ImmuneOglufanideTimogen

Thymogen (Oglufanide)

Synthetic Glu-Trp dipeptide · Russian immunomodulator · same molecule as Western IM-862

Thymogen is an unusual entry: a compound whose chemistry is about as simple and well-defined as a peptide gets, attached to an efficacy record that is thin by modern Western standards. Chemically it is just two amino acids joined together — glutamic acid linked to tryptophan (Glu-Trp), with the international non-proprietary name oglufanide. That identity is not in doubt; it resolves cleanly in the chemical databases. It was developed in the Soviet Union under Vladimir Khavinson's research program and has been registered and sold in Russia since around 1990 as an immunomodulator, in injectable, nasal-spray and cream forms. Intriguingly, the exact same molecule was pursued separately in the West under the names IM-862 and oglufanide — there as an anti-angiogenic (blood-vessel-blocking) candidate for AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma and ovarian cancer. The honest problem is the evidence. The strongest English-language clinical data, a Phase II Kaposi's sarcoma study, was an encouraging open-label signal that did not translate into approval; the Western program reached Phase III and then died without ever being approved. And a mechanistic study from the molecule's own Russian research milieu found that its immune effects were no different from those of its two free constituent amino acids given separately — raising the awkward question of whether the dipeptide does anything special at all. The fair framing: a legitimate, simply-built, genuinely registered compound with a long Russian safety history, but very little modern, controlled, independently-replicated proof of effect.

The short version

Most peptides in this library are complex molecules with long amino-acid chains. Thymogen is the opposite: it is just two amino acids — glutamic acid and tryptophan — bonded together. That two-unit molecule has a formal drug name, oglufanide, and its chemical identity is completely settled and easy to verify. So unlike many of the obscure 'bioregulator' peptides, there is no mystery about what Thymogen actually is.

It came out of the same Soviet/Russian research program (led by Vladimir Khavinson) that produced a whole family of short 'peptide bioregulators,' and it has been registered and sold in Russia since about 1990 as an immune-system modulator — something claimed to nudge an under-active immune response up and an over-active one down. It is sold there as an injection, a nasal spray, and a cream. A striking historical twist is that the very same molecule was independently developed in the West, under the code name IM-862, for a completely different purpose: blocking the growth of blood vessels that tumors need, as a possible cancer treatment.

The catch is how well it actually works. The best Western clinical study — in AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma — looked promising but was an open-label trial (no placebo comparison), and the larger, more rigorous program that followed never confirmed a benefit strong enough to get the drug approved anywhere outside Russia. Even more pointedly, a study from the molecule's own Russian research world found that its immune effects were no different from simply giving its two separate amino acids — which casts doubt on whether joining them into a dipeptide adds anything. So the fair read is: a real, registered, very simply built compound with a long Russian track record for safety, but weak modern proof that it does what it's claimed to do.

Molecular identity

Specs

Molecular formula: C₁₆H₁₉N₃O₅ (free acid)
Monoisotopic mass: 333.13247 Da (free acid)
CAS / UNII: 38101-59-6 (free acid) · 4RHY598T5U

Sequence (2 AA): L-α-glutamyl-L-tryptophan (Glu-Trp, α-linked, L,L)PubChem CID 100094
Structure / class: Synthetic dipeptide immunomodulator (peptide bioregulator); INN oglufanidePubChem CID 100094; WHO-DD synonyms; Khavinson program
Molecular weight: 333.34 g/mol (free acid)PubChem CID 100094; ChEMBL CHEMBL2111029
PubChem CID: 100094 (free acid); 158780 (oglufanide sodium, marketed salt)PubChem
Western identity: Same molecule as IM-862 / oglufanide (anti-angiogenic candidate)Shared PubChem CID 100094 / synonym set
Water solubility: Highly water-soluble (computed XLogP −2.7)PubChem CID 100094 (computed)
Molecular target: No defined receptor in primary literature; claimed immunomodulator (T-cell / phagocytosis) — effects reported as indistinguishable from free Glu + TrpPMID 10606007
Half-life: Not established (no published human pharmacokinetic data, incl. the IM-862 oncology program)Not established
Regulatory status: Registered & marketed in Russia (Thymogen); NOT FDA-approved (reached Phase III as IM-862, no approval)ChEMBL max_phase 3, first_approval None; Russian manufacturer pages (CITED)

Plain English

Mechanism

Thymogen is described by its originators as an immunomodulator or immunoregulator — a compound that 'normalizes' immune function, boosting a depressed immune response and calming an excessive one. Russian-source descriptions attribute to it effects on T-cells and on phagocytosis (the process by which immune cells engulf pathogens). In the separate Western oncology program, the same molecule (as IM-862) was pursued for a different reason — an anti-angiogenic effect, meaning it was thought to interfere with the new blood-vessel growth that tumors depend on.

