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What is Pinealon?

Pinealon is a lab-made tripeptide, Glu-Asp-Arg (EDR), from Vladimir Khavinson's group at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology in Russia.12 Studies test whether it protects nerve cells against oxidative stress, low oxygen and amyloid, mostly in cells, rats and mice.23416 Human data come from a few small Russian studies, and it is not FDA-approved.5678

This page summarizes published sources for information only. It is not medical advice and does not tell anyone to use a product. Questions about your own health belong with a licensed clinician. For questions about an order or a product, contact us.

Key facts

ClassSynthetic tripeptide from the Khavinson group's short-peptide research21
Also known asEDR, Glu-Asp-Arg, H-Glu-Asp-Arg-OH, L-glutamyl-L-aspartyl-L-arginine, T-339101
Forms we sell20 mg research vial (freeze-dried powder)11
Regulatory statusNot FDA approved; named by Health Canada in 2025 among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs812
WADA statusNot named; class S0 bans at all times any substance not covered elsewhere on the list that has no government approval for human therapeutic use1314
Human evidenceA few small Russian studies (for example 32 adults, 110 people, a truck-driver group); no registered trial56715

What sources report

Pinealon is a synthetic peptide of three amino acids: glutamic acid, aspartic acid and arginine (Glu-Asp-Arg, or EDR).921 PubChem lists it as CID 10273502, with the formula C15H26N6O8, a molar mass of 418.40 g/mol and CAS number 175175-23-2.2324 It comes from the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology in Russia, and many of its studies come from that institute and its partners.217421 The 2012 rat study used peptide made by the Russian firm Garmonika.16

Most of the evidence is cell and animal work: a PubMed search for "pinealon" returned 22 records in October 2026, and no Pinealon trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.2515 A 2026 US review of therapeutic peptides in orthopedics, which mentions pinealon, noted a current lack of clinical trials.19 For lab work, the compound is listed as Pinealon for sale in a freeze-dried research vial.

Nerve cells under stress

  • Oxidative stress (2011): in cerebellar granule cells, neutrophils and PC12 cells, Pinealon limited the buildup of reactive oxygen species in a dose-dependent way.2 It also reduced necrotic cell death and delayed ERK 1/2 activation.2
  • A different result (2008): an earlier cell study found that short peptides including pinealon raised the resting level of reactive oxygen species.26 The share of dead neurons still fell.26 The same study found no direct antioxidant activity in test-tube assays.26
  • Amyloid toxicity (2017): in mouse hippocampal neurons exposed to amyloid, EDR at 200 ng/ml raised the number of mushroom-shaped dendritic spines by 71%, back to normal.17
  • Aging human neurons (2024): in neurons made from skin cells of elderly donors, EDR reduced oxidative DNA damage.27 It increased dendrite branching but did not change mitochondrial or lysosomal activity or p16 levels.27
  • Serotonin (2014): EDR and a related peptide, KED, stimulated serotonin expression in aging cultures of brain cortex cells.28

Animal studies and tissue cultures

  • Prenatal stress, rats (2012): pregnant rats given extra methionine in their drinking water, a model of high homocysteine, received pinealon before the methionine load.16 Their offspring oriented and learned better, and the pups' cerebellar neurons showed less oxidative buildup and fewer dead cells.16
  • Low oxygen (2008): of four short peptides tested in a low-pressure hypoxia model, pinealon had the strongest anti-hypoxia effect; the abstract does not name the species.3
  • Learning, rats (2013): Pinealon improved Morris water maze learning in young and old rats more than Cortexin, a brain extract.29
  • Aged rats under hypoxia or cooling (2015): Cortexin had the stronger effect on free radical processes and caspase-3 in the brain.30
  • Old rats under hypoxia (2014): measuring brain caspase-3 and blood IL-6 and TNF, the authors suggested Pinealon promoted neurogenesis and brought neuroinflammatory reactions down to reference levels.31
  • Old rats, carotid artery occlusion (2011): the peptides tested, Pinealon and Cortexin, improved survival.32 With Pinealon, though, position-finding, motivation and motor performance fell, and caspase-3 rose moderately.32
  • Alzheimer's model mice (2021): in 5xFAD mice, daily EDR injections for 2 months prevented dendritic spine loss.4
  • Pineal and skin tissue (2011, 2012): in rat pineal tissue, Pinealon raised neither the growth marker Ki-67 nor CGRP, while Epitalon (AEDG) raised both.211 It stimulated cell growth in skin tissue from young rats, but not markedly in skin from old rats.10

