Pinealon
EDR · Glu-Asp-Arg · Пинеалон
Pinealon is synthetic Glu-Asp-Arg (EDR) - a CNS cytogen on the NPCRIZ list, sitting on the border of brain and pineal stories. It is not Epitalon (AEDG) and not Cortexin (extract).
Use-case scores
0–10 against the evidence we have, not a gym ranking. Hidden domains do not apply here.
- Cognition3.5/10
Khavinson-group neuronal/oxidative-stress papers. Single-lab concentration after haircut. Not a Western cognition RCT.
- Longevity / aging3.5/10
Pineal/melatonin-adjacent bioregulator story. Same literature family as other cytogens. Not Epitalon telomerase papers pasted on.
Compound card
- Sequence
- EDR (Glu-Asp-Arg)
- Class
- Khavinson cytogen (pineal/CNS tripeptide)
- Formula
- C13H19N5O8
- Status
- Not FDA-approved · research use
How it works
Pinealon (Glu-Asp-Arg, EDR) is a synthetic tripeptide bioregulator developed by Vladimir Khavinson at the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. It specifically targets central nervous system tissues, particularly the pineal gland and cortical neurons.
Pinealon penetrates the nuclear membrane of neuronal cells and interacts directly with DNA, modulating gene expression related to neuroprotection, antioxidant defense, and melatonin synthesis. In vitro studies demonstrate that Pinealon reduces markers of oxidative stress (ROS) in cortical neuron cultures by 30-40%.
As a pineal gland bioregulator, it normalizes melatonin production - which naturally declines with age - supporting circadian rhythm regulation, sleep quality, and the endogenous antioxidant cascade that melatonin drives. Khavinson's group has published over 30 papers demonstrating short peptide bioregulators ability to regulate gene expression epigenetically.
Source: PMID: 18402693
Khavinson map
Canonical 41Used in bioregulator stacks
Manufacturer-style organ combinations - not FDA protocols. Every name is a live leaf.
The Khavinson school
Vladimir Khatskelevich Khavinson (1946–2024) spent five decades at what became the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology arguing a simple, stubborn idea: aging is, in part, a failure of tissue-specific peptide signals, and those signals can be restored. The first products were not “peptides” in the Instagram sense. They were Cytamins - polypeptide fractions isolated from a named organ of young animals. Later commercial refinements of those fractions are sold as Cytomaxes (Cytomed / NPCRIZ): still mixtures, still oral capsules, still defined by the source organ rather than a single sequence. When the group identified short active motifs inside those mixtures, they synthesized them as Cytogens - di-, tri-, and tetrapeptides with a one-letter code (KE, AEDG, KED, EDR, KEDP, and so on).
That three-layer stack is the whole map. Cytamin / pharmaceutical extracts (Thymalin, Epithalamin, Cortexin, Retinalamin, Prostatilen) are the clinic-era injectables registered in the former Soviet pharmacopeia. Cytomaxes are the capsule complexes Cytomed still lists as a 21-SKU organ line. Cytogens are the defined synthetics. English-language educators, including Brenden Henry’s public writing at Peptide Science Institute, add a further commercial distinction - later analog SKUs (N-acetyl, amidate, “V2” complexes) sold as more stable or more diverse than the original Cytomed lots. That last layer is a product taxonomy, not a Khavinson paper. We describe it so readers are not gaslit by three bottles with the same organ name. We do not reproduce paid Peptide Mastery protocols, Precision Cell Method language, or anyone else’s course IP.
Full Cytamin → Cytomax → Cytogen map, literature limits, and how we counted 41
The mechanism Khavinson published is epigenetic, not receptor-agonist in the GLP-1 sense. Short peptides are claimed to enter nuclei, interact with DNA/histones, and reopen tissue-specific transcription that condensed with age (heterochromatin → euchromatin). Reviews in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine and Neuroendocrinology Letters (PMID 14523363, 15677927, 23888677) are the citable core. Complementary GI pharmacology is not mystical: di- and tripeptides are PEPT1/LAT substrates, which is why oral capsules are even a conversation. What is not established in Western Phase 3 programs is organ-by-organ disease treatment, telomere reversal as a clinical endpoint, or the manufacturer claim that Cytomax is “a third stronger” than Cytogen. Those are NPCRIZ marketing sentences.