A precise molecular target — a specific receptor or signaling pathway — has never been pinned down in the primary literature for the immune effect. That is an important gap: the compound is described by what it is claimed to do, not by a defined mechanism of action at the receptor level.

One primary finding deserves to be foregrounded because it undercuts the whole rationale. A St. Petersburg group (the Institute for Experimental Medicine) reported that the immune-, phagocytosis-modulating and antitoxic properties of the Glu-Trp dipeptide were not different from those of its constituent free amino acids — glutamic acid plus tryptophan — given to mice. In other words, the joined-up dipeptide did not appear to do anything the two loose amino acids couldn't. That result, from within the molecule's own research tradition, is a serious reason for caution about any claim of a unique, dipeptide-specific mechanism.

Sources:PMID 10606007 PMID 10673512 PMID 17276896

Why people reach for it

Potential benefits

Thymogen is reached for as a simple, long-registered immune-support dipeptide. Here's what draws people to it — held against an honestly thin modern evidence base.

A simple, fully-defined immune-support option — Thymogen is just two amino acids (Glu-Trp, the INN oglufanide) with completely settled chemistry — so unlike many obscure 'bioregulator' peptides there's no mystery about what you're taking, which is part of its appeal.
Used to nudge a run-down immune response — Its originators describe it as an immunomodulator that 'normalizes' immune function — reported effects on T-cells and phagocytosis are why people reach for it during run-down or post-illness stretches.
A long real-world track record — It has been registered and sold in Russia since around 1990 across injectable, nasal, and cream forms, giving it a decades-long usage history most research peptides simply don't have.
Short, low-commitment courses — The conventional pattern is brief 10-day courses rather than open-ended daily use — an easy, low-commitment way to trial it around seasonal or exposure windows.
A clean tolerability picture — As a naturally-occurring pair of amino acids it carries a low side-effect burden, and both Russian use and the Western oncology trial described it as well tolerated — though the rigorous modern safety database is thin.

Sources:PMID 10673512 PMID 10606007 cytomed.ru (Thymogen)

What people reach for Thymogen for, drawn from what the research reports and how it's used — not proven outcomes or medical claims. Note the deflationary caveat: a controlled study found its immune effects no different from its two free amino acids (Belokrylov 1999).

Implied timing

Best time to dose

Implied best time

Daytime (or consistent)

Most people take Thymogen during the day on a consistent daily schedule — immune support isn't strongly tied to a specific hour, so regularity matters more than the exact time.

Thymogen's claimed job — broad immune normalization via the T-cell and phagocytic arm — isn't a process that peaks at one time of day, so there's no mechanistic reason to lock the dose to morning versus evening.
Because it's run in short defined courses (the conventional ~10-day block), keeping a steady daily time is the practical lever — it builds the habit and keeps spacing even across the course.
No human pharmacokinetic data exists for Thymogen (its half-life is not established), so there's nothing to time a dose around; daytime is simply the convenient, repeatable default for once-daily use.

No study establishes an ideal time of day for Thymogen — this is reasoned from its mechanism and how it's used. As a rule of thumb most peptide dosing lands in the midday-to-evening window; for Thymogen any consistent daytime slot is fine.

How to run it

Dosing & protocol

Thymogen is dosed here as a subcutaneous injection — the injectable form the on-page calculator is built for. Russian regional formulations also exist as intranasal spray and intramuscular injection; intranasal is noted briefly below, but subcutaneous is the primary practical route on this site. No FDA-approved dose exists. The ranges below are community and practitioner convention derived from Russian product labeling and the Western Phase II trial record — read as how people use injectable Thymogen, not a validated prescription.

Convention, not trial-proven: Thymogen is not FDA-approved; subcutaneous use is convention, not a studied route. The deflationary caveat applies throughout — a controlled study found its immune effects indistinguishable from its two free amino acids (Glu + Trp) given separately (Belokrylov 1999). Every number here is a usage pattern on a weakly-evidenced base.

Dose ranges

Conventional SubQ ranges are derived from the Russian injectable label (100 µg/mL preparation) and practitioner extrapolation to research-peptide vials.

