Evidence review: Open Peptide Project (verified against primary PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov & FDA records) · Last checked 2026-10-27. ← Back to Evidence Library
Gepon (Human Ezrin Peptide 1, HEP-1): what the evidence says
At a glance
What it is: a 14-amino-acid peptide (TEKKRRETVEREKE) from the hinge region of human ezrin, registered for human use in Russia since 2001 under the brand Gepon. R1, R2
What the evidence says: a review by its developers says it treats and prevents mucosal candidiasis, herpes zoster and infection-related diarrhea in people with HIV. R1 It reduced colitis in mice. R3
Biggest risks: unknown; no independent safety data found.
Rating
| Human Human evidence | Limited: clinical claims in a developer-authored review R1; small COVID-19 trial with no results R4 |
| Animal Animal / lab evidence | Mouse colitis, fibroblast studies R3, R2 |
| Regulatory | Not FDA-approved · not on FDA's 503A or 503B bulk-substance category lists and not on FDA's compounding safety-risk page R5, R6, R7 · not named by WADA R8 |
| Established human dose | No |
Evidence verdict: Opportunistic infections in HIV: Limited (Russian clinical reports, reviewed by the developers) · Colitis/wound repair: animal and lab only
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: the human claims come mainly from a review written by the peptide's developers, which is a conflict of interest. UNVERIFIED the underlying Russian clinical publications.
What is it?
Related pages: LL-37, Thymosin alpha-1, KPV.
Does it work?
- Human HIV-related infections: positive claims in a developer review. R1
- Human COVID-19: one 20-person phase 1 trial, status unknown, no results. R4
- Animal Colitis: reduced bloody diarrhea and weight loss in mice. R3
- Animal Fibroblasts: induced differentiation via ERK1/2 in cell studies. R2
Is it safe?
- Unknown No independent safety data found.
Gray-market vials: 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.
Is it legal?
- US: not FDA-approved; no Drugs@FDA application found (openFDA searched Oct 26, 2026).
- Compounding: not on FDA's 503A or 503B bulk-substance category lists and not on FDA's compounding safety-risk page. R5, R6, R7
- Sport: not named on WADA's 2026 Prohibited List. R8
Study details
Study details
These are amounts researchers used, not recommendations.
| Study | People / model | Route | Amount used | Follow-up | Reported | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chulkina 2020 | Mouse DSS colitis | IP | Per study | Per study | Less colitis | PMID 32621844 |
Full reference list (PubMed, CT.gov, FDA and WADA checked Oct 26, 2026)
- R1 Holms RD, et al. Int J Mol Sci. 2021. PMID 34769119
- R2 Chulkina M, et al. Eur J Pharmacol. 2017. PMID 28668507
- R3 Chulkina MM, et al. Peptides. 2020. PMID 32621844
- R4 ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04627233, Shahid Beheshti University phase 1 HEP-1 COVID-19 trial, n = 20 estimated, status unknown, no results posted (CT.gov API v2, checked Oct 26, 2026). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04627233
- R5 FDA, 503A bulk drug substances categories list (updated May 14, 2026). https://www.fda.gov/media/94155/download
- R6 FDA, 503B bulk drug substances categories list (updated Mar 21, 2025). https://www.fda.gov/media/94164/download
- R7 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
- R8 WADA. The 2026 Prohibited List, full list checked; compound not named. https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/2026list_en_final_clean_september_2025.pdf
Disclaimer
This page is for education and harm reduction, not medical advice or a recommendation to use Gepon (Human Ezrin Peptide 1, HEP-1). This compound is not FDA-approved. Any product sold under this name in the US is unregulated. Report problems to FDA MedWatch (https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch).