Peptide LibraryCortagen
Also known as: Brain cortex bioregulator, Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro
Cortagen (also called Brain cortex bioregulator or Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) is a khavinson cortical bioregulator. Cortagen is Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro, a synthetic tetrapeptide in the Khavinson series associated with cerebral cortex tissue. The mechanism proposed for the series is that short peptides pass into the nucleus and bind specific promoter regions of DNA, altering transcription of genes relevant to the tissue they were derived from.
For research use only.
Key Facts
- CAS
- 335591-03-2
- Molecular Weight (MW)
- 430.4 g/mol
- Half-life
- —
- FDA status
- Not Approved
- Evidence level
- Insufficient Evidence
- Human dose established
- No
- Administration Route
- Not established in humans
- Frequency
- Not established in humans
- Last updated
- Nov 7, 2026
- Reviewed
- Nov 7, 2026
- Targets
- Cortical neurons (proposed)
Vendor price snapshot
Each vendor counts once, at the median price per mg of its own listings; the typical range is the middle half of vendors. From public vendor listings collected between Oct 2026 and Nov 2026, so confirm the live price on the vendor site. Peptide Library does not sell peptides.
- Vendors listing this peptide
- 7
- Listed offers
- 7
- Median price per mg
- $3.00/mg
- Typical $2.81–$3.12/mg
Research summary
Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro, a synthetic tetrapeptide in the Khavinson bioregulator series associated with cerebral cortex tissue. Reported findings concern cortical neuron protein synthesis and nerve regeneration in animal models, published largely in Russian-language journals by a single research group without independent replication. No controlled human evidence exists, and it is not FDA-approved.
Research evidence
- Regulatory review (FDA label)None in reviewed sources
- Controlled human trialsNone in reviewed sources
- Early or uncontrolled human studiesNone in reviewed sources
- Lab & animal studies2 reviewed sources
How it works
Each step shows whether the sources Peptide Library has reviewed include that kind of research. Counts are reviewed sources, not every study ever published. Reviews and programme summaries that describe human use are shown as "reported", not as trials, and registered trials without published results are listed but not counted. A higher step means research has progressed further; it does not mean a compound works better or is safer. Compounds whose evidence has not been reviewed yet show "Not reviewed" instead of a guess.
Peptide Library's Cortagen profile summarises 5 cited studies listed in the Science section, the compound's regulatory status, and research-protocol parameters reported for it. It is a research reference, not medical advice.
Cortagen dosage: no established human dose
Cortagen has no established human dosage. It is the synthetic tetrapeptide Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro from the Khavinson bioregulator series, designed from the brain-cortex extract Cortexin. No trial of it is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and no human study is indexed. The only stated dose is from rats: 10 mcg/kg by intramuscular injection for 10 days after sciatic nerve injury.
No established human dosage.
Human clinical evidence: None identified.
Preclinical research: Cortagen is a short synthetic peptide from the Russian bioregulator research school. Its indexed literature is rat and mouse work and cell studies, mostly from that school. Animal doses are in mcg/kg by injection and do not convert to a human dose. Nothing here establishes a human dose, route or interval.
Animal dosing is not converted into a human dose anywhere on this page. Where research figures appear below, they are reported as studied, not recommended.
| Human dosing established | No |
|---|---|
| Route | Not established in humans |
| Evidence level | Insufficient Evidence |
| Last reviewed | 2026-11-07 |
Preclinical and analog research
Not human dosing evidence. Listed for completeness and never extrapolated to a human dose.
| Study / context | Population | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Outcome studied | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preclinical — sciatic nerve regeneration in rats (2000)Preclinical · Animal study | Rats after cutting and suturing of the sciatic nerve | 10 mcg/kg (non-human) | Intramuscular | — | 10 days | Regenerating nerve fibres grew 27% faster and conducted 40% faster | Effect of tetrapeptide cortagen on regeneration of sciatic nerve. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2000. |
| Preclinical — gene expression in mouse heart (2004)Preclinical · Animal study | Female CBA mice aged 6 months | Not stated in the indexed abstract (non-human) | Injection (type not stated in the indexed abstract) | — | 5 consecutive days | 234 heart transcripts (110 known genes) changed expression | Elucidation of the effect of brain cortex tetrapeptide Cortagen on gene expression in mouse heart by microarray. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2004. |
Where sources disagree
- Cortagen is sold with protocols, but no registered trial or indexed human study reports a dose for it.
- A 2004 abstract states that cortagen helped nerve recovery in humans, but it cites no human study, and none is indexed in PubMed.
- Cortagen (a synthetic tetrapeptide) and Cortexin (the brain-cortex extract it was modelled on) are different products.
Reconstitution
Common research vial sizes: 20 mg.
| Vial | Bacteriostatic water | Concentration | Per 0.01 mL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mg | 2 mL | 10 mg/mL | 100 mcg per 0.01 mL |
| 20 mg | 4 mL | 5 mg/mL | 50 mcg per 0.01 mL |
These figures are arithmetic only — they convert a vial and a volume into a concentration. They are not a recommendation to take any dose.
