Comparison
Epitalon vs TB-500
Side-by-side of Epitalon and TB-500. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Epitalon
Epitalon peptide (Epithalon, tetrapeptide AEDG): telomerase activation, lifespan extension data, anti-aging trials, dosage, half-life, and safety.
TB-500
TB-500 peptide, a 17-aa thymosin beta-4 fragment. Preclinical tendon and wound healing via actin sequestration. Typical dosage 2 to 5 mg weekly. No human RCTs.
Effects at a glance
Epitalon
- •Synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation
- •Russian clinical literature reports mortality reduction in elderly cohorts and improved melatonin output
- •Reported telomerase activation in human somatic cell culture and lifespan extension in mice and Drosophila
- •Independent Western replication is essentially absent; no FDA-standard RCTs
- •Anecdotal protocols use 5 to 10 mg subcutaneously daily for 10 to 20 day cycles, 2 to 4 times yearly
- •Not currently on the WADA Prohibited List
TB-500
- •17-amino-acid fragment of endogenous Thymosin Beta-4, an actin-sequestering peptide
- •Preclinical models show accelerated tendon, ligament, and dermal wound healing
- •Equine veterinary use for soft-tissue injury is the most documented real-world application
- •Anecdotal human protocols use 2 to 5 mg twice weekly subcutaneously for 4 to 6 weeks
- •WADA banned under S2 (peptide hormones, growth factors) since 2018
- •No completed phase II or III human RCTs as of 2026; long-term safety unestablished
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Epitalon | TB-500 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | peptide | peptide |
| Also known as | Epithalon, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, AEDG, Epithalamin (precursor extract) | Thymosin Beta-4 fragment, TB4-Frag, Thymosin Beta 4 |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.5 | 2 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 5 | 2.5 |
| Dosing frequency | daily during cycle | 2x weekly (anecdotal protocols) |
| Routes | subcutaneous, intramuscular, intranasal | subcutaneous, intramuscular |
| Onset (hr) | 24 | - |
| Peak (hr) | 168 | - |
| Molecular weight | 390.35 | 4963.4 |
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 | C212H350N56O78S |
| Mechanism | Synthetic tetrapeptide proposed to interact directly with DNA and chromatin to modulate tissue-specific gene expression. Reported effects include telomerase activation, increased melatonin output from pineal cells, and circadian normalization. | Sequesters G-actin monomers, modulates cell migration and angiogenesis, and upregulates VEGF and myosin transcription. Promotes endothelial differentiation and stem-cell migration to injury sites in preclinical models. |
| Legal status | Not FDA approved; registered in Russia under domestic pharmaceutical framework; research-use-only grey market in US/EU | Not FDA approved; research-use-only grey market; banned by WADA |
| WADA status | unknown | banned |
| DEA / Rx | Not scheduled (research chemical) | Not FDA approved; not scheduled; research-chemical status |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data; not recommended | Insufficient data |
| CAS | 307297-39-8 | 885340-08-9 |
| PubChem CID | 219042 | 62707662 |
| Wikidata | Q5384126 | Q7799921 |
Safety profile
Epitalon
Common side effects
- injection-site reactions
- occasional mild headache (rare)
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- active malignancy (theoretical telomerase concern)
- concurrent immunosuppression
Interactions
- melatonin: potential additive effect on circadian and pineal output; no controlled data(minor)
TB-500
Common side effects
- injection-site irritation
- fatigue (anecdotal)
- lethargy in early dosing (anecdotal)
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- active malignancy (theoretical angiogenic concern)
- no established human safety profile
Interactions
- BPC-157: Frequently co-administered in anecdotal healing protocols; no controlled interaction data(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Epitalon and TB-500 score evenly on the criteria we weight (goal breadth, legal accessibility, evidence depth). The conditionals below should drive the decision more than any aggregate score.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick Epitalon.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Epitalon.
- → If your priority is post-training recovery, pick TB-500.
- → If your priority is tendon repair, pick TB-500.
Edge case: Half-lives differ materially (Epitalon ~0.5 hr vs TB-500 ~2 hr). TB-500 reaches steady state faster; Epitalon is easier to dial in if tolerability is uncertain.
Default choice: either is defensible. Epitalon edges out on goal breadth + legal accessibility; TB-500 is the right call if your priority sits in the goals listed above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Epitalon and TB-500?
Epitalon and TB-500 differ in category (peptide vs peptide), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Epitalon or TB-500?
Epitalon half-life is 0.5 hours; TB-500 half-life is 2 hours.
Can you stack Epitalon with TB-500?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper