Epithalon 40 mg — Quick Chart
Dosing & Reconstitution Overview
Epithalon (also spelled Epitalon, sequence Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) is a synthetic tetrapeptide modelled on a fragment of the natural pineal regulator epithalamin. The figures below are compiled strictly for laboratory and educational reference — they describe how the compound was handled and dosed across published research, not a recommendation for use in humans or animals.
For a 40 mg vial, adding 4.0 mL of bacteriostatic water yields a concentration of 10 mg/mL (10,000 mcg/mL). At that concentration, every 0.10 mL drawn on a U-100 insulin syringe equals 10 units and delivers 1 mg of material, so a standard 5 mg research dose corresponds to 0.50 mL, or 50 units, and one vial supplies roughly eight such doses.
Standard (Gradual) Titration Schedule
Unlike escalating metabolic peptides, Epithalon is studied as a fixed-dose pulse rather than a slowly raised weekly amount. The standard model administers a steady daily dose across a short cycle, then holds a long washout before any subsequent cycle.
| Phase | Daily Dose | Units (U-100) | Volume | Vials / Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days 1–20 (on cycle) | 5 mg (5000 mcg) | 50 units | 0.50 mL | ≈ 2.5 vials |
| Months 4–6 (washout) | 0 mg | — | — | — |
| Repeat (2× per year) | 5 mg (5000 mcg) | 50 units | 0.50 mL | ≈ 2.5 vials |
Reconstitution Steps
- Let the sealed lyophilized vial and the bacteriostatic water reach room temperature, then wipe both stoppers with an alcohol swab.
- Draw 4.0 mL of bacteriostatic water and inject it slowly down the inside wall of the vial — never directly onto the powder pellet.
- Swirl gently until fully dissolved. Do not shake; aggressive agitation can shear the peptide.
- The solution should be clear and colourless. Label the vial with the concentration (10 mg/mL) and the reconstitution date.
- Store upright under refrigeration between uses and draw subsequent volumes with a fresh sterile syringe each time.
Advanced (Condensed) Schedule
An alternative model compresses the same total cycle exposure into a shorter, higher-dose window — 10 mg per day for 10 days still delivers the cumulative 100 mg of the standard 20-day cycle. The per-injection volume doubles relative to the standard step.
| Phase | Daily Dose | Units (U-100) | Volume | Vials / Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days 1–10 (on cycle) | 10 mg (10000 mcg) | 100 units | 1.00 mL | ≈ 2.5 vials |
| Months 4–6 (washout) | 0 mg | — | — | — |
Whether run as 5 mg for 20 days or 10 mg for 10 days, the cumulative cycle exposure is held at 100 mg of material; the choice is a pacing decision in the research model, not a change in total dose.
Supplies Needed
- Epithalon vials (40 mg): ~2.5 vials per 100 mg cycle; ~5 vials for two cycles in a research year.
- Insulin syringes (U-100, 1 mL): 20 for a 20-day standard cycle, 10 for a condensed 10-day cycle (one fresh syringe per draw).
- Bacteriostatic water (10 mL): one bottle reconstitutes two-and-a-half 40 mg vials at 4 mL each.
- Alcohol swabs: a single 100-count box comfortably covers a full cycle.
Protocol Overview
- Research goal: model telomerase-pathway activation and circadian/pineal regulation.
- Schedule: once-daily subcutaneous administration across a short pulsed cycle.
- Dose band: 5 mg/day standard, up to 10 mg/day in the condensed arm.
- Cycle: 100 mg total — 20 days at 5 mg or 10 days at 10 mg — followed by 4–6 months washout.
- Fill: 40 mg lyophilized, reconstituted to 10 mg/mL with 4 mL diluent.
- Storage: −20 °C dry; 2–8 °C once reconstituted.
Dosing Protocol Notes
- Hold the daily dose flat through the cycle rather than escalating — the research model uses a fixed pulse, not titration.
- Evening or pre-sleep administration is favoured in the literature to align with the compound's reported pineal/melatonin activity.
- Respect the long washout: cycles are typically spaced months apart, roughly twice per research year.
- Reconstitute fresh material periodically rather than holding one vial in solution for the entire cycle.
Storage Instructions
Keep sealed lyophilized vials at −20 °C, protected from light, where stability extends for many months; short-term routine storage at 2–8 °C is acceptable. Once reconstituted, refrigerate at 2–8 °C and use within about two to four weeks. Allow refrigerated solution to warm slightly before drawing, and avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
Important Handling Notes
- Use a sterile syringe for every draw and never re-enter the vial with a used needle.
- Rotate sampling/handling technique to keep the stopper intact.
- At 10 mg/mL, one U-100 unit equals 0.01 mL and delivers 100 mcg — keep this conversion in mind when measuring fractional doses.
- Document each draw — date, volume, remaining material — for reproducibility.
How Epithalon Works
Epithalon is a short Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly tetrapeptide reported to act along two main axes in the research literature. The first is activation of telomerase, the enzyme that extends telomeres, with cell-culture work suggesting it can prolong replicative capacity. The second is modulation of the pineal gland, where it appears to restore age-blunted nocturnal melatonin release and help normalise circadian hormone rhythms. Secondary effects described in the literature include antioxidant activity, genomic regulatory influence on gene expression, and immune modulation.
Reported Benefits & Side Effects
Benefits observed in research
- Telomerase activation and telomere maintenance supporting extended replicative lifespan in cultured cells.
- Restoration of nocturnal melatonin output and normalisation of circadian rhythm in aged models.
- Extended lifespan and reduced spontaneous tumour incidence reported in animal studies.
- Improved cardiovascular outcomes and lower mortality across a multi-year human follow-up cohort.
- Generally well tolerated, with no serious adverse events recorded in the long-term studies.
Side effects reported
- Occasional mild injection-site reactions.
- Transient changes in sleep pattern, consistent with the compound's circadian activity.
- No serious or dose-limiting effects documented in the available long-term data.
Injection Technique (Reference Only)
- Prepare the vial and site with alcohol swabs and let them dry.
- Insert subcutaneously at a 45–90° angle depending on needle length; aspiration is not required for subcutaneous work.
- Inject slowly and pause briefly before withdrawing the needle.
- Rotate sites systematically across abdomen, thighs and upper arms, and dispose of sharps in an approved container.
References
- Khavinson V, et al. Peptide regulation of ageing and the pineal pathway — review. Int. J. Mol. Sci. (2025). mdpi.com/1422-0067/26/6/2691
- Anti-ageing peptides and telomere biology — review. Biogerontology via PMC. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12411320
- Khavinson VK, et al. Epithalon peptide induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human somatic cells. Neuroendocrinology Letters (2001). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11524632
- Effects of the pineal tetrapeptide on lifespan and tumour incidence in animal models. Bull. Exp. Biol. Med. (2007). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17426848
- Epitalon — compound summary and research background. Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epitalon