Thymosin Alpha-1
Tested in peopleIt has been tested in people, but it is not an approved medicine. The studies are usually small.
Also called Tα1 / Zadaxin / Thymalfasin
A copy of a natural immune signal, tested in people for hepatitis and severe infection. Results are mixed and it is not approved in the US.
The basics
- What is it?
- A copy of a natural peptide the immune system uses as a signal.
- What do we know?
- It has been tested in people with hepatitis and with severe infection, and it is used as a medicine in some countries.
- What do we still not know?
- Whether it clearly helps. Results across studies do not point the same way.
Can a doctor prescribe this?
No. It sits on a restricted list, so pharmacies are not allowed to make it.
The FDA has not approved this as a medicine.
Not FDA approved in the United States and restricted from 503A compounding.
Official status: Category 2 – restricted from compounding. Checked 2026-06-18.
Lab suppliers we list: 14
Doses used in research
Taken word for word from the studies and trials listed on this page. This is not a recommendation and not a dose for anyone to take.
In human trials
1.6 mg
under the skin · once per day · for 5 days
Efficacy of Thymosin alpha1 for Severe SepsisNA · NCT00711620
“1.6 mg s.c injection twice per day for 5 days, then 1.6 mg s.c injection once per day for 2 days..”
See source wording
Thymosin Alpha 1, Interferon Alpha, or Both, in Combination With Dacarbazine in Patients With Malignant MelanomaPHASE2 · NCT00911443
“Dacarbazine + Interferon alpha + Thymosin-alpha-1 1.6 mg.”
See source wording
Thymalfasin (Thymosin Alpha 1; Ta1) as an Enhancer of Vaccine Response Among Older Adults Receiving Booster Doses of COVID-19 VaccinePHASE1 · NCT06821100
“A 4.8 mg dose of Ta1 (dose of 1.6 mg in 1 mL of diluent X3) on Day 0, followed by vaccination.”
1.6 mg
under the skin · for 3 months
Immuno-effect of Tα1 for Stage I NSCLCNA · NCT06598839
“subcutaneous injection of Tα1, 1.6mg each time, biw, for 3 months.”
See source wording
A Pilot Study to Evaluate ZADAXIN's® (Thymalfasin) Ability to Enhance Immune Response to the H1N1sw Influenza VaccinePHASE2 · NCT01031966
“1.6 mg, 3.2 mg seven days before vaccination (study day -7) and at the same day of vaccination (study day 0).”
See source wording
under the skin · twice a week · for 24 weeks
Efficacy and Safety of Combination Therapy of Thymalfasin and Entecavir in HBeAg-positive ETV-experienced PatientsPHASE4 · NCT03448744
“Thymosin Alpha1 (1.6 mg subcutaneously injection twice a week) plus ETV (0.5 mg orally, daily) for 24 weeks, and followed by continuous ETV for at least 48 weeks.”
1.6 mg
under the skin · twice a week · for 1 month
Thymosin Alpha-1 for irAE Secondary to ICIsPHASE4 · NCT06178146
“Based on the conventional treatment, subcutaneous injection of Tα-1 (1.6 mg, qd) in Week 1; and in Week 2, subcutaneous injection of thymalfasin 1.6 mg, 3 times a week, followed by twice a week for 1 month since Week 3..”
See source wording
under the skin · weekly
The Impact of Thymosin α-1 on the Efficacy of Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Followed by Immunotherpay Consolidation for Locally Advanced NSCLCPHASE2 · NCT06139419
“All participants receive two cycles of albumin-bound paclitaxel (260mg/m2) on d1 and cisplatin (25mg/m2) from d1 to d3 in combination with tislelizumab (200mg) on d1..”
1.6 mg
under the skin
The Efficacy and Safety of Ta1 for SepsisPHASE3 · NCT02867267
“Subcutaneous injections of 1.6 mg thymosin alpha 1 every 12±2 hours for not more than 7 days depending on the change of the subjects' condition, prior to administration, the lyophilized powder is to be reconstituted with 1 ml of the provided diluent..”
See source wording
every 12 hours · for 5 days
Protective Effect of Thymosin Α1 Against Negative Immune Dysregulation and Organ Dysfunction After Acute Aortic Dissection Surgery (PANDA II)NA · NCT05339529
“Thymosin Alpha1, 28A-Glycine-28B-L-Arginine-28C-L-Glutamic Acid-28D-L-Alanine-28E-L-Proline-28F-L-Alanine-28G-L-Asparagine-.”
See source wording
three times per week
Thymosin Alpha 1 Combined With Anti-PD-1 Monoclonal Antibody in Elderly Patients With Advanced MelanomaPHASE2 · NCT07644897
“Thymosin Alpha 1 1.6mg, sc,QD,d1-7;1.6mg, sc,three times per week, d8-21 Anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody (Toripalimab) 240mg per dose,ivdrip,Q3W.”
1.6 mg
every 12 hours · for 5 days
Thymosin α1 Use in Rheumatic Heart Disease Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery on Cardiopulmonary BypassNA · NCT05487469
“Thymosin alpha 1, 1.6mg injection hypodermic (I.H), every 12 hours for 5 days at least during the ICU admission.”
1.6 mg
Thymosin Alpha 1 in the Prevention of Pancreatic Infection Following Acute Necrotizing PancreatitisPHASE4 · NCT02473406
“In addition to the standard treatment, thymosin therapy will be started after admission: 1.6mg I.H q12h for the first 7 days and 1.6mg I.H, qd for the following 7 days or until discharge..”
See source wording
under the skin
SBRT Combination With rhGM-CSF and Tα1 for Stage IV NSCLC Patients Who Failed in Second-line ChemotherapyPHASE2 · NCT02976740
“Subcutaneous injection of human recombined granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (125ug/m² per day) will be executed from day 1 to day 14 in this cycle.”
1.6 mg
under the skin · weekly
Efficacy Study of Thymosin alpha1 & Pegylated Interferon-alpha2a to Treat Chronic Hepatitis BPHASE4 · NCT00291616
“injection weekly Thymosin 1.6 mg s.c.”
1.6 mg
under the skin · twice per day
Efficacy of Thymosin Alpha 1 on Improving Monocyte Function for SepsisPHASE4 · NCT02883595
“Subcutaneous injections of 1.6 mg thymosin alpha 1 twice per day for seven days, prior to administration, the lyophilized powder is to be reconstituted with 1 ml of the provided diluent..”
1.6 mg
under the skin · weekly · for 8 weeks
Thymosin Alpha 1 to Prevent COVID-19 Infection in Renal Dialysis PatientsPHASE2 · NCT04428008
“1.6 mg thymalfasin in 1 mL subcutaneous injection twice weekly after dialysis for 8 weeks.”
See source wording
for 1 year
TPF Concurrent Chemo-radiotherapy Plus Immunotherapy for Local Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell CarcinomaNA · NCT06401447
“Chemotherapy: paclitaxel 60mg/m2, ivgtt; cisplatin 30mg/m2, ivgtt; 5-FU 500mg/m2, ivgtt and 500mg/m2, civ 24h; calcium folinate 200mg; q3w.”
See source wording
for 15 weeks
REP 2139-Ca / Pegasys™ Combination Therapy in Hepatitis B / Hepatitis D Co-infectionPHASE2 · NCT02233075
“15 weeks of REP 2139-Ca (500mg QW IV) followed by: 15 weeks of REP 2139-Ca (250mg QW IV) + Pegasys(TM) (180 ug QW SC) followed by: 33 weeks of Pegasys(TM) (180 ug QW SC).”
See source wording
Radiotherapy Combined With Thymosin for Metastatic NSCLC Patients Who Showed Stable Disease After First Line TKI TherapyPHASE2 · NCT02787447
“Gefitinib 250mg po qd or Erlotinib 150mg po qd or Icotinib 125mg po tid.”
1.6 mg
daily
Thymalfasin (Thymosin Alpha 1) to Treat COVID-19 InfectionPHASE2 · NCT04487444
“Ta1 at a dose of 1.6 mg will be administered SC in 1 mL of diluent daily for a total of 1 week, in addition to standard of care..”
