

In cell cultures from rat pineal glands the cells formed more of the enzyme AANAT and of the signalling protein pCREB with epitalon. More melatonin was found in the culture medium. This has not been shown in humans.4

How safe is epitalon?

Solid long-term human data are missing. A 2026 review names open questions on pharmacokinetics, dose, cancer risk and product quality. In the 2025 cell study cancer cells also lengthened their telomeres, though via a different route. A Belgian testing institute also found epitalon in two illegally sold preparations.627

Glossary

Terms explained briefly

Dotted words in the text open these explanations directly.

ALT
Alternative lengthening of telomeres: a route without telomerase that some cancer cells use.
Epithalamin
Extract from bovine pineal glands with many peptides. The template for the single peptide epitalon.
Lyophilisate
Freeze-dried powder. Without water a peptide keeps much longer.
Melatonin
Hormone of the pineal gland that helps control the sleep-wake rhythm.
Pineal gland
Small gland in the brain that produces melatonin at night.
Preclinical
Research before first use in humans, in cell cultures and animal models.
Subcutaneous
Into the fat layer just under the skin.
Telomerase
Enzyme that can lengthen telomeres again. In most body cells it is barely active, in many cancer cells it is.
Telomeres
Protective caps at the ends of the chromosomes. They get a little shorter with every cell division and count as a marker of ageing.
Tetrapeptide
A chain of exactly four amino acids. For epitalon these are alanine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid and glycine.

Evidence

Sources

Show all 10 sourcesHide sources 6 Studies2 Trial registry2 Database checked 26 Oct 2026

Studies

  1. Telomeres in normal and cancer cell lines, independent group

    Al-Dulaimi et al., Biogerontology, 2025

    DOI 10.1007/s10522-025-10315-x PMID 40908429
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed, PMC (Volltext)
  2. Lifelong dosing in mice: ageing markers, life span, tumours

    Anisimov et al., Biogerontology, 2003

    DOI 10.1023/a:1025114230714 PMID 14501183
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  3. Melatonin production in rat pineal cells

    Khavinson et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2012

    DOI 10.1007/s10517-012-1689-5 PMID 22816096
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  4. Review of epitalon

    Araj et al., International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025

    DOI 10.3390/ijms26062691 PMID 40141333
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  5. Review of epitalon and epithalamin: mechanism, animal and human data

    Jain et al., International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2026

    DOI 10.3390/ijms27198922 PMID 42884164
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  6. Epitalon found in illegally sold preparations

    Vanhee et al., Drug Testing and Analysis, 2015

    DOI 10.1002/dta.1771 PMID 25535022
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed

Trial registry

  1. Skin serum with epitalon and other peptides on the registry

    ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT07888595

    NCT07888595
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2
  2. Search on ClinicalTrials.gov

    ClinicalTrials.gov, U.S. National Library of Medicine

    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2

Database

  1. Epitalon activates telomerase in human cells (PubMed record)

    Khavinson et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2003 (DOI 10.1023/a:1025493705728)

    PMID 12937682
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via PubMed, doi.org, Crossref
  2. Structure of epitalon in PubChem

    PubChem, U.S. National Library of Medicine (CID 219042)

    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via PubChem

In the shop

Epitalon in the catalog

Sizes, prices and shipping times are on the product page.

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