Neuropeptides · 5mg × 10 vials
ACTH(4-10)-derived nootropic peptide. Studied for BDNF upregulation and attention in research models.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide (Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro) derived from the ACTH 4-10 fragment, with a C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension added by researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow in the 1980s to block proteolysis and allow the molecule to cross the blood-brain barrier. Unlike ACTH, Semax has no significant corticotropic activity and does not raise cortisol or HPA-axis output.
Its principal action is acute upregulation of BDNF and NGF gene expression in the hippocampus and basal forebrain. It also modulates dopaminergic and serotonergic signalling in limbic structures and the basal ganglia, and inhibits enkephalin-degrading enzymes, raising endogenous opioid tone without receptor agonism. In the animal and clinical literature these effects are studied as improvements in attention, working memory, and neuronal recovery after ischaemic insult. Semax is a registered drug in Russia and Ukraine for ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack, optic nerve atrophy, and post-encephalopathy cognitive impairment, with more than 30 years of domestic clinical use. Almost none of the trial data has been published in Western journals.
What the published studies measured.
Peer-reviewed studies and clinical guidelines - tap any to read the source.
, regulates BDNF and trkB expression in the rat hippocampus](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19035441/) - Dolotov et al., foundational paper on BDNF upregulation mechanism
Read study ↗PubMedEffects of Semax on the default mode network of the brain (fMRI study)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29143938/) - Lebedeva et al., functional imaging in healthy volunteers showing DMN modulation
Read study ↗PubMedSemax in acute ischemic stroke: a multicenter, randomized clinical trialGusev et al., 110-patient Russian trial showing reduced neurological deficit at 30 days
Read study ↗PubMedSemax for cognitive impairment after ischemic stroke (Cochrane-style review)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22230426/) - meta-analysis of Russian stroke recovery trials
Read study ↗PubMedSemax for ADHD in children: a randomized controlled studyRussian pediatric ADHD trial demonstrating efficacy
Read study ↗PubMedHeptapeptide Semax inhibits enkephalin-degrading enzymesZolotarev et al., enkephalinase inhibition mechanism
Read study ↗Storage: refrigerated, ~14-21 days after reconstitution (peptide is more stable than GLP-1s but less stable than BPC-157). Unreconstituted vials stable at room temp short-term, refrigerated long-term.