1.6 mg
under the skin · twice a week · for 6 months
Thymosin-alpha 1 for Adjuvant Treatment After Radical Resection of High-risk Stage II and III Colorectal CancerPHASE3 · NCT05086614
“Receive thymosin-alpha 1 1.6mg with subcutaneous injection, twice a week, for 6 months after radical resection..”
1.6 mg
for 5 days
“Ulinastatin (100000U TID for 5 days) and Thymosin alpha 1 (1.6 mg q12h for 5 days) immediately after surgery.”
1.6 mg
once a day · for 16 weeks
Thymosin Alfa 1 in Recipients of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Transplantation for Hematological MalignanciesPHASE1, PHASE2 · NCT00580450
“1.6 mg sc once a day for 16 weeks.”
In animal studies
0.6 mg/kg
mice · another route · for 5 days
Thymosin alpha 1 as an adjuvant to hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in an experimental model of peritoneal metastases from colonic carcinoma.International immunopharmacology · 2022
“Mice were treated with Tα1 at 0.6 mg/kg for 5 days after HIPEC.”
- Efficacy of Thymosin Alpha 1 Combined with Sivelestat and Ambroxol in Elderly Sepsis-Associated ARDS: A Randomized Trial
Study in people
Journal not recorded · 2025
- Indications for an antidepressive effect of thymosin alpha-1 in a small open-label proof of concept study in common variable immune deficiency patients with depression.
Study in people
Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2025
- Thymosin Alpha-1 Has no Beneficial Effect on Restoring CD4+ and CD8+ T Lymphocyte Counts in COVID-19 Patients.
Study in people
Frontiers in immunology · 2021
- Thymosin Alpha-1 Restores Chemotherapy-Induced Antitumor Immunity by Chaperoning a MicroRNA Ligand of TLR7 in Dendritic Cells.
Animal study, rats or mice
Cancer research · 2026
- IL-15 Plus Thymosin α1 Reduces Senescent Hepatic CD8<sup>+</sup> T Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma via PI3K/AKT Suppression.
Animal study, rats or mice
Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology · 2026
- Thymosin alpha 1 as an adjuvant to hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in an experimental model of peritoneal metastases from colonic carcinoma.
Animal study, rats or mice
International immunopharmacology · 2022
- Thymosin alpha 1 exerts beneficial extrapulmonary effects in cystic fibrosis.
Animal study, rats or mice
European journal of medicinal chemistry · 2021
- Thymosin alpha-1 blocks the accumulation of myeloid suppressor cells in NSCLC by inhibiting VEGF production.
Animal study, rats or mice
Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 2020
- Thymosin Alpha-1 Inhibits Complete Freund's Adjuvant-Induced Pain and Production of Microglia-Mediated Pro-inflammatory Cytokines in Spinal Cord.
Animal study, rats or mice
Neuroscience bulletin · 2019
- Thymosin α1 Augments CD8⁺ T-Cell Activation and Reverses Exhaustion In Vitro.
Lab dish study
Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP · 2026
- The Immunomodulatory Activity of Thymosin Alpha 1 on Tumor Cell Lines and Distinct Immune Cell Subsets.
Lab dish study
OncoTargets and therapy · 2025
- Exploiting the potential of <i>in situ</i> forming liquid crystals: development and <i>in vitro</i> performance of long-acting depots for peptide drug thymosin alpha 1 subcutaneous administration.
Lab dish study
Drug delivery · 2025
- Enhanced Immunomodulatory Effects of Thymosin-Alpha-1 in Combination with Polyanionic Carbosilane Dendrimers against HCMV Infection.
Lab dish study
International journal of molecular sciences · 2024
- Thymosin alpha 1 restores the immune homeostasis in lymphocytes during Post-Acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Lab dish study
International immunopharmacology · 2023
- Immune modulation via dendritic cells by the effect of Thymosin-alpha-1 on immune synapse in HCMV infection.
Lab dish study
International immunopharmacology · 2023
- Combination of Gemcitabine and Thymosin alpha 1 exhibit a better anti-tumor effect on nasal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.
