Cartalax
A synthetic tripeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp) from the Khavinson bioregulator family, studied for cartilage-protective and geroprotective effects in preclinical models.
Also referenced as: AED, Ala-Glu-Asp
Also appears in: Longevity
This name primarily lives in the research market and should not be read like an approved pharmaceutical product.
Primary lane: Recovery. Also surfaces under Longevity for browsing and discovery.
AED, Ala-Glu-Asp
No FDA label signal · 285 trials · 8065 PubMed results
Cartalax has name-matched human trials with published or reported controlled evidence, but is not FDA-approved. The research is real and ongoing — treat findings as developing rather than settled.
Cartalax has 10 name-matched clinical trials (highest phase: Phase 3) and 8065 PubMed-indexed publications and is not FDA-approved. 1 trial has posted results.
Re-checked nightly against the registries — tracked since 2026-07-09. No band changes yet.
Grades evidence strength, not efficacy or safety. Research-use context; not medical advice. Graded 2026-07-13 from PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN, openFDA, Health Canada, and OpenAlex — computed deterministically and refreshed nightly, with a retraction check. How we grade →
What is Cartalax?
Cartalax is a synthetic tripeptide with the sequence Ala-Glu-Asp (AED), developed as part of Vladimir Khavinson’s bioregulator peptide program at the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. It is classified as a cartilage-tissue bioregulator and is often discussed alongside other Khavinson peptides like Epitalon, Pinealon, and Thymalin.
How it works
The proposed mechanism follows the Khavinson bioregulation model:
- Peptide-DNA interaction — short peptides are theorized to penetrate cell nuclei and modulate gene expression in a tissue-specific manner (Khavinson et al., Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2011)
- Cartilage matrix support — Cartalax is proposed to regulate genes involved in proteoglycan and collagen synthesis in chondrocytes, though the specific gene targets have not been identified in Western literature
- Geroprotective effects — in rodent aging studies, combinations of short bioregulatory peptides (including AED-containing preparations) have been associated with improved tissue function in aged animals (Khavinson, Gerontology, 2005)
Research status
- Khavinson (2005) reviewed 35 years of bioregulator peptide research including cartilage-targeted peptides (Gerontology, 51(2):70–75)
- Khavinson & Malinin (2005) described the theoretical basis for tissue-specific short peptide bioregulation (Neuroendocrinology Letters, 26(3):233–238)
- Anisimov et al. (2003) showed life extension in rodents treated with bioregulator peptide preparations (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 992:141–147)
The evidence base is primarily Russian-language publications from the Khavinson group. No independent Western replication studies or human clinical trials have been published.
Key considerations
- Part of a family of Khavinson bioregulators commonly sold together (Cartalax + Pinealon + Epitalon combinations)
- Research originates from a single group with limited independent replication
- Often combined with BPC-157 and TB-500 by vendors in recovery-oriented blends
- Available as lyophilized powder or capsules from research vendors