Low / starting dose:: 100–200 mcg once daily — conservative starting point, mirrors the Russian injectable solution concentration; used to assess individual tolerance on a compound with thin modern trial data.
Standard:: 500 mcg – 1,000 mcg once daily — the most commonly referenced community range for subcutaneous immune-support use.
Course-based approach:: Short courses of 10 days are the convention drawn from the Russian nasal/injectable label cadence (treatment: ~10 days; prophylaxis: 3–5 days). Thymogen is typically run in defined short courses rather than open-ended daily use.
Intranasal variant:: Russian-market nasal spray: ~25 µg per dose, one spray each nostril, twice daily × 10 days (treatment) or 3–5 days (prophylaxis). Noted for reference; the SubQ calculator on this page does not serve that route.

Subcutaneous administration

Thymogen is injected into subcutaneous fat — the same technique used for all peptides on this site.

Injection site:: Abdomen (a couple of inches from the navel), outer thigh, or love-handle area. Rotate sites between doses to avoid local irritation and lipohypertrophy.
Measuring the dose:: Drawn on a U-100 insulin syringe from the reconstituted vial. At the standard mix (10 mg vial + 2 mL BAC water = 5,000 mcg/mL): 500 mcg = 10 IU · 1,000 mcg = 20 IU. The on-page calculator handles any vial size.
Time of day:: No peptide-specific timing data exists, and immune support isn't time-locked — a consistent daily time matters more than the exact hour. Any daytime slot works; see Best time to dose above.
Food window:: SubQ Thymogen does not compete with food for absorption — timing relative to meals is not a significant factor.

Cycle & washout

Russian labeling and the Western trial both ran Thymogen in short defined courses — not as indefinite daily use.

Typical course:: 10 days continuous use — mirrors the Russian label treatment course. Some users run two 10-day courses per month with a 10-day break in between.
Washout:: A minimum 2-week break between courses is common practice. Given the thin evidence base and the amino-acid-equivalence finding, monitoring subjective immune response during the break is a reasonable checkpoint.
Prophylaxis cadence:: For seasonal or infectious-exposure prevention, the Russian label pattern (3–5 days) is sometimes adapted to short pulse use around expected exposure windows.

Reconstitution at a glance

The on-page calculator does this live; quick reference for a 10 mg vial:

Mixing:: 10 mg vial + 2 mL bacteriostatic water = 5,000 mcg per mL. On a 100-unit (1 mL) insulin syringe: 500 mcg = 10 IU · 750 mcg = 15 IU · 1,000 mcg = 20 IU.
Why 2 mL:: Matches the calculator defaults and keeps per-unit volumes practical for these microgram-to-low-milligram doses.

Sources:PMID 10673512 PMID 10606007 cytomed.ru (Thymogen)

Substrate the signal needs

Nutritional cofactor precision

Thymogen's stated job is thymic/T-cell immune modulation. The nutrients below are the substrate that immune arm genuinely runs on — reasoned from basic immune biochemistry, not from a Thymogen cofactor study. The caveat applies: if the dipeptide's own effect is no greater than its two free amino acids (Belokrylov 1999), cofactors matter even more as the background the claimed effect would draw on.

Reasoned from thymic/T-cell immune-nutrition biochemistry — not a Thymogen-specific study. Supplement doses are standard community ranges; they do not constitute Thymogen protocol data.

Amplify — Zinc · Vitamin D · Selenium

The three nutrients most directly tied to the T-cell and thymic axis Thymogen targets.

Zinc 15–30 mg/day:: Zinc is genuinely essential for thymic function and T-cell development — a well-established biochemical dependency, not a peptide claim. Deficiency blunts the same T-cell arm Thymogen is proposed to modulate. Zinc picolinate or bisglycinate daily; if running > 4 weeks, pair with 1–2 mg copper to prevent depletion. Timing: with food to reduce GI upset.
Vitamin D to sufficiency (≥40 ng/mL serum 25-OH-D):: Immune cells carry vitamin D receptors and use the active hormone to regulate inflammatory and tolerogenic responses. Test serum level first; dose to sufficiency (typically 2,000–5,000 IU D3/day with K2), not to a fixed number. Timing: with the largest meal (fat-soluble).
Selenium 100–200 mcg/day:: Selenoproteins support antioxidant defense in immune cells (GPx family) and regulate the T-helper balance. Selenomethionine is the preferred form; stay below 400 mcg/day (the tolerable upper intake). Timing: with food.

