Evidence review: Open Peptide Project (verified against primary PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov & FDA records) · Last checked 2026-10-26. ← Back to Evidence Library
Cortagen: what the evidence says
At a glance
What it is: a lab-made 4-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) designed from the brain-extract drug Cortexin by Khavinson's group in St. Petersburg. R1
What the evidence says: rat studies report faster sciatic-nerve recovery and less brain damage markers in chronic ischemia. R2, R3 A 2004 paper states it helped human nerve recovery, but we found no indexed human trial. R1
Biggest risks: unknown.
Rating
| Human Human evidence | None found: one lab study on blood cells from 75–88-year-olds; no clinical trial R4 |
| Animal Animal / lab evidence | Rat nerve and brain-ischemia studies; mouse heart gene expression R2, R5, R3, R1 |
| Regulatory | Not approved · not on FDA's 503A or 503B bulk-substance category lists and not on FDA's compounding safety-risk page · WADA: not named R6, R7, R8 |
| Established human dose | None. Study details lists what studies used |
Evidence verdict: Nerve repair and brain protection: Animal/lab only (one claim of human use without published trial data) · Anti-aging: No controlled human data
This page reports what studies used. It is not dosing advice.
Legend: HUMAN data · ANIMAL / LAB data · UNKNOWN · UNVERIFIED: not yet confirmed against a primary source
About the evidence: every paper found comes from Russian groups linked to the developers, mostly in Russian-language journals. R2, R1, R3
What is it?
One of the Khavinson "peptide bioregulators," claimed to act tissue-specifically on the brain. R1 Related pages: Cortexin, Pinealon, Epithalamin, Vilon.
Does it work?
- Animal Rat sciatic nerve: faster regeneration and delayed functional recovery reported. R2, R5
- Animal Rat chronic brain ischemia: improved behavior and less lipid oxidation, similar to Cortexin. R3
- Animal Cells from older people: chromatin changes in lab-treated white blood cells. R4
- Human A 2004 paper says human nerve recovery improved but cites no trial data we could find. R1 UNVERIFIED
Is it safe?
- Unknown No human safety data.
Gray-market "research use only" cortagen: extra risks
A gray-market vial has no quality control and no guarantee of identity, strength or sterility. We test retail vials blind under the Open Peptide Standard; see /tests/. A passing test covers one batch on one date and does not mean the compound is safe.
What we don't know
- Unknown Whether it does anything in people
- Unknown Its safety
Is it legal?
- US (FDA): not approved; not on FDA's 503A or 503B bulk-substance category lists and not on FDA's compounding safety-risk page. R6, R7, R8
- Athletes: not named on the WADA 2026 list.
Study details
Study details
These are amounts researchers used, not recommendations.
| Study | People / model | Route | Amount used | Follow-up | Reported | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rat sciatic nerve 2000 | Rats | Injection Caution | UNVERIFIED amount not in PubMed record | Weeks | Faster regeneration reported | PMID 11276314 |
| Mouse heart microarray 2004 | Mice | Injection Caution | UNVERIFIED amount not in abstract | Acute course | Gene expression changes | PMID 15159690 |
Full reference list (PubMed, CT.gov, FDA and WADA checked Oct 26, 2026)
- R1 Anisimov SV, et al. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2004. PMID 15159690
- R2 Turchaninova LN, et al. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2000. PMID 11276314
- R3 Zarubina IV, et al. Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2011. PMID 21476278
- R4 Khavinson VKh, et al. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2004. PMID 15085253
- R5 Kolosova LI, et al. Dokl Biol Sci. 2002. PMID 12134478
- R6 FDA, 503A bulk drug substances categories list (updated May 14, 2026). https://www.fda.gov/media/94155/download
- R7 FDA, 503B bulk drug substances categories list (updated Mar 21, 2025). https://www.fda.gov/media/94164/download
- R8 FDA, Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks (content current Apr 22, 2026). https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks
Disclaimer
This page is for education and harm reduction, not medical advice or a recommendation to use Cortagen. Talk to a clinician you trust, especially if you have a neurological condition or are pregnant. Report problems to FDA MedWatch (https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch).