Early cycle
Sleep-related changes are the earliest self-reports; they are anecdotal, not measured endpoints.

Protocol / Research Dosing Guide
An evidence-organized Epithalon (AEDG) guide that separates the synthetic tetrapeptide's cell and animal findings from the older pineal-extract human program, and keeps every reported schedule labeled as reported.
Epithalon, also written epitalon, is a four–amino-acid synthetic peptide modeled on a pineal-gland extract. Laboratory work reports increased telomerase activity in human cell cultures, and rodent work reports lifespan and tumor-incidence effects. The strongest human numbers come from the natural extract epithalamin in non-blinded programs, not from the synthetic peptide.
Why researchers care
Telomere biology and circadian/melatonin rhythm research
Class
Synthetic tetrapeptide, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly (AEDG)
Route reported
Subcutaneous use is reported; intranasal products exist without equivalence data
Cycle length
Short reported cycles spaced months apart; not trial validated
Regulatory status
Not FDA approved; sold research-use only
The supplied coverage source describes two commonly repeated patterns: roughly 5 mg daily for 20 days, or roughly 10 mg daily for 10 days, each repeated two to three times per year with several months between cycles. These are reported patterns, not validated regimens.
| Phase or study | Amount | Frequency / evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Reported standard short cycle | 5 mg daily, evening, subcutaneous | 20 days, repeated 2–3 times per year |
| Reported condensed cycle | 10 mg daily, evening, subcutaneous | 10 days, repeated 2–3 times per year |
| Reported spacing | No amount | Cycles are reported 4–6 months apart |
No blinded human trial has tested a specific injected amount, cycle length, or repeat interval for the synthetic peptide. Both patterns above total roughly 100 mg per reported cycle.
Neutral research-material planning only. This does not establish an appropriate amount or route.
Research planning item
Exact labeled research vial
Research planning item
Measured diluent volume
Research planning item
U-100 measurement reference
Research planning item
Alcohol swabs
Research planning item
Appropriate sharps container
Research planning item
Written concentration label
Concentration
5 mg/mL
Draw volume
1 mL
U-100 units
100
Mathematical draws
2
Arithmetic only. The entered amount is not a recommendation and does not establish suitability.
Reported protocols favor evening, reasoning from melatonin rhythm research on the extract. No trial has compared timing.
Reported use is once daily within a short cycle. Frequency is not experimentally established for the synthetic peptide.
Not applicable to an injected vial format and not established for any other format.
No validated replacement or doubling procedure exists.
| Route | What is reported | Evidence limit |
|---|---|---|
| Subcutaneous | Nearly all reported community and legacy protocols | No modern controlled human dosing trial |
| Intranasal | Spray products are marketed | Absorption and equivalence are not established |
| Oral | Not established | No exposure data for the intact tetrapeptide |
| Route conversion | None available | Routes are not interchangeable |
Routes and amounts are not interchangeable unless a verified study explicitly establishes a conversion.
| Measure | Finding | Evidence limit |
|---|---|---|
| Circulating half-life | Reported to be very short, on the order of minutes | Typical for a tetrapeptide; no formal human PK publication was located |
| Duration of biological effect | Not established | Proposed gene-regulatory effects have not been measured in humans |
| Tissue distribution | Not established | No human distribution study |
| Frequency rationale | Short repeated cycles are reported | Not validated against an alternative schedule |
| Route | Amount | Frequency | Source | Human validation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subcutaneous | 5 mg | Once daily for 20 days | Reported protocol | No |
| Subcutaneous | 10 mg | Once daily for 10 days | Reported protocol | No |
| Intranasal | Not established | Not established | Marketed format | No |
| Any route | Higher single amounts | Reported historically | No clearer reported outcome | No |
Published study values describe those studies. Community-reported values are not validated dosing recommendations.
Concentration: 5 mg/mL
| Entered amount | Volume | U-100 units |
|---|---|---|
| 5 mg | 1 mL | 100 units |
| 10 mg | 2 mL | 200 units |
Reconstitution does not establish identity, purity, sterility, stability, or an appropriate amount.
