Last Updated February 26, 2024

 February 26, 2024

Anti-aging researchers around the world are curious about how to calculate the right epithalon dosage for their next experiment.

Epithalon is a short peptide that activates telomerase, and is recognized for its roles in:

  • Promoting longevity and anti-aging 
  • Improving sleep quality 
  • Modulating antioxidant defense 

Luckily, there are decades of research to back the use of this peptide, and dosing information is readily available to researchers. In this educational guide, we include an epithalon dosage calculator and cover its documented benefits and safety profile.

Plus, we provide our recommendation on where to safely buy epithalon online at a fair price.

Buy Epithalon from our top-rated vendor...

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Epithalon Dosage Chart | Quick Breakdown

Protocol Epithalon Dosage for Research per the Russian Protocol Epithalon Dosage for Research per the Ukrainian Protocol
Dosage 10mg/daily (once-daily at bedtime or twice daily at morning and bedtime) 10mg/dose on days 1, 5, 9, 13, and 17
Duration 10 days 17 days
Cycle Up to twice a year separated by 4-6 months Up to twice a year separated by 4-6 months

What is Epithalon?

Epithalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the following amino acid makeup: alanine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and glycine. It derives from epithalamin, a crude polypeptide extracted from bovine pineal glands [1].

This pineal gland peptide was developed in the early 1980s by Khavinson et al. It has since been studied and lauded for its purported longevity effects [1, 2, 3].

Epithalon works by upregulating telomerase activity and thus elongating telomeres, which are sections of DNA that protect the ends of chromosomes from removal during each replication cycle on account of one strand of replication fork lagging behind the other.

Telomere elongation has been proposed as a means of extending longevity, but studies have been limited in terms of cell types studied [2, 3]. Overall, more human data on telomere length in connection with longevity have come from studies of lymphocytes than other cell types, since lymphocytes are easy to obtain through a simple blood draw.

Licensed researchers may purchase research-grade epithalon online for scientific and educational purposes. While typically administered as a subcutaneous injection, epithalon is also available in nasal spray preparations.


epithalon dosage


Epithalon Benefits

It is worth noting that much of the research involving both epithalon and epithalamin has been conducted in Russia with no independent confirmation elsewhere. Further, much of the published research has yet to be translated into the English language [1].

Additionally, the hypothesis that elongation of telomeres equates to slowing of the aging process is notoriously hyped and furthermore depends on the supposition that circulating lymphocyte telomere length can be used as a marker for telomere length in body cells overall.

We therefore encourage skepticism among researchers who may be planning research studies aimed at testing epithalon preclinically or clinically.

The following are purported benefits of epithalon:

  • Rosenfeld et al. (2002) observed an antimutagenic effect of epithalon when administered to senescence-accelerated mice. The researchers successfully used the peptide to decrease levels of chromosome aberrations in the mice, observing that treatment with melatonin had no such effect [4].
  • Khavinson et al. (2003) found that epithalon may extend lifespan in cell populations and whole organisms via its telomerase activity when introduced to telomerase-negative human fetal fibroblast cultures. This study paved the way for subsequent anti-aging research involving epithalon [5].
  • Khavinson et al. (2003), in a human study, treated elderly human subjects with epithalamin for two to three years, noting a 1.6-1.8 fold decrease in mortality compared with a control group. The epithalamin-treated group also had reduced rates of coronary artery disease, hypertension, and osteoarthritis, compared to the control group participants [6].
  • Korkushko et al. (2004) demonstrated that epithalamin can increase melatonin production in healthy elderly human subjects, via the peptide’s modulation of the pineal gland’s melatonin-producing function [7].
  • Kossoy et al. (2006) noted the antimetastatic effect of epithalon, using the peptide to slow down the development of metastases from spontaneous tumors in female mice that were otherwise prone to reproductive organ tumors [8].
  • Sibarov et al. (2007) found that intranasally administered epithalon significantly activated neuron activity in the cerebral cortex of white rats, presenting findings that the peptide may be of interest in clinical applications for the treatment of CNS activity impairments [9].
  • Kozina et al. (2007) observed that pineal gland peptides, including epithalon, work to enhance antioxidant response in research subjects. The researchers notably found that epithalamin not only produces direct antioxidant effects, but also stimulates the expression of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase and ceruloplasmin [10].
  • Korenevsky et al. (2013) used epithalon and melatonin to favorably influence reproductive function in both young and aging female rats that were exposed to harmful environmental factors like light pollution [11].

Epithalon Side Effects

Epithalon has a favorable safety profile with no major side effects having been associated with long-term administration of the peptide.

The strongest data to support the safety of epithalon comes from two 3-year epithalamin treatment trials in elderly adults, one of which had a 12-year follow-up [1, 12].

In the 15-year study, researchers noted not only a lack of adverse events in patients treated with epithalamin, but also found that patients treated with the peptide had “significantly lower mortality” compared to the patients in the control group [12].

Notwithstanding epithalon’s strong safety record, researchers should note that administering the peptide via subcutaneous injection may cause reactions like itching, swelling, pain, or inflammation at the injection site.

Researchers are thus advised to follow best practices when administering epithalon and rotate injection sites to lessen the risk of injection-related side effects.

Further, researchers are advised to source epithalon strictly from trusted vendors to avoid the risk of receiving a contaminated or low-purity product, which can pose further risk to the health of research subjects.

We discuss our preferred vendor of injectable epithalon in the penultimate section of this article.

Please see our work on Epithalon side effects for a full breakdown of safety and complications.


Epithalon Dosage Calculator and Guide

Insofar as epithalon is treated as a research chemical, it lacks the type of dosing recommendations that are typically given for officially approved drugs.

However, the International Peptide Society has published two epithalon dosing protocols based on the extensive work of Professor Khavinson and colleagues.

Either protocol may be administered twice annually for longevity and anti-aging purposes, and are respectively known as the “Russian Protocol” and the “Ukrainian Protocol” [2].

The Russian Protocol is the shorter and more intensive of the two, and is as follows:

  • Total Required: 100mg epithalon
  • Dosing Schedule: Administer 10mg of epithalon daily, in one subcutaneous injection or split between two subcutaneous injections. For twice-daily administration, administer in the AM and at bedtime.
  • Duration of Therapy: 10 days
  • Additional Notes: This protocol is designed to be administered up to twice per year. Each 10-day course should be followed by a pause of at least four months.

The Ukrainian Protocol, requiring half the total epithalon dosage, is as follows:

  • Total Required: 50mg epithalon
  • Dosing Schedule: Administer 10mg epithalon via subcutaneous injection on days 1, 5, 9, 13, and 17 of the therapy period.
  • Duration of Therapy: 17 days
  • Additional Notes: This protocol is designed to be administered up to twice per year. Each 17-day course should be followed by a pause of at least four months.

Notably, a 100mg epithalon course following the Russian Protocol requires two 50mg epithalon vials, while a 50mg epithalon course following the Ukrainian Protocol requires just one 50mg epithalon vial.

Injectable epithalon is available in 50mg vials through our preferred vendor, who we discuss in the next section.


epithalon dosage


Where to Buy Epithalon Online? | 2024 Edition

Licensed researchers may purchase epithalon online as a research chemical from a number of vendors.

While choice is generally a good thing, researchers will find a wide variety in peptide quality and overall customer experience between the various online sources.

At Peptides.org, we have two go-to suppliers of epithalon for research purposes.

Limitless Life

Limitless Life is a top provider of highly purified peptides for scientific research and development.

Here’s why this vendor is a cut above the rest:

  • Pure Epithalon: Limitless Life sources their epithalon from registered US laboratories and ensures that their products meet research-grade standards through third-party quality inspection.
  • Great Prices: Limitless Life offers some of the most attractive pricing in the industry, including free shipping for customers who order $350 or more worth of peptides.
  • Fast U.S. Shipping: Orders within the United States usually arrive in 2-3 business days. The vendor also serves select international destinations, subject to variable shipping costs and fees.
  • Support and Service: Limitless Life is constantly praised for its professional and helpful care team, which is available by email and phone.

As a special bonus, Limitless Life is now offering our readers a 10% discount when they enter this coupon code at checkout:

peptidesorg10

Buy research peptides from Limitless Life, a top-rated vendor...


Xcel Peptides

Xcel Peptides is another trusted source of research-grade epithalon, offering:

  • High-Purity Epithalon: Xcel Peptides ensures that their epithalon meets a standard of 99%+ purity, sending all batches to a third-party lab for state-of-the-art quality testing.
  • Fair Pricing: The vendor offers 10mg epithalon vials at just $39 each, which is excellent value for research-grade epithalon made in the USA. Further, researchers placing orders of $200 or more get their shipping fees waived!
  • Convenient Payments: The vendor accepts all major credit cards, echecks, Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App to accommodate its diverse clientele.

As a bonus, researchers who sign up to the Xcel Peptides newsletter get 10% off their order!

Buy research peptides from Xcel Peptides today...


