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Research library, Tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly)

Epitalon: chemistry, literature and regulatory status

Written by the Peptency editorial teamLast reviewed 4 studies checked in PubMed on 5 October 2026

Research-use information. This page summarises published literature and regulator records. It is not guidance for use, not medical advice, and not a statement that any material is suitable for use in people or animals.

What is Epitalon?

Epitalon, also written epithalon, is the tetrapeptide Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, synthesised on the basis of the amino acid composition of epithalamin, a bovine pineal gland extract. Published work consists of a mouse lifespan study, cell-culture studies on telomerase and a review. It is supplied here as a research material for laboratory use only.

What are the chemical facts for Epitalon?

Name
Epitalon
Also written
Epithalon
Sequence
Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly
Length
4 residues
Molecular formula
C14H22N4O9 (matches the formula computed from the sequence)
Average molecular weight
390.35 g/mol
CAS number
307297-39-8 (confirmed in PubChem)
PubChem
CID 219042

Chemistry checked against PubChem on 2026-10-05. Where the formula can be computed from the listed sequence, it was, and the two routes agree.

How does the literature describe the mechanism of Epitalon?

  • A lifelong mouse study measured biomarkers of ageing, lifespan and spontaneous tumour incidence.[4]
  • Studies in human cell lines and fibroblasts measured telomerase activity, telomere length and proliferative potential.[1],[3]
  • A 2025 overview covers in vitro, in vivo and in silico studies of epitalon.[2]

What has published research on Epitalon looked at?

4 studies are cited for Epitalon. Each is labelled by design below, and each entry says what the paper measured.

  • 2 in vitro
  • 1 review
  • 1 animal study

PubMed returns 140 records for the search terms published on the method page (14 of them with a review publication type, 1 with a clinical-trial publication type), checked 5 October 2026. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 0 registered studies whose intervention matches the name (0 interventional), checked 5 October 2026.

  • A correction notice has been published for the 2025 cell-line paper on telomere length (PubMed lists an erratum for PMID 40908429).[1]

Studies are listed by what they measured. Papers whose titles state an amount or schedule, or describe a clinical outcome of an approved medicine, are not listed. This is a wording rule, not a quality filter; see the method page.

What is the regulatory status of Epitalon?

FDA

No application listed

No application naming epitalon or epithalon as an active ingredient is listed in Drugs@FDA. Checked 2026-10-05; the control lookup (semaglutide) returned 6 applications.

Drugs@FDA via openFDA

EMA

No centrally authorised medicine listed

No centrally authorised procedure in the EMA medicines database (checked 5 October 2026) names epitalon as an active substance. National authorisations are not in this dataset.

EMA medicines data

MHRA

No product document found

No SmPC, PIL or PAR document in MHRA Products matches the exact name "epitalon". Checked 2026-10-05; the control lookup (semaglutide) returned 271 documents.

MHRA Products

WADA

Not named

The WADA 2026 Prohibited List, in force 1 January 2026 does not name this substance. The list names substances by example, so this is not a statement that it is permitted in sport.

WADA Prohibited List 2026

A regulator record is information about a database entry. It is not advice and not a statement that any use is lawful or unlawful in any country. How regulators approach research peptides.

Data dates: regulatory records 2026-10-05; WADA list 2026-10-05.

Which studies are cited for Epitalon?

  1. [1] Al-Dulaimi S, Thomas R, Matta S, Roberts T. Epitalon increases telomere length in human cell lines through telomerase upregulation or ALT activity. Biogerontology. 2025;26:178.

    Measured telomere length and telomerase activity in human cell lines exposed to epitalon. A correction notice has been published for this paper.

    PubMed lists a correction notice for this paper (PMID 41240216).

  2. [2] Araj SK, Brzezik J, Mądra-Gackowska K, Szeleszczuk Ł. Overview of Epitalon-Highly Bioactive Pineal Tetrapeptide with Promising Properties. Int J Mol Sci. 2025;26.

    Overview of in vitro, in vivo and in silico studies of epitalon.

  3. [3] Khavinson VKh, Bondarev IE, Butyugov AA, Smirnova TD. Peptide promotes overcoming of the division limit in human somatic cell. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2004;137:503-6.

    Studied proliferative potential and telomerase in human fetal fibroblasts exposed to epithalon.

  4. [4] Anisimov VN, Khavinson VKh, Popovich IG, Zabezhinski MA, Alimova IN, Rosenfeld SV, et al.. Effect of Epitalon on biomarkers of aging, life span and spontaneous tumor incidence in female Swiss-derived SHR mice. Biogerontology. 2003;4:193-202.

    Lifelong study in female mice of epitalon on biomarkers of ageing, lifespan and spontaneous tumour incidence.

Data dates: citations read from PubMed 2026-10-05.

Where else in the research library is Epitalon covered?

Who wrote this page and how is it checked?

Peptency editorial team, last reviewed 5 October 2026. Citations are read back from PubMed, chemistry is checked against PubChem, and regulator records are read from each regulator's own database on the dates shown. The method page lists every source, search term and rule. Corrections are welcome through the contact details on the About page.