Peptide LibraryThymogen (Oglufanide)
Also known as: Glu-Trp, Thymagen
Thymogen (Oglufanide), also called Glu-Trp or Thymagen, is a thymic dipeptide. Thymogen is Glu-Trp, a synthetic dipeptide identified as an active fragment of thymopoietin and also known as oglufanide. Despite its very small size it is reported to modulate T-cell differentiation and to influence innate immune responses, with described effects on neutrophil and macrophage function and on cytokine production.
For research use only.
Key Facts
- CAS
- 148698-17-5
- Molecular Weight (MW)
- 333.34 g/mol
- Half-life
- Not firmly established (small dipeptide)
- FDA status
- Not Approved
- Evidence level
- Clinical Trial Evidence
- Human dose established
- Yes
- Administration Route
- Intranasal (all trials with a stated route)
- Frequency
- —
- Last updated
- Nov 7, 2026
- Reviewed
- Nov 7, 2026
- Targets
- Immune cells (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
- 8
- Listed offers
- 8
- Median price per mg
- $4.00/mg
- Typical $4.00–$5.95/mg
Research summary
Glu-Trp, a synthetic dipeptide identified as the active fragment of thymopoietin and also known as oglufanide. Despite its very small size it has been studied as an immunomodulator affecting T-cell differentiation and innate immune function, and is used in some CIS markets for that purpose. Its plasma half-life is measured in minutes, which constrains how it can be given. Not FDA-approved.
Research evidence
- Regulatory review (FDA label)None in reviewed sources
- Controlled human trials3 reviewed sources
- Early or uncontrolled human studies2 reviewed sources
- Lab & animal studiesNone in 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 Thymogen (Oglufanide) 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.
Thymogen (Oglufanide) dosage evidence
Thymogen (Glu-Trp) has human doses from trials, but no dose with proven benefit. As the drug candidate IM862 (oglufanide), it was given as nose drops in US and UK cancer trials: 5 mg every other day in AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma, which a 202-patient phase 3 trial found no better than placebo, and 20 mg three times a day in kidney cancer, which produced no responses. A Russian placebo-controlled study gave thymogen as nose drops for 7 days before surgery. It is not FDA-approved.
| Human dosing established | Yes |
|---|---|
| Route | Intranasal (all trials with a stated route) |
| Evidence level | Clinical Trial Evidence |
| Last reviewed | 2026-11-07 |
Research-reported dosing
Doses as studied, one row per regimen. Different trials used different regimens; they are listed separately rather than averaged.
| Study / context | Population | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Outcome studied | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM862 (oglufanide) in AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma, phase 3 (2005)Clinical trial · Phase 3 randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial | HIV-positive adults with Kaposi's sarcoma (n=202; 104 IM862, 98 placebo) | 5 mg | Intranasal | Every other day | 24 weeks planned (median 19.5 weeks on IM862) | Response rate no better than placebo (23% vs 21%); shorter time to progression on IM862 | Angiogenesis inhibitor IM862 is ineffective against AIDS-Kaposi's sarcoma in a phase III trial, but demonstrates sustained, potent effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy. J Clin Oncol. 2005. |
| IM862 (oglufanide) in AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma, randomised schedule study (2000)Clinical trial · Randomised comparison of two dosing schedules, no placebo | Adults with AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (n=44) | 5 mg | Intranasal drops | 5 days on and 5 days off (n=18), or every other day (n=26) | Repeated cycles until progression or unacceptable toxicity | Major responses in 36%; mild, short-lived headache, fatigue, tingling and nausea | Results of a randomized study of IM862 nasal solution in the treatment of AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma. J Clin Oncol. 2000. |
| IM862 (oglufanide) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma, phase 2 (2004)Clinical trial · Phase 2 single-arm trial | Adults with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (n=25) | 20 mg | Intranasal | Three times a day | 8-week cycles | No objective responses; 8 patients had stable disease; no grade 2 or 3 drug-related toxicity | Phase II trial of the antiangiogenic agent IM862 in metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Br J Cancer. 2004. |
| Thymogen before abdominal tumour surgery in older patients (2011)Clinical trial · Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study, Russian-language publication | Older adults having surgery for abdominal or retroperitoneal solid tumours (number not stated in the indexed abstract) | 100 mg once a day, as stated in the English abstract (not checked against the Russian full text) | Intranasal instillation | Once a day | 7 days before surgery | Fewer post-operative complications and a shorter post-operative period reported | [Application thymogen for preoperative preparation of elderly patients with tumor processes in abdominal cavity]. Adv Gerontol. 2011. |
| NCT00003773 — phase 1, IM862 (oglufanide disodium) in recurrent ovarian cancerClinical trial · Phase 1 dose-escalation trial | Patients with recurrent ovarian cancer (n=43) | Escalating doses to find the maximum tolerated dose (not stated in the record) | Intranasal | Daily | 6 months | Completed; no results posted | NCT00003773 — IM-862 in Treating Patients With Recurrent Ovarian Cancer |
Where sources disagree
- The trialled doses differ by more than tenfold (5 mg every other day, 20 mg three times a day, and 100 mg a day in one Russian abstract), so no single figure summarises them. The 100 mg figure is as printed in the English abstract and could not be checked against the Russian text.
