Semax
Compound snapshot
Class
Research peptide
FDA approved
No
Clinical development
Preclinical
Last reviewed
September 2026
Research areas
Cognition / Mood / Neuroprotection
Regulatory status
Research use only — not approved outside Russia
Internet attention
Moderate
Registry query
Semax
A synthetic analogue of ACTH(4-10) with no hormonal ACTH activity. Registered as a medicine in Russia for stroke and cognitive indications; unapproved in the US, UK and EU.
Reality check — what we actually know
Supported by human evidence
- No adequately powered randomised human trials establish the outcomes this compound is marketed for.
Animal research only
- Neuroprotection in animal and Russian clinical stroke protocols
- Improved attention, working memory and mental stamina under fatigue in Russian studies
- Anxiolytic effect without sedation reported in human work
Mechanistically plausible
- Rapidly increases BDNF and NGF expression in the hippocampus, modulates the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems, and reduces inflammatory signalling after ischaemic injury.
Common internet claims
- Online discussion frequently presents Semax as a proven treatment rather than a research compound.
Not established
- Human efficacy for the outcomes commonly claimed
- Optimal route, quantity and duration in humans
- Long-term human safety
Evidence distribution
Each band is a live PubMed search for Semax, filtered to that kind of study. Top is the strongest evidence; the base is reasoning, not proof. A band with no records means that kind of study has not been published for this compound yet.
Mechanism and reported findings
Rapidly increases BDNF and NGF expression in the hippocampus, modulates the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems, and reduces inflammatory signalling after ischaemic injury.
- Neuroprotection in animal and Russian clinical stroke protocols
- Improved attention, working memory and mental stamina under fatigue in Russian studies
- Anxiolytic effect without sedation reported in human work
- Faster recovery of cognitive function after hypoxic injury in rodent models
Strength of the evidence: A real clinical literature exists but almost entirely in Russian-language journals with methodology that Western regulators have not accepted.
Safety and known cautions
Unapproved and unstudied in Western trials. Nasal formulations vary in concentration.
Evidence at a glance
No single score, on purpose. The line beside each bar shows how much reported outcomes vary between studies.
Development stage
- Discovery
- PreclinicalCurrent
- Phase 1
- Phase 2
- Phase 3
- Regulatory review
- Approved