Pinealon
updated
Pinealon is the synthetic tripeptide Glu-Asp-Arg (EDR) from the Khavinson group of Russian short-peptide bioregulators, the program behind epithalon. It is sold as a brain peptide for neuroprotection and memory. In rats under sudden oxygen deprivation it extended the time to respiratory arrest from 72 to 184 seconds, but the Russian human reports omit group sizes and peptide-specific results or mix it with other peptides, and nothing shows a cognitive benefit in people. Graded C for direct animal work and human reports too thin to measure a benefit.
synthetic Glu-Asp-Arg tripeptide
- Sequence EDR
- Synthetic tripeptide
- Russian human reports exist but omit key denominators and comparison data
- Most clinical reports combine Pinealon with another intervention
- No FDA-approved Pinealon drug
What is Pinealon?
Pinealon is the tripeptide Glu-Asp-Arg, abbreviated EDR. It is not AEDG Epithalon, AED Cartalax, or a pineal-gland extract.
source: Rat offspring · maternal-treatment model, Arutjunyan A et al. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 2012.
Has Pinealon improved cognition or aging outcomes in people?
The Russian reports do not provide enough group data to measure a Pinealon-specific benefit. The only abstract with a Pinealon-only regimen omits its denominator, comparator, and numerical results; other reports combine Pinealon with Vesugen or multiple interventions.
Can any positive conclusion be assigned to Pinealon alone?
The locomotive-worker report names a two-week Pinealon regimen but supplies no denominator or comparator. Other reports either assign people to Pinealon or Vesugen without separate group results or say the strongest signal came from using both together.
source: Human report · mixed interventions, unclear groups, Meshchaninov VN et al. Advances in Gerontology, 2015.
source: Russian clinical report · 300 screened, treatment subset unclear, Bashkireva AS, Artamonova VG. Advances in Gerontology, 2012. Article in Russian with English abstract.
source: Russian report · oral regimen, denominator missing, Nazimko VA et al. Advances in Gerontology, 2012. Article in Russian with English abstract.
source: Russian comparison · 110 total, mixed methods, Myakotnykh VS et al. Advances in Gerontology, 2016. Article in Russian with English and Russian abstract.
source: Human report · mixed interventions, unclear groups
source: Russian clinical report · 300 screened, treatment subset unclear
source: Russian report · oral regimen, denominator missing
source: Russian comparison · 110 total, mixed methods
source: ClinicalTrials.gov · no exact intervention record, ClinicalTrials.gov.
What do the neuroprotection studies show?
Rat experiments report selected cognitive, oxidative-stress, and neuronal findings under hypoxia or prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia. They do not establish memory, focus, stroke recovery, or neuroprotection in people.
source: Rat study · hypoxia-related endpoints, Stvolinsky SL et al. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2010.
What is known about safety?
The human abstracts do not describe an adequate adverse-event method or Pinealon-specific safety denominator. One mixed-method report calls peptide products safe without reporting group counts or adverse events. Human pharmacokinetics, repeated exposure, immune effects, pregnancy safety, interactions, and current product quality remain unknown.
The pregnancy study treated rats and did not measure safety in pregnant people or human fetuses.
source: Human report · mixed interventions, unclear groups
source: Russian clinical report · 300 screened, treatment subset unclear
source: Russian report · oral regimen, denominator missing
Is Pinealon approved?
No FDA-approved Pinealon drug, US prescribing label, or registered exact-intervention trial was identified.
Studies and sources
Human report · mixed interventions, unclear groups
Small clinical report
Meshchaninov VN et al. Advances in Gerontology, 2015.
The English abstract says 32 people aged 41 to 83 received Pinealon or Vesugen and reports changes in broad biological-age and organ-function measures. It does not state group sizes, allocation, comparator, route, dose, timing, attrition, or peptide-specific results. Its sex counts, 18 men and 12 women, also sum to 30 rather than the stated 32.
- Participants / model
- Reported as 32 adults aged 41 to 83 with chronic polymorbidity and organic brain syndrome in remission
- Treatment
- Pinealon or Vesugen; regimen not described in the abstract
- Study design
- Poorly described clinical report in Russian with English abstract
The abstract cannot isolate a Pinealon effect.
