Pinealon

• Week 1-2: 14-day course; users describe a subtle effect
• Week 2-4: Break begins: notice focus and sleep off it
• Week 4-8: Still on break; keep noticing focus and sleep
• Week 8-12: Break continues; next course around week 13
• Side effects: Thin data, mostly mild; stop for allergy, easy bruising, mood change

More on each stage

Week 1-2

This is your whole course: one shot each morning for 14 days. In a small Russian head-injury study, patients reported better memory, milder headaches and feeling more rested after sleep after a 10-day course. Community users describe the effect as subtle, not a stimulant buzz.

Week 2-4

Your 10-week break begins. Notice how your focus and sleep feel off it. No study has measured how long any effect lasts after a course ends.

Week 4-8

Still on break. Keep noticing how your focus and sleep feel.

Week 8-12

Break continues. Your next 2-week course can start around week 13. Some users say benefits show more clearly over repeated courses across months.

Side effects

Human side-effect data are very thin. Users mention mild redness where they inject, a brief headache, or changes in sleep. Stop and get help for any sign of an allergic reaction. Stop and ask your doctor for a blood count if you notice unusual tiredness, paleness, frequent infections, or easy bruising. Stop and contact your doctor for mood changes or any thoughts of harming yourself; in the US, call or text 988.

Based on what people report in the community sources below. Results vary, and many responses are anecdotal.

• Memory and attention after a head injury

  Human study

  In a Russian patent by Pinealon's developers, 25 adults with long-term effects of a past head injury were split into two groups. The main group got daily Pinealon muscle shots for 10 days, at a dose set by how bad their injury was. Pinealon-treated patients made fewer errors on an attention test and had a higher alpha brain-wave reading on EEG than before treatment. They also reported better memory, milder headaches and feeling rested after sleep.1

• Biological-age markers in older and stressed adults

  Human study

  Two small Russian studies reported better scores on biological-age markers: train crews who took Pinealon capsules for 2 weeks, and 32 people aged 41-83 with a chronic brain condition.23

• Protects brain cells from oxidative stress

  Animal/lab study

  In lab dishes, Pinealon limited the build-up of harmful oxygen molecules and cut cell death in rat brain cells and other cells. Rat pups whose mothers got Pinealon before a toxic diet learned a water maze faster, and their brain cells resisted stress better.45

• Keeps brain connections in Alzheimer's models

  Animal/lab study

  In mouse brain cells exposed to the toxic protein of Alzheimer's disease, Pinealon raised the number of mature connection points (dendritic spines) by 71%, back to normal. It also prevented spine loss in Alzheimer's-model mice. These are early models, not treatment for people.67

• Working memory in mice, from an independent lab

  Animal/lab study

  In a 2026 study outside the Russian group, mice given Pinealon for 8 weeks showed a trend toward better working memory and no detectable harmful effects (preprint).9

• Clearer thinking and better sleep

  Community report

  Users report less brain fog and, now and then, better sleep. Many describe the effect as subtle, and some feel it more over repeated courses.19

What it has been studied for

• Long-term effects of head injury: memory, attention, headaches (25 adults in total, split into Pinealon and control groups; 10 days of muscle shots; reported in a patent)1Human study
• Biological age and stress adaptation in train crews (oral capsules, 2 weeks)2Human study
• Ageing in 32 adults with a chronic brain condition (organic brain syndrome) in remission3Human study
• Oxidative stress in brain cells45Animal/lab study
• Alzheimer's disease models67Animal/lab study
• Low oxygen and stroke-like blood-flow loss in old rats1213Animal/lab study
• Healthy ageing screen in mice (working memory)9Animal/lab study

Pinealon is a lab-made peptide only 3 building blocks (amino acids) long. A research group led by Vladimir Khavinson in St. Petersburg, Russia, developed it. Because it is so small, lab studies show it can slip inside cells and into their control centre (the nucleus). There it seems to stick to DNA and change which genes are switched on. Its developers say this is how it boosts the cell's defences against harmful oxygen molecules and protects brain cells.

Peak

Not established. No study has measured Pinealon levels in the blood of people or animals.

Half-life

Not established in humans or animals. Small peptides like this are usually assumed to break down quickly, but that is an estimate, not a measurement.

Cleared

Not established. No human or animal study has measured how Pinealon is cleared from the body after a shot.

Half-life is how long it takes the body to remove half of a dose.2018

Once a day. Morning. No study has compared morning and evening doses; morning is the community habit. Every day during the 2-week course. Units are for a 20 mg vial mixed with 1 mL water (20 mg per mL).

