Thymogen Alpha-1 vs Thymosin Alpha-1: Understanding the Key Differences

ComparisonThymic peptidesChecked 29 Sep 2026

Thymogen Alpha-1 vs Thymosin Alpha-1: Different molecules, different evidence

The names sound like one family. The molecules aren't. One is an oral capsule of two capped dipeptides. The other is a 28 amino acid injectable drug with decades of clinical trials behind it. Here's how they really compare, from the current label, FDA documents and the published research.

One bead, one amino acid

Every chain below is drawn from its published sequence. Colour tells you which molecule it is, never which is better.

Thymosin Alpha-128 amino acids · 3,108 Da
Thymogen Vilon2 amino acids each · free ends
EWGlu-Trp KELys-Glu
Inside the capsule2 capped dipeptides · 250 mcg each
AcEWNH2 AcKENH2
Ac is an acetyl cap on the start of a chain. NH2 is an amide cap on its end. Thymosin Alpha-1 carries an acetyl cap naturally; the capsule's peptides are capped at both ends. Sequences: FDA and the product label.5,1

The short answer

  • They aren't the same thing. Integrative Peptides' Thymogen Alpha-1 is an oral supplement capsule holding two capped dipeptides, Ac-Glu-Trp-NH2 and Ac-Lys-Glu-NH2, 250 mcg each. It contains no thymosin alpha 1.
  • Thymosin Alpha-1 (thymalfasin) is a 28 amino acid peptide injected under the skin. It's a prescription drug in some countries and isn't FDA approved in the US.
  • The human evidence isn't close. Thymosin Alpha-1 has many trials, with mixed results. Thymogen's Western cancer trials didn't beat placebo. The capsule's exact peptides have never been studied in people.
01

Why they get confused

Four different things hide behind these names

Search either name and you'll find pages treating them as cousins, or as one product in two formats. They're neither.

At least four separate things sit behind these names: a capsule you can buy, the Russian drug it borrows a name from, a second Russian peptide, and a prescription peptide with a similar name. Keeping them apart is most of the answer.

The mix up is everywhere. At least one online store lists this capsule as a “Thymosin-Alpha-1 Oral Peptide”. It isn't one.

How the product name is built

“Thymogen”

The name of a Russian drug: the dipeptide Glu-Trp, first isolated from a calf thymus extract and later made synthetically.10

“Alpha-1”

The same suffix as thymosin alpha 1, a much larger thymus peptide. The capsule doesn't contain it.

On the bottle

“Synergistic Blend of Bioregulators”: capped Glu-Trp plus a second capped dipeptide, Lys-Glu, which the label calls Immune Peptide A2.1

Integrative Peptides' own product description agrees: distinct from thymosin alpha 1 in both structure and origin.2

What you can buy

Thymogen Alpha-1 capsule

Integrative Peptides · 60 capsules · sold as a dietary supplement

What it is
Two capped dipeptides, Ac-Glu-Trp-NH2 and Ac-Lys-Glu-NH2, 250 mcg each per capsule
How it's taken
By mouth, one to two capsules a day
Human studies
None published, on the product or on either capped peptide
The drug it's named after

Thymogen

Also oglufanide, and IM862 in US trials. The free dipeptide Glu-Trp.

What it is
An uncapped two amino acid peptide used as a medicine in Russia
How it's given
Nasal spray, injection or skin cream; since 2024 also an oral gel for gastritis in Russia
Human studies
Western cancer trials were negative; small Russian studies, including one oral gel trial for the stomach
The second peptide's namesake

Vilon

The free dipeptide Lys-Glu, from the same Russian research group

What it is
An uncapped two amino acid peptide
How it's given
Injected in animal studies; route not stated in the human reports
Human studies
Three small Russian reports, abstracts only; nothing independent
The prescription peptide

Thymosin Alpha-1

Thymalfasin · sold as Zadaxin outside the US

What it is
A 28 amino acid peptide, first isolated from calf thymus in 1977
How it's given
Injection under the skin, most often 1.6 mg
Human studies
Many trials in hepatitis, cancer, sepsis and vaccine response, with mixed results
02

Side by side

The whole comparison in one table

Every row is explained, with sources, further down the page. Nothing here is a score. The table shows what exists, and where the record is empty.

