Livagen is a short synthetic peptide from the Khavinson “peptide bioregulator” family developed in St. Petersburg, Russia, marketed as a liver-focused regulator. It is sold today mainly as an oral capsule supplement by biohacking and longevity resellers. The idea behind it comes from decades of Russian research proposing that very short peptides can help regulate gene expression in specific organs, but almost none of that research has been independently replicated outside the original research group, and it has no Western regulatory recognition.
Research snapshot
| Peptide category | Khavinson-family short “bioregulator” tripeptide, marketed as a liver-focused regulator |
| Primary research interest | Liver tissue support (marketed; not independently confirmed) |
| Highest available evidence | Unverified — almost none of the underlying Russian research has been independently replicated outside the original research group, and it has no Western regulatory recognition |
| Human research available | No — no human clinical trial identified |
| Development status | Not in formal pharmaceutical development; sold mainly as an oral capsule supplement by biohacking/longevity resellers |
| Regulatory status | Not an approved drug anywhere |
| Last reviewed | September 2026 |
Technical identity
| Primary name | Livagen |
| Alternative names | Commercialized through Russian companies such as “Peptides” (St. Petersburg) and international supplement resellers |
| Peptide sequence | Most commonly given by vendors as Lys-Glu-Asp (“KED”) — the same sequence commonly cited for Vesugen elsewhere in this product family, a conflict this page notes rather than resolves; not independently confirmed against a primary chemical database |
| Amino-acid length | 3 (tripeptide, per vendor description) |
| Molecular formula | Not independently verified in this pass |
| Molecular weight | Not independently verified in this pass |
| CAS Registry Number | No verifiable CAS number located |
| PubChem CID | No verifiable PubChem CID located |
| Peptide class | Khavinson-group “bioregulator” peptide line, developed beginning in the 1970s-1980s |
| Primary biological target | Not established — proposed liver-tissue gene-expression regulation, not confirmed via primary literature |
| Developer or originator | Vladimir Khavinson’s laboratory, St. Petersburg, Russia |
| Development status | Not an approved or registered pharmaceutical anywhere identified in this review |
What it is
Livagen belongs to a class of ultra-short synthetic peptides (typically three to four amino acids) developed by Vladimir Khavinson’s laboratory beginning in the 1970s-1980s and commercialized through Russian companies such as “Peptides” (St. Petersburg) and later through international supplement resellers. The stated concept is “tissue-specific bioregulation”: the idea that a short peptide fragment can preferentially act on the organ it was originally isolated from or modeled after, in this case liver tissue.
Vendor and reseller pages consistently list Livagen’s sequence as the tripeptide Lysine-Glutamic acid-Aspartic acid (Lys-Glu-Asp, sometimes abbreviated “KED”). This exact sequence appears across a number of commercial peptide sites, but PeptideBlog.net was not able to independently confirm it against a primary chemical database entry (no verifiable CAS number, PubChem CID, or UNII record could be located). It is treated here as “widely repeated online” rather than independently verified.
Livagen has not been evaluated by the FDA, EMA, or any Western regulatory body for any indication, and it is not an approved drug in Russia either — it is sold there as a dietary supplement / “biologically active additive” (BAA) rather than a registered pharmaceutical. The published research base is small, comes almost entirely from Khavinson’s own research group and affiliated Russian journals, and consists mostly of animal and laboratory work rather than controlled human trials.
How does it work?
Plain-English explanation
The proposed idea is that Livagen acts like a very small signal that nudges liver cells toward more “youthful” or normal patterns of gene activity, potentially supporting liver-cell turnover and function as an organism ages. This is a mechanistic hypothesis from the developers, not something demonstrated in controlled human studies.
Technical explanation
Khavinson’s group has proposed that short peptides of this type can bind chromatin and influence transcription of genes involved in cell differentiation and protein synthesis, a concept sometimes called “peptide bioregulation” or referenced under the broader “epigenetic peptide” framework the group has published on. Independent groups outside this research network have not published confirmatory mechanistic work on Livagen specifically, and no pharmacokinetic data (absorption, half-life, oral bioavailability of an unprotected tripeptide) has been identified in the literature reviewed for this page.