Cell-culture work reports increased telomerase activity and extended replicative lifespan in human fibroblasts.
Current status · verified September 15, 2026
Not FDA approved; sold research-use only
This is an evidence-gap and precaution list, not an approved prescribing label.
Pregnancy or breastfeeding
No safety data
Children or adolescents
No safety data
Active or prior cancer
Telomerase activation raises unresolved theoretical concerns
Concurrent medicines
No interaction studies
Immune or endocrine disorders
Effects on these systems are uncharacterized in humans
Long-term continuous use
Only short reported cycles exist; continuous safety is unknown
Important limitation: No controlled incidence data.
Important limitation: Causality not established.
Important limitation: No characterized safety dataset.
Important limitation: No carcinogenicity study in humans.
Important limitation: No interaction studies.
Important limitation: No long-term human follow-up of the synthetic peptide.
Sleep-related changes are the earliest self-reports; they are anecdotal, not measured endpoints.
No validated intermediate marker tracks Epithalon activity.
Any telomere or aging-marker change would be slow and only visible on laboratory testing.
No standard required panel exists. Telomere or biological-age panels are optional and debated.
| Claim | Evidence level | What research shows | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telomere length or telomerase activity | Cell and animal evidence only | Human fibroblast cultures; rodent studies | No human outcome trial |
| Sleep or melatonin rhythm | Extract evidence only | Non-blinded elderly-subject extract studies | Does not transfer to the synthetic peptide |
| Mortality or lifespan | Extract evidence only | Non-blinded long-running programs | Not blinded, not replicated in the West |
| Tumor incidence | Animal evidence only | Rodent studies | No human anti-cancer claim is supported |
Reported handling keeps the dry powder frozen, dry, and away from light; follow the exact product label.
Reported handling refrigerates the solution and uses it within a short window; no validated stability study was located.
Repeated freeze-thaw cycles of prepared solution are avoided in reported handling.
Cloudiness, particles, or discoloration mean the material should not be used; clear appearance does not prove sterility.
Recheck vial milligrams, liquid volume, entered amount, and the U-100 conversion.
The two sizes use different liquid volumes and different unit draws; recalculate from the exact label.
Stop and seek qualified product guidance; appearance cannot confirm sterility.
Epithalamin studies are a separate body of work and do not validate the synthetic peptide.
No validated missed-amount procedure exists.
| Compound | Class or mechanism | Evidence | FDA status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epithalon (AEDG) | Synthetic tetrapeptide | Human cell cultures and rodent studies | Not approved |
| Epithalamin | Natural pineal extract | Non-blinded human programs | Not approved in the United States |
| MOTS-c | Mitochondrial-derived peptide | Largely preclinical | Not approved |
| NAD+ precursors | Cellular energy pathway | Preclinical plus early human work | Sold as supplements, not approved drugs |
A synthetic four–amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) modeled on a pineal-gland extract, studied mainly in aging research.
No. Epithalamin is a natural pineal extract; Epithalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide. Their evidence bases are separate.
No. It is sold research-use only.
No blinded randomized human trial was identified.
Increased telomerase activity and extended replicative lifespan in human fibroblast cultures.
Roughly 5 mg daily for 20 days, or 10 mg daily for 10 days, repeated a few times per year. This is reported, not validated.
Reported to be very short, on the order of minutes. No formal human pharmacokinetic publication was located.
Reported protocols reason from melatonin-rhythm findings on the extract. No trial has compared dosing times.
No. Rodent tumor-incidence findings do not support any human claim, and telomerase activation raises its own theoretical concerns.
It converts entered vial and liquid values into concentration, draw volume, and U-100 unit arithmetic only.
Coverage source
Supplied coverage source for reported cycle patterns, handling, and information categories; not primary evidence.
Open direct sourceLaboratory research
Human cell-culture study underpinning the telomere hypothesis; not a human outcome trial.
Open direct sourceAnimal research
Rodent lifespan and tumor-incidence study; animal evidence only.
Open direct sourceRelated-compound human research
Non-blinded human program using the pineal extract, not the synthetic peptide.
Open direct source