Khavinson’s group published hundreds of papers, many in Russian, many in the same journal family. That is a real literature. It is also a literature with limited independent Western replication, small n, and a habit of using one review PMID as a stamp on every organ. On this site a leaf earns its organ story, its Cytomax↔Cytogen pair, its sequence if it has one, and an honest sentence about what has not been shown. Reconstitution math belongs on cytogens sold as vials. Cytomax capsules do not get a fake 5 mg vial.
The 41 we treat as canonical are the 21 Cytomaxes on the public e-peptide/Cytomed list, the 12 Cytogens on that same commercial line (including Vesilut, which Western catalogs often drop), plus eight historically load-bearing molecules that sit beside the capsule SKUs: Epitalon, Vilon, Thymogen, Livagen, Cortagen, Prostamax, Thymalin, and Epithalamin. Honluten, Cortexin, Retinalamin, Prostatilen, Thymulin, N-acetyl-epitalon-amidate, Pinalex, and the GPL Man / GPL Femme kits are covered as adjacent - same school or same storefront, not padded into a fake 41.
Public English-language teaching (including Brenden Henry at peptidescienceinstitute.com) is cited as context, not copied. Paid Peptide Mastery / Peptide Salvation text stays theirs.
History of this molecule
EDR is one of the better-documented cytogens in animal neuroprotection work: oxidative stress, neuronal DNA, circadian-adjacent claims. English blogs then merge it with Epitalon because both touch pineal. Different sequences. Epitalon is the telomerase-famous tetrapeptide. Pinealon is the tripeptide. Endoluten is the pineal complex. Cerluten is the brain complex.
Public PSI teaching uses Pinealon as an example of short peptides binding promoter regions (including FNDC5/irisin in one public article). That is a teaching slide pointing at published figures - cite the papers, not the course. We do not paste their diagrams.
Cortagen (AEDP) is cortex. Pinealon is not “the same shot with a different vowel.”
Caveats
A defined sequence is not an FDA indication. CNS cytogens sit in a Russian experimental-gerontology literature with limited Western replication. “Oral bioavailability because PEPT1” is real peptide-transport biology; it is not proof this SKU treats the organ disease. Gray-market identity is a live problem - HPLC is the only way to know the vial is the sequence on the label.
Full 41-map: Khavinson bioregulators index · Bioregulator stacks
Research Use Cases
- ✓EDR identity vs Epitalon vs Cortagen vs Cerluten
- ✓Not a dementia, stroke, or TBI treatment page
Dosing
| Phase | Dose | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Protocol (Most Common) | 10 - 20 mg | Daily for 10-30 days, then cycle off | Standard Khavinson oral bioregulator protocol. Take in the evening to align with pineal melatonin synthesis. |
| Injectable Protocol | 1 - 2 mg | Daily SC for 10 days, repeat 2-4x/year | Injectable form offers higher bioavailability. Used in Khavinson clinical protocols in Russia. |
Administration
Pinealon: oral vs SubQ
- Official Cytomed cytogen SKU is a swallowed capsule. No BAC water, no syringe.
- Matches how Cytomed ships the poster line.
- Nobody manufactures this as a sublingual tablet.
- EDR is a tripeptide, so oral PEPT1/LAT is a real transporter conversation, still not a sleep or dementia indication.
- Capsule milligrams are not 1–2 mg SC. Do not convert a research-vial protocol into capsule counts by arithmetic theater.
- Empty-stomach timing is user-guide folklore plus PEPT1 logic, not a cited human PK study for this SKU.
- Pinealon is EDR, a CNS cytogen on the NPCRIZ poster. It is not Epitalon (AEDG), not Cortagen (AEDP), and not Cortexin. Do not steal telomerase PMIDs from AEDG.
- Evening-for-melatonin timing is folklore on this leaf. It does not turn the capsule into a Z-drug or a melatonin gummy.
- Vial math is checkable if the COA matches the sequence on the label.
- Food timing is irrelevant for SubQ.
- Short pulsed courses match how the school used defined synthetics.
