Both peptide bioregulators come from Professor Khavinson’s work at the St Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, but they are built differently. Epithalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, an analog of the pineal extract epithalamin, studied around telomerase and lifespan. Thymalin is a polypeptide complex extracted from calf thymus and registered as an immune medicine.
Key parameters side by side
Parameter
Epithalon
Thymalin
Category
Longevity
Immune Support
Evidence status
Experimental
Approved
Sequence length
4
—
Molecular weight
390.35 Da
858.00 Da
Frequently asked questions
In composition and source organ. Epithalon is one defined four-amino-acid sequence reproducing a pineal extract. Thymalin is not a single molecule but a complex of short peptides from the thymus, and our profiles file it under immune support rather than longevity.
Their evidence status differs. Thymalin is an approved medicine wherever Soviet-era pharmaceutical registrations are recognised, chiefly Russia and neighbouring states. Epithalon stays a research compound in the West with no approval, though it has been reviewed: on 24 July 2026 the FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted 7 to 5 to add it to the 503A Bulks List — a recommendation, not an approval.
Longevity
Epithalon
Experimental
Epithalon (epitalon) is a synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) developed by Professor Vladimir Khavinson at the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. It is the synthetic analog of epithalamin, a polypeptide extract from the pineal gland that demonstrated life-extending properties in animal studies beginning in the 1980s.
Epithalon's primary mechanism centers on activation of telomerase — the enzyme that maintains and elongates telomeres, the protective caps on chromosome ends that shorten with each cell division. Telomere shortening is a fundamental mechanism of cellular aging, and epithalon's ability to reactivate telomerase in somatic cells has positioned it as one of the most studied peptides in longevity research.
Beyond telomerase activation, epithalon normalizes circadian melatonin production from the pineal gland, acts as a powerful antioxidant, and has demonstrated life-extending effects of 12-24% in multiple animal species. While human clinical data remains limited, the peptide has accumulated over 35 years of preclinical and clinical research primarily from Russian biogerontology studies.
Thymalin is a polypeptide complex originally extracted from the thymus gland of calves, developed by Professor Vladimir Khavinson at the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. As one of the first peptide bioregulators characterized, thymalin demonstrated the concept that organ-derived peptide extracts could restore function to aging or damaged immune systems.
Thymalin contains a mixture of small peptides (primarily dipeptides and tripeptides) that collectively restore T-cell immunity, normalize the T-helper/T-suppressor cell ratio, and enhance thymic function. Over 30 years of clinical use in Russia have demonstrated its ability to restore immune competence in immunodeficient patients, reduce infection rates, and potentially extend lifespan — a 6-year clinical study in elderly patients showed 2-fold reduction in mortality compared to controls.
Epithalon (epitalon) is a synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) developed by Professor Vladimir Khavinson at the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. It is the synthetic analog of epithalamin, a polypeptide extract from the pineal gland that demonstrated life-extending properties in animal studies beginning in the 1980s.
Epithalon's primary mechanism centers on activation of telomerase — the enzyme that maintains and elongates telomeres, the protective caps on chromosome ends that shorten with each cell division. Telomere shortening is a fundamental mechanism of cellular aging, and epithalon's ability to reactivate telomerase in somatic cells has positioned it as one of the most studied peptides in longevity research.
Beyond telomerase activation, epithalon normalizes circadian melatonin production from the pineal gland, acts as a powerful antioxidant, and has demonstrated life-extending effects of 12-24% in multiple animal species. While human clinical data remains limited, the peptide has accumulated over 35 years of preclinical and clinical research primarily from Russian biogerontology studies.
Thymalin is a polypeptide complex originally extracted from the thymus gland of calves, developed by Professor Vladimir Khavinson at the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. As one of the first peptide bioregulators characterized, thymalin demonstrated the concept that organ-derived peptide extracts could restore function to aging or damaged immune systems.
Thymalin contains a mixture of small peptides (primarily dipeptides and tripeptides) that collectively restore T-cell immunity, normalize the T-helper/T-suppressor cell ratio, and enhance thymic function. Over 30 years of clinical use in Russia have demonstrated its ability to restore immune competence in immunodeficient patients, reduce infection rates, and potentially extend lifespan — a 6-year clinical study in elderly patients showed 2-fold reduction in mortality compared to controls.