Highlight
Thymogen Alpha-1 capsule, Thymogen, Vilon and Thymosin Alpha-1 compared. Checked 29 Sep 2026.
Compared Thymogen Alpha-1 capsuleIntegrative Peptides ThymogenGlu-Trp · oglufanide VilonLys-Glu Thymosin Alpha-1thymalfasin
Also called Label lists “Thymogen” and “Immune Peptide A2” Oglufanide; IM862 in US trials Lys-Glu, KE Thymalfasin; Zadaxin
Size Two separate dipeptides, 2 amino acids each 2 amino acids, about 333 Da 2 amino acids, about 275 Da 28 amino acids, 3,108 Da
Sequence Ac-Glu-Trp-NH2 and Ac-Lys-Glu-NH2, both capped Glu-Trp, free ends Lys-Glu, free ends Ac-SDAAVDTSSEITTKDLKEKKEVVEEAEN
Form today Oral capsule, 60 per bottle, $150 list price Russian medicine: nasal spray, injection, skin cream and, since 2024, an oral gel for gastritis; not a US drug No licensed medicine found Injectable prescription drug where licensed
Routes studied in people None Nasal spray and injection; an oral gel in one Russian stomach trial Not stated in the abstracts Injection under the skin
Human trials None
No published human study
Some controlled
Western cancer trials were negative; small Russian studies, mostly unreplicated
Small reports
Three small Russian reports, abstracts only
Many controlled
Including a 1,106 patient placebo controlled trial; results mixed
Evidence by mouth No absorption or blood level data One Russian oral gel trial for gastritis; its maker says only an insignificant part reaches the blood None Not used by mouth
Human safety data None published; label warnings only Limited, from nasal, injected and oral gel use Not reported in the abstracts Mostly injection site reactions; FDA flags antibody risk
FDA status Dietary supplement; FDA doesn't approve supplements Never approved Never approved Not approved; advisers voted 17 to 4 against pharmacy compounding in 2024
Elsewhere US product Registered medicine in Russia; the nasal spray needs no prescription Not found as a licensed medicine Prescription drug in some countries. In the EU, only Italy, as an add on to flu vaccination
Biggest open question Does any intact peptide reach the blood, and does it do anything? Would the Russian findings hold up in independent, controlled trials? Does it do anything measurable in people? Who, if anyone, it clearly helps: its largest recent trial found no survival benefit

“Many controlled” means randomized human trials exist. It says nothing about whether they were positive. Sources for every row are in the chapters below.

03

Structure

Twenty eight amino acids against two, and why the caps matter

Peptides are chains of amino acids. Thymosin Alpha-1 is a 28 link chain, about 3,108 daltons.5 Thymogen and Vilon are two link chains, roughly a tenth of that weight.31

Size alone doesn't decide what a molecule does. It does mean these aren't a big and a small version of one thing. Thymosin Alpha-1 contains no tryptophan at all, so Glu-Trp isn't even a fragment of it.

As studied: free ends

Thymogen and Vilon as they appear in the research literature. The chain starts with a free amino group and ends with a free acid.

HGluTrpOHThymogen (Glu-Trp)
HLysGluOHVilon (Lys-Glu)

In the capsule: capped ends

An acetyl group (Ac) replaces the free start. An amide (NH2) replaces the free acid end. Both changes alter the molecule's charge.

AcGluTrpNH2“Thymogen” on the label, 250 mcg
AcLysGluNH2“Immune Peptide A2” on the label, 250 mcg
What capping can doSlow down some digestive enzymes

Caps on both ends block the enzymes that trim peptides from their tips, which can make a peptide more stable.24

What it can't promiseAbsorption

Stability isn't absorption. Most peptide drugs reach the blood poorly by mouth, about 1% even in engineered formulations. Capping a dipeptide's start can also weaken its fit with PepT1, the gut transporter for intact dipeptides.23,21,22

Why old data may not transferA capped peptide is a different molecule

FDA reviewers made this point in July 2026 about another capped peptide: acetylation changes charge, size and binding, so results for the uncapped version “cannot be directly extrapolated” to the capped one.9

“Naturally occurring”?

