Home / Longevity / Epitalon
EpAnimal studies only

Epitalon

Epitalon (Epithalon) is a four-amino-acid synthetic peptide designed from an extract of the pineal gland called Epithalamin. Most of what I found is lab and animal work, plus small reports from one Russian research group.

Not approved: no approved product foundNo controlled human trial of Epitalon alone found; human evidence is limited to small reports and the older extract Epithalamin
OverviewDosingMixingResearchCommunitySafetyFAQSources

Epitalon quick reference

TypeTetrapeptide Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly
Studied forAging, telomeres, melatonin and sleep
EvidenceCells, animals, small reports from one group
RouteInjection under the skin (community)
Half-lifeNot established

What is Epitalon?

Four-amino-acid peptide based on a pineal-gland extract (Epithalamin).

People use short courses for sleep and anti-aging.

Evidence is old and from one research group; no independent trials.

How Epitalon works

Telomerase

Raised telomerase and lengthened telomeres in human cells.

Pineal and melatonin

Restored night melatonin in old monkeys and older people.

Extract vs peptide

Many human studies used Epithalamin, not Epitalon.

Cancer cells too

In breast cancer cells it lengthened telomeres via ALT.

What Epitalon is studied for

Lab / cellsCell lifespan

Fetal lung cells made 10 extra divisions (44 vs 34 passages).

AnimalsMouse lifespan

Female CBA mice lived longer with fewer tumors (2001).

AnimalsRepeat mouse study

SHR mice: average life unchanged; leukemia fell 6-fold.

AnimalsRetina in rats

Campbell rats kept retinal structure and function.

PeopleMelatonin rhythm

Night melatonin rose in older people with weak pineal output.

PeopleEpithalamin in elders

266 people: deaths fell 1.6-1.8x (extract, not Epitalon).

Epitalon dosing protocol

ItemFinding
Human doseNot established
Studied inMice (under the skin, from 6 months of age to death), old rats (by mouth, 1 month), human cell cultures
Human reportsOlder adults in Russian-group studies; amounts not given in the abstracts
NCT07888595 (listed, not yet started)Epitalon in a topical serum at about 1-3 mg per mL, with other peptides

Sources listed below. The 266-person report used the older extract Epithalamin (with Thymalin), not synthetic Epitalon. Most papers I found come from one St. Petersburg research group, with little independent replication I could verify.

HUMAN DOSENone establishedTrial
MOUSE SCHEDULE1 mcg per mouse, 5 days a monthTrial
COMMUNITY DOSE0.5-1 mg dailyCommunity
COMMUNITY COURSE10-20 daysCommunity
TIMINGEveningCommunity

Label and trial amounts come from the sources below. Community amounts are what people report; they have not been tested.

Mixing

Vial10 mg
+
BAC water2 mL
=
Strength5 mg per mL

Example only. Epitalon is not Epithalamin.

Open the peptide calculator

What the research found

There are no controlled human results for Epitalon itself, so these are evidence facts:

266Older adults followed 6-8 years in a Russian-group report on the extract Epithalamin (and Thymalin), not Epitalon
1.6-1.8xLower death rate with Epithalamin than control in that report (study design not clear from the abstract)
10 extraCell divisions in aged human lung fibroblasts in the lab with Epithalon (34 vs 44 passages)
UpLifespan in female CBA mice, with fewer spontaneous tumors

Khavinson V, Morozov V. Neuro Endocrinol Lett 2003 (PMID 14523363); Khavinson 2004 (PMID 15455129); Anisimov VN et al., Ross Fiziol Zh 2001 (PMID 11227856). Treat these as unreplicated.

Epitalon community experience

What users report. Not tested in trials.

Positive reports

  • Sleep Deeper sleep or easier onset is the top report.
  • Vivid dreams Often noticed early in a cycle.
  • Daytime energy Steadier energy once sleep improves.

Negative & mixed

  • No change Many notice little.
  • Sleep disruption Some sleep worse for a while.
  • Site and head Site irritation, headache and early fatigue.
  • Product mix-ups Epithalamin schedules and vials cause confusion.

Epitalon stacking

Epitalon + SS-31

Telomere interest plus mitochondria support. Not studied together.

Epitalon + MOTS-c

Sleep and rhythm vs metabolism goals. Not studied together.

Epitalon + NAD+

Not studied together.

Epitalon side effects & safety

Common

  • The Russian group reports no side effects in older adults.
  • Mice: no change in weight, food intake or behavior.
  • Site redness or swelling (community).
  • Vivid dreams, headache, fatigue (community).

Less common

  • No independent human safety data.
  • FDA flags compounded epitalon: immunogenicity from aggregates.
  • Telomerase effects: cancer concern is unresolved.
  • Epithalamin findings may not carry over.

Precautions

  • Active or past cancer: telomerase activation is unresolved.
  • Not approved; FDA lists it on its compounding risk list.
  • Melatonin or sedatives: combined sleep effects are unknown.
  • No pregnancy data.

Our verdict on Epitalon

Intriguing cell and sleep signals, mostly from one research group. No modern controlled human trial exists.

Epitalon FAQ

Does epitalon lengthen telomeres?

In cultured human cells, yes. Not shown in people.

Is epitalon the same as Epithalamin?

No. Epithalamin is the pineal extract; many human data are on it.

Does it help sleep?

Melatonin rhythm improved in small studies from one group.

Is it approved?

No. FDA lists compounded epitalon among substances with safety risks.

Sources

  • Khavinson VKh, Morozov VG. Peptides of pineal gland and thymus prolong human life. Neuro Endocrinol Lett 2003, PMID 14523363
  • Epithalon induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human somatic cells, Bull Exp Biol Med 2003, PMID 12937682
  • Peptide promotes overcoming of the division limit in human somatic cell, Bull Exp Biol Med 2004, PMID 15455129
  • Effect of pineal peptide on biological age and life span in mice, Ross Fiziol Zh 2001, PMID 11227856
  • Normalizing effect of pineal peptides on melatonin rhythm, Adv Gerontol 2007, PMID 17969590
  • ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07888595 (aging-clock trial listing Epitalon in a topical serum)
  • Effect of Epitalon on aging biomarkers, life span and tumors in SHR mice, Biogerontology 2003, PMID 14501183
  • Epitalon increases telomere length in human cell lines, Biogerontology 2025, PMID 40908429
  • Epithalon on retina in rats with hereditary pigmentary dystrophy, Bull Exp Biol Med 2002, PMID 12170316
  • Epitalon and Epithalamin narrative review, Int J Mol Sci 2026, PMID 42884164
  • FDA, Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks (content current 04/22/2026)