Cartalax Pen
20 mg of the Khavinson tripeptide AED in 3 mL of sterile bacteriostatic water, 0.67% w/v. Filled from a peptide lot tested in the manufacturer’s own laboratory, with a certificate.
| Compound | Cartalax Ala-Glu-Asp (AED; T-31); Khavinson cartilage peptide bioregulator |
|---|---|
| CAS number | 85806-95-7 |
| Molecular formula | C12H19N3O8 |
| Theoretical mass | 333.3 Da |
| Sequence / structure | H-AED-OH (3 residues; free N- and C-termini) |
| Contents | Cartalax: 20 mg per 3 mL pen (0.67% w/v) |
| Form | Sterile aqueous solution in bacteriostatic water (0.9% benzyl alcohol), supplied in a 3 mL glass cartridge inside a preloaded autoinjector pen fitted with a needle |
| Storage, sealed | Store at 2–8 °C in the original carton, protected from light |
| Format | Solution in a 3 mL pre-filled pen |
Sizes and lots
- 20 mg · 1 pen — $78.99
- 20 mg · Kit of 10 — $702.22
Cartalax, the Khavinson tripeptide Ala-Glu-Asp (AED, coded T-31), is supplied here already dissolved in a preloaded pen: 20 mg in a 3 mL cartridge of bacteriostatic water, 0.67% w/v by the safety data sheet. Every study of AED in the references for this page used cultured cells or tissue explants, including human skin fibroblasts and kidney tissue from young and old rats, and most of the papers came from Khavinson's own group.
What is in the pen
The 3 mL cartridge holds sterile solution containing 20 mg of the same H-AED-OH sold as freeze-dried powder in the Cartalax 20 mg vial: about 6.7 mg/mL, or roughly 60 µmol per pen. The solvent is bacteriostatic water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol as preservative. On the safety data sheet the peptide is unclassified; the benzyl alcohol is labelled harmful if swallowed or inhaled, a serious eye irritant and a possible skin sensitiser.
Store the pen in its carton at 2 to 8 °C, protected from light and capped between uses. It must not freeze, and a solution that has frozen, discoloured or clouded should be thrown away. Peptide pen vs vial compares the two formats in general.
What the research covers
AED's best-documented effects come from aging cell cultures. In human skin fibroblasts kept in culture until they aged, AED, like KE, KED and AEDG, lowered MMP-9 and raised the proliferation marker Ki-67 and CD98hc, and AED and AEDG also held back caspase-dependent apoptosis1. In a human mesenchymal stem cell line aged by passaging or by stationary culture, AED, KED and KE raised IGF1 expression 3.5 to 5.6-fold and stimulated NFκB2.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Cartalax pen and the vial?
The peptide is the same Ala-Glu-Asp and the amount is the same, 20 mg. The vial is freeze-dried and kept at −20 °C until dissolved; the pen is a 6.7 mg/mL solution in bacteriostatic water stored at 2 to 8 °C. Only the vial lets the lab choose solvent and concentration.
Does the published research apply to the pen?
Only as background on the peptide. The AED studies exposed cultured cells to it and did not test any stored solution, so they say nothing about how the pen's contents keep. The storage limits on the safety data sheet are what to follow.
Is the Cartalax pen intended for people?
No. It is a laboratory research product, not approved for human or veterinary use by the FDA or any other authority, and it must not be used in people or animals.
References
- Lin'kova NS, Drobintseva AO, Orlova OA, et al. Peptide Regulation of Skin Fibroblast Functions during Their Aging In Vitro. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2016;161(1):175-8. DOI · PubMed
- Ashapkin V, Khavinson V, Shilovsky G, et al. Gene expression in human mesenchymal stem cell aging cultures: modulation by short peptides. Mol Biol Rep. 2020;47(6):4323-4329. DOI · PubMed
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary consumption. Products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.