- The only phase 3 trial found IM862 no better than placebo for Kaposi's sarcoma, and the kidney cancer trial found no responses. A trial dose is not evidence that the dose works.
- The 2004 kidney cancer abstract describes IM862 as L-Glu-L-Trp, the thymogen dipeptide, and the trial registry names it oglufanide disodium. The 2005 phase 3 abstract instead calls it L-glutamine L-tryptophan.
- Russian clinical papers on thymogen in infection, tuberculosis and diabetes exist, but their indexed abstracts do not give a usable dose. Thymogen is not FDA-approved and has no DailyMed listing.
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 →Sequence & molecular data
| Molecular formula | C16H19N3O5 |
|---|---|
| Molecular weight | 333.34 g/mol |
| CAS number | 148698-17-5 |
| Half-life | Not firmly established (small dipeptide) |
| Appearance | White lyophilized powder or solution (research) |
| Formulation | Lyophilized Powder |
| PubChem CID | 100094 |
| FDA UNII | 4RHY598T5U |
| ChEMBL | CHEMBL2111029 |
| DrugBank | DB05779 |
Identifiers link to the public PubChem, FDA Substance Registration (UNII), ChEMBL and DrugBank records for the same entity.
Science
Mechanism of Action
Thymogen is Glu-Trp, a synthetic dipeptide identified as an active fragment of thymopoietin and also known as oglufanide. Despite its very small size it is reported to modulate T-cell differentiation and to influence innate immune responses, with described effects on neutrophil and macrophage function and on cytokine production. It has been studied as an immunomodulator in infection and as an adjunct in oncology and hepatitis research. As with other short peptides its plasma half-life is very short, which constrains dosing. The supporting literature is largely regional, and it has no FDA-approved use.
Origin
Synthetic Glu-Trp.
Targets
Studies
- The First Reciprocal Activities of Chiral Peptide Pharmaceuticals: Thymogen and Thymodepressin, as Examples
- Hepatoprotective Effects of Thymogen Analogues in Hydrazine Hepatopathy in Rats
- Cy5.5-8-Amino-octanoic acid-Ser-Cys-Pro-Pro-Trp-Gln-Glu-Trp-His-Asn-Phe-Met-Pro-Phe-NH(2)
- Whey Protein Peptide Pro-Glu-Trp Ameliorates Hyperuricemia by Enhancing Intestinal Uric Acid Excretion, Modulating the Gut Microbiota, and Protecting the Intestinal Barrier in Rats
- Reparative and Antioxidant Effects of New Analogues of Immunomodulator Thymogen in Experimental Model of Liver Damage
Research statistics
101 PubMed publications · 26.1% human clinical research · 3 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
Thymogen (Oglufanide) 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
Thymogen (Oglufanide) side effects
The effects below are those reported in Thymogen (Oglufanide) clinical trials; long-term safety data may still be limited.
Side Effects
- Not well characterized in FDA-standard trials
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.
Thymogen (Oglufanide): frequently asked questions
What is Thymogen (Oglufanide)?
Glu-Trp, a synthetic dipeptide identified as the active fragment of thymopoietin and also known as oglufanide. Despite its very small size it has been studied as an immunomodulator affecting T-cell differentiation and innate immune function, and is used in some CIS markets for that purpose. Its plasma half-life is measured in minutes, which constrains how it can be given. Not FDA-approved.
How does Thymogen (Oglufanide) work?
Thymogen is Glu-Trp, a synthetic dipeptide identified as an active fragment of thymopoietin and also known as oglufanide. Despite its very small size it is reported to modulate T-cell differentiation and to influence innate immune responses, with described effects on neutrophil and macrophage function and on cytokine production.
Is Thymogen (Oglufanide) FDA approved?
No. Thymogen (Oglufanide) 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 is the half-life of Thymogen (Oglufanide)?
Reported half-life for Thymogen (Oglufanide) is Not firmly established (small dipeptide). Half-life describes how long the compound persists in circulation, not how long any effect lasts, and published figures vary with route of administration, formulation and the population studied.
What peptides are similar to Thymogen (Oglufanide)?
Compounds most often compared with Thymogen (Oglufanide) include Thymosin Alpha-1, Thymalin, Thymopentin and Thymulin. They are grouped by shared mechanism or research area rather than by equivalence, and their regulatory status and evidence base differ.
References
- The First Reciprocal Activities of Chiral Peptide Pharmaceuticals: Thymogen and Thymodepressin, as Examples — Int J Mol Sci, 2024External reference
- Hepatoprotective Effects of Thymogen Analogues in Hydrazine Hepatopathy in Rats — Bull Exp Biol Med, 2025External reference
- Cy5.5-8-Amino-octanoic acid-Ser-Cys-Pro-Pro-Trp-Gln-Glu-Trp-His-Asn-Phe-Met-Pro-Phe-NH(2), 2004External reference
- Whey Protein Peptide Pro-Glu-Trp Ameliorates Hyperuricemia by Enhancing Intestinal Uric Acid Excretion, Modulating the Gut Microbiota, and Protecting the Intestinal Barrier in Rats — J Agric Food Chem, 2024External reference
- Reparative and Antioxidant Effects of New Analogues of Immunomodulator Thymogen in Experimental Model of Liver Damage — Bull Exp Biol Med, 2023External 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 Thymogen (Oglufanide) 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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