{"id":"pinealon","name":"Pinealon","aliases":["Glu-Asp-Arg","EDR peptide","pineal bioregulator tripeptide"],"url":"https://lyoresearch.com/compounds/pinealon","class":{"id":"longevity-compounds","name":"Mitochondrial, antioxidant and longevity compounds","url":"https://lyoresearch.com/classes/longevity-compounds"},"summary":"Pinealon is the tripeptide Glu-Asp-Arg, a synthetic 'bioregulator' from the St Petersburg group behind epitalon, sold for brain ageing and stress. Its indexed evidence is cell culture — it reduced free radicals and cell death in vitro — and rat experiments in hypoxia. The human reports are Russian-language, without controls and without indexed abstracts. No randomised trial exists. It is not approved anywhere this site covers.","overall_grade":"D","overall_grade_meaning":"no human evidence","human_trials":"0 controlled","regulatory_status":"Not approved","molecule":{"formula":"C15H26N6O8","molecular_weight":"418.40","cas":"175175-23-2","pubchem_cid":10273502,"note":"Recorded as Glu-Asp-Arg"},"pharmacokinetics":{"basis":"none","route":"Oral or injected as sold","half_life":"No human pharmacokinetic data","licensed_regimen":null,"product":null,"source":null},"outcomes":[{"outcome":"Cognition or brain ageing (human)","grade":"D","grade_meaning":"no human evidence","effect_size":"not measurable","adverse":false,"human_studies":"0 controlled; Russian reports without abstracts","evidence":"Two Russian-language clinical reports (2012, 2015) are indexed by title only and describe uncontrolled use. LYO could not read a method or a result.","references":[{"citation":"PubMed search: pinealon — 22 results; human reports Russian-language without indexed abstracts (Meshchaninov 2015; Nazimko 2012).","where":"PubMed, searched 2026-09-23","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=pinealon"}]},{"outcome":"Cell viability under oxidative stress (in vitro)","grade":"D","grade_meaning":"no human evidence","effect_size":"moderate","adverse":false,"human_studies":"Cell culture only","evidence":"Khavinson's 2011 study reports lower free-radical levels and less necrotic death in cultured cells — the origin of the neuroprotection claim.","references":[{"citation":"Khavinson V, et al. Pinealon increases cell viability by suppression of free radical levels and activating proliferative processes.","where":"Rejuvenation Res, 2011","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21978084/"}]},{"outcome":"Hypoxia tolerance (rats)","grade":"D","grade_meaning":"no human evidence","effect_size":"small","adverse":false,"human_studies":"Animal only","evidence":"Aged rats given pinealon before hypoxia showed behavioural and caspase-3 changes in several small studies from the same institute.","references":[{"citation":"PubMed search: pinealon — 22 results; human reports Russian-language without indexed abstracts (Meshchaninov 2015; Nazimko 2012).","where":"PubMed, searched 2026-09-23","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=pinealon"}]}],"regions":[{"region":"European Union","status":"Not authorised","note":"No marketing authorisation."},{"region":"United States","status":"Not approved","note":"Not FDA-approved."},{"region":"United Kingdom","status":"Not licensed","note":"Unlicensed."},{"region":"Australia","status":"Not on the ARTG","note":"Not registered."},{"region":"Canada","status":"Not authorised","note":"No Drug Identification Number."},{"region":"Sport (WADA)","status":"Prohibited at all times","note":"Unapproved, so S0 (non-approved substances)."}],"faq":[{"q":"Does pinealon work?","a":"There is no controlled human evidence either way. The indexed studies are in cells and rats."},{"q":"Is pinealon the same as epitalon?","a":"No. Epitalon is a four-residue pineal peptide with a telomerase story; pinealon is a three-residue 'brain' peptide from the same developers. Neither has a randomised trial."}],"references":[{"cite":"PubMed search: pinealon — 22 results; human reports Russian-language without indexed abstracts (Meshchaninov 2015; Nazimko 2012).","where":"PubMed, searched 2026-09-23","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=pinealon"},{"cite":"Khavinson V, et al. Pinealon increases cell viability by suppression of free radical levels and activating proliferative processes.","where":"Rejuvenation Res, 2011","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21978084/","note":"Cell culture."}],"last_reviewed":"2026-09-23","literature_searched_to":"2026-09-23","changelog":[{"date":"2026-09-23","note":"Initial publication. Grade D: no controlled human study."}],"license":"CC BY 4.0 — cite as “LYO Research” with a link.","methodology":"https://lyoresearch.com/methodology"}