Pinealon
Also called Glu-Asp-Arg, EDR, EDR peptide4
Pinealon is a synthetic chain of just 3 amino acids: glutamic acid, aspartic acid and arginine. It comes from Vladimir Khavinson's institute in St. Petersburg, and nearly all the research on it comes from that one network, mostly in cells and rats.1, 5 It's sold for sleep, but we found no study of sleep in people. It has never been approved and has no legal US source.6
Often sold alongside epitalon and DSIP as a "sleep" peptide. See every peptide in the peptide library
In this guide
At a glance
| What it is | A synthetic 3-amino-acid peptide, Glu-Asp-Arg4 |
|---|---|
| Who studies it | Almost only Khavinson's St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology and linked groups1, 5 |
| Best evidence | Cell studies showing less oxidative stress, and rat studies of brain injury models2, 5 |
| Human evidence | Russian reports in brain-injury patients (72 people) and older adults, with no clear control groups1, 3 |
| No human evidence for | Sleep, melatonin, absorption by mouth, safety, a dose |
| Legal status | Not approved. Not on any FDA compounding list. Not in the HHS policy6, 8 |
| In sport | Not named by WADA. Likely covered by S0, which bans, at all times, substances not covered elsewhere on the list that have no government approval for human use9 |
| Main risks | Unknown. No human safety study exists5 |
| Typical cost | No legal product to price |
Where to get it
MoveWell sells nothing and earns nothing from this page. There is no legal way to get pinealon in the US. Why
Not approved and not on FDA's compounding lists. Superpower, a health-testing company that writes about peptides, says it "does not offer this substance."5, 6
WhyNo completed randomized trial in people as of September 2026.5
The evidenceMolecular structure
Three amino acids: two acidic ones, then arginine with its nitrogen-rich side chain.
Arginine (Arg), the third amino acid
- Sequence
- EDR
- Length
- 3 amino acids
- Formula
- C15H26N6O8
- Weight
- 418.4 g/mol
- ChEBI
- CHEBI:156374
Drawn from the sequence in ChEBI. Formula and weight from ChEBI.4 Some sellers list 404 g/mol, which doesn't match this sequence.
What it is
Pinealon is one of the short "bioregulator" peptides developed by Vladimir Khavinson's St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. His group describes it as "a tripeptide isolated from the polypeptide neuroprotective drug Cortexin," a Russian brain extract.1 Despite the name, it doesn't come from the pineal gland. What's sold is synthetic.
A review by Superpower, a US health-testing company, says the evidence comes from "one closely affiliated research network with no independent Western replication."5 We didn't find an independent study either.
How it works
Unknown. Khavinson's group proposes it acts on genes directly:
- Gene binding. The group says pinealon is "assumed to enter cells and bind to histone proteins and/or ribonucleic acids." Its proposed binding sites on genes come from modeling and DNA sequence analysis, not direct measurement in cells.1
- Oxidative stress. In rat brain cells and a rat cell line, it lowered reactive oxygen species and cut cell death after a chemical stress.2
- Melatonin. Claims that it boosts the pineal gland's own melatonin aren't backed by any human study we found.
The same review says one proposed pathway "requires further investigation and experimental confirmation."1
Evidence map
Each claimed use is graded separately, because the evidence differs by use.
One Russian report of 72 patients, added to usual care. No control group or statistics described
Cell and rat studies, almost all from one network
One comparison of several methods in 110 people, with no described randomization or control
No study found, in people or animals. Marketing only
Scale: 5 FDA-approved, 4 strong human, 3 limited human, 2 animal or lab only, 1 anecdotal
Key studies
| Use | Study | Model | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain injury | Cited in Khavinson 20211 | Human, design not given n=72 | By mouth, added to usual care. Better memory, fewer headaches. No control group described |
| Older adults | Cited in Khavinson 20211 | Human, design not given | "Effectiveness in correction of cerebral dysfunctions." No numbers given |
| Aging | Myakotnykh 20173 | Human comparison n=110 | Baths, hyperbaric oxygen, massage and two peptides compared. Pinealon plus another peptide, Vezugen, did best on "biological age" scores |
| Cell stress | Khavinson 20112 | Rat cells | Less oxidative stress and less cell death after hydrogen peroxide |
| Pregnancy model | Arutjunyan 20125 | Rat | Protected offspring from a metabolic insult during pregnancy |
| Brain injury models | Mendzheritsky 2011–20155 | Old rats | Changes in behavior and a cell-death enzyme after low oxygen or blocked blood flow |
| Alzheimer's model | Khavinson 20211 | Mouse neurons in a dish | Prevented loss of dendritic spines, the contact points between nerve cells |
As of September 2026 there was no completed randomized controlled trial in humans and no published human safety or absorption study.5 The human reports appear in Russian-language journals and a review by the same group.1
By goal and route
Pick your goal to see what the evidence supports.
| By mouth | Injection | |
|---|---|---|
| Human evidence | Uncontrolled Russian reports | None found |
| Absorption | Not measured in people | Not measured in people |
| Known risks | Unknown | Unknown, plus sterility risk from research vials |
| Legal US source | None | None |
Sources: Khavinson 2021,1 Superpower review,5 FDA's 503A list.6
How it's used
No study has worked out a dose, and we don't give one. Sellers offer capsules and injectable vials. How much is absorbed by mouth, and whether any reaches the brain, hasn't been measured in people.5 The Russian reports gave it by mouth but published few details.1
Side effects and who should avoid it
- Unknown in people. No phase 1 safety study has been published in an indexed English-language journal, and we found no human absorption data.5
- Limited reports. One Russian comparison called the peptide preparations among the "safest" methods it tested, without detailed data.3
- No FDA review. It isn't on FDA's compounding nomination list, and we found no FDA assessment of its purity, immune risk or side-effect reports.6, 7
- Gray-market products. Capsules and vials sold online carry no identity, strength or sterility checks. FDA warned four "research" peptide sellers in August 2026.10
- Athletes. Likely falls under WADA's S0 ban on unapproved substances.9
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. No human data.
