Glandokort Peptide: Uses, Benefits and Side Effects

By Vlad Razumovich, Co-founder, QI Supplements
Published August 2026 | 9 minute read

The short version

Glandokort is A-17, the adrenal peptide complex in the Khavinson range.
10 mg of peptide complex per capsule. Two capsules a day is the standard serving.
You take it as a 30 day course, then stop for several months. Not a daily forever supplement.
It is a Cytomax, filtered from tissue rather than built in a lab. This is the original form.
The peer reviewed research supports the mechanism. The human data on A-17 specifically is thin, and I will show you exactly how thin.

I have been selling Khavinson peptides from Washington State since 2015. Glandokort is one of the products people ask me about most, and it is also one of the most poorly explained online.

So here is the full picture on Glandokort peptide uses. What it is, why the A number matters, how a course works, what the research actually supports, and how to buy it without getting sold a story.

What is the Glandokort peptide?

Glandokort is the brand name for A-17, the adrenal peptide complex in Professor Vladimir Khavinson's range of organ specific bioregulators. It was originally developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, where the whole range was developed from the 1970s onward.

Each capsule holds 10 mg of the peptide complex. Two capsules gives you 20 mg a day, which is the standard serving.

The Khavinson system gives every organ its own code. A-2 is thyroid. A-6 is thymus. A-3 is blood vessel. A-17 is adrenal.

Glandokort may support the normal structure and function of adrenal tissue as part of a general wellness routine.*

One thing to be clear about up front. This is a dietary supplement. It is not hormone therapy, it is not a treatment for anything, and it contains no drugs or medicines.

What your adrenal glands actually do

Your adrenal glands are two small glands sitting on top of your kidneys. They are part of the wider endocrine system, alongside the thyroid.

Hormone production is their main job, and the adrenal hormones cover a lot of ground:

Cortisol follows a daily rhythm, high in the morning and tapering across the day. It affects metabolism, how the body handles blood sugar, and the shape of your energy across the day.
Adrenaline drives the short term stress response.
Aldosterone works with the kidneys on salt and water balance, which is part of how the body manages blood pressure. When that system goes wrong; high blood pressure is one result, and that is a matter for your doctor rather than a supplement.

Adrenal function shifts with age. The glands change in size and the body's ability to hold a steady output is not what it was at 25. Chronic stress, poor sleep and heavy caffeine intake all sit on top of that.

For the clinical background on the adrenals, the StatPearls entry at the NIH National Library of Medicine is a good neutral starting point.

Why an organ specific peptide, and not a general adrenal formula

This is the part most pages skip, and it is the part that actually matters.

The adrenal support shelf splits into four groups, and they are not doing the same job.

Adaptogens. Ashwagandha, rhodiola, holy basil. These work on the stress signalling system rather than on the glands themselves.
Vitamins and nutritional support. Vitamin C, magnesium, B5, zinc. These supply raw materials for hormone production. Useful if you are short on them.
Glandulars. Desiccated adrenal tissue. Broad, and the composition varies by supplier.
Peptide bioregulators. A different principle entirely, which is where Glandokort sits.

For example, an adaptogen and an organ specific peptide can sit in the same routine without overlapping, because they are aimed at different things.

Peptide bioregulators are short chains of amino acids taken from a single tissue. Each one carries a peptide signature matched to that tissue. The idea is that the signature matches that tissue and no other, so the focus is narrow by design rather than broad.

Khavinson's team spent four decades working out which sequence belonged to which organ. That research is why every product in the range carries an A number instead of a marketing name.

The experiment that shows the principle

There is one study that demonstrates organ specificity cleanly, and it has a built in control.

According to PubMed, Khavinson and colleagues cultured liver cells from rats aged 1 to 24 months. They added the liver tetrapeptide. Protein synthesis in those cells went up, and the effect was strongest in cells from the oldest animals. (PMID 15926314)

Then they added a peptide built for a different organ to the same liver cells. Nothing happened.

Same dish, same method, different peptide, no effect. The liver peptide worked on liver cells. The other one did not.