- SubQ research use is how US vials are actually sold; food does not change the shot even if you pick an evening clock.
- Gray-market identity: HPLC is the only way to know the cake is EDR (Glu-Asp-Arg).
- Not a Western Phase 3. Russian experimental-gerontology literature is real and concentrated.
- Not a sublingual tablet and not a Cytomax complex.
- Pinealon is EDR, a CNS cytogen on the NPCRIZ poster. It is not Epitalon (AEDG), not Cortagen (AEDP), and not Cortexin. Do not steal telomerase PMIDs from AEDG.
- Indexed neuronal/oxidative-stress work is Khavinson-group concentrated (including PMID 21950810 neighborhood). Not a Western neurodegeneration RCT.
Timeline
Who it is for
Sleep Quality / Circadian Rhythm
ModerateNormalizes pineal melatonin production rather than flooding receptors with exogenous melatonin. More physiological approach.
Neuroprotection
LowReduces cortical oxidative stress markers in vitro. Human evidence is limited to Russian clinical practice.
Longevity / Bioregulator Protocol
LowKhavinson data shows synergy with Epitalon. Used together for combined telomerase activation and neuroprotection.
Reconstitution
Safety & Considerations
Russian clinic history is not a US safety NDA. May potentiate sedative effects due to melatonin pathway modulation. Avoid combining with exogenous melatonin without medical guidance. Not FDA-approved. Well-tolerated in available clinical data.
Regulatory & Legal Status
Not currently on the WADA 2026 Prohibited List. Policies may change - verify before competition.
Research Chemical
US Compounding: Not eligible / not available
⚠️ This information is for educational purposes only and may not reflect the most current regulatory updates. Always verify with official FDA, WADA, and jurisdiction-specific sources before use.
Limits of current evidence
- Do not steal Epitalon telomerase PMIDs.
- “30 papers” is the school, not 30 independent Western replications of this tripeptide.
- This site will not treat neurodegeneration from a peptide page.
Verdict
Pinealon is EDR, the pineal cytogen. Khavinson’s group published on it. That is a real, concentrated literature, not a Phase 3. It is not Epitalon (AEDG). Capsule vs vial follows the cytogen rules on this site.
Interactions & Contraindications
Sedation/melatonin folklore is not a labeled interaction. This site will not treat stroke from a peptide page.
Synergies & Common Stacks
Neighboring pineal peptides (EDR vs AEDG). Sequence vs sequence, not a combo drug.
Appears in goal guides
Goal guides are maps, not clinic protocols. A mention here is not a treatment plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pinealon vs Epitalon vs Cortagen vs Cerluten?▼
Nootropic like Semax?▼
Sleep peptide?▼
Oral capsule or injection?▼
What is the difference between Pinealon and Epitalon?▼
How is Pinealon administered?▼
Does Pinealon improve sleep?▼
References
- Khavinson VKh et al. “Pinealon and related short peptides in neuronal models.” Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2011). PMID: 21950810
- Khavinson VKh et al. “Short peptides stimulate gene expression in aging cerebral cortex.” Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2009). PMID: 19503960
- Khavinson VKh et al. “Tissue-specific effects of peptides.” Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2005). PMID: 15677927
- Khavinson VKh, Lin’kova NS, Tarnovskaya SI “Short peptides regulate gene expression.” Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2013). PMID: 23888677
- Khavinson VKh, Morozov VG “Peptide regulation of aging: from experimental studies to clinical practice.” Advances in Gerontology (2003). PMID: 14523363
- Khavinson VK, et al. “Peptide regulation of gene expression and protein synthesis in bronchial epithelium.” Bull Exp Biol Med (2008). PMID: 18402693
- Khavinson VK, et al. “Short peptides modulate the effect of endonucleases of wheat seedling.” Bull Exp Biol Med (2010). PMID: 21516878
- Khavinson VK, et al. “Neuroprotective effect of EDR peptide in models of oxidative stress.” Bull Exp Biol Med (2012). PMID: 22803090
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Get Pinealon from Vita-Stream - a distributor for Khavinson-line oral capsules. No reconstitution math on a Cytomax bottle.
Affiliate link · Full review