Pinealon: what it is, what the studies show and where it stands
Pinealon is a synthetic tripeptide, Glu-Asp-Arg (EDR), from the Khavinson group of short peptide bioregulators. It is studied for effects on nerve cells.
At a glance
US Not approved
Canada Not authorized
Group Brain and focus
Sources 14
Checked 10 Oct 2026What is Pinealon?
Pinealon is a synthetic tripeptide, Glu-Asp-Arg (EDR), from the Khavinson group of short peptide bioregulators. It is studied for effects on nerve cells. [5]
Other names: EDR, EDR peptide, Glu-Asp-Arg, glutamyl-asparagin-arginine.
How it has been given to people: by mouth as capsules in the one human study with a stated dose; no human study of injection with a stated dose was found.
Looking for doses? Pinealon dosage chart and vial math
Is Pinealon approved in the US and Canada?
United States: Not FDA approved. No Pinealon product or label was found in Drugs@FDA. [10]
Canada: No Pinealon product is in Health Canada's Drug Product Database, and Health Canada lists Pinealon among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs seized from an online seller. [13]
Both were checked on 10 Oct 2026 against the regulators' own product databases.
Which approved products contain Pinealon?
No approved medicine containing Pinealon 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 Pinealon exist?
The 8 findings listed here: 4 from smaller or observational human studies and 4 from animal or lab work.
In railway locomotive crews, two weeks of capsules was reported to improve biological age measures. The abstract gives no numbers, no group sizes and no placebo group. [1]
In 32 people aged 41 to 83 with several chronic illnesses, Pinealon and a second peptide, Vesugen, were reported to slow aging measures; Vesugen did better. The abstract gives no dose. [2]
In a comparison of anti-aging methods in 110 people, the largest change in biological age measures came when Pinealon and Vesugen were used together, so the result cannot be credited to Pinealon alone. [3]
In a study of long-distance truck drivers, peptide use was reported to improve measures of mental strain, with the best result again from Pinealon combined with Vesugen. [4]
Given to pregnant rats with raised homocysteine, it improved learning and spatial orientation in their offspring. [6]
In a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, the EDR peptide prevented loss of dendritic spines. [8]
In cultured cells under oxidative stress, Pinealon limited the build-up of reactive oxygen species. [5]
In neurons made in the lab from skin cells of elderly donors, the EDR peptide reduced oxidative DNA damage. [9]
What are the side effects of Pinealon?
Reported in human studies or on a label:
- The study in 32 people found a fall in a blood stem cell marker, which the authors read as inhibition of blood cell formation. [2]
- The same study found pro-oxidant activity, the opposite of the antioxidant effect seen in cell culture. [2]
- The comparison in 110 people rated the peptide preparations and massage as the safest of the methods tested, judged by blood tests and clinical condition. No independent human safety study was found. [3]
How does Pinealon compare with others in its group?
These are the peptides filed under brain and focus. The last column says whether a randomized human trial is on record for each.
| Peptide | US | Canada | Half-life | Randomized human trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semax | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| Selank | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | Yes |
| DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide) | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | Yes |
| Pinealon | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| Cortagen | 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 human study of Pinealon given by injection with a stated dose. The only human dose found is 100 mcg by mouth twice a day for two weeks [1].
- The other three human papers [2], [3], [4] give no dose in their abstracts. All four are in Russian and only their English abstracts were read.
- No randomized, placebo-controlled trial. None of the human abstracts describes a placebo group or blinding.
- The study behind the line that the peptide improves memory in elderly patients, which appears in a 2020 review by its originators [7].
- No human half-life or other pharmacokinetic figure.
- No trial registered on ClinicalTrials.gov: a search for pinealon as the intervention returned no studies.
- No approved label in the US or Canadian sources searched, so no official dose, contraindications or storage instructions.
- Not named on the WADA Prohibited List (page checked 2026-10-11, [14]). The list has an open class, S0, for substances with no current approval by any governmental health authority; whether it applies to this compound was not determined here.
Pinealon questions
Is Pinealon approved in the US?
Not FDA approved. No Pinealon product or label was found in Drugs@FDA.
Is Pinealon authorized in Canada?
No Pinealon product is in Health Canada's Drug Product Database, and Health Canada lists Pinealon among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs seized from an online seller.
Has Pinealon 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.
- Nazimko VA et al. [Analysis of some parameters of biological age and adaptation possibilities of workers of locomotive brigades]. Adv Gerontol 2012. PubMed 22708445.
- Meshchaninov VN et al. [EFFECT OF SYNTHETIC PEPTIDES ON AGING OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC POLYMORBIDITY AND ORGANIC BRAIN SYNDROME OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM IN REMISSION]. Adv Gerontol 2015. PubMed 26390612.
- Myakotnykh VS et al. [Comparative analysis of different methods of geroprotective]. Adv Gerontol 2016. PubMed 28539017.
- Bashkireva AS et al. [The peptide correction of neurotic disorders among professional truck-drivers]. Adv Gerontol 2012. PubMed 23734521.
- Khavinson V et al. Pinealon increases cell viability by suppression of free radical levels and activating proliferative processes. Rejuvenation Res 2011. PubMed 21978084.
- Arutjunyan A et al. Pinealon protects the rat offspring from prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia. Int J Clin Exp Med 2012. PubMed 22567179.
- Khavinson V et al. EDR Peptide: Possible Mechanism of Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis Regulation Involved in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease. Molecules 2020. PubMed 33396470.
- Khavinson V et al. Neuroprotective Effects of Tripeptides-Epigenetic Regulators in Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021. PubMed 34071923.
- Kraskovskaya N et al. Short Peptides Protect Fibroblast-Derived Induced Neurons from Age-Related Changes. Int J Mol Sci 2024. PubMed 39518916.
- US Food and Drug Administration Drugs@FDA and drug label searches via openFDA for pinealon (no match) 2026. api.fda.gov.
- Health Canada Health Canada Drug Product Database, active ingredient searches: pinealon and glu-asp-arg (0 records) 2026. health-products.canada.ca.
- US Food and Drug Administration Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks 2026. fda.gov.
- Health Canada Unauthorized injectable peptide drugs seized and sold by Canada Peptide may pose serious health risks 2025. recalls-rappels.canada.ca.
- World Anti-Doping Agency The Prohibited List 2026. wada-ama.org.
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Pinealon dosage20 mg vialBrain and focusStatus in Canada
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