• Most common · community convention dose

  5 mg subcutaneously once daily

  The community-convention subq dose — run as a 10-20 day course, injected in the morning, following the Khavinson bioregulator paradigm. Not a trial dose; shaped by the common 10 mg vial format.2119

• Higher end · upper range; half our vial

  10 mg subcutaneously once daily

  The upper community range — a full common 10 mg vial (half of our 20 mg vial) in one injection, run for the same short 10-20 day course. Unvalidated; no human trial supports this or any Pinealon dose.21

• Low under-the-skin dose (not tested in trials)

  100-300 mcg once a day in the morning, for 10-20 days, repeated every 3-6 months.19

• High under-the-skin dose (not tested in trials)

  5-10 mg once a day in 10-20 day courses, 1-3 courses a year. This is 10-20 times the store dose.21

• Oral capsules (not tested in trials)

  1-2 capsules of about 10 mg, 1-2 times a day with meals, for 10-30 days, repeated every 4-6 months. Oral uptake has not been measured.19

Research protocols

• Head-injury patients (patent by the developers)

  One muscle shot a day for 10 days, each in 1 mL of salt water: 1 mcg (mild cases), 10 mcg (moderate cases) or 5 mg (severe cases). The severe-case dose is 500 times the moderate dose and 5,000 times the mild dose. The patent claims a dose of 0.01-100 mcg per kg of body weight a day by injection; for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult that is about 0.7 mcg to 7 mg. All three doses sit inside that range (5 mg is about 71 mcg per kg), and so does the store dose.1

• Train-crew study (oral capsules)

  One 100 mcg capsule twice a day for 2 weeks.2

• Rat study

  10 mcg per kg of body weight, injected into the belly cavity of pregnant rats once a day for 5 days, before they were put on a high-methionine diet that harms their pups. No human-equivalent dose has been established.5

• Animal safety tests (patent)

  Single shots up to 5 mg per kg in mice, and daily shots up to 1 mg per kg for 90 days in rats and 6 months in guinea pigs, with no toxic effects reported.1

• Supplier guidance quoted by the community (not tested in trials)

  200-500 mcg under the skin once a day, 5 days a week, in 30-day courses repeated every 4-6 months. The store protocol (500 mcg every morning for 2 weeks, then 10 weeks off) uses the top of this range with a shorter course.20

Pinealon has a very thin evidence base — mostly in vitro cell-culture work from a single Russian research group. The Khavinson peptide-bioregulator paradigm has not been validated in large-scale trials. Effects users report are subtle and difficult to separate from placebo.

Dosing guidance built from the cited research and community reports. It is not a prescription.

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12. 12

On: 2 weeks Break: 10 weeks

A full course at the store pace takes 1 vial. A mixed vial keeps for up to 90 days.

Why the break helps

No study has tested whether breaks help. Pinealon has always been used in short courses: 10 days of shots in the Russian head-injury patients and 2 weeks of capsules in a Russian worker study. Community users copy this with 10-20 day courses repeated every few months. A break also limits use of a substance with no long-term human safety data. One small Russian study saw a drop in a marker of blood-forming stem cells, so nonstop use is not a good idea.

Common

• Mild headache, especially early in a course (the first item on one community site's list of most common reports)

  What to do Drink water and give it a few days. If it lasts, drop to 200 mcg (1 unit) or stop.

• Changes in sleep, such as vivid dreams or lighter or deeper sleep, in the first week (reported by users)

  What to do Keep your shot in the morning. If sleep gets worse, stop and see whether it settles.

• Redness or itching where you injected (reported by users)

  What to do Rotate sites and use a fresh syringe every time. If redness spreads or gets hot and painful, treat it as an infection (see below).

Stop and get help

• Allergic reaction: hives, swelling of the face, lips, or throat, trouble breathing, or feeling faint

  What to do Stop Pinealon and call 911 (or your local emergency number) right away.

• Infection at the injection site: redness that spreads, heat, pus, red streaks, or fever

  What to do Stop injecting and see a doctor the same day.

• Unusual tiredness, paleness, frequent infections, or easy bruising. One small study saw a drop in blood-forming stem cell markers.

  What to do Stop Pinealon and ask your doctor for a blood count.

• Mood changes, agitation, or any thoughts of harming yourself

  What to do Stop Pinealon and contact your doctor. In the US, call or text 988 for urgent support.

