Reviewed & approved by Dr. Nova Reyes · Last checked 2026-10-25. ← Back to Evidence Library
Ovagen: what the evidence says
At a glance
What it is: a synthetic tripeptide (Glu-Asp-Leu, "EDL") from V. Kh. Khavinson's "peptide bioregulator" program, sold for liver and digestive health. Unknown The name "Ovagen" in PubMed refers to an unrelated veterinary hormone product for superovulation in goats. No published study tests EDL on the liver. Unknown
What the evidence says: no published study, in people or animals, tests the liver or digestive use it is sold for. The only EDL studies found used other models (rat kidney, computer docking), listed in Study details. R1–R3
Biggest risks: unknown. No human safety data were found. Unknown Gray-market products add quality risks.
Rating
| Human Human evidence | No human data |
| Animal Animal / lab evidence | None for the marketed use. Other models (rat kidney, computer docking) in Study details only R1–R3 |
| Regulatory | Not FDA-approved (no Drugs@FDA entry found) R5 · Russia: registration status UNVERIFIED · WADA: not named on the 2026 List R4; S0 status UNVERIFIED |
| Established human dose | None. Study details lists what studies used where reported |
Evidence verdict: Human: No human data · No published studies of the marketed use (liver) Card verdict: No human data · No published studies of the marketed use (liver) Card note: No published study tests the liver or digestive use it is sold for.
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 (developer-led): most of this literature comes from V. Kh. Khavinson's St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology and allied Russian, Ukrainian and Georgian groups. Many papers are short, Russian-language, and not independently repeated. Read the findings as the developers' own reports.
What is it?
Ovagen is sold as a 3-amino-acid peptide (Glu-Asp-Leu). The developers propose these peptides act on gene activity in specific organs. R3 The link between EDL and the liver comes from sellers' marketing, not from studies we could find. Unknown Related page: Livagen. Do not confuse it with the veterinary product "Ovagen" (an ovine follicle-stimulating hormone preparation). Unknown
Does it work?
- Unknown Liver or digestive disease (the marketed use): no published studies found in PubMed. UNVERIFIED whether Russian-language liver studies exist outside PubMed.
- Unknown Human clinical trials: none found.
- Studies of EDL on other models (rat kidney, computer docking) are listed in Study details, labeled by model. They do not test the marketed use. R1–R3
Is it safe?
- Unknown No human safety data found.
- Unknown Long-term effects unknown.
Gray-market "research use only" Ovagen: extra risks
Unknown contents. Vials or capsules sold online as "research use only" are not made under drug-quality rules, so identity, strength and sterility are unknown. This is a general caution; we have not found independent testing data for this product. Unknown Vendor claims about effects in people are marketing, not evidence. Unknown
What we don't know
- Unknown Whether it does anything in people
- Unknown Whether a short peptide like this survives digestion or reaches tissues when swallowed or injected
- Unknown What is actually in a gray-market vial or capsule sold under this name
Is it legal?
US: not FDA-approved; no application found in Drugs@FDA data (Oct 25, 2026). R5 Russia: UNVERIFIED whether registered as a medicine in GRLS or sold only as a dietary supplement. EU, UK, Japan, China: UNVERIFIED not checked against EMA, MHRA, PMDA or NMPA. WADA: not named on the 2026 Prohibited List R4; S0 (non-approved substances) would apply if it holds no current approval anywhere, which is UNVERIFIED.
Study details
These are amounts researchers used, not recommendations.
R1 Animal Animal: rat kidney injury models (Zamorskii 2017)
| Study | People / model | Route | Amount used | Follow-up | Reported | Side effects / limitations | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zamorskii 2017 | Rats: gentamicin nephropathy and ischemia/reperfusion | Not in abstract | Not in abstract | Not in abstract | Less oliguria, azotemia and proteinuria; better antioxidant enzyme activity | Animal; other tissue (kidney); developer co-author | PMID 28744634 |
R2 Animal Animal: rat cisplatin kidney injury (Zamorskii 2015)
| Study | People / model | Route | Amount used | Follow-up | Reported | Side effects / limitations | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zamorskii 2015 | Rats with cisplatin-induced acute kidney failure | Not in abstract | Not in abstract | Not in abstract | EDL normalized urine output, creatinine, filtration rate | Animal; other tissue (kidney); developer co-author | PMID 26515176 |
R3 Animal Computer model: DNA docking (Khavinson 2016)
| Study | People / model | Route | Amount used | Follow-up | Reported | Side effects / limitations | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khavinson 2016 | Docking models of 19 short peptides with DNA | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | EDL predicted to bind "ctcc" DNA sequence | Modeling only; developer-led | PMID 27909961 |
Full reference list (PubMed entries checked Oct 25, 2026)
- R1 Zamorskii II, et al. Nephroprotective Effect of EDL Peptide at Acute Injury of Kidneys of Different Genesis. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2017. PMID 28744634
- R2 Zamorskii II, et al. Peptides Restore Functional State of the Kidneys During Cisplatin-Induced Acute Renal Failure. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2015. PMID 26515176
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R3 Khavinson VK, et al. Short Peptides Regulate Gene Expression. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2016. PMID 27909961
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R4 WADA. The 2026 Prohibited List (in force 1 January 2026). https://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list
- R5 FDA. Drugs@FDA data (openFDA drugsfda endpoint), searched "ovagen" Oct 25, 2026: no application found. https://api.fda.gov/drug/drugsfda.json?search=products.active_ingredients.name:ovagen · Drugs@FDA: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/
Disclaimer
This page is for education and harm reduction, not medical advice or a recommendation to use Ovagen. Talk to a clinician you trust before using any drug, and report problems to FDA MedWatch (https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch).
Approved for Adam Greene by Dr. Nova Reyes, 2026-10-25.