The label calls both peptides a “naturally occurring acetylated and amidated form”. I couldn't find any published study showing that either capped dipeptide occurs in nature, or any study of either one at all. Thymosin Alpha-1 does carry a natural acetyl cap on its start, which shows capping is real biology. It doesn't show that these two molecules are.

04

Label check

What Integrative Peptides actually sells

I read the current label from the brand's own label images on 29 Sep 2026. They're byte for byte the same files I saved two days earlier, so nothing has changed. Here's what's printed, and what it adds up to.

Thymogen Alpha-1 Supplement Facts panel listing Thymogen (Ac-Glu-Trp-NH2) 250 mcg and Immune Peptide A2 (Ac-Lys-Glu-NH2) 250 mcg per capsule, 60 servings
Supplement Facts panel, cropped from Integrative Peptides' own label image.1
  1. 1
    60 capsules, one capsule per serving

    Suggested use is one to two capsules a day. For higher doses, the label says to consult a health care provider.

  2. 2
    Thymogen (Ac-Glu-Trp-NH2), 250 mcg

    Capped Glu-Trp. The label adds “Naturally Occurring Acetylated and Amidated Form of Thymogen”.

  3. 3
    Immune Peptide A2 (Ac-Lys-Glu-NH2), 250 mcg

    Capped Lys-Glu. “Immune Peptide A2” is the brand's name for it. The label doesn't mention Vilon.

  4. 4
    “Time-Released VegiCap”

    The capsule shell, with microcrystalline cellulose and silicon dioxide. The brand's FAQ calls its capsules “acid resistant, enteric coated”. No release test is published.3

500 mcgtotal peptide per capsule
0.5 to 1 mga day at one to two capsules
15 mgof each peptide per bottle

Worth noting: a milligram swallowed and a milligram injected aren't comparable. Nobody has measured how much of either capped peptide survives digestion.

The brand saysWhat we found
Each batch is “tested to confirm ≥99% purity”, verified by third party testingHomepage, 29 Sep 20264
No lab named, no certificate published. The FAQ's answer on purity says to email customer service. I can't confirm the claim either way.
Capping gives “higher bioavailability and potency compared to uncapped peptides”FAQ3
Never measured for these peptides. No absorption, blood level or potency study of either capped dipeptide has been published.
“Acid resistant, enteric coated capsules”FAQ. The label itself says “Time-Released VegiCap”.
Two descriptions, no data. Neither the label nor the FAQ links to a dissolution or release test.
“Distinct from thymosin alpha 1 in both structure and origin”Product description2
Correct. This matches the chemistry and the label.
The blend can “replace, even outperform” thymosin alpha 1Older brand copy, still on some retailer listings
No study compares them. No trial has tested the capsule, or Thymogen, against Thymosin Alpha-1.

What we know

  • Exactly what's on the label, and in what amounts
  • It contains no thymosin alpha 1
  • Its two peptides are capped versions of Glu-Trp and Lys-Glu
  • It carries a Supplement Facts panel and the standard FDA disclaimer
  • The brand's own cautions: not for pregnancy, nursing or under 18 without a physician, and some people report sleep changes

What nobody has shown

  • Whether either peptide is absorbed intact by mouth
  • Whether it changes any immune measure in people
  • Whether months of daily use are safe
  • Whether each batch matches the label, since no certificate is public
  • Whether the capped forms act like the uncapped ones at all
05

How each is taken

Nose, needle or capsule: the route changes everything

Evidence from one route doesn't carry over to another. A peptide sprayed into the nose or injected under the skin skips the stomach and the gut wall. A capsule has to get past both.