Lab dish study
International immunopharmacology · 2021
- Thymosin Alpha 1 Mitigates Cytokine Storm in Blood Cells From Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients.
Lab dish study
Open forum infectious diseases · 2021
- Thymosin alpha-1 Protected T Cells from Excessive Activation in Severe COVID-19
Lab dish study
Journal not recorded · 2020
- A Case Report of a Multisystemic Immune-Related Adverse Event Caused by Sintilimab in Combination With Thymosin Alpha-1.
Clinical case reports · 2026
- Aging and Thymosin Alpha-1.
International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
- Effect of thymosin α1 on Immune response and organ function in acute aortic dissection surgery: PANDA II trial protocol.
Future cardiology · 2025
- The efficacy and safety of thymosin alpha-1 combined with lenvatinib plus sintilimab in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective study.
Scientific reports · 2025
- Phenotypic drug discovery: a case for thymosin alpha-1.
Frontiers in medicine · 2024
- Thymosin alpha 1 - Reimagine its broader applications in the immuno-oncology era.
International immunopharmacology · 2023
- Anti-PD-1 antibody therapy combined with thymosin alpha-1 improves the postoperative prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy: a prospective cohort study
Journal not recorded · 2023
- [Thymosin alpha 1 for the adjuvant treatment of coronavirus disease 2019: a retrospective cohort study].
Zhonghua wei zhong bing ji jiu yi xue · 2022
- Clinical efficacy of thymosin alpha 1 combined with multi-modality chemotherapy and its effects on immune function of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with diabetes.
Pakistan journal of medical sciences · 2022
- Efficacy of Thymosin Alpha 1 in the Treatment of COVID-19: A Multicenter Cohort Study.
Frontiers in immunology · 2021
- Thymosin alpha-1 therapy improves postoperative survival after curative resection for solitary hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma: A propensity score matching analysis.
Medicine · 2021
- Gender-associated difference following COVID-19 virus infection: Implications for thymosin alpha-1 therapy.
International immunopharmacology · 2021
- Thymosin Alpha 1 Reduces the Mortality of Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 by Restoration of Lymphocytopenia and Reversion of Exhausted T Cells.
Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2020
- Immunopotentiator thymosin alpha-1 attenuates inflammatory pain by modulating the Wnt3a/β-catenin pathway in spinal cord.
Neuroreport · 2020
- Modified Thymosin Alpha 1 Distributes and Inhibits the Growth of Lung Cancer in Vivo.
ACS omega · 2020
- Fusion of thymosin alpha 1 with mutant IgG1 CH3 prolongs half-life and enhances antitumor effects in vivo.
International immunopharmacology · 2019
- Serum thymosin alpha 1 levels in normal and pathological conditions.
Expert opinion on biological therapy · 2018
- Thymosin alpha 1 alleviates inflammation and prevents infection in patients with severe acute pancreatitis through immune regulation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Review of earlier work
Frontiers in immunology · 2025
- Comprehensive Review of the Safety and Efficacy of Thymosin Alpha 1 in Human Clinical Trials.
Review of earlier work
Alternative therapies in health and medicine · 2024
- Thymosin Alpha 1 Plus Routine Treatment for the Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review of earlier work
Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP · 2024
- PD-1 inhibitor combined with SBRT, GM-CSF, and thymosin alpha-1 in metastatic breast cancer: A case report and literature review.
Review of earlier work
Medicine · 2024
- The efficacy of thymosin alpha-1 therapy in moderate to critical COVID-19 patients: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression.
Review of earlier work
Inflammopharmacology · 2023
- Thymosin alpha 1: A comprehensive review of the literature.
Review of earlier work
World journal of virology · 2020
- The clinical efficacy and adverse effects of Entecavir plus Thymosin alpha-1 combination therapy versus Entecavir Monotherapy in HBV-related cirrhosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Review of earlier work
BMC gastroenterology · 2020
- Thymosin alpha 1 treatment for patients with sepsis.
Review of earlier work
Expert opinion on biological therapy · 2018
- Long-term follow up of metastatic melanoma patients treated with Thymosin alpha-1: investigating immune checkpoints synergy.
Review of earlier work
Expert opinion on biological therapy · 2018