Side-by-side · Research reference

SermorelinvsVilon

Side-by-side comparison across mechanism, dosage, evidence, side effects, administration, and stack synergies. Citations on every claim where available.

APhase 3HUMAN-REVIEWED14/43 cited

BAnimal-StrongHUMAN-REVIEWED13/49 cited

Sermorelin

GHRH 1-29 fragment · Short-acting

100–500 mcgPer doseMolteno 2013

Phase 3Evidence levelWalker 1994 Molteno 2013

~12 minHalf-lifeMolteno 2013

SQ · Pre-sleep · 1×/day

Vilon

Khavinson Bioregulator · Dipeptide

2 AADipeptide

T-helperStimulatesLinkova 2011

MouseModel basisKhavinson 2002

Literature lacks standardised clinical route

01Mechanism of Action

Parameter

Sermorelin

Vilon

Primary target

Pituitary GHRH receptorWalker 1994

Immune cell differentiation pathways, chromatin modification

Pathway

GHRH-R → Gαs → cAMP → PKA → GH vesicle exocytosisWalker 1994

Vilon → Thymocyte sphingomyelinase activation → T-helper & cytotoxic T-cell differentiation; epigenetic suppression of aging markers (CCL11, HMGB1)

Downstream effect

Pulsatile GH release; subsequent IGF-1 elevationMolteno 2013

Enhanced T-cell differentiation (CD4+, CD8+, B-cells), thymocyte proliferation, modulated IL-1β comitogenic activity, proposed chromatin decondensation in aged lymphocytesLinkova 2011 Khavinson 2002 Lezhava 2023

Feedback intact?

Yes — short pulse preserves feedback

Unknown — no HPA/HPG axis data

Origin

Unmodified active 29-AA fragment of human GHRH (1-44)Walker 1994

Synthetic dipeptide derived from Khavinson thymic peptide extraction studies (Thymalin fraction)Morozov 1997

Antibody development

—

02Dosage Protocols

Parameter

Sermorelin

Vilon

Standard dose

100–500 mcg per injectionMolteno 2013

No clinical standard — literature lacks human dosing

Russian practice: often combined with other Khavinson peptides; no FDA/EMA trials.

Frequency

Once daily, pre-sleep

Unknown — literature does not specify chronic administration protocols

Lower / starter dose

100 mcg per dose

—

Evidence basis

Phase 3 (Geref pediatric); clinical practiceWalker 1994 Molteno 2013

Mouse / in vitro only

Duration

8–12 weeks per cycle

Not characterised in humans

Reconstitution

Bacteriostatic water

—

Timing

Pre-sleep, fasted preferred

—

Half-life

~12 min (plasma)Molteno 2013

Shorter than tesamorelin (~26 min) — simpler GHRH analogue.

Not published — dipeptides typically <10 min plasma t½

Animal model dose

—

In vitro: 0.01–10 μg/mL culture medium (mouse thymocytes)

Not translatable to human mg/kg without pharmacokinetic data.

Route

—

Likely SQ or oral (Khavinson school uses both); no published ROA validation

04Side Effects & Safety

Parameter

Sermorelin

Vilon

Injection site reaction

Mild erythema, transient pain

—

Flushing / headache

Common transient effect

—

IGF-1 elevation

Modest at standard doses

—

Cancer risk

Contraindicated in active malignancy (GH/IGF-1 axis)

—

Pregnancy / OB

Avoid

—

Glucose handling

Generally neutral

—

Human safety data

—

Absent from PubMed-indexed literature

Theoretical risk

—

Immune hyperactivation in autoimmune-prone individuals (T-cell differentiation enhancement)

Antibody formation

—

Not reported; dipeptides generally low immunogenicity

Animal models

—

No adverse effects noted in mouse thymocyte or pineal lymphoid cultures

Absolute Contraindications

Sermorelin

·Active malignancy
·Pregnancy / breastfeeding
·Disrupted hypothalamic-pituitary axis

Vilon

·Active autoimmune disease (theoretical — no clinical data)

Relative Contraindications

Sermorelin

·Untreated diabetes

Vilon

·Pregnancy / lactation (no safety data)
·Acute infection with cytokine storm risk (immune modulation unknown)

05Administration Protocol

Parameter

Sermorelin

Vilon

1. Reconstitution

Add 2 mL bacteriostatic water to 5 mg vial → 2.5 mg/mL = 250 mcg per 0.1 mL.

No clinical protocols exist in Western peer-reviewed literature. Russian gerontological practice may use 1–10 mg ranges, but dosing is empirical.

2. Injection site

SQ — abdomen or thigh. Rotate sites.

Subcutaneous injection (common for Khavinson peptides) or oral (some bioregulators reportedly active orally due to small size). No validated ROA.

3. Timing

Pre-sleep, fasted.

Unknown — no circadian or meal-timing data. Khavinson school often recommends morning administration.

4. Storage

Lyophilised: room temp, light-protected. Reconstituted: refrigerate ≤30 days.

Likely lyophilised powder, refrigerated. Reconstitution protocols not published.

5. Needle

29–31G, 4–8 mm insulin syringe.

—

06Stack Synergy

Sermorelin

+ Ipamorelin

Strong

View Ipamorelin →

Sermorelin (GHRH analogue) and ipamorelin (selective GHRP) form the prototypical GHRH+GHRP dual-axis stack at the lowest cost. Both peak within 30 min and produce a sharp physiological GH pulse without cortisol/prolactin elevation.

Sermorelin: 200–300 mcg SQ · pre-sleep
Ipamorelin: 200–300 mcg SQ · same injection
Primary benefit: Pulsatile GH stimulation, recovery, body composition

Raun 1998 Walker 1994

Vilon

+ Epitalon

Moderate

View Epitalon →

Both are Khavinson bioregulators targeting aging pathways. Epitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) acts on telomerase and pineal function; Vilon on immune differentiation and chromatin decondensation. Combined in Russian gerontological protocols for multi-system aging intervention. Lezhava et al. (2023) tested both on aged lymphocyte chromatin, showing distinct epigenetic effects. Complementary, not synergistic in strict pharmacological sense.

Vilon: Empirical — no standard
Epitalon: Empirical — often 10 mg cycles
Frequency: Sequential or concurrent (literature ambiguous)
Primary benefit: Multi-system aging modulation (immune + pineal/circadian)

+ Thymalin

Weak

View Thymalin →

Thymalin is the parent polypeptide complex from which Vilon was isolated. Both target immune differentiation, but Thymalin is a complex mixture (multiple peptides), whereas Vilon is a purified dipeptide. Morozov & Khavinson (1997) described Vilon as a synthetic successor designed to replicate Thymalin's immunomodulatory effects with greater specificity. Redundant in practice; no published combination studies.

Vilon: No standard
Thymalin: 10–100 mg IM (polypeptide complex)
Primary benefit: Redundant — both target T-cell differentiation

Morozov 1997 Khavinson 2020