Route
Capsule
Thymogen
Vilon
Thymosin Alpha-1
By mouthcapsule or tablet
How it's sold
No human data
One trial
An oral gel aimed at the stomach lining, in Russia
None found
None found
Not used by mouth
Nasal sprayinto the nose
Not used
Controlled trials
US IM862 cancer trials; Russian use
None found
None found
Under the skinsubcutaneous injection
Not used
Small reports
Russian studies
None found
Mice only
Controlled trials
The standard route, usually 1.6 mg
Into muscleintramuscular injection
Not used
Small reports
Russian studies
None found
None found
Into a veinintravenous
Not used
None found
None found
Small reports
A few Chinese studies
Hurdle oneDigestion

Stomach and gut enzymes cut peptides into single amino acids. That's ordinary digestion, and it's the default fate of a swallowed peptide.

Hurdle twoThe gut wall

Intact peptides cross the gut lining poorly: typical oral bioavailability sits near 1%, even with absorption enhancers. The transporter PepT1 carries some dipeptides into gut cells, but capping a dipeptide's start weakened that in lab tests.23,21,22

From Thymogen's own makerSwallowed, it stays mostly in the gut

The Russian label for Thymogen says that taken by mouth it acts locally on the stomach lining, and only an insignificant part of the dose reaches the bloodstream (our translation). That's the uncapped form. Nobody has measured the capped one.36,20

06

Human research

Who has been studied in people, and what they found

Thymosin Alpha-1 has far more human research than the others. More research isn't the same as good results, though, and its largest recent trial came back null. Thymogen's Western cancer trials were negative, and its one oral trial was about the stomach, not immunity. The capsule has never been tested.

Kind of study
Capsule
Thymogen
Vilon
Thymosin Alpha-1
Randomized human trialspeople, with a comparison group
None
Yes: cancer, as a nasal spray (no benefit); gastritis, as an oral gel (Russia)
One small Russian report, abstract only
Yes: hepatitis, melanoma, sepsis, COVID-19. Mixed or null
Smaller human studiesopen label or uncontrolled
None
Russian reports, mostly abstracts, not independently repeated
Two more Russian reports, abstracts only
Many
Animal studies
None
Rats and mice, one research group
Mice, one research group
Yes
Cell studies
None
Yes, including a human monocyte cell line
Yes
Yes

A filled cell means studies exist. It doesn't mean they were positive.

The trials that matter most

The largest or best controlled human studies for each, with what they actually measured.

Thymosin Alpha-11,106 peopleDouble blind, placebo

TESTS: sepsis, 22 hospitals in China (2025)

1.6 mg under the skin every 12 hours for up to seven days, against a placebo. Part funded by SciClone, the drug's maker.

No clear survival benefit. Deaths at 28 days: 23.4% with Thymosin Alpha-1 vs 24.1% with placebo.

Wu J et al, BMJ 202525

Thymogen (IM862)202 peopleDouble blind, placebo

Phase III, AIDS related Kaposi sarcoma (2005)

5 mg as a nasal spray every other day for 24 weeks.

Not better than placebo. Response 23% vs 21%. Disease progressed sooner on IM862: a median 16 weeks vs 35.

Noy A et al, J Clin Oncol 200512

Thymosin Alpha-1361 peopleSingle blind

ETASS: sepsis (2013)

1.6 mg under the skin, twice a day for five days, then daily for two. The earlier trial that made it look promising.

Fewer deaths, borderline statistics. 26.0% vs 35.0% at 28 days (P = 0.062). TESTS didn't repeat it, and a 2025 meta analysis of 11 trials found no clear benefit in the higher quality ones.

Wu J et al, Critical Care 2013; Gu B et al, 202526,40

Thymogen (IM862)71 peopleDouble blind, placebo

Prostate cancer with hormone therapy (2007)

Daily nasal spray for six months, alongside androgen ablation.

No benefit. Progression at six months: 41% vs 49% on placebo, not a significant difference. Well tolerated.

Mao S et al, The Prostate 200715

Thymosin Alpha-110 trials, 1,349 peopleCochrane review

Chronic hepatitis B

Its first licensed use abroad, usually 1.6 mg twice a week.

Possible benefit, low certainty. A September 2026 Cochrane review found fewer deaths across three trials but rated that evidence very low certainty. The largest US placebo trial, 97 people, saw 14% vs 4% complete responses, not statistically significant.

Naing C et al, Cochrane 2026; Mutchnick MG et al, 199933,28

Thymogen (IM862)25 peopleSingle arm

Metastatic kidney cancer (2004)

20 mg as a nasal spray three times a day, in eight week cycles.

No tumour responses. Eight patients stable, 17 progressed. No grade 2 or 3 side effects from the drug.

Deplanque G et al, Br J Cancer 200414

Thymosin Alpha-1488 peopleRandomized, open label

Advanced melanoma (2010)

Added to chemotherapy, with or without interferon, at three doses across five groups.

Some tumour activity, no clear survival gain. Two Thymosin Alpha-1 groups had 10 and 12 responses vs 4 in the control group. Survival differences weren't statistically significant, and FDA judged the evidence insufficient.

Maio M et al, J Clin Oncol 2010; FDA 202427,5

Thymogen, by mouth121 peopleDouble blind, placebo

Oral gel for atrophic gastritis (Russia)

Uncapped Glu-Trp as a gel, twice a day for 28 days, after H. pylori treatment. Registered in Russia in 2024.

Better stomach measures than placebo. Acidity, pepsinogen ratio, gastrin 17 and gland counts on biopsy improved. These are stomach lining outcomes, not immune ones, published as a book chapter rather than in a journal.

Uspensky YP et al, IntechOpen 2022; Regastim Gastro label34,35

Thymosin Alpha-19 studies, 5,352 peopleMeta analysis

COVID-19 in hospital (2023)

Hospitalized adults with COVID-19, pooled across nine studies.

No overall survival effect. Risk ratio 1.03. Older and sicker subgroups looked better, and the authors still concluded the data don't support its use.

Shang W et al, Int Immunopharmacol 202329

ThymogenSize not in abstractRussian field study

Respiratory infections in a military unit (1993)

Nasal and under the skin, as prevention during flu season.

Reported fewer and milder infections. The methods can't be judged from the Russian abstract, and it hasn't been independently repeated.

Furgal SM et al, Voen Med Zh 199316

Thymogen Alpha-1 capsule0 studies

No trial exists

I found no published study of this product, or of Ac-Glu-Trp-NH2 or Ac-Lys-Glu-NH2 as supplements, in PubMed, Europe PMC or ClinicalTrials.gov on 29 Sep 2026. The only time Ac-Lys-Glu-NH2 appears in the literature I could find is as a nerve growth factor mimic in a Russian patent, unrelated to immunity.32

Fifty years in twelve dates

  1. 1977Thymosin Alpha-1 isolated from calf thymus
  2. 1993Russian reports on Thymogen for infections appear
  3. 1999US placebo trial in hepatitis B doesn't confirm earlier benefit
  4. 2000US IM862 nasal spray trial in Kaposi sarcoma looks promising
  5. 2000Vilon lengthens lifespan in mice, one research group
  6. 2005Phase III IM862 trial: no better than placebo
  7. 2010Melanoma trial, 488 people: some responses, no clear survival gain
  8. 2013ETASS sepsis trial looks positive
  9. 2024Compounding nomination withdrawn; FDA reviews it anyway and advisers vote 17 to 4 against
  10. 2024Russia registers Thymogen as an oral gel for gastritis
  11. 2025TESTS, 1,106 people: no survival benefit
  12. 2026The capsule: still no published study
07

Safety

What's known about safety, and what isn't

Safety knowledge follows the research. The more a molecule has been given to people in trials, the more is known about its side effects. For the capsule, that's close to nothing.