To be clear: that study used liver peptides, not A-17. I am showing it because it demonstrates the principle behind the whole category, not because it says anything about adrenal tissue. Anyone who quotes a study on a different organ as Glandokort evidence is stretching it.

The broader review from Khavinson's group reports the same pattern across tissues. Tetrapeptides designed for several different organs each stimulated growth in explants from their matching organ, and not from others. (PMID 12374906)

That is why buying the right A number matters. An adrenal peptide is not interchangeable with whatever bioregulator happens to be on sale.

How short peptides work at the cellular level

A fair question about any oral peptide is whether it survives digestion.

A 2022 paper in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences from Khavinson's group looked at how ultrashort peptides move into cells, using the POT and LAT carrier systems. (DOI 10.3390/ijms23147733)

Short peptides are small enough to pass through the gut wall intact. That is the whole reason these come as capsules instead of injections, and it is a peer reviewed finding rather than a marketing line.

Gene promoter interaction is the proposed mechanism for peptide bioregulators. The idea is that short peptides bind complementary sequences in DNA and take part in the epigenetic regulation of aging, which Khavinson's group set out in a 2012 review. (PMID 22708439)

Proposed is the operative word. Whether the effect at the cellular level translates into anything you would notice is a separate question, and I deal with that further down.

New to the category? Our guide on what a peptide bioregulator is covers the basics in a few minutes.

Where A-17 comes from

Glandokort is filtered from adrenal tissue. The filter cuts off at 5 kDa, so nothing larger passes through.

Source varies by manufacturer and it is worth a look before you order. The original Russian formulation lists calves under 12 months or pigs. Some newer versions are bovine only. If porcine sourcing matters to you, read the ingredients panel rather than the product description.

Khavinson peptides split into two families. Natural complexes filtered from tissue are Cytomaxes. Synthetic single sequence peptides, built in a lab to copy the active part of the natural complex, are Cytogens.

Glandokort is a Cytomax. Cytomaxes work gradually and the effect keeps building after you finish a course. Cytogens act faster over shorter courses. Neither is better. They do different jobs.

Glandokort peptide uses: how to run a course

Adults take 1 to 2 capsules, once or twice daily. Take Glandokort with meals, or 30 minutes before eating. Either works.

The standard protocol is 2 capsules a day for 30 days. That is one 60 capsule box.

Then you stop. Repeat the course every 3 to 6 months rather than taking it continuously. That is by design, and it is one of the practical advantages of this category. You are not signing up for a monthly subscription forever.

Pack	Course	Best for
20 capsules	10 days	A short maintenance course between full ones
60 capsules	Full 30 days	The standard protocol, and better value per capsule

If you are running several bioregulators, spread the courses across the year instead of stacking them all into one month.

Looking at Glandokort?

Glandokort A-17 is available as a 20 capsule pack for a 10 day course or a 60 capsule pack for the full month. 10 mg of peptide complex A-17 per capsule.

Shipped from Washington State within 2 business days. Free shipping over $50.

Key benefits of the A-17 complex

Here is what the product is built to do, stated plainly and without borrowing anyone else's data.

Delivers 10 mg of peptide complex A-17 per capsule, the signature matched to adrenal tissue
May support the normal structure and function of the adrenal glands*
May support overall vitality as part of a general wellness routine*
The original Cytomax form, not a synthetic substitute
Taken in short courses, so cost and commitment stay low

What you will not find here is a list of promised outcomes. The benefits section on most pages selling this is written from imagination. Mine is written from the label.

Which format should you buy

We stock three versions of A-17. Most stores carry one, which is why nobody bothers explaining the difference.

Glandokort capsules. The original Cytomax. 20 caps for $55 or 60 caps for $135. This is what most people want and where I tell people to start.
EternaPeptix A-17. From $69. The Glandokort complex in our newer format, made in Germany from EU reared cattle. Bovine only, so worth knowing if porcine sourcing is a concern for you.
Firma Vita Thyro 3. $215 for 60 capsules. A-2 Thyreogen, A-17 Glandokort and A-6 Vladonix in one capsule, built around the endocrine group.