Compared with
| Pinealon | Epitalon | DSIP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sequence | Glu-Asp-Arg | Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly | 9 amino acids |
| Origin | Khavinson's institute | Khavinson's institute | Swiss rabbit studies, 1977 |
| PCAC, Jul 2026 | Never reviewed | Voted for | Voted against |
| HHS policy, Oct 2026 | Not covered | Covered, acetate injection | Not covered |
Sources: BakerHostetler,8 FDA meeting page,11 Khavinson 2021.1
Stacks
No combination with pinealon has been tested in a controlled study.
"Sleep" peptide stacks
Marketing onlyNo study of the combination. Pinealon and DSIP have no legal US source, and the HHS policy allows only single-ingredient products.8
Pinealon + Vezugen
Uncontrolled humanDid best on "biological age" scores in one Russian comparison of 110 people, with no described randomization.3
Myths vs evidence
All options
MoveWell sells nothing and earns nothing from this page. We list no sellers.
There is no legal US source of pinealon. It isn't FDA-approved, it isn't on FDA's list of substances nominated for pharmacy compounding, and the October 28, 2026 HHS policy covers six other peptides.6, 8, 12 In Russia it is sold as a "cytogen" supplement.5
Research use only vials and capsules
We don't list sellers. In August 2026 FDA warned four "research" peptide sellers that their products were unapproved drugs.10
Legal status
| FDA approval | None, for any use5 |
|---|---|
| Compounding list | Not on FDA's 503A nominations list in any category (updated May 14, 2026)6 |
| FDA safety list | Not mentioned (current as of April 22, 2026)7 |
| Advisory review | Not among the seven peptides FDA's advisers reviewed in July 202611 |
| HHS policy | Not covered. The October 28, 2026 policy names BPC-157, TB-500, epitalon, semax, KPV and MOTS-c8 |
| Sport | Not named by WADA. S0 bans substances "with no current approval by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use"9 |
| Russia | Sold as a "cytogen" supplement5 |
See every peptide's status in the regulatory tracker.
FAQ
Is pinealon legal?
It isn't approved, it's not on FDA's compounding list, and the 2026 HHS policy doesn't cover it. There is no legal US source.
Does it help sleep?
We found no study that tested it for sleep, in people or animals.
Is it the same as epitalon?
No. Both come from Khavinson's institute, but epitalon is a different 4-amino-acid peptide. Epitalon acetate injections are covered by the 2026 HHS policy; pinealon isn't.
Who has studied it?
Almost only Khavinson's institute and linked Russian groups. We found no independent study.
What dose do people use?
No study has set a dose. We don't give one.
Can athletes use it?
Very likely not. WADA doesn't name pinealon, but its S0 class bans unapproved substances at all times, and pinealon isn't approved as a drug in the US. Check with your anti-doping agency.
References
12 sources, with links
- Khavinson V, Linkova N, Kozhevnikova E, Trofimova S. EDR peptide: possible mechanism of gene expression and protein synthesis regulation involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Molecules 2021;26(1):159. DOI 10.3390/molecules26010159
- Khavinson V, Ribakova Y, Kulebiakin K, et al. Pinealon increases cell viability by suppression of free radical levels and activating proliferative processes. Rejuvenation Res 2011;14(5):535–541. DOI
- Myakotnykh VS, Torgashov MN, Egorin KV, Meshchaninov VN, et al. Comparative analysis of different geroprotective methods. Adv Gerontol 2017;7(1):76–83. Link
- ChEBI. Glu-Asp-Arg (CHEBI:156374). ebi.ac.uk
- Superpower. Pinealon (EDR): a Khavinson-group tripeptide in preclinical research. Link
- FDA. Bulk drug substances nominated for use in compounding under section 503A (updated May 14, 2026). fda.gov
- FDA. Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks (current as of Apr 22, 2026). fda.gov
- BakerHostetler. HHS issues enforcement discretion policy regarding 503A compounding using certain peptide bulk drug substances (Oct 28, 2026). Link
- WADA. 2026 Prohibited List, S0 non-approved substances (copy hosted by the Hellenic athletics federation, SEGAS). PDF
- Sheppard Mullin, via Mondaq. FDA balances peptide policy with enforcement against unlawful peptide sellers (Sep 22, 2026). Link
- FDA. July 23–24, 2026 meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee. fda.gov
- Federal Register public inspection. FR Doc. 2026-22192, docket HHS-OASH-2026-0496. Link
What changed on this page. The earlier version listed a dose, a molecular weight of 404 g/mol, an "excellent safety profile" and sleep as the main use. No study has set a dose, the weight of Glu-Asp-Arg is 418.4 g/mol, no human safety study exists, and we found no sleep study.4, 5
This page is for education and is not medical advice. Pinealon is not FDA-approved. Talk to a clinician about sleep or memory problems.