Brief mention of peptides in this WSJ article about the Russian pursuit of longevity:
Inside Putin’s $26 Billion Quest for Longevity (archive link)
Another influence was Vladimir Khavinson, dubbed “Putin’s gerontologist” by Russian media, who promoted peptide-based antiaging therapies derived from calf tissue.
Peptides—short chains of amino acids marketed for recovery, muscle growth and antiaging—have become popular among U.S. wellness figures including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Joe Rogan, despite limited evidence for many of their claimed benefits.
Khavinson, who received one of Russia’s highest state awards from Putin for achievements in medicine, said in interviews that he sought to prolong the life of a leader whose departure would throw Russia into crisis. He also argued that human beings were meant to live to 120 years, citing biblical scripture.
Putin awarded Vladimir Khavinson, director of the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, with an Order of Friendship during a ceremony at the Kremlin in 2017.
Khavinson died in 2024, at 77.