One thing worth knowing before you order. Thyro 3 already contains A-17. Taking Thyro 3 alongside a separate Glandokort doubles your adrenal peptide rather than adding something missing. Some people do that on purpose. Just do it knowing.

What it is taken with

The adrenal glands do not work alone. The thyroid and the adrenals sit in the same feedback loop, and the immune system shapes the environment both operate in.

Khavinson's own combination protocols pair A-17 with two others for general adult support:

Vladonix A-6, thymus
Ventfort A-3, blood vessel

Ventfort turns up in most of his combinations. Circulation carries everything else where it needs to go.

How to buy A-17 without getting fooled

This is the section I wish existed when I started. Five claims turn up constantly in this category. Here is how each one holds up, so you can read any page and know what you are looking at.

What you will see claimed	What it actually is
Cortisol rhythm normalised, shown in primates	That study used a different Khavinson peptide from a different organ. Not an adrenal preparation.
Backed by decades of clinical research	Decades of research on the family, yes. On A-17 specifically, one 2011 study.
No side effects at all	Not formally studied. Sensitivity reactions are documented.
Effects last 3 to 6 months after a course	No published data supports a duration figure.
One of the most powerful tools available	Marketing language. Effectiveness has not been established in a peer reviewed trial.
Drives cellular regeneration	No published trial supports that phrase for this complex. Mechanism research is not an outcome.
Your adrenal glands recover on a course	Nobody has measured that. Recovery is a medical outcome and this is a food supplement.
Interacts with DNA and stimulates protein synthesis	They are marketed to do this. It is laboratory mechanism research, not a measured human outcome.

The primate cortisol chart is the one to watch for. It comes from a 2001 rhesus monkey study, and the peptide used in it was a synthetic Cytogen built for a different organ. It is not what is in Glandokort.

The tell is simple. If a page shows you an adrenal peptide study with hard numbers, ask which peptide was actually tested. Once you know to check, you can spot the swap on half the pages selling this product.

The 2011 study, handled straight

There is one clinical study on A-17. It ran at the Medical Center of the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology between April and November 2011, with 36 participants aged 37 to 62 and a control group of 26.

It is a small study, the patients in it were already receiving conventional care, and it has never appeared in a peer reviewed journal. It circulates as a distributor report.

None of that makes it fake. It does mean any improvement reported in it belongs to that group under that care, not to a healthy adult taking a capsule, and I am not going to pretend otherwise.

What I will say is this. The mechanism research is peer reviewed and it is real. The organ specificity work is peer reviewed and it is real. The human outcome data on this particular complex is thin, and any seller who tells you different is filling a gap with someone else's study.

A word on the term adrenal fatigue

You will see adrenal fatigue used constantly in this corner of the internet. It is worth knowing that it is not a recognised medical diagnosis, and no peptide changes that.

Genuine adrenal dysfunction is diagnosed with blood work and managed by a doctor. If you are exhausted and want to know why, that is where to start. A supplement is not a diagnostic tool and I am not going to sell you one as if it were.

Side effects and safety

Glandokort has been sold in Europe for decades with a strong practical safety record. Natural peptide complexes at this filtration cutoff contain no DNA fragments and no large proteins.

What is documented is occasional sensitivity or allergic reaction. If that does occur, stop taking it and speak to your doctor.

Because the complex comes from animal tissue, anyone with a known sensitivity to bovine or porcine products should check the ingredients panel first.

Two honest gaps. Side effects have not been formally studied in a controlled trial, so sellers claiming zero risk are stating something nobody has measured. And there is no published data on interactions with prescription medication.

That second one is worth a moment. Plenty of dietary supplements interact with other medications, and the absence of published interaction data is not the same as a clean result. If you are taking medication of any kind, this is a question for the person who prescribed it.

One more. If what brought you here is anxiety, low mood or exhaustion that will not shift, please speak to a doctor rather than working through a supplement shelf. This is a wellness product. It is not built for that and I will not pretend it is.

Who should not take it

Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Not for anyone under 18. Do not use if you have an individual intolerance to any listed ingredient.

