Updated August 2026
Thymagen (Thymogen) Dosage: Human Trials, Timogen Labels, and Research Protocol
Research note: “Thymagen” online usually means the dipeptide alpha-glutamyl-tryptophan (Thymogen / Timogen). There is no standardized US prescribing dose. This page documents formulation-specific exposures — not personal treatment advice. The complete protocol below is an investigator-run study framework — not a self-injection plan.
Best-documented microgram regimen: 100 µg IM once daily for 3–10 days (regional Timogen; adult course 0.3–1.0 mg). A 77-person postsurgical-wound study used 100 µg IM daily × 7 days. The metered nasal product also delivers 100 µg/day to adults (25 µg/nostril BID).
Modern oral gel RCT: 1.98 mg/day × 28 days (0.99 mg BID; 55.44 mg cumulative) in a gastric matrix for chronic atrophic gastritis — not a generic capsule or injection protocol.
Oncology IM862 used 5 mg EOD to 20 mg TID intranasally; Kaposi phase III was negative with shorter median progression. SC web schedules (10–1,000 µg) are not clinically validated. A 20 mg vial is 20–67× an entire adult IM course.
Thymagen dosage in 30 seconds
| Question | Research summary |
|---|---|
| Identity | L-α-Glu-L-Trp · EW · ≈333.34 g/mol free peptide |
| Also called | Thymogen / Timogen · oglufanide · IM862 (disodium) |
| ≠ | Thymalin · TA-1 · Bestim (γ) · thymopentin |
| Regional adult IM / nasal | 100 µg/day |
| Oral gel RCT | 1.98 mg/day × 28 days |
| Oncology nasal | 5 mg EOD – 20 mg TID (not general dosing) |
| Validated SC | Not located |
| 20 mg vial vs IM course | 20–66.7× the 0.3–1.0 mg adult course |
What is Thymagen?
Thymagen is generally marketed as synthetic L-alpha-glutamyl-L-tryptophan (Glu-Trp, EW). The pharmaceutical name Thymogen arose after this sequence was isolated from the calf-thymus complex Thymalin and synthesized. The spelling “Thymagen” is not a reliable chemical standard — verify sequence, alpha linkage, chirality, salt, and assay.
Free peptide C16H19N3O5, MW 333.34, CAS 38101-59-6, PubChem CID 100094. Anhydrous oglufanide disodium is listed near 377.30 g/mol (~0.883 free-peptide mass per salt mass) — do not apply that correction when a label already reports free-peptide equivalent.
Identity gate
Confirm L-α-Glu-L-Trp — not Thymalin, TA-1, Bestim, or IM862 by default
Matches Thymagen/Thymogen identity on this page
Synthetic dipeptide ~333.34 g/mol free peptide. Confirm alpha linkage (not gamma), L/L chirality, free-peptide-equivalent assay, salt/water, and sterility for parenteral research.
Related names are not automatically interchangeable
| Name | Usually denotes | Dose issue |
|---|---|---|
| Thymagen | Online lyophilized α-Glu-Trp vial | Name ≠ assay/sterility |
| Timogen® IM | 100 µg/mL free-peptide eq. solution | Product-specific |
| Timogen® nasal | 25 µg / 0.1 mL metered spray | Device is part of dose |
| Regasthym Gastro® | 0.33 mg free eq. / g oral gel powder | Matrix-specific |
| IM862 | Oglufanide disodium oncology nasal | mg-scale · different program |
Current research and regulatory status
There is no standardized US prescribing label. Oglufanide disodium received FDA orphan designation for ovarian cancer in 2001 — designation is not approval or a dosing label.
Timogen IM/nasal and Regasthym Gastro are regionally registered products with their own indications. Those instructions document real product-specific dosing; they do not authorize a research vial, different salt/route, or anti-aging/athletic use.
Human and regional product dosages
Regional Timogen and published trials provide the clearest primary exposure records.