Human studies

Human data come from a few small Russian studies published in Russian with English abstracts, including these three:

  • 2015: 32 adults aged 41 to 83, with several chronic illnesses and organic brain syndrome in remission, took part in a study of Pinealon and Vesugen.5 The authors reported an "anabolic" effect and slower biological-age indicators, clearer with Vesugen.5 The abstract's count does not add up: it lists 18 men and 12 women, which is 30.5
  • 2016: a comparison of anti-aging methods in 110 people covered carbon dioxide baths, hyperbaric oxygen, massage, and Vesugen plus Pinealon.6 The combined peptides had the most pronounced effect on biological-age indicators.6
  • 2012: among truck drivers with stress-related neurotic symptoms, the best psychoemotional results came from Pinealon combined with Vesugen.7 The abstract does not say how many drivers were treated.7

None of these three abstracts reports randomization, blinding, doses or how long the peptides were used.567 A developer review states that EDR "improves memory issues in elderly patients," but we could not locate the study behind that statement.18

Proposed mechanism

The developer group's hypothesis is that EDR enters cells and binds histone proteins and/or ribonucleic acids, changing gene expression and protein synthesis.18 Some lab data fit parts of this idea:

  • Fluorescent-tagged pinealon entered the cytoplasm, nucleus and nucleolus of HeLa cells.20 In test tubes it bound short DNA sequences and seemed to prefer CAG-containing ones.20
  • A physics study found EDR can partly enter the major groove of DNA, acting mainly on guanine atoms; magnesium ions promoted the contact.33
  • Computer docking predicted EDR binding sites in the promoter regions of genes linked to Alzheimer's disease, including CASP3, GAP43, APOE, SOD2, PPARA and PPARG.4

Direct gene regulation remains the developers' hypothesis, not an established mechanism.18

  • Cardiogen (AEDR) is alanine followed by Pinealon's three amino acids.1 The developer group links it to the cardiovascular system instead of nerve cells.1 See What is Cardiogen?.
  • Epitalon (AEDG) is a separate four-amino-acid peptide from the same program, compared above.1 See What is Epithalon?.
  • Vesugen (KED) is often studied alongside Pinealon; in Alzheimer's model mice, both prevented spine loss.4

Research by goal is mapped in Peptides and focus and memory and Peptides and sleep.

Side effects

No registered trial has collected side effect data for Pinealon.15 In the 32-person Russian study of Pinealon and Vesugen, the authors reported pro-oxidant activity and a fall in blood CD34+ stem cell markers, without saying in the abstract which peptide caused them.5 They described the fall as significant inhibition of blood cell formation.5 A 110-person comparison, by contrast, rated the peptide preparations among the safest methods tested.6 Full list: Pinealon side effects.

Dosage information

No human dose of Pinealon is established.815 It has no FDA-approved label and no registered clinical trial.815 Published studies used these amounts:

Study Species and model Amount and route Duration
Rats, 2012 Pregnant rats, high-homocysteine model 10 micrograms per kg per day, intraperitoneal, in 0.9% saline16 5 days before methionine loading16
Mice, 2021 5xFAD Alzheimer's model mice 400 micrograms per kg, intraperitoneal4 Once a day for 2 months4
Cells, 2017 Mouse hippocampal neurons 200 ng/ml in the culture medium17 Not stated in the abstract
Humans, 2012 to 2016 The three Russian studies above Not reported in their English abstracts567 Not reported

These are research conditions in animals and cells, not guidance for people.815 Background on how study doses are reported is in Peptide dosage basics.

Reconstitution and storage

The research vial holds 20 mg of white freeze-dried solid.11 The supplier lists a shelf life of 36 months at -20 °C or 30 days at 2 to 8 °C, and sells bacteriostatic water separately.11 These are supplier statements, not published stability data.11 In published animal work, researchers dissolved pinealon in 0.9% sodium chloride for rats and in a physiological solution for mice.164

Peptide makers' general guidance applies here. GenScript notes that peptides containing Glu, Asp or Arg tend to absorb moisture.34 So the vial should stay tightly capped and reach room temperature before it is opened.34 Bachem adds that a peptide powder may be only 70 to 90% peptide by weight, which affects the true concentration of a mixed solution.35 For the bacteriostatic water vial, CDC guidance says an opened multiple-dose vial should be dated and discarded within 28 days unless its maker states another date.36

Lab steps are in the reconstitution guide and How to store peptides. The reconstitution calculator does the concentration math.

Regulatory status

Pinealon is not an FDA-approved drug: an October 2026 search of FDA's Drugs@FDA data found no product with it as an active ingredient.8 It is not on FDA's May 14, 2026 list of bulk substances nominated for 503A compounding, nor on FDA's page of bulk substances that may present significant safety risks.2237 A federal rule lets a drug meant only for test-tube or lab-animal research be shipped if it is labeled "Not for use in humans," and the shipper must use due diligence to make sure the recipient regularly does such research.38 In an August 2026 warning letter to one peptide seller, FDA said evidence from the seller's website showed its products were intended as drugs for human use, despite "for research use only" labels.39

Canada has acted on Pinealon by name. Health Canada's August 1, 2025 advisory lists it among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs seized from and sold by the seller Canada Peptide.12 The advisory says injectable peptides are regulated as prescription drugs in Canada.12 It adds that the products had not been assessed for safety, efficacy and quality, and that selling unauthorized drugs is illegal in Canada.12

WADA's 2026 Prohibited List does not name Pinealon, but class S0 bans at all times any substance not covered by the list's other sections that has no current government approval for human therapeutic use.13 USADA says the 2027 list, in effect January 1, 2027, names "peptides" in general in S0.14 Pinealon's status in Russia could not be confirmed from an official source.

More on Pinealon

  • Pinealon side effects

    Side effects of Pinealon as reported in published studies, with links to the full profile. Reviewed by a qualified reviewer.

Pinealon in the store

Pinealon for sale: strengths, stock and shipping are on the product page.

For research use only. Not for human or veterinary use. Read the research use policy.

Related reading

Related profiles

Frequently asked questions

What does the Pinealon peptide do?

In cell studies, Pinealon (Glu-Asp-Arg) limited the buildup of reactive oxygen species and necrotic death in nerve cells under oxidative stress.2 Rat pups learned better when their mothers, given extra methionine to raise homocysteine, received it first,16 and it restored or preserved dendritic spines in cell and mouse models of Alzheimer's disease.174 Its developers propose that it enters cells and changes gene activity.18 No well-designed clinical trial has shown a benefit in people.1519

How long does it take for Pinealon to work?

Nobody knows for people: no registered clinical trial has measured how quickly Pinealon acts, or whether it acts.15 Published animal designs give some timelines: pregnant rats were treated for 5 days before a dietary stress test, and Alzheimer's model mice for 2 months.164 Those schedules describe research designs, not results anyone should expect in humans.

Is Pinealon the same as Epitalon?

No. Epitalon has four amino acids (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly), while Pinealon has three (Glu-Asp-Arg).1 Both come from the same St. Petersburg group, and both entered cell nuclei when tagged with a fluorescent label.120 In rat pineal gland culture, though, Epitalon raised the growth marker Ki-67 and the secretion marker CGRP, and Pinealon raised neither.21

Does Pinealon help with sleep?