Supply — Protein · Vitamin C

The raw material the immune system builds from — especially relevant given Thymogen is itself two amino acids.

Adequate protein (≥1.2–1.6 g/kg body weight/day):: The immune system synthesizes antibodies, cytokines, and immune cells from amino acids. An under-supplied protein intake caps any immune-supportive effect before peptide dosing is even a variable. Prioritize complete protein sources across meals.
Vitamin C 500–1,000 mg/day:: Supports neutrophil and lymphocyte function and accumulates in immune cells at concentrations far above plasma. Divide the dose (250–500 mg twice daily) to improve absorption; ascorbate or buffered forms are well tolerated. Timing: any time, with or without food.

Mitigate — minimal for this molecule

Thymogen's side-effect burden is low (well tolerated in the trials; simple amino-acid backbone). No standard mitigation cofactor is warranted.

Sleep — the non-negotiable background:: Immune function is heavily sleep-gated (cytokine release, T-cell trafficking, memory consolidation all peak during deep sleep). No immunomodulator substitutes for 7–9 hours. Treat this as the prerequisite, not an add-on.

Combinations + timing

Stacking notes + timing windows

The natural stack partners for Thymogen are within the thymic-peptide family — compounds that act on the same T-cell and thymic axis via different mechanisms. Pairing Thymogen with a non-immune peptide would be orthogonal rather than synergistic; pairing it with an identical-mechanism immune peptide just doubles the uncertainty on a compound whose base effect is already in question.

Community convention within the Khavinson/thymic-peptide tradition — no head-to-head combination study exists for any of these pairings. Thymogen's own unique effect vs. its free amino acids is unresolved (Belokrylov 1999), so any stack is doubly unproven. Doses are usage convention.

Thymogen + Thymosin Alpha-1

The most common thymic-peptide pairing — Thymosin Alpha-1 works on the adaptive arm while Thymogen is framed as broad immune normalization.

Why it works:: Thymosin Alpha-1 (Tα1) promotes T-cell differentiation and NK cell activity through a characterized thymic mechanism; Thymogen is proposed to act upstream at the thymic / phagocytic level. The rationale is complementary signaling within the same broad immune axis — not the same lever twice. Note the shared honesty caveat: Tα1's most rigorous Western trial was also null for its primary endpoint.
The protocol:: Thymogen 500–1,000 mcg SubQ daily on a 10-day course, alongside Thymosin Alpha-1 on its own typical schedule (community convention: ~1.5 mg SubQ twice weekly). The two are given as separate injections, rotated sites.
Outcome:: Reached for in chronic immune-suppression or post-illness recovery contexts where users want to work the thymic axis from more than one angle. The double uncertainty should be weighed openly.

Thymogen + Thymulin

A tighter intra-family pairing — Thymulin (FTS) is a genuine thymic hormone; Thymogen is a synthetic dipeptide proposed to mimic part of the thymic signal.

Why it works:: Thymulin (FTS) (a nonapeptide secreted by thymic epithelial cells) requires zinc as a cofactor and promotes T-cell maturation through a defined receptor. Thymogen's proposed mechanism overlaps the thymic-normalization concept but at a different structural level. The pairing is mechanistically adjacent rather than identical.
The protocol:: Thymogen 500–1,000 mcg SubQ daily on a 10-day course alongside Thymulin (FTS) on its own short-course schedule (community convention: 200–400 mcg SubQ, 5-day courses). Both are low-dose, course-based — that cadence aligns naturally.
Outcome:: Niche within the thymic-peptide community; users seeking layered thymic support. Zinc sufficiency (see Cofactors above) is especially relevant here since thymulin is zinc-dependent.

Reconstitution math

Reconstitution calculator

Calculated for a 1 mL U-100 insulin syringe (100 units/mL).

Peptide per vial

BAC water added

Desired dose

Units per dose

Draw to this mark on a U-100 syringe

Volume per dose: 0.2 mL
Doses per vial: 10
Concentration: 5 mg/mL

One vial lasts

Daily: 10 days
Every other day: 20 days
5×/week: 14 days

Research use only. Not for human consumption. Outputs are reference values based on research literature — verify all measurements independently.

From the studies

Side effects from research

Thymogen has a long claimed safety record in Russian clinical use across its low-dose product forms, and in the Western oncology trial the same molecule was described as well tolerated. As a simple, naturally-occurring pair of amino acids, it does not have an obvious toxicology red flag, and the trials did not surface a major safety signal.

