Description
Thymogen is the dipeptide Glu-Trp (L-glutamyl-L-tryptophan), isolated from thymalin, a peptide complex extracted from calf thymus. It has been studied in Russia as an immunomodulator and, under its international name oglufanide, in angiogenesis research elsewhere. Pure Peptides Canada supplies it as a lyophilized research reagent in 20 mg vials, with an independent Janoshik HPLC and mass-spectrometry report, CAD pricing and tracked shipping from inside Canada.
Thymogen at a glance
- What it is: L-glutamyl-L-tryptophan (Glu-Trp, EW), a synthetic dipeptide also known by the international name oglufanide.
- What researchers study: stem-cell and tumour outcomes in rodents, differences between Glu-Trp stereoisomers, and anti-angiogenic activity in vessel-sprouting assays.
- Evidence level: rodent studies, mostly from Russian groups, one independent set of angiogenesis assays, and one placebo-controlled trial of the disodium salt (IM862), which was negative.
- Supplied as: sealed lyophilized powder, 20 mg, single vial or box of 10.
- Delivery: ships from inside Canada by tracked Xpresspost in 3–7 days ($25 CAD), or free in 4–12 days on orders over $299.
Thymogen
Glu-Trp · EW dipeptide · oglufanide
- E
- W
Glutamic acid, tryptophan.
- Length
- 2 amino acids
- Molecular formula
- C16H19N3O5
- Molecular weight
- ≈ 333.3 g/mol
- Origin
- Active fragment identified in thymalin, a calf-thymus extract
- Form
- Lyophilized powder, sealed vial
- Sizes
- 20 mg (single or box of 10)
- SKU
- PP-THYMOGEN
Where the evidence stands
- Cell studies
- Animal models
- Human studies
- Approved in Canada
Human data comes mainly from Russian clinical practice and studies with limited international replication. Not authorized in Canada.
What is thymogen?
Thymogen is a single, defined molecule: L-glutamic acid joined to L-tryptophan. A sodium salt of the dipeptide is registered in Russia as the medicine Thymogen, classed with immunostimulants, and a 2021 analysis of thymalin by the developers’ group attributes the extract’s activity to three short peptides, Glu-Trp among them.
The molecule’s international nonproprietary name is oglufanide, and its disodium salt, coded IM862, was developed outside Russia as an angiogenesis inhibitor. Part of thymogen’s evidence therefore comes from groups with no connection to its developers.
Its closest catalogue relative is Vilon (Lys-Glu), the other thymus-derived dipeptide. Glu-Trp pairs an acidic residue with the aromatic amino acid tryptophan and was isolated from thymalin; Lys-Glu pairs a basic residue with an acidic one and was designed from thymalin’s amino-acid composition.
What published studies report
- Ageing and spontaneous tumours in rats. In 76 outbred female rats followed to natural death, Glu-Trp did not change mean lifespan, but the longest-lived tenth of the peptide group lived about 1,048 days against 949 for the corresponding controls, and total tumour incidence was about 1.5 times lower. It is a single study from the developers’ group (Anisimov, Khavinson and Morozov, Biogerontology, 2000).
- Isomers behave differently. Semina and colleagues (Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2006) compared optical and bond isomers of Glu-Trp in mice using spleen colony-forming units (CFU-S), a measure of hematopoietic progenitors. The α-linked forms built on L-glutamic acid, including the L,L form that matches thymogen, left committed CFU-S unchanged; the forms built on D-glutamic acid inhibited colony growth, and one γ-linked isomer, L-iGlu-D-Trp, stimulated it.
- Angiogenesis assays outside Russia. Khedr and colleagues (Acta Physiologica, 2021) compared four tryptophan-containing dipeptides. Glu-Trp, identified as IM862, inhibited sprouting in a 3D fibrin-bead assay where Trp-Leu did not, and both reduced vessel growth in aortic-ring, chorioallantoic-membrane and Matrigel-plug assays, though Trp-Leu acted more strongly on VEGFR-2 signalling.