There is no published human sleep study of Pinealon; none of the 22 PubMed records for it tests sleep in people.25 Despite its name, it did not reproduce Epitalon's effects in a rat pineal gland culture.21 A 2026 US orthopedics review lists pinealon among agents it says target circadian and mitochondrial regulators, while noting a current lack of clinical trials.19 Claims about sleep or circadian rhythm therefore rest on no clinical evidence.2119

Has Pinealon been tested in humans?

Only in a few small Russian studies, published in Russian with English abstracts.567 Examples are 32 adults with chronic illness (2015), a 110-person comparison of anti-aging methods (2016) and a group of truck drivers (2012).567 None of those three abstracts reports randomization, blinding or a dose.567 No Pinealon trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.15

Is Pinealon FDA approved?

No. A search of FDA's drug approval data found no product with pinealon as an active ingredient.8 It is not on FDA's May 14, 2026 list of bulk substances nominated for compounding under section 503A.22 In Canada, Health Canada's 2025 advisory lists Pinealon among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs seized from and sold by a Canadian seller.12

Written by D2C Peptides Editorial Team.

Pending qualified review.

Updated .

Sources

  1. Khavinson V, et al. Peptide Regulation of Gene Expression: A Systematic Review. Molecules. 2021;26(22):7053 (PMC8619776). Molecules (MDPI), 2021.
  2. Khavinson V, et al. Pinealon increases cell viability by suppression of free radical levels and activating proliferative processes. Rejuvenation Res. 2011;14(5):535-41. Rejuvenation Research; record via PubMed (NLM), 2011.
  3. Kozina LS. Investigation of antihypoxic properties of short peptides. Adv Gerontol. 2008;21(1):61-7 (in Russian). Advances in Gerontology; record via PubMed (NLM), 2008.
  4. Khavinson V, et al. Neuroprotective Effects of Tripeptides, Epigenetic Regulators in Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021;14(6):515 (PMC8227791). Pharmaceuticals (MDPI); full text via PMC (NLM), 2021.
  5. Meshchaninov VN, et al. Effect of synthetic peptides on aging of patients with chronic polymorbidity and organic brain syndrome of the central nervous system in remission. Adv Gerontol. 2015;28(1):62-7 (in Russian). Advances in Gerontology; record via PubMed (NLM), 2015.
  6. Myakotnykh VS, et al. Comparative analysis of different methods of geroprotective. Adv Gerontol. 2016;29(4):594-601 (in Russian). Advances in Gerontology; record via PubMed (NLM), 2016.
  7. Bashkireva AS, Artamonova VG. The peptide correction of neurotic disorders among professional truck-drivers. Adv Gerontol. 2012;25(4):718-28 (in Russian). Advances in Gerontology; record via PubMed (NLM), 2012.
  8. openFDA Drugs@FDA search: active ingredient 'pinealon'. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (openFDA), 2026.
  9. PubChem synonyms for CID 10273502 (Glu-Asp-Arg). PubChem, National Library of Medicine (NIH), 2026.
  10. Voicekhovskaya MA, et al. Effect of bioregulatory tripeptides on the culture of skin cells from young and old rats. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2012;152(3):357-9. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine; record via PubMed (NLM), 2012.
  11. Supplier product specification.
  12. Unauthorized injectable peptide drugs seized and sold by Canada Peptide may pose serious health risks (public advisory, 2025-08-01). Health Canada (Recalls and safety alerts), 2025.
  13. World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), 2025.
  14. Athlete Advisory: What's New on the 2027 WADA Prohibited List? (published October 6, 2026). U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), 2026.
  15. ClinicalTrials.gov search: 'pinealon' (API v2). ClinicalTrials.gov, National Library of Medicine (NIH), 2026.
  16. Arutjunyan A, et al. Pinealon protects the rat offspring from prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2012;5(2):179-85 (PMC3342713). International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine; full text via PMC (NLM), 2012.
  17. Kraskovskaya NA, et al. Tripeptides Restore the Number of Neuronal Spines under Conditions of In Vitro Modeled Alzheimer's Disease. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2017;163(4):550-553. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine; record via PubMed (NLM), 2017.