Consult your doctor before starting if you take prescription medicines or are managing an existing health condition. Any physical symptoms you are trying to work out are a matter for a medical professional, not a supplement label.

Ready to start a course?

Get Glandokort A-17, or browse the full adrenal health collection to see the capsule and complex options side by side.

Selling Khavinson peptides from Washington State since 2015.

Questions

What are the key benefits of Glandokort?

Glandokort delivers peptide complex A-17, the signature matched to adrenal tissue in the Khavinson system. It may support the normal structure and function of the adrenal glands and overall vitality as part of a general wellness routine.* It is not a stimulant and it contains no hormones.

How long does a Glandokort course last?

Thirty days on the 60 capsule pack at 2 capsules daily. Ten days on the 20 capsule pack. Most people run a course, break for several months, then repeat.

Is the Glandokort peptide natural or synthetic?

Natural. It is a Cytomax, filtered from adrenal tissue. Synthetic Khavinson peptides are a separate family called Cytogens.

What is A-17 in peptide bioregulators?

A-17 is the code for the adrenal peptide complex. It is sold under the Glandokort name. Every organ complex in the range carries its own A number.

Does the Glandokort peptide have side effects?

Occasional sensitivity or allergic reaction has been reported. Beyond that, side effects have not been formally studied, so claims of zero side effects are not supported by evidence.

Can I take it with other medications?

There is no published data on interactions between this complex and prescription drugs. That is a gap rather than a clean bill of health. Consult your doctor before combining it with any medication.

How often should you repeat a Glandokort course?

Repeat the course every 3 to 6 months. A course is 30 days at 2 capsules daily. These are not designed for continuous use.

When should you take Glandokort?

Take Glandokort with meals, or 30 minutes before eating. Most people split the daily serving across morning and evening.

What are peptide bioregulators?

Peptide bioregulators are short chains of amino acids taken from a specific organ tissue. Each carries a signature matched to that tissue. Glandokort is the adrenal one, designated A-17.

Can men and women both take it?

Yes. The serving is the same.

Can I take Glandokort with other bioregulators?

Yes, and most people do. The classic adult combination pairs the adrenal peptide with the thymus and blood vessel peptides. Speak to a qualified healthcare professional before combining multiple complexes.

Is there human research on Glandokort?

One 2011 study from the St. Petersburg Institute, conducted in a clinical population already receiving conventional care. It has not been published in a peer reviewed journal. The peer reviewed research on this family covers mechanism and organ specificity rather than A-17 outcomes.

Is Glandokort approved by the FDA?

No. Dietary supplements are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the way drugs are. The FDA does not review supplements for effectiveness before they go on sale. That is true of every supplement on every shelf, not just this one.

References

Brodskii VYa, Khavinson VKh, Zolotarev YuA, et al. Rhythm of protein synthesis in cultures of hepatocytes from rats of different ages. Izvestiia Akademii Nauk. Seriia Biologicheskaia. 2001;(5):517-521. PMID: 15926314.
Khavinson VKh. Peptides and Ageing. Neuro Endocrinology Letters. 2002;23 Suppl 3:11-144. PMID: 12374906.
Khavinson VKh, Solov'ev AYu, Zhilinskii DV, et al. Epigenetic aspects of peptide regulation of aging. Advances in Gerontology. 2012;25(1):11-22. PMID: 22708439.
Khavinson VKh, Linkova NS, Tarnovskaya SI, et al. Transport of biologically active ultrashort peptides using POT and LAT carriers. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2022;23(14):7733. DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147733.
Report on the results of the clinical study of peptide bioregulator Glandokort. St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, 2011. Not indexed in PubMed.
Physiology, Adrenal Gland. StatPearls. National Library of Medicine. NBK482264.

About the author. Vlad Razumovich is co-founder of QI Supplements, which has sold Khavinson peptide bioregulators from Washington State since 2015. He holds a PMP certification and a Bachelor's degree from Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering. He began taking peptide bioregulators himself while recovering from shoulder surgery after a serious car accident, and returned to full mobility ahead of the schedule he was given.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.