Thymogen Alpha-1 capsuleNone published
In trials
No human safety study of the product, or of either capped peptide.
The label says
Don't exceed the recommended serving. Pregnant or nursing women, children under 18 and anyone with a known medical condition should consult a physician first.1
The brand's FAQ says
Some people report sleep changes, such as taking longer to fall asleep, with its BPC-157 or Thymogen products.3
Unknown
Everything else, including interactions with medicines.
VilonAlmost none
What exists
Three small Russian reports whose abstracts don't describe side effects, and mouse studies from one group that reported no harm from long term injections.38,18
Unknown
Its safety in people, in practice.
ThymogenLimited
In trials
The Western cancer trials used a nasal spray. The kidney cancer trial recorded no grade 2 or 3 side effects from the drug, and the prostate trial called it well tolerated.14,15
Worth noting
In the phase III Kaposi sarcoma trial, disease progressed sooner on IM862 than on placebo.12
By mouth
The Russian oral gel's label lists allergy and looser stools, frequency unknown.35
Unknown
Long term use. Russian studies report little safety detail in their abstracts.
Thymosin Alpha-1Most human data
In trials
FDA's 2024 review found most studies reported no significant side effects attributed to it, at 1 to 16 mg under the skin for up to 12 months.5
Most often reported
Irritation, redness or discomfort where it's injected.5
Flags
FDA says an injected 28 amino acid peptide may carry a significant risk of immunogenicity, meaning the body makes antibodies against it. Its licensed labeling abroad treats deliberately immunosuppressed patients, such as transplant recipients, as a contraindication.5,30
Also
Italy's patient leaflet says not to use it during pregnancy or breastfeeding.37
Unknown
Use beyond a year, and the purity of unlicensed “research” vials.

Talk with your doctor before trying either if you:

  • take immunosuppressants, or have had an organ or stem cell transplant
  • live with an autoimmune condition
  • are being treated for cancer or a chronic infection; neither product replaces that treatment
  • are pregnant, nursing or under 18
  • take other medicines or supplements meant to act on the immune system
  • take regular prescription medicines, since no interaction studies exist
08

Regulation

Drug, prescription, compounding or supplement: four rulebooks

These products sit in different legal categories, and the words get blurred online. “Not FDA approved” is true of all four, for different reasons.

Question
Capsule
Thymogen
Vilon
Thymosin Alpha-1
FDA approved drug?United States
No
Supplements aren't approved before sale
No
Tested as IM862, never approved
No
No
Two orphan designations, which aren't approvals
Licensed medicine elsewhere?
Not applicable
Yes
Russia: nasal spray without prescription, injection, cream, oral gel
None found
Yes
Some countries. In the EU only Italy, for flu vaccine support
US pharmacy compounding?FDA's 503A bulks list
Not applicable
No
Never reviewed
No
Never reviewed
No
Advisers voted 17 to 4 against, Dec 2024
How it's sold in the US
Supplement label
The brand's homepage also says “research and educational use”
Research vials
Online sellers, “not for human use”
Research vials
Online sellers
Research vials
Online sellers
The “35 countries” lineA company claim FDA couldn't check

The maker of Zadaxin has said Thymosin Alpha-1 is approved across Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. FDA wrote in 2024 that it was “unable to independently verify” those approvals. In the EU, it's authorised only in Italy, to boost the response to flu vaccines.5,39

Withdrawn isn't allowedReviewed anyway, and turned down

The only request to let pharmacies compound Thymosin Alpha-1 was withdrawn in 2024. FDA reviewed it on its own initiative, its advisers voted 17 to 4 against, and FDA still lists it as a past safety concern. It isn't on the list pharmacies may compound from.5,6,7,8

Supplement isn't approvalNo review before sale

Dietary supplements don't need FDA approval to be sold. The capsule's own label says its statements “have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration”.1

09

Bottom line

No winner, just three very different records

This isn't a ranking. They aren't substitutes, so the useful question isn't which one is better. It's what each one can honestly claim.

More human evidence

Thymosin Alpha-1, by a wide margin. The results are mixed: some smaller trials looked positive, but its largest recent sepsis trial and FDA's 2024 review didn't find convincing benefit.