Read the original sourceRussian clinical report · 300 screened, treatment subset unclear
Clinical report
Bashkireva AS, Artamonova VG. Advances in Gerontology, 2012. Article in Russian with English abstract.
The study compared neurobehavioral status in 150 male truck drivers and 150 male metal craftsmen, then reports that bioregulatory peptides improved psychoemotional measures and that combined Pinealon plus Vesugen produced the best effect. The English abstract does not state how many people received peptides, how treatment was allocated, what comparator applied to the intervention, the regimen, attrition, or peptide-specific group results.
- Participants / model
- 150 male truck drivers and 150 male metal craftsmen were examined; intervention denominator not stated in the abstract
- Treatment
- Bioregulatory peptides, with the best result attributed to combined Pinealon and Vesugen; regimen not stated
- Study design
- Russian-language occupational comparison followed by an incompletely described clinical intervention
The total 300-person occupational sample is not the Pinealon treatment denominator.
Read the original sourceRussian report · oral regimen, denominator missing
Clinical report
Nazimko VA et al. Advances in Gerontology, 2012. Article in Russian with English abstract.
Workers in locomotive crews reportedly took one capsule containing 100 micrograms of Pinealon twice daily for two weeks. The abstract claims improvement in biological-age and adaptation measures but states no participant denominator, allocation, concurrent comparator, baseline or follow-up values, uncertainty, attrition, or adverse-event method.
- Participants / model
- Locomotive-crew workers; denominator and baseline characteristics not stated in the abstract
- Treatment
- Oral Pinealon 100 micrograms twice daily for two weeks
- Follow-up
- Two weeks
- Study design
- Russian-language before-and-after report; the abstract describes no comparator
The abstract states a regimen but no denominator, comparator, or effect estimate.
Read the original sourceRussian comparison · 110 total, mixed methods
Comparative clinical report
Myakotnykh VS et al. Advances in Gerontology, 2016. Article in Russian with English and Russian abstract.
The report compared several geroprotective approaches in 110 people of different ages, including carbon-dioxide baths, hyperbaric oxygen, massage, and oligopeptide products containing Vesugen and Pinealon. It attributes the strongest biological-age signal to combined Vesugen plus Pinealon and calls the peptide products safe, but the abstract gives no intervention-group sizes, allocation, comparator estimates, regimen, attrition, adverse-event counts, or Pinealon-only result.
- Participants / model
- 110 people of different ages across several intervention methods; peptide-group denominator not stated
- Treatment
- Several methods, including combined Vesugen and Pinealon products
- Study design
- Russian-language comparative report with mixed interventions and incomplete group-level methods and results
Rat study · hypoxia-related endpoints
Animal study
Stvolinsky SL et al. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2010.
Pinealon was tested in rats under experimental hypoxic stress and reported to alter selected neurological or oxidative-stress measures. This model does not establish cognitive benefit in people.
- Participants / model
- Rats in an experimental hypoxia model
- Treatment
- Pinealon
- Study design
- Controlled animal study
Rat offspring · maternal-treatment model
Animal study
Arutjunyan A et al. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 2012.
Pregnant rats loaded with methionine received Pinealon. Their offspring showed better maze-related performance and selected neuronal oxidative-stress measures than untreated disease-model offspring. This is maternal treatment in a rat disease model, not adult human nootropic evidence.
- Participants / model
- Pregnant rats and their offspring
- Treatment
- Maternal Pinealon during methionine loading
- Study design
- Controlled animal study
ClinicalTrials.gov · no exact intervention record
Trial registrations
ClinicalTrials.gov.
No relevant registered human intervention study appears under Pinealon, Пинеалон, EDR peptide, or Glu-Asp-Arg in ClinicalTrials.gov. Older Russian-language clinical reports without a matching registration remain separate evidence.
Read the original sourceWhy is Pinealon in C tier?
The C grade reflects direct animal work and human reports with inadequate group data. No study establishes a clinical cognitive or anti-aging benefit.
how tiers are graded: methodology · every cited source · about reptides.
Research reference, not medical advice. Entries distinguish product labels, study doses and reported protocols. Check the linked source for the product, route and population.