Livagen: what it is, what the studies show and where it stands
Livagen is a synthetic tetrapeptide, Lys-Glu-Asp-Ala (KEDA), designed from the amino acid analysis of polypeptide preparations made from liver.
At a glance
US Not approved
Canada Not authorized
Group Longevity
Sources 13
Checked 10 Oct 2026What is Livagen?
Livagen is a synthetic tetrapeptide, Lys-Glu-Asp-Ala (KEDA), designed from the amino acid analysis of polypeptide preparations made from liver. [1]
Other names: Lyvagen, KEDA, Lys-Glu-Asp-Ala.
How it has been given to people: no human use on record; one rat study gave it by mouth.
Looking for doses? Livagen dosage chart and vial math
Is Livagen approved in the US and Canada?
United States: Not FDA approved. No Livagen product is in Drugs@FDA, and it is not on the FDA page of bulk substances reviewed for compounding. [9]
Canada: No Livagen product is in the Health Canada Drug Product Database. Health Canada warns against all unauthorized injectable peptide drugs. [11]
Both were checked on 10 Oct 2026 against the regulators' own product databases.
Which approved products contain Livagen?
No approved medicine containing Livagen was found in the US or Canada. Anything sold under this name is not a regulated product, so there is no label to check a dose against.
What human studies of Livagen exist?
The 7 findings listed here: 7 from animal or lab work.
Given by mouth to rats for two weeks, Livagen lowered digestive enzyme activity in young animals and raised it in old ones. The abstract gives no dose. [4]
A 2020 review by the group that made the peptide says a calf liver extract and the KEDA peptide worked well in animal and cell models of hepatitis and liver scarring. The abstract describes no human study. The quote is as printed, including the misspelling. [5]
In blood lymphocytes taken from old people and treated in culture, Livagen switched ribosomal genes back on and loosened tightly packed chromatin. The cells were treated, not the people. [2]
In cultured lymphocytes from donors aged 80 to 91, a separate Georgian laboratory reported the same loosening of packed chromatin with Livagen. [6]
In cultured liver cells from rats aged 1 to 24 months, Livagen raised protein synthesis, most of all in cells from old animals. [1]
In a test tube, Livagen blocked enzymes in human blood serum that break down enkephalins. It did not bind opioid receptors from rat brain. Serum was tested, not people. [3]
In cultured lymphocytes from patients with ductal breast cancer, Livagen with cobalt ions was reported to reduce DNA breaks and chromosome abnormalities. This was done on cells in culture. [8]
What are the side effects of Livagen?
Reported in human studies or on a label:
- No human side-effect report for Livagen was found. Health Canada lists these risks for unauthorized injectable peptide drugs in general: hormonal imbalance, mood swings, blood sugar imbalance, liver or kidney damage, blood clots and growth of cancerous tumours. [11]
How does Livagen compare with others in its group?
These are the peptides filed under longevity. The last column says whether a randomized human trial is on record for each.
| Peptide | US | Canada | Half-life | Randomized human trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOTS-c | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| Epitalon | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| NAD+ | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | Yes |
| SS-31 (elamipretide) | Approved for one use | Not authorized | Not found | Yes |
| Cardiogen | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| Livagen | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
What could not be found
These were searched for and did not turn up. They are listed so a missing number is not mistaken for a hidden one.
- No published study in which Livagen was given to people. The human material in the literature is blood cells or serum taken from donors and treated in the laboratory.
- No injected dose in any abstract read, human or animal. The one live-animal study found gave it by mouth to rats and its abstract states no dose [4].
- No study in people showing a liver benefit. The liver findings are from cultured rat liver cells and from animal models described in a review.
- No human half-life or other pharmacokinetic figure. One abstract says gut enzymes barely break the peptide down, which was measured in rat intestine [4].
- No trial registered on ClinicalTrials.gov: searches for livagen returned no studies [13].
- No approved label in the US or Canadian sources searched, so no official dose, contraindications, interaction list or storage instructions.
- No human side-effect or safety data.
Livagen questions
Is Livagen approved in the US?
Not FDA approved. No Livagen product is in Drugs@FDA, and it is not on the FDA page of bulk substances reviewed for compounding.
Is Livagen authorized in Canada?
No Livagen product is in the Health Canada Drug Product Database. Health Canada warns against all unauthorized injectable peptide drugs.
Has Livagen been tested in a randomized human trial?
No randomized human trial was found. What exists is listed under the studies heading on this page.
Sources
Each one was opened on 10 Oct 2026 and matched to the line it supports.
- Brodskii VIa et al. [Rhythm of protein synthesis in cultures of hepatocytes from rats of different ages. Norm and effect of the peptide livagen]. Izv Akad Nauk Ser Biol 2001. PubMed 15926314.
- Khavinson VKh et al. Effects of Livagen peptide on chromatin activation in lymphocytes from old people. Bull Exp Biol Med 2002. PubMed 12533768.
- Kost NV et al. [Effect of new peptide bioregulators livagen and epitalon on enkephalin-degrading enzymes in human serum]. Izv Akad Nauk Ser Biol 2003. PubMed 12942748.
- Timofeeva NM et al. [Effect of peptide Livagen on activity of digestive enzymes in gastrointestinal tract and non-digestive organs in rats of different ages]. Adv Gerontol 2005. PubMed 16075683.
- Kuznik BI et al. [The influence of polypeptide liver complex and tetrapeptide KEDA on organism physiological function in norm and age-related pathology.]. Adv Gerontol 2020. PubMed 32362099.
- Lezhava T et al. Activation of pericentromeric and telomeric heterochromatin in cultured lymphocytes from old individuals. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2007. PubMed 17460203.
- Riadnova IIu et al. [Functional morphology of an organotypic liver culture exposed to the peptide livagen]. Adv Gerontol 2002. PubMed 12577697.
- Jokhadze T et al. [EVALUATION OF GENOMIC PARAMETERS IN DUCTAL BREAST CANCER PATIENTS AND THE ABILITY OF IT'S CORRECTION]. Georgian Med News 2017. PubMed 28574395.
- US Food and Drug Administration openFDA search of Drugs@FDA: livagen 2026. api.fda.gov.
- US Food and Drug Administration Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks 2026. fda.gov.
- Health Canada Think twice before injecting peptides bought online: unauthorized products can seriously harm you 2026. recalls-rappels.canada.ca.
- Health Canada Health Canada Drug Product Database, active ingredient search: livagen 2026. health-products.canada.ca.
- US National Library of Medicine ClinicalTrials.gov search, intervention: livagen 2026. clinicaltrials.gov.
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Livagen dosage20 mg vialLongevityStatus in Canada
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