Epitalon

Epitalon (also written Epithalon) is a synthetic peptide — a short chain of amino acids — designed to model a natural substance associated with the pineal gland, a small structure located in the brain. It belongs to a class known as Khavinson peptide bioregulators, short peptides first described by Russian researcher Vladimir Khavinson and studied primarily in laboratory and aging-related research contexts. Epitalon is not approved by the FDA, is not sold as a drug, supplement, or consumable, and is not intended for human or animal use. In published research, it is typically supplied as a lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder in a sealed glass vial, which must be reconstituted with a diluent before it can be measured or transferred as a liquid — a process this article covers in the sections that follow. The reference points below summarize how it is classified, supplied, and handled at a research level.

• Classification: short-chain synthetic peptide, Khavinson bioregulator group
• Form as supplied: lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder in a sealed vial
• Regulatory status: not evaluated or approved by the FDA
• Intended use: laboratory and research reference only, not for consumption

Epitalon (also referenced as Epithalon) is a synthetic peptide cited in laboratory literature. This entry documents hardware and handling notes only — it is not a usage or administration reference.

Our pens take standard 3 ml (300-unit) glass cartridges with the 11 mm long plunger (stopper), the cartridge we sell. 3 ml cartridges are also made with a shorter, about 8 mm plunger, and a pen is built for one height, so check that a cartridge from another source has the 11 mm long plunger before loading it; the glass looks identical from the outside. Any universal 28G–33G screw-on pen needle threads onto our pens, allowing standard cartridge-based delivery within a laboratory setup.

Reconstituted material should be stored and labeled according to your lab's own protocol for proper traceability. This section covers hardware compatibility and handling only — it does not provide dosing, titration, or administration guidance, and nothing here implies suitability for human or animal use.

All of our reusable peptide pens (V1, V2, V3 and Gansulin) are compared on one page.

What it is

Epitalon is also written as Epithalon. It is made of four amino acids (the small building blocks that make up proteins) linked in this order: Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly (AEDG). Because it has four amino acids, scientists call it a tetrapeptide (tetra means four). Its molecular weight (a measure of how heavy the molecule is) is about 390 g/mol.

It was designed as a shorter version of epithalamin, a longer protein pulled from the pineal gland. It is one of the best-known members of the Khavinson bioregulators, a family of short peptides developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology.

Research context and categorization

Epitalon research is generally grouped under anti-aging and longevity study areas, within the Khavinson peptide bioregulator family. In this framework, laboratory and animal research has examined several distinct angles, summarized below:

• Telomerase activity: whether Epitalon can activate telomerase, an enzyme involved in rebuilding the protective end-caps of chromosomes (telomeres), and whether this correlates with telomere elongation in cell cultures.
• Pineal gland and melatonin regulation: studies looking at Epitalon's relationship to the pineal gland's role in melatonin production.
• Age-related biomarkers: antioxidant activity and other markers tracked in laboratory animal models.
• Lifespan endpoints: longevity outcomes measured in laboratory animal studies.

These research areas remain investigational. Epitalon is not FDA-approved, and most available data comes from in vitro and animal studies, supplemented by long-standing work within the Russian bioregulator research program. Findings observed in a lab dish do not necessarily translate to living human tissue, and no controlled human clinical trial has confirmed these outcomes.

The categorization above describes what Epitalon is studied in relation to - it does not represent confirmed, approved, or intended benefits. This overview reflects category and study focus only, not usage guidance.

Key point: Epitalon is classified as an investigational peptide without FDA approval. Reported telomere and longevity effects come from lab and animal research only, with no controlled human clinical trials confirming these outcomes.

Status

• Regulatory status: Epitalon has no approved use in the United States and is not FDA-approved. It is sold and handled strictly as a research chemical, typically labeled not for human consumption. As of 2026, it was removed from the FDA's Section 503A compounding list — the roster of substances licensed pharmacies may use in custom preparations — and placed under formal advisory review, meaning its regulatory classification may change without further notice.
• Sport status: Epitalon is not named on the WADA Prohibited List. Because it lacks approval for human therapeutic use anywhere, it can still fall under WADA's broad S0 Non-Approved Substances category, which covers any pharmacological agent without government health-authority approval. This is a general umbrella provision that applies broadly, rather than a listing specific to Epitalon by name.