The limits of that reassurance matter. The Western controlled exposure is small and historical; most Russian safety claims come from old, uncontrolled, often un-blinded reports rather than modern pharmacovigilance. Rare or long-term effects would not necessarily have been captured. And gray-market sourcing adds purity and identity risk independent of the compound. The honest summary: no signal of serious harm, but the modern, rigorous safety database is thin.

Sources:PMID 10673512

As reported in literature

Research dosing ranges

These are reported regimens — Russian product labeling and one Western Phase II trial — shown for reference only. There is no modern, controlled, validated regimen. Note the ~200-fold gap between the Russian micro-dose nasal label (25 µg) and the Western oncology nasal dose (5 mg): same molecule, entirely different intent.

Dose	Route	Model	Outcome	Sources:
25 µg/dose	Intranasal spray	Russian product label — adult immune use (CITED, not trial-verified)	1 spray each nostril, 2×/day × ~10 days (treatment) or 3–5 days (prophylaxis); manufacturer-reported immune 'normalization', no controlled efficacy data	cytomed.ru (Thymogen)
100 µg/mL	IM injection	Russian registered solution (reg. LS-002304-130911, CITED)	Course-based dosing per Russian label; exact mg/day not independently verified; long claimed safety history, no modern Western RCT	cytomed.ru (Thymogen)
5 mg	Intranasal	Human Phase II, randomized open-label (two dosing arms, no placebo) — AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (Tulpule 2000, as IM-862)	Major response 36% (5 complete, 11 partial); well tolerated — but no placebo arm, and a larger follow-on program never led to approval	PMID 10673512
Glu + Trp vs Glu-Trp	IP (mouse)	Mechanistic — constituent amino acids vs dipeptide (Belokrylov 1999)	Immuno-, phagocytosis-modulating and antitoxic effects of the dipeptide were NOT different from its free constituent amino acids — undercuts a dipeptide-specific mechanism	PMID 10606007

Quick answers

Frequently asked

What exactly is Thymogen?

It is a synthetic dipeptide — just two amino acids, glutamic acid and tryptophan, joined together (Glu-Trp). Its formal drug name is oglufanide. Unlike many obscure 'bioregulator' peptides, its chemistry is completely settled and verifiable (PubChem CID 100094, C₁₆H₁₉N₃O₅, MW 333.34).

Is Thymogen the same as Thymalin?

No. Despite the similar name and shared Khavinson research lineage, they are chemically unrelated. Thymogen is a single, defined synthetic dipeptide. Thymalin is a thymus-gland EXTRACT — a complex mixture of many peptides with no single molecular formula or sequence. Don't conflate the two.

Is it the same molecule as IM-862?

Yes — this is one of the more interesting facts about it. The Russian immunomodulator Thymogen and the Western anti-angiogenic cancer candidate IM-862 (oglufanide) are the identical chemical entity, developed independently for different purposes. The Western program reached Phase III but was never approved.

Does the dipeptide actually do anything its amino acids don't?

That's an open and pointed question. A study from the molecule's own Russian research tradition found that the immune-modulating effects of Glu-Trp were no different from giving its two free constituent amino acids separately (PMID 10606007) — which casts doubt on any unique, dipeptide-specific mechanism.

Is Thymogen approved?

It is registered and marketed in Russia (since around 1990). It is NOT FDA-approved for any indication; as IM-862/oglufanide it reached Phase III in the West and was never approved. A reported FDA orphan-drug designation for ovarian cancer (a designation, not an approval) could not be independently verified here.

Primary sources

References

PMID 10673512Tulpule, Scadden et al., J Clin Oncol 2000 — randomized study of IM-862 (oglufanide) nasal solution in AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (Phase II, open-label)
PMID 10606007Belokrylov, Popova, Sorochinskaya, Int J Immunopharmacol 1999 — immuno-/phagocytosis-modulating properties of dipeptides defined by their constituent amino acids
PMID 17276896Deigin, Semenets et al., Int Immunopharmacol 2007 — EW (Glu-Trp) dipeptide isomers and the CFU-S population in mice
PubChem CID 100094PubChem record — identity (CID, formula, MW, CAS, α-linkage, oglufanide/IM-862 synonyms)
cytomed.ru (Thymogen)Cytomed / Thymogen manufacturer & registration material — Russian dosage forms and labeling (secondary, CITED, not state-register-verified)

Research use only · Not medical advice · Updated 2026-06-01