Claims that hold up

That Thymogen and Thymosin Alpha-1 are different molecules. That the capsule contains no thymosin alpha 1. That its two peptides are capped versions of Glu-Trp and Lys-Glu.

Claims with no support

That the capsule works like Thymosin Alpha-1, outperforms it, or absorbs better because it's capped. That either one slows immune aging in healthy people. No human study shows any of these.

What would change this page

  • A published human study measuring blood levels after swallowing the capsule
  • A controlled trial of the capsule with a clinical or immune outcome
  • An independent certificate of analysis for each lot
  • A new FDA decision on Thymosin Alpha-1 compounding

If you still want to look at the capsule

Thymogen Alpha-1 at Integrative Peptides

This comparison isn't a recommendation. If you decide to try it anyway, ideally with your doctor's input, code SAMA takes 10% off. Restrictions may apply. Our Integrative Peptides review covers ordering, returns and the brand's testing claims.

We may earn a commission when you buy through our link, at no extra cost to you. Integrative Peptides didn't review this article.

View Thymogen Alpha-1
?

Quick answers

Thymogen vs Thymosin Alpha-1: questions

Are Thymogen and Thymosin Alpha-1 the same thing?

No. Thymogen is the two amino acid peptide Glu-Trp. Thymosin Alpha-1 is a 28 amino acid peptide with a different sequence. It contains no tryptophan, so Glu-Trp isn't even a piece of it.

Is Thymogen Alpha-1 a form of Thymosin Alpha-1?

No. Integrative Peptides' Thymogen Alpha-1 is a capsule of two capped dipeptides, Ac-Glu-Trp-NH2 and Ac-Lys-Glu-NH2. It contains no thymosin alpha 1, and the brand's own description says it's distinct from it in structure and origin.

Which one is longer?

Thymosin Alpha-1: 28 amino acids and about 3,108 daltons. Thymogen is two amino acids, about 333 daltons.

What is Immune Peptide A2? Is it Vilon?

It's the brand's name for Ac-Lys-Glu-NH2, a capped version of the dipeptide Lys-Glu. Uncapped Lys-Glu is called Vilon in Russian research. They aren't the same molecule. Vilon has three small Russian reports in people; the capped form has no published studies at all.

Is Thymogen Alpha-1 taken by mouth, and is it absorbed?

It's an oral capsule. No study has measured whether either capped peptide reaches the blood intact. For plain Thymogen, its Russian maker says that taken by mouth only an insignificant part reaches the bloodstream. Capping may slow some digestive enzymes, but that isn't evidence of absorption.

Is Thymosin Alpha-1 injected?

Yes. Licensed products and clinical trials use injection under the skin, most often 1.6 mg. There's no human evidence for Thymosin Alpha-1 taken by mouth.

Is either one FDA approved?

No. Thymosin Alpha-1 isn't approved in the US, though it's a prescription drug in some other countries. Thymogen was tested in the US as IM862 and never approved. The capsule is sold as a dietary supplement, a category FDA doesn't approve.

Which one has better evidence?

Thymosin Alpha-1 has far more human trials, with mixed results. Thymogen's Western cancer trials were negative, and its one oral trial measured stomach outcomes, not immunity. The capsule has none.

Can the old Thymogen studies be applied to the capsule?

Not directly. Those studies used uncapped Glu-Trp, mostly as a nasal spray or injection. The one oral trial used a gel aimed at the stomach lining. The capsule uses two capped peptides for immune support, and FDA reviewers have said data on an uncapped peptide can't simply be carried over to a capped one.

Is there human safety data for Thymogen Alpha-1 capsules?

None published. The label tells pregnant or nursing women, anyone under 18 and anyone with a known medical condition to check with a physician first.

Does either one help healthy aging?

No human trial has tested either for aging in healthy people. One Russian research group reported longer lifespans in rats and mice given Glu-Trp or Lys-Glu. That hasn't been shown in people.

Do I need a prescription for Thymosin Alpha-1?