Potential benefits and research applications
Liver-cell regeneration and function support
What is being investigated: whether Livagen supports normal liver cell turnover and function, including in the context of aging or liver stress. How the effect might occur: proposed gene-regulatory action in hepatocytes, per the developer’s general bioregulator hypothesis. Evidence: limited animal and laboratory work published by the original Russian research group; no identified independent replication. Strength: weak — Tier 3/4 (animal/laboratory) at best, from a single research lineage. Limitation: no controlled human trial data was identified, and oral bioavailability of an unmodified short peptide is a significant unresolved question.
General “longevity” and organ-aging framing
What is being investigated: Khavinson’s broader hypothesis that short peptide bioregulators slow age-related decline in their target organ. How the effect might occur: theorized epigenetic/gene-expression modulation. Evidence: mechanistic and animal-lifespan work from the same research group; population-level Russian studies cited by the group have significant methodological limitations and have not been replicated. Strength: theoretical/Tier 4, trending toward Unverified for any specific human benefit claim. Limitation: this is the developer’s own framework and has not been validated by independent researchers or regulators.
What dosage information circulates?
Figures in this section summarize amounts and schedules reported in published research or circulating online. Their inclusion documents what is reported and does not establish that a regimen is verified, safe, effective, or appropriate.
Amounts studied in human research
No established or reliably sourced dosing information was identified. No controlled human dosing study for Livagen was located.
Amounts studied in animal research
Not consistently reported. Summaries of Khavinson-group animal work reference peptide administration in rodent aging models, but specific, extractable dose figures for Livagen by itself were not identified in the sources reviewed.
Practitioner and community-reported protocols
Vendor and biohacking-forum listings commonly describe oral capsules in the 10-20 mg per capsule range, with community protocols typically describing one capsule daily, often in cycles of roughly 10-30 days followed by a break, taken on an empty stomach. These figures are vendor/community reported (Tier 6), are not standardized between sellers, and their original source could not be traced to any published clinical protocol.
What circulates E5
| Reported use | Route | Amount reported | Frequency | Reported length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General liver/longevity support (community use) | Oral capsule | 10-20 mg per capsule | Once daily | Roughly 10-30 day cycles, then a break |
Vendor and biohacking-community sources commonly describe Livagen as an oral capsule in the 10-20 mg range, taken once daily in short cycles.
This figure is widely repeated online, but its original source could not be verified against any published clinical protocol, and it should be treated as vendor/community-tier information rather than an established dose.
Recorded as an observation about what is published elsewhere. No figure here is a dose, a protocol, or a recommendation, and nothing in this section is evidence that any amount is safe or effective.
Side effects, risks, and limitations
No systematic human safety data was identified for Livagen. General concerns applicable to unregulated short-peptide oral supplements include unverified product identity and purity (many peptide resellers do not provide independent third-party certificates of analysis), unknown oral bioavailability and metabolism, absence of long-term safety monitoring, and the general risks of an unregulated supply chain (contamination, mislabeling, incorrect concentration). No peer-reviewed adverse event data specific to Livagen was located.
Regulatory and developmental status
Livagen is not an FDA-approved drug and has no FDA-recognized use. It does not appear to hold formal pharmaceutical marketing approval in Russia either; it is distributed there and internationally as a supplement/”biologically active additive” rather than a registered medicine. It has not entered any identifiable Western clinical development pathway. Status verified as of the review date below; no recent regulatory action was identified in either direction.
Frequently asked questions
What is Livagen?
Livagen is a short synthetic peptide from the Russian Khavinson “bioregulator” peptide family, marketed as a liver-focused supplement, most often sold as an oral capsule.
What dosage has been studied in humans?
No established or reliably sourced human dosing information was identified.
What dosage commonly circulates online?
Vendor and community sources commonly describe roughly 10-20 mg oral capsules taken once daily in short cycles, but this is vendor/community-reported, not clinically established.
Has Livagen been tested in humans?
No controlled human clinical trial was identified in the sources reviewed for this page.
Is Livagen approved by the FDA or any regulator?
No. It has no FDA approval and no clearly documented formal pharmaceutical approval elsewhere; it circulates as a supplement.
How strong is the evidence for Livagen?
Weak. The available published work comes almost entirely from the peptide’s original developers and their affiliated journals, consists mainly of animal and mechanistic research, and has not been independently replicated.
Bottom line
Livagen is representative of the Khavinson bioregulator peptide family: an intriguing but thinly documented concept, with published support limited almost entirely to the developers’ own research network, animal and laboratory data rather than human trials, and no independent Western verification of its chemical identity, mechanism, or safety. Reported oral dosing circulating from vendors and community sources should be read as exactly that — reported, not established.