Cardiogen

Cardiogen is a short synthetic peptide from the Russian 'Khavinson' bioregulator family, marketed for the heart. Like the rest of the family, the idea is that a tiny amino-acid sequence can nudge gene activity in its matching organ, here the heart muscle. The direct evidence is thin: the one animal study on record looked at tumor growth in aged rats, not heart function, so the heart claim leans mainly on that broader theory rather than cardiac research. The research is Russian, preclinical, hasn't been independently replicated in the West, there are no large human trials, and Cardiogen isn't FDA-approved.

Cardiogen is marketed as a heart "bioregulator," but direct research is limited and preclinical. One animal study found cardiogen injections slowed the growth of a transplanted tumor in aged rats — an anticancer-adjacent finding, not a heart-function study — and its heart association comes from a broad tissue-specific peptide theory rather than cardiac trials. There are no large controlled human trials showing Cardiogen benefits the heart or any condition.

Not a drug in the US and not FDA-approved for any indication. A synthetic "Khavinson" short-peptide bioregulator ("cytogen") from the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology (Russia), associated with the heart/myocardium. Evidence is preclinical/animal plus small Russian studies; no large controlled human trials. WADA: not specifically named; best treated as S0 (non-approved), prohibited at all times — verify with your anti-doping organization. Not DEA-scheduled.

Cardiogen has essentially no controlled human safety data and is not FDA-approved. It is not a treatment for any heart condition — those require a clinician. As a non-approved research peptide it is best treated as prohibited in regulated sport (WADA S0). VialWise is a research and educational reference, not medical advice.

⚠️ For research and educational purposes only. Cardiogen is not FDA-approved and is not a treatment for any heart condition. Its evidence is animal-level. Information here is informational, not medical advice.

⚠️ Part of the Khavinson "bioregulator" family — read the shared caveat. Cardiogen is one of a set of short peptides from the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, sharing a thin, mostly-preclinical, largely single-institute evidence base and no large controlled human trials.[²]

⚠️ Sequence note. Cardiogen's sequence is commonly reported as Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg, but that specific sequence was not independently reconfirmed in the sources cited here. Treat the exact sequence as reported, not verified.

Cardiogen is a synthetic short peptide (reported Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg) in the "Khavinson" bioregulator family, associated with the heart/myocardium. Direct Cardiogen-specific research is limited. According to PubMed, an animal study found that cardiogen injections dose-dependently inhibited the growth of a transplanted M-1 sarcoma in senescent rats, by promoting hemorrhagic necrosis and tumor-cell apoptosis and acting through the tumor's vascular network rather than by direct cytostatic action.[¹] That is an anticancer-adjacent finding, not a cardiac-function study; Cardiogen's heart association derives from the broader Khavinson tissue-specific framework.[²]

Evidence quality. Animal-level, indirect. No large controlled human trials; no direct human cardiac data. See the shared Khavinson caveat below.

### About the Khavinson bioregulators (shared framing)

Developed from the 1970s by Vladimir Khavinson at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, these cytomedin/cytogen peptides went from organ-extract complexes to synthetic short peptides proposed to have tissue-specific effects under a "peptide theory of ageing."[²] Honest caveats: evidence is overwhelmingly preclinical plus small, often non-blinded Russian studies; no large independent randomized trials; none FDA-approved; sold in Russia as injectables and supplements.

Regulatory status (US). Not FDA-approved; not a drug. Not DEA-scheduled.

Regulatory status (sport — WADA). Not specifically named; best treated as S0 (non-approved), prohibited at all times. Verify with your anti-doping organization.

Common research interests. Cardiovascular/heart support (its associated organ). Extrapolated from the tissue-specific theory and indirect animal data, not an established human use.

Commonly reported

• Injection-site reactions
• Reactions to research-supply material of variable purity
• Vascular/tumor effects. The animal study describes vascular-mediated tumor effects;[¹] the implications of such activity in humans are uncharacterized.
• Unknown long-term safety.

Not a treatment for any heart condition — see a clinician

Pregnancy and lactation — no data; default to contraindicated

Pediatric use — no data; not for researchers under 18

Active malignancy or vascular disease — caution given the vascular-mediated effects reported[¹]

Known hypersensitivity — contraindicated

Regulatory note (US): Not FDA-approved; not DEA-scheduled.

Regulatory note (sport): Best treated as WADA S0. Verify with your anti-doping organization.

Bioregulator (Khavinson peptide)

A very short synthetic peptide from the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, each linked to an organ — here, the heart.

Myocardium

The heart muscle. Cardiogen is the heart-associated peptide in this family.

Preclinical / animal

Research in animals, before human testing.

Tissue-specific

The claim that each peptide mainly affects its matching organ.

1. Levdik NV, Knyazkin IV. (2009). Tumor-modifying effect of cardiogen peptide on M-1 sarcoma in senescent rats. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 148(3):433–436.(PMID 20396706)
2. Khavinson VKh. (2002). Peptides and Ageing. Neuro Endocrinology Letters, 23 Suppl 3:11–144.(PMID 12374906)

• Bronchogen — same mechanism class
• Cartalax — same mechanism class
• Chonluten — same mechanism class
• Cortagen — same mechanism class
• Crystagen — same mechanism class
• Epitalon — same mechanism class