Evidence review: Open Peptide Project (verified against primary PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov & FDA records) · Last checked 2026-10-26. ← Back to Evidence Library
Thymogen (Glu-Trp, oglufanide): what the evidence says
At a glance
What it is: a 2-amino-acid peptide (L-Glu-L-Trp) first isolated from the calf-thymus extract Thymalin and then made synthetically in the Soviet Union as an immune modulator. Also called oglufanide. R1, R2
What the evidence says: Russian studies from the 1990s report fewer respiratory infections in a military unit and immune changes in several illnesses. R3, R1 We found no modern blinded RCT in PubMed.
Biggest risks: not well described in the indexed literature.
Rating
| Human Human evidence | Very limited: old, mostly unblinded Russian studies R3, R1 |
| Animal Animal / lab evidence | T-cell and cytokine effects in lab studies R1, R2 |
| Regulatory | Not approved in the US · not on FDA's 503A or 503B bulk-substance category lists and not on FDA's compounding safety-risk page · WADA: not named R4, R5, R6 |
| Established human dose | None in the US. Study details lists what studies used |
Evidence verdict: Immune support in infections and surgery: Very limited (old Russian studies, mostly unblinded) · Healthy people: No controlled 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: most papers are Russian-language abstracts from the groups that developed it; methods and controls are often unclear. R3, R1
What is it?
Thymogen belongs to the Khavinson-style short peptides. Its mirror-image form (thymodepressin) has the opposite, immune-suppressing effect. R2 Related pages: Thymalin, Vilon, Thymosin alpha-1, Thymulin.
Does it work?
- Human Respiratory infections (1993): a military training unit using nasal or injected thymogen reported less flu and respiratory illness. R3 Caution design and control group not described in the abstract.
- Human Review (1997): Thymalin and Thymogen used in people with chronic immune problems; activated T-cell markers and cytokines. R1
- Unknown No trials in healthy people.
Is it safe?
- Unknown Side effects are not reported in the indexed abstracts.
Gray-market "research use only" thymogen: 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 works in blinded trials
- Unknown Its safety profile
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. R4, R5, R6
- Russia: used clinically per the literature. R1 UNVERIFIED registration status not checked.
- Athletes: not named on the WADA 2026 list. UNVERIFIED
Study details
Study details
These are amounts researchers used, not recommendations.
| Study | People / model | Route | Amount used | Follow-up | Reported | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Military ARI study 1993 | Military trainees | Nasal and subcutaneous | UNVERIFIED amount not in abstract | Season | Fewer respiratory infections reported | PMID 8498021 |
Full reference list (PubMed, CT.gov, FDA and WADA checked Oct 26, 2026)
- R1 Morozov VG, et al. Int J Immunopharmacol. 1997. PMID 9637345
- R2 Deigin V, et al. Int J Mol Sci. 2024. PMID 38732260
- R3 Furgal SM, et al. Voen Med Zh. 1993. PMID 8498021
- R4 FDA, 503A bulk drug substances categories list (updated May 14, 2026). https://www.fda.gov/media/94155/download
- R5 FDA, 503B bulk drug substances categories list (updated Mar 21, 2025). https://www.fda.gov/media/94164/download
- R6 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 Thymogen (Glu-Trp, oglufanide). Talk to a clinician you trust, especially if you have an autoimmune disease, take immune-suppressing drugs, or are pregnant. Report problems to FDA MedWatch (https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch).