Epithalon
Stocked in 10mg, 50mg at MontanaPep in Great Falls, Montana. Sold for laboratory research use only.
| Size | Catalog no. | Price per vial |
|---|---|---|
| 10mg | ET10 | $20 |
| 50mg | ET50 | $50 |
Classification
Synthetic pineal tetrapeptide from the Russian bioregulator program
Structure and chemistry
Epithalon, also written Epitalon, is the tetrapeptide Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly (AEDG). It is the synthetic short-peptide analogue of Epithalamin, a peptide complex originally extracted from bovine pineal gland. The two are related but not identical: Epithalamin is a tissue extract, Epithalon a defined four-residue synthetic peptide.
What the published research shows
The situation here is unusual and worth stating plainly. There is a very large body of research — hundreds of publications across four decades — but almost all of it comes from one research group and its collaborators, and no independent Western randomized controlled trial of Epithalon has ever been published. What did change recently is that in 2025 an independent laboratory at Brunel University London confirmed in cell culture that Epitalon does measurably lengthen telomeres, while also identifying a mechanism difference between normal and cancer cells.
Mechanism of action
Reported to act on telomere maintenance and the neuroendocrine pineal axis. The 2025 independent work found that in normal human cells (mammary epithelial cells and fibroblasts) Epitalon extended telomeres through upregulation of hTERT and telomerase activity, whereas in two breast cancer cell lines it extended telomeres through Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) — a telomerase-independent pathway associated with cancer biology. The authors noted the ALT increase was specific to the cancer cells.
Development history
Developed at the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology under Vladimir Khavinson, within a program based on the hypothesis that tissue-derived peptide extracts carry organ-specific regulatory information that can be reproduced by short synthetic peptides.
Current regulatory status
Epithalon is not approved by the FDA or any Western regulator for any indication. Its parent extract Epithalamin has been used clinically in Russia since the 1980s. Epitalon was nominated to FDA’s bulk drug substances list for pharmacy compounding; the nomination was withdrawn. The 2025 finding on ALT activation in cancer cell lines is relevant context for the telomere-maintenance hypotheses behind its longevity research.
Analytical testing
A four-residue peptide is simple to verify by mass spectrometry against a certified reference standard, and there is little excuse for a COA that does not do so. Note that Epithalon and Epithalamin are different products; a COA should make clear which is being supplied.
Ordering from Great Falls
MontanaPep, also known as Montana Peptides, is an independently owned supplier based at 715 13th Ave S, Great Falls, Montana. Local pickup is available by arrangement, and we ship to research addresses across Montana including Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, Butte, Kalispell and Havre. Call (406) 799-0812 or email customerservice@montanapep.com.