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Lexicon
Bioregulators

Ovagen

A Khavinson cytogen peptide aimed at the liver and digestive tract.

3 min read 9 sources

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Vial with white powder and a black TPD label reading “Ovagen” on a white podium with a glowing blue rim, next to a short blue and white 3D molecule chain in a bright lab
No registered trial · not approved

Summary

At a glance

Sources checked on 26 Oct 2026

Length
3 amino acids

Glu-Asp-Leu (EDL), a synthetic tripeptide from the Khavinson programme2

Molar mass
375.4 g/mol

Molecular formula C15H25N3O8, a very small molecule9

Calculated binding to LAT1
-28.27 ICM score

Computer model of a transporter, values below -15 suggest binding2

Papers under the name Ovagen
0 studies

PubMed search, as of 26 Oct 2026, the papers call the peptide EDL7

Human trials in the registry
0 trials

no trial with Ovagen or EDL on ClinicalTrials.gov, as of 26 Oct 20268

  • According to a review by the Khavinson group, Ovagen is the tripeptide Glu-Asp-Leu (EDL). The group lists it as a protective peptide for the kidneys and liver.2
  • PubMed has no study under the name Ovagen. The published papers call the peptide EDL or T-35.74
  • In rats with acute kidney injury EDL protected the kidneys: less protein in the urine, no build-up of waste products, a more stable antioxidant defence.3
  • For the liver the assignment rests on a patent, not on a published study. In computer models EDL could enter cells via the transporter LAT1 and bind to DNA.25
  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists no trial (as of October 2026), almost all data come from one research group. Everything here is the state of research, not a recommendation.81
Profile

Updated May 2026

Class
Short bioregulator peptide

Khavinson cytogen

Use
Subcutaneous

in mg

Target tissue
the liver and digestive tract
Status
Data mostly from the Khavinson program
Sizes
20 mg

1 size in the shop

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

What is Ovagen?

Ovagen is a short peptide from the Russian Khavinson program, which deals with tissue-specific bioregulators. These very short peptides (usually 2 to 4 amino acids) are meant to act specifically on a particular tissue, Ovagen is aimed at the liver and digestive tract.

Up front: most research comes from a single research line and mostly from Russia, large independent studies are missing.

Comparison

Same family, different building blocks

Short peptides from the Khavinson programme with their amino acid sequence according to a review. Tap a card to open its entry.

Tripeptide, kidneys and liver Ovagen EDL
Tetrapeptide, liver Livagen KEDA Tripeptide, stomach and lungs Chonluten EDG Tripeptide, cartilage Cartalax AED Tetrapeptide, bronchi Bronchogen AEDL

The assignment to a tissue comes from the Khavinson group itself. It has not been confirmed independently. 2

How it works

The theory behind the Khavinson peptides: they are meant to act at the level of gene regulation and restart age-related declining functions of a tissue. For Ovagen a supportive effect on the liver and digestive tract is described.

How well this concept transfers to humans is little established outside the originating research.

Where it acts

Where EDL acted in experiments

Tap a point or a card. All from animal, cell and computer studies, there is no confirmed receptor.

  1. Kidneys

    In acute kidney injury (rats) less protein in the urine, no build-up of waste products3

    Observed in trials
  2. Liver

    Listed as liver protection in a review, based on a patent, not a published study2

    Observed in trials

Known targets2

Compound PubChem CID 444128: two described targets, type of action on each card.

Amino acid transporter LAT1
Gene
SLC7A5
UniProt
Q01650
ChEMBL
CHEMBL4459
Action
Possible route into the cell, only modelled on the computer (docking)
Matrix metalloproteinase 14
Gene
MMP14
UniProt
P50281
ChEMBL
CHEMBL3869
Action
Target in kidney cell cultures according to a cell study, direction not stated in the abstract
Glass liver lobule and a winding glass intestinal tube with small DNA spirals glowing in their cells, two blue and white molecule chains above them
Symbolic image. There is no study for the gut, only a patent for the liver.

What you need

Supplies

2 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.

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

  1. Ovagen vial

    The vial (lyophilized powder, usually 20mg).

    In the shop

  2. Water and supplies

    Bacteriostatic water, U-100 insulin syringes, alcohol swabs.

    In the shop

Reconstitution

Use the peptide calculator. A 20mg vial with 2ml water gives 10mg per ml. Just add the water to the vial and let it dissolve.

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: 20 mg + 2 ml = 10 mg/ml

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

Injection

The injection is subcutaneous, into the fat layer under the skin. Common spots are the abdomen (keep about two finger-widths clear of the navel), the front and the inner side of the thigh, or the back of the upper arm.

The short version:

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 each time so the tissue does not get irritated. Never the same spot twice in a row.

What the research shows

The Khavinson program has published numerous works on tissue-specific bioregulators over decades (overview: Khavinson, 2002), including effects on organ function and, in animal models, on lifespan. But the read must stay honest: the data come mostly from one research line, large independent studies are missing.

Glass liver model on a stand on a bright desk, next to a potted plant, a notepad and a pen
Almost all data come from one research group. Symbolic image.