Bacteriostatic Water and Epithalon

Researchers must have access to a standard set of lab supplies when handling peptides such as epithalon. Proper methods of peptide storage and prep call for bacteriostatic water, sterile vials, insulin syringes, and other lab essentials.

Generally, a researcher studying epithalon in the lab may need supplies and materials like:

  • Bacteriostatic Water
  • Insulin Syringes
  • Alcohol Prep Pads
  • Sterile Empty Glass Vials
  • Large Needles + Syringes

For researchers who do not have these supplies available and wish to study epithalon, it is recommended to check authorized vendors.


Epithalon Dosing | Verdict

Epithalon is a well-studied pineal gland peptide with documented benefits like enhanced sleep, elevated antioxidant protection, and most significantly, increased longevity in research subjects.

Long-term studies on elderly human participants have demonstrated epithalon’s favorable safety profile, although it remains a research chemical outside of Russia.

The peptide is typically administered via subcutaneous injection, and therapy may consist of two short courses per year, following either the 100mg Russian Protocol or the 50mg Ukrainian Protocol.

Anti-aging researchers are well-advised to buy epithalon from a vetted research chemical vendor like this one.


References

  1. Epithalamin/Epithalon. (2022). Retrieved 2 May 2022, from https://www.alzdiscovery.org/uploads/cognitive_vitality_media/Epithalamin-and-Epithalon-Cognitive-Vitality-For-Researchers.pdf
  2. Epithalon monograph final – peptidesociety.org. https://peptidesociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Epithalon-Monograph-Final.pdf (Accessed November 9, 2022).
  3. Khavinson VKh, Kuznik BI, Tarnovskaia SI, Lin'kova NS. [Peptides and CCL11 and HMGB1 as molecular markers of aging: literature review and own data]. Adv Gerontol. 2014;27(3):399-406. Russian. PMID: 25826983.
  4. Rosenfeld SV, Togo EF, Mikheev VS, Popovich IG, Khavinson VKh, Anisimov VN. Effect of epithalon on the incidence of chromosome aberrations in senescence-accelerated mice. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2002 Mar;133(3):274-6. doi: 10.1023/a:1015899003974. PMID: 12360351.
  5. Khavinson VKh, Bondarev IE, Butyugov AA. Epithalon peptide induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human somatic cells. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2003 Jun;135(6):590-2. doi: 10.1023/a:1025493705728. PMID: 12937682.
  6. Khavinson VKh, Morozov VG. Peptides of pineal gland and thymus prolong human life. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2003 Jun-Aug;24(3-4):233-40. PMID: 14523363.
  7. Korkushko OV, Khavinson VKh, Shatilo VB, Magdich LV. Effect of peptide preparation epithalamin on circadian rhythm of epiphyseal melatonin-producing function in elderly people. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2004 Apr;137(4):389-91. doi: 10.1023/b:bebm.0000035139.31138.bf. PMID: 15452611.
  8. Kossoy G, Anisimov VN, Ben-Hur H, Kossoy N, Zusman I. Effect of the synthetic pineal peptide epitalon on spontaneous carcinogenesis in female C3H/He mice. In Vivo. 2006 Mar-Apr;20(2):253-7. PMID: 16634527.
  9. Sibarov DA, Vol'nova AB, Frolov DS, Nozdrachev AD. Effects of intranasal administration of epitalon on neuron activity in the rat neocortex. Neurosci Behav Physiol. 2007 Nov;37(9):889-93. doi: 10.1007/s11055-007-0095-3. PMID: 17955380.
  10. Kozina LS, Arutjunyan AV, Khavinson VKh. Antioxidant properties of geroprotective peptides of the pineal gland. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2007;44 Suppl 1:213-6. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2007.01.029. PMID: 17317455.
  11. Korenevsky AV, Milyutina YP, Bukalyov AV, Baranova YP, Vinogradova IA, Arutjunyan AV. [Protective effect of melatonin and epithalon on hypothalamic regulation of reproduction in female rats in its premature aging model and on estrous cycles in senescent animals in various lighting regimes]. Adv Gerontol. 2013;26(2):263-274. Russian. PMID: 28976150.
  12. Korkushko OV, Khavinson VKh, Shatilo VB, Antonyk-Sheglova IA. Peptide geroprotector from the pituitary gland inhibits rapid aging of elderly people: results of 15-year follow-up. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2011 Jul;151(3):366-9. English, Russian. doi: 10.1007/s10517-011-1332-x. PMID: 22451889.

Scientifically Fact Checked by:

David Warmflash, M.D.

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