Where it's licensed, it's a prescription drug. In the US there's no approved product, and FDA hasn't added it to the list of substances pharmacies may compound from.

Sources

Where every fact comes from

Product facts were checked on 29 Sep 2026 from the brand's own public pages and label images. Clinical figures come from the published papers or FDA's documents. Russian language studies were judged from their English abstracts.

  1. 1Integrative Peptides, Thymogen Alpha-1 Supplement Facts and suggested use label
  2. 2Integrative Peptides public store data, Thymogen Alpha-1 description
  3. 3Integrative Peptides FAQ
  4. 4Integrative Peptides homepage
  5. 5FDA, Thymosin Alpha-1 review for the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, Dec 2024
  6. 6FDA, PCAC meeting minutes, 4 Dec 2024
  7. 7FDA, bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks
  8. 8FDA, 503A bulk drug substance categories, May 2026
  9. 9FDA, TB-500 review, July 2026 (acetylated peptides)
  10. 10Morozov and Khavinson, Int J Immunopharmacol 1997
  11. 11Deigin et al, Pharmaceutics 2022, Russian peptide drugs review
  12. 12Noy et al, J Clin Oncol 2005, IM862 phase III
  13. 13Tulpule et al, J Clin Oncol 2000, IM862 phase II
  14. 14Deplanque et al, Br J Cancer 2004, IM862 in kidney cancer
  15. 15Mao et al, The Prostate 2007, IM862 vs placebo
  16. 16Furgal et al, Voen Med Zh 1993 (Russian)
  17. 17Anisimov, Khavinson and Morozov, Biogerontology 2000, Glu-Trp in rats
  18. 18Khavinson et al, Bull Exp Biol Med 2000, Vilon in mice
  19. 19Avolio et al, Int J Mol Sci 2022, monocyte cell line
  20. 20Bergeon and Toth, Bioorg Med Chem 2007, Glu-Trp permeability
  21. 21Meredith et al, Eur J Biochem 2000, capped dipeptides and PepT1
  22. 22Terada et al, Pflugers Arch 2000, peptide transporters
  23. 23Brayden, Hill and Fairlie, Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2020, oral peptides
  24. 24Hu et al, Int J Mol Sci 2026, terminal modifications
  25. 25Wu et al, BMJ 2025, TESTS sepsis trial, with its May 2025 correction
  26. 26Wu et al, Critical Care 2013, ETASS
  27. 27Maio et al, J Clin Oncol 2010, melanoma
  28. 28Mutchnick et al, J Viral Hepat 1999, hepatitis B placebo trial
  29. 29Shang et al, Int Immunopharmacol 2023, COVID-19 meta analysis
  30. 30Zadaxin product information, Singapore
  31. 31PubChem, Thymogen (Glu-Trp)
  32. 32US patent 9,683,014 B2 (Ac-Lys-Glu-NH2 as GK-3)
  33. 33Naing et al, Cochrane review 2026, Thymosin Alpha-1 for chronic hepatitis B
  34. 34Uspensky et al, IntechOpen 2022, oral Glu-Trp in atrophic gastritis
  35. 35Regastim Gastro patient leaflet, Russia (in Russian)
  36. 36Thymogen product information, Vidal Russia (in Russian)
  37. 37Zadaxin patient leaflet, Italy (in Italian)
  38. 38Kuznik et al, Adv Gerontol 2006, Vilon in type 1 diabetes (Russian)
  39. 39European Medicines Agency, thymalfasin orphan designation EU/3/02/110
  40. 40Gu et al, Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2025, sepsis meta analysis

Keep reading

Written by Sama Alabed. Label, product description and regulatory status checked 29 Sep 2026. I haven't taken Thymogen Alpha-1.

samā·says earns a commission when you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. Integrative Peptides didn't review or approve this article.

For educational purposes only. Nothing here is medical advice.

Previous
Previous

Integrative Peptides BPC-157 Review: My 4-Month Experience With Both Oral Versions

Next
Next

Injectable vs Topical GHK-CU: Which Copper Peptide Form Works Best?