Also known as: GI peptide
Ovagen is a short synthetic peptide developed in Russia by Vladimir Khavinson and collaborators at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, positioned as an "ovarian bioregulator" intended to support female reproductive tissue, follicular reserve markers, and age-related ovarian decline, as well as broader hepatobiliary function in some historical formulations.
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Overview
At A Glance
Mechanism of Action…
Mechanism of Action
Mechanism of Action
Ovagen is one of Vladimir Khavinson's short-peptide bioregulators (the Cytogen/Cytomax series) developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. Despite a name that sounds reproductive, Ovagen is not an ovarian or fertility peptide. In the Khavinson catalogue it is assigned to the liver and gastrointestinal tract, alongside the related liver peptide Livagen.
Identity. Ovagen is the synthetic tripeptide Glu-Asp-Leu (EDL), molecular formula C15H25N3O8, molecular weight about 375 Da. It is a genuinely different molecule from Testagen; earlier versions of this page incorrectly listed a Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly (KEDG), roughly 446 Da sequence, which is not Ovagen.
Proposed mechanism. The Khavinson framework holds that these very small peptides cross cell and nuclear membranes without a receptor, reach DNA, and bind in a sequence-selective way in the minor groove, nudging the expression of specific genes. In the one indexed study that tests the EDL peptide directly, EDL (with the related peptide AED) increased proliferation of cultured cells and shifted the expression of ageing-associated genes - lowering p16, p21 and p53 and raising SIRT-6 - with molecular-docking work suggesting binding to AT-rich DNA sequences (Khavinson et al., 2014, PMID 25946838). That study used renal cells, not liver, so the liver/GI label reflects catalogue positioning and class-level work on related peptides rather than direct EDL liver data.
Liver and GI framing (class-level, related peptides)
The hepatoprotective and digestive claims made for the Khavinson liver programme rest mainly on the related tetrapeptide Livagen (Lys-Glu-Asp-Ala): reported normalisation of immune and antioxidant status and restoration of liver function in rodent hepatitis and liver-fibrosis models (Kuznik et al., 2020, PMID 32362099), and age-dependent normalisation of digestive-enzyme activity in the gastrointestinal tract of rats given Livagen orally (Timofeeva et al., 2005, PMID 16075683). These are Livagen studies, not Ovagen/EDL studies, and are cited only to describe the class.
Conservative interpretation
A parsimonious reading is that a rapidly-hydrolysed tripeptide simply delivers its constituent amino acids - glutamate, aspartate and leucine - and that any biological signal reflects ordinary substrate supply or non-specific effects rather than a targeted bioregulatory action. No receptor, enzyme, or defined molecular target has been identified for Ovagen.
What has not been done
No structural biology on EDL-chromatin binding in hepatocytes, no modern liver transcriptomics, no target validation, and no human data of any kind. The mechanism remains a framework-level hypothesis.
Overview
Ovagen is a short synthetic peptide developed in Russia by Vladimir Khavinson and collaborators at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, positioned as an "ovarian bioregulator" intended to support female reproductive tissue, follicular reserve markers, and age-related ovarian decline, as well as broader hepatobiliary function in some historical formulations. It is usually described in Khavinson-family publications as the tetrapeptide Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly (KEDG), sometimes rendered H-Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly-OH or K-E-D-G. Ovagen sits alongside Pinealon, Thymogen, Vilon, Epitalon, Livagen, Bronchogen, Cardiogen, Cartalax, and Chonluten within the Khavinson short-peptide bioregulator family, and is positioned as the female-reproductive counterpart to Testagen (male reproductive bioregulator).
Outside Russia, Ovagen is not a registered pharmaceutical, not FDA- or EMA-reviewed, not listed in WADA categories, and does not appear in ASRM, ESHRE, or NICE guidelines for ovarian dysfunction, premature ovarian insufficiency, or menopause management. Published Russian work — authored primarily by Khavinson and collaborators — comprises in vitro ovarian follicle culture studies, rodent aging and ovariectomy experiments, and small uncontrolled observational series in women with age-related ovarian decline and perimenopausal transition ([Khavinson et al., 2011]; [Anisimov et al., 2010]; [Kuznik et al., 2011]).
The central claim for Ovagen is the standard Khavinson short-peptide bioregulator model applied to ovarian tissue: passive membrane permeation into granulosa and theca cells, nuclear import, and sequence-selective chromatin modulation producing preferential upregulation of follicular-survival, steroidogenic, and anti-apoptotic programmes. The tissue-specific targeting claim — that KEDG selectively supports ovarian rather than testicular, hepatic, or other tissue — is asserted but not supported by structural biology, modern biodistribution, or transcriptomic characterisation of ovarian tissue after KEDG exposure. The hypothesis is internally consistent within the Khavinson programme; it is substantially less validated than evidence-graded management of reproductive aging, perimenopause, and premature ovarian insufficiency.
BodyHackGuide covers Ovagen because it is sold online in post-Soviet supplement channels (typically 20 mg oral capsules) and appears occasionally in longevity and female-health discussions as a reproductive-support bioregulator. We describe what is known, what is claimed, and what is missing — and we steer readers seeking evidence-graded management of reproductive aging toward interventions with substantial replication: complete hormonal assessment (FSH, LH, estradiol, AMH, thyroid, prolactin), lifestyle optimisation (weight management, smoking cessation, stress management), evidence-based hormone therapy when indicated and not contraindicated (estradiol + progestogen for perimenopausal symptoms, with individualised risk-benefit discussion), specific fertility treatment (ovulation induction, IVF) for age-related fertility decline, and proven supplements for reproductive aging (vitamin D, omega-3, CoQ10 with modest evidence for ovarian function, myo-inositol for PCOS). Ovagen is a plausible hypothesis. It is not, in 2026, an evidence-graded reproductive therapy.
What to Expect
- •A short course is expected to produce little to no noticeable effect; any effect would be subtle and non-specific.
- •No reversal of liver disease, fibrosis, or gastrointestinal pathology - a 10-day peptide course cannot achieve that.
- •No human efficacy data exist; treat any perceived benefit with skepticism and do not delay real medical care.
Individual responses vary. Timeline based on commonly reported research observations.
Chemical Information
IUPAC Name
L-Lysyl-L-glutamyl-L-aspartyl-L-glutamine
CAS Number
Not yet available
Molecular Formula
Lys-Glu-Asp-Gln
Molecular Mass
375.38 g/mol
Amino Acid Sequence
Dosing & Protocols
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Research
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Interactions
Interaction Matrix
Contraindications
Contraindications
Because human data are absent, contraindications are precautionary.
Avoid
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding - no reproductive-toxicity data.
- Children and adolescents.
- Known hypersensitivity to Ovagen or other Khavinson peptides.
- Any unregulated or unverified product without third-party HPLC identity/purity and endotoxin testing.
Use only with clinician oversight
- Diagnosed liver disease (viral hepatitis, alcohol-related or metabolic/MASLD liver disease, fibrosis or cirrhosis) - these need cause-directed medical treatment; do not substitute or delay it for Ovagen.
- Active gastrointestinal disease under investigation.
- Significant renal or hepatic impairment.
Not a substitute for evaluation
New or worsening liver/GI symptoms - jaundice, persistent abdominal pain, GI bleeding, unexplained weight loss - require medical evaluation, not self-treatment with an experimental peptide.
Research Disclaimer
This interaction data is compiled from published research and community reports. It may not be exhaustive. Always consult a healthcare professional before combining compounds.
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Research Score
19 PubMed results
Quality Indicators
Data Completeness
88%Research Volume
Quick Facts
Half-Life
Not established - no human or animal pharmacokinetic data have been published. As a small, unprotected tripeptide, EDL is expected to be hydrolysed by peptidases within minutes in the circulation.
Molecular Weight
375.38 g/mol
Trial Phase
Preclinical
Research Disclaimer
This information is for educational and research purposes only. Not intended as medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ovagen?
Ovagen is a synthetic tripeptide, Glu-Asp-Leu (EDL), molecular weight about 375 Da - one of Vladimir Khavinson's short-peptide bioregulators from the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. Despite the reproductive-sounding name, in the Khavinson catalogue it is a liver and gastrointestinal peptide, grouped with the related liver peptide Livagen - not an ovarian or fertility compound. The only indexed study of the EDL peptide itself is a cell-culture geroprotection experiment (Khavinson et al., 2014, PMID 25946838). It is experimental, preclinical, and not approved by any regulator.
Is Ovagen an ovarian, perimenopause, or fertility peptide?
No. The name is misleading. Ovagen is not used for ovaries, perimenopause, AMH, IVF, or fertility, and there is no evidence for any reproductive effect. In Khavinson's system it is assigned to the liver and digestive tract. Earlier versions of this page wrongly described it as a female-reproductive peptide with a Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly (about 446 Da) sequence; that sequence is not Ovagen.
What does the evidence actually show?
Very little. One indexed study tests the EDL peptide directly and found geroprotective, gene-expression effects (lower p16/p21/p53, higher SIRT-6) in cultured renal cells (Khavinson et al., 2014, PMID 25946838). The liver and GI reputation comes from studies of the related peptide Livagen - reported hepatoprotection in rodent hepatitis and fibrosis models (Kuznik et al., 2020, PMID 32362099) and normalised digestive-enzyme activity in aged rats (Timofeeva et al., 2005, PMID 16075683). There are no human trials of Ovagen and no Ovagen-specific liver study.
What is the correct Ovagen dose?
There is no validated dose. Khavinson/cytomax convention is roughly 10 mg orally once daily, or 1-2 mg subcutaneously daily, in 10-day courses separated by washouts of one to three months. No dose-ranging trial supports any of these numbers, and labelled capsule weights usually include excipients rather than pure peptide.
Is Ovagen safe?
Human safety is essentially uncharacterised. The Khavinson peptide class is described as low-toxicity in Russian preclinical work, and only mild, self-limited effects have been noted anecdotally, but there is no controlled human safety data, no long-term data, and no interaction studies. The most practical risk is product quality, so insist on third-party HPLC identity/purity and endotoxin testing. Avoid in pregnancy, breastfeeding, and in children.
Can Ovagen treat liver disease?
There is no human evidence that it can. If you have or suspect liver disease, the effective path is cause-directed medical care - hepatitis treatment, alcohol cessation, metabolic/MASLD and weight management, and specialist follow-up. At best Ovagen is a speculative adjunct, and it should never replace or delay that care.
How does Ovagen relate to Livagen and other Khavinson peptides?
Ovagen (EDL) sits in the same short-peptide family as Livagen (the other Khavinson liver peptide), Epithalon, Thymogen, Pinealon, and Testagen. Each is assigned to a tissue in the Khavinson framework. Most of the concrete liver and GI data actually come from Livagen, not Ovagen, and none of these peptides has modern human validation.
Where do I source quality Ovagen?
Supply is split between post-Soviet cytomax capsule vendors and international research-peptide suppliers offering lyophilised synthetic EDL. Only consider product with a certificate of analysis, third-party HPLC identity and purity, and endotoxin testing. Treat anything without documentation as unusable for research.
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