Do not use if

• You are pregnant or breastfeeding: it has never been studied in people who are.
• You are under 18.
• You have, or recently had, cancer: lab studies show Pinealon changes cell growth and the cell cycle, and no one has studied its effect on tumours.
• You have a blood disorder or low blood counts, unless your doctor agrees.
• You take an antidepressant or another serotonin-raising medicine, unless your doctor agrees.
• You have had an allergic reaction to Pinealon or similar peptides.

Storage

Keep it

Keep the mixed vial in the fridge (2-8 °C), away from light. Do not freeze it, and never leave it in a hot car.

How long

Use within 90 days of mixing. A mixed vial kept in the fridge holds its strength for 60-90 days, then slowly starts to lose potency. Wipe the rubber top with an alcohol swab before every draw.

Drawing your dose

Syringe: a 0.3 mL (30-unit) U-100 insulin syringe with half-unit marks, so small doses are easy to read.

1. Each unit line on a U-100 insulin syringe holds 200 mcg. Draw to the 2.5-unit half mark for 500 mcg, or to the 1-unit line for 200 mcg.
2. Before every draw, hold the syringe at eye level, flick out air bubbles, and push the plunger back to the exact line.
3. Pinch a fold of skin, insert the needle at 45 to 90 degrees, push slowly, and wait a few seconds before pulling out.
4. If the mixed liquid turns cloudy or has specks in it, do not use it.
5. Use a new sterile syringe every time and never share one.

• Epithalon

  The most common community pair. Both are short peptides from the same Russian bioregulator research. Epithalon is the one that stimulated pineal-gland cells in rats, while Pinealon is studied for brain-cell protection, and both helped nerve cells made from elderly donors' skin cells grow more branches in a lab study. They have not been tested together as a treatment.19158

• Semax

  A niche community pair: Pinealon for slower brain-cell protection, Semax for quicker focus. Semax raised BDNF, a brain growth signal, in rats. The pair has not been tested together.192117

Interactions

• Antidepressants and other serotonin-raising medicines (SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, tramadol, triptans)

  Pinealon raised serotonin in brain-cell cultures and in the rat cortex. Whether it adds to these medicines in people is unknown.

  What to do Ask the doctor who prescribes them before you start. Stop and get help if you feel agitated, shaky, sweaty or feverish.

• Other brain or psychiatric medicines

  Pinealon has not been studied alongside any prescription medicine.

  What to do Tell your doctor before you start. Never stop a prescribed medicine to switch to Pinealon.

Sources

1. 1Khavinson et al., US Patent 8,524,674 (Glu-Asp-Arg for brain injury; head-injury patients and animal safety tests)Reference
2. 2Nazimko et al., Adv Gerontol 2012 (Pinealon capsules in train crews; in Russian)Study
3. 3Meshchaninov et al., Adv Gerontol 2015 (Pinealon and Vesugen in 32 adults with organic brain syndrome; in Russian)Study
4. 4Khavinson et al., Rejuvenation Res 2011 (Pinealon limits oxidative stress in cells)Study
5. 5Arutjunyan et al., Int J Clin Exp Med 2012 (Pinealon protects rat offspring; full text: methods give the 10 mcg/kg dose and the Morris water maze test)Study
6. 6Kraskovskaya et al., Bull Exp Biol Med 2017 (brain connections in a lab Alzheimer's model)Study
7. 7Khavinson et al., Pharmaceuticals 2021 (tripeptides in Alzheimer's-model mice)Study
8. 8Kraskovskaya et al., Int J Mol Sci 2024 (short peptides protect nerve cells made from older donors' skin cells)Study
9. 9Marín-Jerez et al., bioRxiv preprint 2026 (8-week longevity screen in mice, including Pinealon)Study
10. 10Khavinson et al., Bull Exp Biol Med 2014 (short peptides raise serotonin in brain-cortex cells)Study
11. 11Mendzheritsky et al., Adv Gerontol 2015 (Pinealon in old rats under low oxygen and cold; in Russian)Study
12. 12Mendzheritskii et al., Adv Gerontol 2011 (Pinealon before blood-flow loss in old rats; in Russian)Study
13. 13Mendzheritskii et al., Adv Gerontol 2014 (Pinealon, inflammation signals and low oxygen in old rats; in Russian)Study
14. 14Fedoreyeva et al., Biochemistry (Moscow) 2011 (short peptides enter the cell nucleus and bind DNA)Study
15. 15Khavinson et al., Bull Exp Biol Med 2011 (short peptides in rat pineal-gland cultures)Study
16. 16Khavinson et al., Molecules 2020 (review: how the EDR peptide may regulate genes)Review
17. 17Dolotov et al., J Neurochem 2006 (Semax raises BDNF in rats)Study
18. 18Superpower: Pinealon (EDR) preclinical research guideReference
19. 19Peptide Protocol Wiki: Pinealon community protocols (35 reports)Community
20. 20Peptide Protocol Wiki: Pinealon dosing (supplier guidance, storage, pharmacokinetics)Community
21. 21The Peptide Catalog: Pinealon dosing guide (community convention)Community
22. 22Peptide Dosing Protocols: Pinealon quick start (community doses and reported side effects)Community