- A placebo-controlled trial with a negative result. In a double-blind phase III trial in 202 people with AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma, response rates with IM862 and placebo were similar (23% and 21%), time to progression was shorter with IM862, and the investigators concluded it was not superior to placebo (Noy and colleagues, Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2005).
Reported in studies
- Fewer spontaneous tumours in one rat study
- Isomer-dependent effects on mouse stem-cell colonies
- Reduced vessel sprouting in angiogenesis assays
Not established
- Benefit in a controlled human trial (the one phase III trial was negative)
- Independent replication of the rat findings
- A receptor or defined mechanism
Regulatory status: thymogen is registered as a medicine in Russia but is not an authorized drug in Canada. We sell it strictly as a laboratory reagent for in-vitro research.
Why researchers order thymogen from Pure Peptides Canada
Add a 20 mg vial or a box of 10 above. Orders over $299 ship free across Canada.
See lab resultsThymogen FAQ
Where can I buy thymogen in Canada?
Pure Peptides Canada stocks thymogen as a lyophilized research reagent in 20 mg vials and ships it from inside Canada by tracked Xpresspost in 3–7 days ($25 CAD), or free in 4–12 days on orders over $299.
Is thymogen the same as thymalin?
No. Thymalin is a calf-thymus extract containing many peptides. Thymogen is a single synthetic dipeptide, Glu-Trp, identified as one of its active components.
What is the difference between thymogen and Vilon?
They are different molecules. Thymogen is Glu-Trp (about 333.3 g/mol), isolated from the thymus extract thymalin; Vilon is Lys-Glu (about 275.3 g/mol), designed from thymalin’s amino-acid composition. Results for one cannot be assumed for the other.
Are oglufanide and IM862 the same compound as thymogen?
Yes. Oglufanide is the international nonproprietary name for L-glutamyl-L-tryptophan, and IM862 was the development code for its disodium salt, so studies under those names belong to the Glu-Trp literature.
Is this thymogen third-party tested?
Yes. An HPLC purity and mass-spectrometry identity report from Janoshik Analytical, an independent lab, is listed on our Lab Testing page. Our COA guide explains how to read it.
Can thymogen be used in people or animals?
No. This product is for in-vitro laboratory research only and is not a drug, supplement or food. We do not provide dosing or administration information.
References
- Anisimov VN, Khavinson VKh, Morozov VG. Immunomodulatory synthetic dipeptide L-Glu-L-Trp slows down aging and inhibits spontaneous carcinogenesis in rats. Biogerontology. 2000;1(1):55–59. doi:10.1023/A:1010042008969
- Khavinson VK, Zhurkovich IK, Ryzhak GA, et al. Identification of short peptides: optimization of target therapeutic properties of the thymus medicine. Molekulyarnaya Meditsina. 2021;19(3):32–37. doi:10.29296/24999490-2021-03-05
- Semina OV, Semenets TN, Zamulaeva IA, et al. Effects of structural and “mixed” isomers of Glu-Trp dipeptide on normal hemopoietic stem cells. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2006;141:250–253. doi:10.1007/s10517-006-0141-0
- Khedr S, Klotzsche-von Ameln A, Elsayed MH, et al. Characterization of tryptophan-containing dipeptides for anti-angiogenic effects. Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2021;231(2):e13556. doi:10.1111/apha.13556
- Noy A, Scadden DT, Lee J, et al. 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: from the AIDS Malignancy Consortium and IM862 Study Team. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23(5):990–998. doi:10.1200/JCO.2005.11.043
- Thymogen (alpha-glutamyl-tryptophan sodium): registration details. Vidal drug reference, Russia. Accessed October 2026. vidal.ru
For laboratory research use only. Not a drug, supplement, food or cosmetic, not for human or veterinary use, and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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