Human evidence status
100 µg regional Timogen · oral gel RCT · oncology IM862 (negative later)
- Standardized US prescribing dose
- None
- Regional adult IM
- 100 µg once daily × 3–10 days
- Regional adult nasal
- 25 µg/nostril BID · 100 µg/day
- Oral gel RCT
- 0.99 mg BID · 1.98 mg/day × 28 days
- Wound study IM
- 100 µg daily × 7 days
- Oncology intranasal
- 5 mg EOD to 20 mg TID (IM862)
- Validated human SC dose
- Not located
- Human weight-based dose
- Not established
- Intact-peptide human PK
- Not established in accessible sources
Key human exposures
| Source | Amount | Route / duration | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timogen IM label | 100 µg/day adults | IM × 3–10 days | Jurisdiction-specific product |
| Wound study | 100 µg/day | IM × 7 days | Single regional publication |
| Timogen nasal | 100 µg/day adults | Metered IN × 3–10 days | Device/formulation integral |
| Regasthym RCT | 1.98 mg/day | Oral gel × 28 days | Gastric matrix · CAG indication |
| KS phase III | 5 mg EOD | IN · planned 24 weeks | Not superior; shorter progression |
| RCC phase II | 20 mg TID | IN × 8-week cycles | No objective responses |
IM862 exposures are ~50–600× a 100 µg Timogen administration before salt/formulation differences. Later negative oncology results argue against treating high nasal milligrams as a general Thymagen dose.
Reported research dosage landscape
The numerical span from 10 µg to 60 mg/day combines vendor SC conventions, regional microgram products, a gastric gel, and oncology formulations — not a therapeutic range.
Evidence split
Registered products & trials vs current SC web conventions
Registered products & human studies
Product- and indication-specific
- IM
- 100 µg daily × 3–10 days; wound study × 7
- Low-dose nasal
- Metered 25 µg spray · adult 100 µg/day
- Oral
- 1.98 mg/day gel × 28 days (Regasthym)
- High-dose nasal
- IM862 5 mg EOD or 20 mg TID
- SC
- No matching direct human schedule
- Dose response
- Not established across products
Current anecdotal / commercial
Conventions · 10–1,000 µg SC span
- Low SC pages
- 10–100 µg · 1–3× weekly
- Label-influenced
- 100–200 µg daily SC/IM × 5–10 days
- High SC pages
- 500–1,000 µg daily × 10–20 days
- 20 mg vial
- Fill size ≠ course (20–67× adult IM course)
- PK claims
- Half-life / 85–90% SC bio — unverified
- Primary source
- None for modern SC schedules
Course totals vs a 20 mg vial
Adult IM courses total 0.3–1.0 mg. One nominal 20 mg research vial contains 20–66.7× that entire course before assay/handling losses.
Course vs vial math
Adult IM course totals — a 20 mg vial is not one clinical course
Daily
100 µg
Course total
0.5 mg
20 mg vial ÷ this course
≈ 40×
Regasthym oral gel cumulative is 55.44 mg over 28 days — a different matrix and indication, not absorbed-exposure equivalence to IM.
Complete evidence-anchored research protocol (THYMAGEN-1)
Most defensible next study: controlled 100 µg IM microdose safety + intact-peptide PK — not SC escalation from online conventions or oncology-scale nasal doses.
Proposed exposure: 100 µg free-peptide equivalent IM once daily for 5 days (cumulative 500 µg), days −7 to −3 before licensed influenza vaccine on day 0. Primary objective: safety through day 28; secondary: intact-peptide PK.
THYMAGEN-1 research framework
100 µg IM daily × 5 days · free-peptide equivalent · vs placebo · then flu vaccine
−7 to −3
100 µg free-peptide eq. IM daily × 5 (500 µg cumulative)
Blinded vs placebo; intensive PK on days −7 and −3; sentinel DSMB gate
Investigator-initiated design only — GMP sterile product, intact-peptide PK, and DSMB required. Not a home SC “cycle.”
No loading, taper, or within-participant escalation. Oral gel and IM862 schedules are different development programs and are not grafted onto this IM microdose framework.
Concentration and dose math
Registered IM Timogen is 0.1 mg/mL (100 µg/mL). Research-vial arithmetic below does not establish sterility, correct fill, or home-injection suitability. Volumes of 0.01–0.025 mL are unreliable with common syringes — pharmacy intermediate dilution is required for legitimate protocols.
Pharmacy arithmetic
Nominal 20 mg vial examples — does not validate research-vial injection
Diluent (20 mg vial)
Target amount
Withdrawal volume
0.010 mL
10.0 mg/mL · ≈ 1.0 U-100 units · 100 µg target
Volumes under ~0.05 mL magnify syringe error — a legitimate protocol uses pharmacy-validated intermediate dilution.
Registered 0.1 mg/mL IM volumes
| Target | Volume |
|---|---|
| 10 µg | 0.10 mL |
| 50 µg | 0.50 mL |
| 100 µg | 1.00 mL |
Animal and laboratory research dosage
Examples include 5 µg/rat SC five times weekly × 12 months (mean lifespan similar), rabbit wound 0.04 mg/kg IP, and rat oral gastropathy 0.1 or 10 µg/kg. Cell cultures used 1–100 µg/mL baths — not plasma targets.
Animal mg/kg and culture concentrations must not be copied into human schedules.
How alpha-Glu-Trp may work
Regional instructions and papers discuss T-cell differentiation, helper/cytotoxic balance, cytokines, phagocytosis, repair, and proposed peptide–DNA interactions. No confirmed human receptor occupancy threshold or therapeutic window was established.
Claims of a 2–4 hour half-life, 85–90% SC bioavailability, or dose-proportional “thymic reset” should be treated as unverified without an intact-peptide human assay.
Potential benefits: what has and has not been shown
Claim vs evidence
| Claim | Current conclusion |
|---|---|
| Documented 100 µg IM / nasal adult exposure | Yes — regional products (+ wound study IM) |
| Oral gel histologic gland signal (CAG) | Product-specific RCT signal — not generic oral/injectable 2 mg |
| General immune optimization dose | Not established |
| Validated SC cycle | Not established |
| Anti-aging / lifespan dose | Not established |
| Cancer treatment | Later IM862 trials negative / concerning |
Thymagen safety and side effects
Regional labels list allergic reactions (IM) and allergic-rhinitis symptoms (nasal). Regasthym reported no significant AE difference vs placebo during treatment. Limited acute tolerability does not answer chronic SC safety or contamination risk.
The Kaposi phase III shorter progression signal argues against assuming biological neutrality in people with cancer.
Safety monitoring
Product-specific labels and trial AEs — not a blank SC safety passport
- Regional product labels
- IM: allergic reactions. Nasal: allergic-rhinitis symptoms; excess spray may cause profuse discharge.
- Oral gel trial
- No significant AE difference vs placebo during treatment; possible allergy / loose stools on leaflet
- Oncology IM862
- Often limited acute toxicity — but Kaposi phase III shorter progression is a disease-outcome concern
- Research-vial unknowns
- Repeated SC, chronic cycling, stacks, immunogenicity, and contamination risks poorly characterized
Product quality and storage
Verify alpha (not gamma) linkage, L/L stereochemistry, free vs sodium/disodium reporting, quantitative assay, sterility/endotoxin for parenteral lots, and lot-specific stability. “99% HPLC purity” ≠ content assay, sterility, or post-reconstitution beyond-use dating.
Common claims vs evidence
Claim checker
Common Thymagen claims vs the evidence record
There is a universal Thymagen dose
False
Clearest regional adult Timogen schedule is 100 µg IM × 3–10 days — product-specific, not every research vial.
Thymagen dosage evidence ladder
Dosage evidence ladder
Exposures are documented — interchangeability is not
| Level | What exists | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| US prescribing label | None | None |
| Regional product instructions | Timogen IM/nasal · Regasthym oral | Product-specific moderate |
| Randomized human trials | Regasthym gastritis · IM862 Kaposi III · prostate II | Indication-specific (incl. negative) |
| Other prospective human | Wound IM study · early KS · RCC phase II | Limited generalizability |
| Animal / cell | Aging, wound, gastropathy, endothelial assays | Preclinical |
| Community SC protocols | 10–1,000 µg schedules | Anecdotal |
Confidence is highest when describing exactly what a specified Timogen, Regasthym, or IM862 product delivered. Confidence falls sharply when that amount is transferred to a lyophilized vial, SC injection, long-term cycling, or wellness claims.
Sports and anti-doping considerations
The 2026 WADA list does not name alpha-Glu-Trp / Thymogen / oglufanide individually, but S0 and mislabeled research products can still create risk. Athletes need written product-specific guidance before exposure.
Bottom line
Thymagen is best understood as alpha-Glu-Trp with several distinct human development histories — not one universal dosing system. Clearest microgram exposure: 100 µg/day regional IM/nasal Timogen. Oral gel: 1.98 mg/day product-specific. Oncology IM862: high nasal milligrams with negative later results.
SC web protocols and 20 mg vials are not validated clinical courses. The most informative next step is a controlled IM microdose study with verified material and intact-peptide PK.
100 µg Timogen ≠ 5–20 mg IM862 ≠ a 20 mg research vial “course.” Alpha-Glu-Trp ≠ Thymalin, TA-1, or Bestim.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard Thymagen dose?
There is no universal standard. The clearest regional adult Timogen schedule is 100 µg IM once daily for 3–10 days — product-specific, not every material sold as Thymagen.
Is Thymagen the same as Thymogen / Timogen?
Online “Thymagen” usually means Thymogen (alpha-Glu-Trp). Timogen® also names specific regional drugs — verify sequence, alpha linkage, salt, and assay rather than spelling alone.
Is Thymagen the same as Thymalin or thymosin alpha-1?
No. Thymalin is a heterogeneous thymus extract; thymosin alpha-1 is a 28-amino-acid peptide. Neither shares Thymogen’s dipeptide dose.
Has subcutaneous Thymagen been studied in humans?
No direct human SC dose-finding or PK study matching current online schedules was located.
Is 500–1,000 µg SC daily evidence-based?
That range appears on commercial pages, but no matching controlled human study was identified — label it anecdotal.
Can a 20 mg vial be treated as one course?
No. A 20 mg vial contains 20–66.7 times the entire 0.3–1.0 mg regional adult IM course.
Do IM862 oncology doses support high-dose Thymagen?
No. Later trials failed to show benefit; Kaposi phase III raised a shorter progression concern. Those formulations are not Timogen spray.
What oral dose has been studied?
The best-described modern oral study used 0.99 mg twice daily (1.98 mg/day) for 28 days in a specific gel-forming gastric product.
Is Thymagen dosed by body weight?
Not in validated adult research. Regional adult dosing is fixed; online µg/kg formulas lack a traceable dose-development study.
Does Thymagen treat cancer or reverse aging?
It should not be represented as an established cancer treatment. No controlled human longevity trial establishes an anti-aging dose.
References
PubChem
Thymogen, CID 100094Chemical identity record.
FDA / NCATS
Oglufanide and oglufanide disodium identity recordsFree peptide UNII and disodium development record.
Cytomed
Timogen metered nasal spray instructionsAdult 100 µg/day metered schedule.
Baryshnikova NV et al.
Alpha-glutamyl-tryptophan in chronic atrophic gastritisOral gel histology RCT · 1.98 mg/day × 28 days.
Kasimova AR et al.
Alpha-glutamyl-tryptophan in postsurgical wounds100 µg IM daily × 7 days.
Noy A et al.
IM862 phase III in AIDS-Kaposi sarcoma5 mg IN EOD — not superior; shorter progression.
Deplanque G et al.
IM862 phase II in metastatic renal-cell carcinoma20 mg IN TID — no objective responses.
WADA
2026 Prohibited ListS0 considerations for unnamed pharmacologic substances.