Where people discuss it

• r/Nootropics (subreddit)
• Peptide Protocol Wiki — Pinealon community (35 reports)
• The Peptide Catalog — Pinealon dosing

Some peptides, like semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy), are FDA-approved medicines. Most of the peptides people research are not. That label sounds like the FDA tested something and turned it down. Usually it means something else: nobody has paid for the studies the FDA needs to see. Here is why.

The FDA doesn’t test drugs. Companies do.

The FDA does not run its own drug tests. A company that wants to sell a new medicine has to test it first, and pay for it. It studies the drug in animals, then in people: first 20 to 100 volunteers, then a few hundred, then up to 3,000. Then it sends all the results to the FDA. FDA scientists review them and decide whether the benefits outweigh the risks.

So approval always starts with a company asking for it. If no company applies, the FDA has nothing to review, however promising the research looks.

Those studies cost about a billion dollars

A study in the medical journal JAMA estimated that bringing one new drug to market costs a typical company about $1.1 billion. That figure includes the money spent on drug ideas that failed along the way, because many drugs that start human testing never make it.

A patent is how a company earns that money back

A patent is a right the government gives an inventor. For up to 20 years from the day the inventor applies, nobody else may make or sell the invention without permission.

For a drug company, that right is what makes the billion-dollar bet worth it. While the patent lasts, the company is the only seller, so it can charge enough to pay back the studies and the failures. When the patent runs out, other companies can sell cheap copies, called generics, and the price drops.

The FDA adds a shorter shield of its own. For 5 years after a brand-new drug is approved, no copycat version can apply for approval. That helps, but it is much shorter than a patent can last.

Why most peptides can’t be patented

To get a patent, an invention has to be new, and it has to be something people made, not something found in nature. Most popular peptides fail one test or both.

They come from nature. Many are copies or small pieces of molecules your body already makes. KPV is a 3-building-block piece of the hormone that tans your skin. BPC-157 is copied from a protein in stomach juice. In 2013 the US Supreme Court ruled that something that exists in nature, like a human gene, cannot be patented just because someone found it and pulled it out.

They aren’t new anymore. Many were first described in research papers decades ago. Scientists were already testing KPV in the 1980s. Once something has been published, it no longer counts as new, so nobody can patent it now, and any patents from back then have long since run out.

Without a patent, a company that paid for the studies would soon face rivals selling the same peptide without having paid for any research. Few companies will spend a billion dollars on a product anyone can copy. So nobody goes first, and the large human studies never happen.

The workaround: change the molecule

Drug companies do make peptide medicines, but they change the peptide first. A changed molecule is a new invention, so it can be patented. Semaglutide is a lab-made version of GLP-1, a gut hormone your body releases after meals, changed so one shot lasts a week. Tesamorelin (Egrifta) is the body’s own growth-hormone signal with a small fatty chain added. Both went through the full studies, and both are FDA-approved.

The natural versions, and the many peptides nobody has changed and patented, stay where they are: studied in labs and animals, used by the biohacking community, and never put through large human trials.

What this means for you

When a peptide is “not FDA-approved,” it usually means no company has paid for the large human studies. It does not mean the FDA tested it and found it harmful.

It also does not mean it is proven safe or proven to work. Without those studies, nobody knows the best dose for sure, or what rare or long-term side effects it may have. And the FDA does not check research peptides for purity or strength the way it checks approved medicines. That is why this page labels every finding by the kind of study behind it, and lists who should not use it.

Sources for this section

1. 1FDA: How drugs are developed and approved (the FDA does not test drugs; companies submit the evidence)
2. 2FDA: The drug development process, step 3: clinical research (study sizes for each phase)
3. 3Wouters, McKee & Luyten, JAMA 2020, corrected 2022: median cost to bring a new drug to market, $1.14 billion
4. 4US patent law, 35 U.S.C. § 154: a patent lasts 20 years from the filing date
5. 5FDA: Frequently asked questions on patents and exclusivity (5-year new chemical entity exclusivity)
6. 6US Supreme Court, Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics (2013): naturally occurring genes cannot be patented