  18. Khavinson V, et al. EDR Peptide: Possible Mechanism of Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis Regulation Involved in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease. Molecules. 2020;26(1):159 (PMC7795577). Molecules (MDPI); record via PubMed (NLM), 2020.
  19. Rahman OF, Lee SJ, Seeds WA. Therapeutic Peptides in Orthopaedics: Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions. J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev. 2026;10(1):e25.00236. JAAOS Global Research and Reviews; record via PubMed (NLM), 2026.
  20. Fedoreyeva LI, et al. Penetration of short fluorescence-labeled peptides into the nucleus in HeLa cells and in vitro specific interaction of the peptides with deoxyribooligonucleotides and DNA. Biochemistry (Mosc). 2011;76(11):1210-9. Biochemistry (Moscow); record via PubMed (NLM), 2011.
  21. Khavinson VKh, et al. Effect of short peptides on expression of signaling molecules in organotypic pineal cell culture. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2011;152(1):138-41. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine; record via PubMed (NLM), 2011.
  22. Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (updated May 14, 2026). U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026.
  23. PubChem compound properties for 'pinealon' (CID 10273502). PubChem, National Library of Medicine (NIH), 2026.
  24. PubChem CAS record for CID 10273502. PubChem, National Library of Medicine (NIH), 2026.
  25. PubMed search: 'pinealon' (E-utilities esearch). PubMed, National Library of Medicine (NIH), 2026.
  26. Kozina LS, et al. Biological activity of regulatory peptides in model experiments in vitro. Adv Gerontol. 2008;21(1):68-73 (in Russian). Advances in Gerontology; record via PubMed (NLM), 2008.
  27. Kraskovskaya N, et al. Short Peptides Protect Fibroblast-Derived Induced Neurons from Age-Related Changes. Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(21):11363. International Journal of Molecular Sciences; record via PubMed (NLM), 2024.
  28. Khavinson VKh, et al. Short peptides stimulate serotonin expression in cells of brain cortex. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2014;157(1):77-80. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine; record via PubMed (NLM), 2014.
  29. Mendzheritski AM, et al. Effect of peptide geroprotectors on the navigation system learning and caspase-3 in brain structures in rats of different age. Adv Gerontol. 2013;26(2):252-257 (in Russian). Advances in Gerontology; record via PubMed (NLM), 2013.
  30. Mendzheritsky AM, et al. Pinealon and Cortexin influence on behavior and neurochemical processes in 18-month aged rats within hypoxia and hypothermia. Adv Gerontol. 2015;28(3):532-539 (in Russian). Advances in Gerontology; record via PubMed (NLM), 2015.
  31. Mendzheritskii AM, et al. Regulation of content of cytokines in blood serum and of caspase-3 activity in brains of old rats in model of sharp hypoxic hypoxia with Cortexin and Pinealon. Adv Gerontol. 2014;27(1):94-7 (in Russian). Advances in Gerontology; record via PubMed (NLM), 2014.
  32. Mendzheritskii AM, et al. Effects of introduction of short peptides before carotid artery occlusion on behaviour and caspase-3 activity in the brain of old rats. Adv Gerontol. 2011;24(1):74-9 (in Russian). Advances in Gerontology; record via PubMed (NLM), 2011.
  33. Silanteva IA, et al. Role of Mono- and Divalent Ions in Peptide Glu-Asp-Arg-DNA Interaction. J Phys Chem B. 2019;123(9):1896-1902. Journal of Physical Chemistry B; record via PubMed (NLM), 2019.
  34. Peptide Storage and Handling Guidelines. GenScript.
  35. Care and Handling of Peptides. Bachem, 2021.
  36. Preventing Unsafe Injection Practices. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024.
  37. Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026.
  38. 21 CFR 312.160 Drugs for investigational use in laboratory research animals or in vitro tests. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), 2026.
  39. Warning Letter: Peptide Partners LLC (MARCS-CMS 735063), August 24, 2026. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026.