Reconstitution notes (general)

Concentration means how much peptide is dissolved in a set amount of liquid. To find it, divide the milligrams of peptide in the vial by the millilitres of bacteriostatic water added. For example, a 10 mg vial with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water gives 5 mg/mL. The same vial with only 1 mL gives 10 mg/mL. To work out a target concentration for any vial size, use the peptide calculator.

Diluent and stability notes

• Benzyl alcohol (bacteriostatic water): The preservative that keeps bacteriostatic water bacteria-resistant can interact with some reconstituted peptides over time, so labelled storage conditions and use-by windows should always be followed rather than assumed.
• Colour changes after reconstitution: Some copper-based peptide complexes appear blue in solution; a shift toward clear or colourless typically indicates oxidation or degradation of that complex from air, light or heat exposure, not from the reconstitution step itself.

Dilution and handling notes (compound-specific)

Epitalon arrives as a lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder. In lab settings, it is commonly reconstituted with bacteriostatic water (water containing a small amount of benzyl alcohol as a preservative).

A frequently referenced ratio is 1 to 2 mL of bacteriostatic water per 10 mg vial, giving working concentrations of roughly 5 to 10 mg/mL. Less water yields a more concentrated solution and smaller draw volumes; more water spreads the same amount of peptide across a larger, easier-to-read volume on a syringe.

Solubility and Temperature Sensitivity

Epitalon is a short, highly polar (water-attracting) tetrapeptide, which makes it one of the more water-soluble research peptides. It typically dissolves almost instantly on contact with water. At the concentrations above, the solution should stay clear, without clouding, gelling, or leftover undissolved powder - unlike larger or more hydrophobic (water-repelling) peptides, which can remain hazy.

Temperature is the main variable to watch. Cold water, or a vial straight from the fridge, can cause uneven mixing or brief cloudiness. Letting both the powder and the water reach room temperature before combining them resolves this in most cases. Some protocols call for a small volume of dilute (about 0.6 percent) acetic acid before topping up with bacteriostatic water; this step is rarely needed for Epitalon given how readily it dissolves.

Does Benzyl Alcohol Affect Stability in Solution?

Benzyl alcohol is the preservative in bacteriostatic water, included to slow bacterial growth across multiple withdrawals from the same vial. For a small, stable tetrapeptide like Epitalon, standard bacteriostatic water reconstitution at the ratios above is the reconstitution method most commonly referenced in the literature for this compound. As with any peptide solution, minimizing freeze-thaw cycles and limiting time at room temperature after mixing are standard handling practices that help preserve solution integrity over time.

Reconstitution Steps

1. Direct the water stream gently down the inner glass wall of the vial, not directly onto the powder.
2. Let the vial stand for a minute or two.
3. Swirl gently if anything remains undissolved.

Avoid shaking the vial - it introduces foam and can stress the peptide. A properly reconstituted vial should appear clear, with no floating particles.

Handling and storage

Storage Guidelines

• Store the reconstituted solution in the fridge at 2 to 8°C (roughly 36 to 46°F), protected from light.
• Wipe the rubber stopper with alcohol before each needle puncture, and record the reconstitution date on the vial label.
• Reconstituted solution is generally used within about 4 weeks when kept refrigerated.
• Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. For longer storage, divide the solution into single-use aliquots and freeze those separately.
• Bacteriostatic diluents containing benzyl alcohol are a common preservative choice, but that preservative does not stop gradual peptide degradation over time in solution - refrigeration and minimizing total time reconstituted still matter.
• Discard any vial that turns cloudy or discolored, or that shows floating particles; these are visual signs the solution should no longer be used.

Frequently asked questions