Calculate reconstitution & dose →Handling & administration
- Injection Sites
- AbdomenThigh
- Timing Notes
- Educational catalog only — not medical advice
Sequence & molecular data
| Molecular formula | C17H26N4O9 |
|---|---|
| Molecular weight | 430.4 g/mol |
| CAS number | 335591-03-2 |
| Appearance | White lyophilized powder |
| Formulation | Lyophilized Powder |
| PubChem CID | 18439621 |
Identifiers link to the public PubChem, FDA Substance Registration (UNII), ChEMBL and DrugBank records for the same entity.
Science
Mechanism of Action
Cortagen is Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro, a synthetic tetrapeptide in the Khavinson series associated with cerebral cortex tissue. The mechanism proposed for the series is that short peptides pass into the nucleus and bind specific promoter regions of DNA, altering transcription of genes relevant to the tissue they were derived from. Reported findings concern cortical neuron protein synthesis and regeneration after nerve injury in animal models. The supporting work is almost entirely cell-culture and cytogenetic research from one group, published in Russian-language journals, without independent replication or any characterised receptor or signalling cascade.
Origin
Synthetic short peptide.
Targets
Studies
- [Cortexin and cortagen as correcting agents in functional and metabolic disorders in the brain in chronic ischemia]
- [Effects of epithalon and cortagene on immunity and hemostasis in neonatally hypophysectomized chicken and old birds]
- Elucidation of the effect of brain cortex tetrapeptide Cortagen on gene expression in mouse heart by microarray
- The delayed effect of cortagen on the restoration of injured nerve function
- Effect of tetrapeptide cortagen on regeneration of sciatic nerve
Research statistics
15 PubMed publications · 0.0% human clinical research · 0 registered trials
Counts of published research through 2026-11-01, not evidence that it works. Publications by year, study types and trials · How publications are counted
Regulatory & research status
Cortagen is not an FDA-approved product. It is sold for laboratory research and has no approved medical use.
| FDA status | Not Approved |
|---|---|
| Availability | Research-Only |
| WADA (sport) | Unknown / Not Listed |
| Library classification | Research-Only |
How FDA approval, compounding and research-only status differ
Benefits
Cortagen side effects
Cortagen has no controlled human safety data. The effects below are reported, not established, and absence from the list is not evidence of safety.
Side Effects
- Not characterized
Storage & stability
Lyophilized (freeze-dried) peptide powder is far more stable than the reconstituted solution. Keep sealed vials cold, dry and away from light; long-term storage is typically frozen, with short-term refrigeration for vials in use.
Once reconstituted in bacteriostatic water, keep the solution refrigerated, avoid repeated freeze–thaw cycles and agitation, and label the vial with the reconstitution date and concentration. Discard any solution that turns cloudy or shows particulates.
Degradation rates differ by sequence: peptides containing methionine, cysteine, asparagine or glutamine are more prone to oxidation and deamidation, so shelf life after reconstitution is compound-specific rather than universal.
Read the full guide: how to store peptides before and after reconstitution →
Source: Manning MC, Chou DK, Murphy BM, Payne RW, Katayama DS. Stability of protein pharmaceuticals: an update. Pharm Res. 2010;27(4):544–575. (PMID 20143256). General guidance for research handling; not product-specific instructions.
Cortagen: frequently asked questions
What is Cortagen?
Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro, a synthetic tetrapeptide in the Khavinson bioregulator series associated with cerebral cortex tissue. Reported findings concern cortical neuron protein synthesis and nerve regeneration in animal models, published largely in Russian-language journals by a single research group without independent replication. No controlled human evidence exists, and it is not FDA-approved.
How does Cortagen work?
Cortagen is Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro, a synthetic tetrapeptide in the Khavinson series associated with cerebral cortex tissue. The mechanism proposed for the series is that short peptides pass into the nucleus and bind specific promoter regions of DNA, altering transcription of genes relevant to the tissue they were derived from.
Is Cortagen FDA approved?
No. Cortagen is not approved by the FDA for any indication and is categorised as research-only. It has not been reviewed for safety or efficacy as a medicine, and published research should be read as investigation rather than established use.
What peptides are similar to Cortagen?
Compounds most often compared with Cortagen include Bonomarlot, Bronchogen, Cardiogen and Cartalax. They are grouped by shared mechanism or research area rather than by equivalence, and their regulatory status and evidence base differ.
References
- [Cortexin and cortagen as correcting agents in functional and metabolic disorders in the brain in chronic ischemia] — Eksp Klin Farmakol, 2011External reference
- [Effects of epithalon and cortagene on immunity and hemostasis in neonatally hypophysectomized chicken and old birds] — Adv Gerontol, 2008External reference
- Elucidation of the effect of brain cortex tetrapeptide Cortagen on gene expression in mouse heart by microarray — Neuro Endocrinol Lett, 2004External reference
- The delayed effect of cortagen on the restoration of injured nerve function — Dokl Biol Sci, 2002External reference
- Effect of tetrapeptide cortagen on regeneration of sciatic nerve — Bull Exp Biol Med, 2000External reference
Related research, comparisons & guides
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Compiled by Peptide Library Editorial · Reviewed Aug 30, 2026 · Updated Nov 7, 2026 · Version 2
This Cortagen profile is compiled from published literature (5 cited studies linked above), public regulatory records and chemical registries. It describes what research reports; it is not medical advice, and nothing here is a dosing recommendation for humans. Peptide Library does not sell peptides. Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled · Report an error
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