Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Head-to-head comparison of Thymulin and Vilon — mechanism, dosing, side effects, legal status, and pricing.
Thymulin is a zinc-dependent nonapeptide (pGlu-Ala-Lys-Ser-Gln-Gly-Gly-Ser-Asn) secreted by thymic epithelial cells, originally isolated by Bach and colleagues in the 1970s as 'facteur thymique sérique' (FTS). It is NOT the same compound as Thymalin (a Russian bovine thymus extract) or Thymosin alpha-1 (a separate 28-amino-acid thymic peptide). Thymulin is not FDA-approved; use is research/investigational only.
Vilon is a synthetic dipeptide (Lys-Glu / KE) from the Khavinson bioregulator series, originally derived from thymus extracts and studied in Russian preclinical models as an immunomodulator and geroprotector. Not FDA-approved; all published evidence originates from a single research group.
Thymulin
Vilon
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Dose Range
Route
Frequency
COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
Thymulin
Vilon
COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
Thymulin
5
COAs
99.5%
Avg purity
4
Labs
Vilon
11
COAs
99.7%
Avg purity
6
Labs
Bach and Dardenne originally characterized FTS/thymulin and its absolute zinc dependency (Bach & Dardenne, Med Oncol Tumor Pharmacother 1989, PMID 2657247). Prasad et al. (J Clin Invest 1988, PMID 3262625) showed that serum thymulin activity falls in human zinc deficiency and recovers with zinc supplementation. Mocchegiani et al. (Int J Immunopharmacol 1995, PMID 8582782) demonstrated partial reversal of thymic involution with zinc in aged mice. Dardenne & Pleau reviewed zinc-thymulin interactions (Met Based Drugs 1994, PMID 18476235). Safieh-Garabedian et al. (Br J Pharmacol 2002, PMID 12110619) reported analgesic/anti-inflammatory activity of a thymulin-related peptide in rats. There are NO large, modern RCTs of exogenous thymulin in humans; clinical use is experimental.
Key references
Evidence is limited to Khavinson-group preclinical work. Khavinson & Anisimov (Dokl Biol Sci, 2000; PMID 10944717) reported that Vilon (L-Lys-L-Glu) inhibited spontaneous tumor growth and extended lifespan in CBA mice. A small Russian report on Vilon as an adjuvant in elderly colorectal-cancer patients (Kuznik et al., 2005; PMID 16075684) is non-randomized and unreplicated. No Western-framework clinical trials, pharmacokinetic, or dose-response studies have been published.
Thymulin and Vilon are both in the Immune category and may have overlapping mechanisms. Researchers should review both profiles carefully, understand the mechanisms of action, and monitor the relevant biomarkers when combining compounds in the same class. As always, consult a licensed healthcare provider before making any decisions about combining research compounds.
This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.
Dosing Notes
Half-life
Side Effects
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Disclosed Labs