Research status

Where the research stands

So far Ovagen or EDL has been studied in cell cultures, in rats and in computer models, almost only by the Khavinson group and its partners. As of 26 Oct 2026. 8

  1. Preclinical Rats with kidney injury, kidney cell cultures
  2. Phase 1 no registered trial
  3. Phase 2 no registered trial
  4. Phase 3 no registered trial
  5. Approval not yet
No registered human trial and no known approval as a medicine. Ovagen has only been studied preclinically so far.8

So far there is no registered trial in humans. 8

Side effects

  • Well tolerated in the available reports, mainly local reactions.
  • Solid, independent human safety data are limited.

Storage

Before mixing the powder is robust, normal room temperature (around 20 to 25 degrees) is fine, ideally kept in the dark. After mixing, keep in the fridge (2 to 8 degrees), do not freeze. It stays good there for at least 4 to 6 months with barely any loss of potency, in practice considerably longer. Swirl or shake to mix, both are fine.

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, do not freeze

At least 4 to 6 months with barely any loss of potency.

  • 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 common ground: all in the TPD lexicon.

Ovagen
Livagen Tetrapeptide KEDA, liver Chonluten Tripeptide EDG, stomach and lungs Cartalax Tripeptide AED, cartilage Bronchogen Tetrapeptide AEDL, bronchi Cardiogen Tetrapeptide AEDR, heart Vesugen Tripeptide KED, blood vessels

FAQ

Common questions about Ovagen

Short answers, each backed by the sources below.

What is Ovagen?

According to a review by the Khavinson group, the tripeptide Glu-Asp-Leu (EDL). The group lists it as a protective peptide for the kidneys and liver. PubMed has no study under the name Ovagen, the papers call it EDL or T-35.274

What do the studies on EDL show?

In rats with kidney damage from the antibiotic gentamicin or from interrupted blood flow, EDL prevented a drop in urine output and a build-up of waste products. Protein and sodium in the urine fell, antioxidant enzymes did not drop critically. The abstract gives no percentages.3

How well is the effect on the liver supported?

Weakly. For the liver the review cites a patent of the group as evidence, no published study with EDL in the liver was found. The related short peptide Livagen stimulated the growth of liver tissue pieces in tissue culture.26

How is Ovagen supposed to work?

The Khavinson group suggests that short peptides reach the cell nucleus and bind to DNA. Modelled on the computer, EDL bound the same DNA sequence as Bronchogen and could enter cells via the transporter LAT1. In kidney cell cultures the enzyme MMP-14 was its target. This is only shown in models and cell cultures.524

Has Ovagen been studied in humans?

No. ClinicalTrials.gov lists no trial with Ovagen or EDL (as of 26 Oct 2026). The 2002 review describes clinical use of tissue extracts such as Epithalamin and Thymalin, not of Ovagen.81

Which side effects are known?

There are no solid data because Ovagen has never been tested in a registered human trial. Missing reports are not proof of safety.8

Glossary

Terms explained briefly

Dotted words in the text open these explanations directly.

Antioxidant defence
Enzymes and substances that capture reactive oxygen compounds before they damage cells.
Bioregulator
Term used by the Khavinson group for short peptides meant to act on one specific tissue. Synthetic ones are called cytogens there.
Docking
Computer method that calculates how well a molecule fits into the binding site of another. A hint, not proof.
Gentamicin
An antibiotic that can damage the kidneys in large amounts. In research it serves as a model for kidney damage.
LAT1
Transporter in the cell membrane that brings large neutral amino acids into the cell.
Lyophilisate
Freeze-dried powder. Without water a peptide keeps much longer.
Preclinical
Research before use in humans, in cell cultures and animal models.
Subcutaneous
Into the fat layer just under the skin.
Tissue extract
A mixture of many substances from animal tissue, for example Thymalin from the thymus. Not the same as a defined short peptide.
Tripeptide
A chain of exactly three amino acids. For Ovagen these are glutamic acid, aspartic acid and leucine.
Waste products
Waste substances such as urea and creatinine that the kidneys excrete. If they build up in the blood, the kidneys are working poorly.

Evidence

Sources

Show all 9 sourcesHide sources 5 Studies1 Trial registry3 Database checked 26 Oct 2026

Studies

  1. Review with names, amino acid sequences and docking of the short peptides

    Khavinson et al., International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022

    DOI 10.3390/ijms23147733 PMID 35887081
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed, PMC (Volltext)
  2. EDL in acute kidney injury (rats)

    Zamorskii et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2017

    DOI 10.1007/s10517-017-3811-1 PMID 28744634
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  3. Peptides T-31 and T-35 (EDL) in ageing kidney cell cultures

    Khavinson et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2014

    DOI 10.1007/s10517-014-2540-y PMID 24958378
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  4. Short peptides and DNA, computer model

    Khavinson et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2016

    DOI 10.1007/s10517-016-3596-7 PMID 27909961
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  5. Tissue-specific effects of cytogens, including Livagen

    Khavinson, Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2001

    DOI 10.1023/a:1013058701974 PMID 11713572
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed

Trial registry

  1. Search on ClinicalTrials.gov (no trial with the peptide)

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

    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2

Database

  1. Review of peptides and ageing from the Khavinson programme (PubMed record)

    Khavinson, Neuro Endocrinology Letters, 2002 (ohne DOI)

    PMID 12374906
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via PubMed
  2. PubMed search for Ovagen (no result on the peptide)

    PubMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine

    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via PubMed E-utilities
  3. Structure of Glu-Asp-Leu in PubChem

    PubChem, U.S. National Library of Medicine (CID 444128)

    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via PubChem

In the shop

Ovagen in the catalog

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

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