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Cognitive

Semax

Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro, an ACTH(4–7)-derived heptapeptide analogue

ACTH-derived peptide research focused on neuroprotection, BDNF signaling, and cognitive performance.

Limited Human Evidence

Route

Intranasal has the clearest human-use history

Common format

10 mg vial

Research focus

cognition

Evidence level

Limited Human Evidence

Typical cycle

4–8 weeks

Cognitive research motifCognitive

Semax in 30 seconds

Atlas Fast Read

What it is

Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro, an ACTH(4–7)-derived heptapeptide analogue

Why people care

ACTH-derived peptide research focused on neuroprotection, BDNF signaling, and cognitive performance.

Human evidence

Limited Human Evidence — Human interventional or clinical data exist, but studies are small, early-phase, mixed, indirect, route-specific, or not confirmatory.

Biggest misconception

Key gaps include larger independent trials, clearer dose-response data, long-term safety, clinically meaningful endpoints, and evidence that findings generalize beyond the narrow populations or routes already studied.

Bottom line

Semax has a real human signal or documented human pharmacology, but evidence is too small, mixed, route-specific, or indication-specific to justify broad claims.

Overview

What is Semax?

Semax is met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro, an ACTH(4–7)-derived heptapeptide analogue. ACTH-derived peptide research focused on neuroprotection, BDNF signaling, and cognitive performance.

Semax was developed in Soviet/Russian neuropeptide research from an ACTH fragment designed to retain neurotrophic effects without corticosteroid activity. It has been used clinically in Russia, especially in neurologic settings.

Mechanism

How it works

ACTH-fragment analogue reported to influence BDNF/TrkB, melanocortin-related signaling, monoamines, oxidative stress, and gene expression involved in neuroplasticity and ischemic response.

Research areas

cognitionischemic brain injuryneuroplasticityattention/stress research

Evidence

What does the evidence actually say?

Limited Human Evidence

Human interventional or clinical data exist, but studies are small, early-phase, mixed, indirect, route-specific, or not confirmatory.

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Preclinical Evidence

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Limited Human Evidence

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Strong Human Evidence

Human evidence

Semax has human clinical use and research history in Russia, including neurologic indications, but much of the literature is regional and not matched by large internationally replicated modern trials. Evidence for cognition enhancement in healthy people is limited.

Preclinical evidence

Animal and cellular studies report neuroprotection, BDNF/TrkB effects, monoamine changes, antioxidant activity, and improved outcomes after ischemic injury. Human translation exists regionally but remains less definitive internationally.

Knowledge gaps

Key gaps include larger independent trials, clearer dose-response data, long-term safety, clinically meaningful endpoints, and evidence that findings generalize beyond the narrow populations or routes already studied.

Protocol

Research protocol

DoseFrequencyTimingCycle

Dose

community sources SC reference: 300–800 mcg/day. Most human clinical literature uses intranasal Semax with protocol-specific dosing; SC and intranasal doses are not interchangeable.

Frequency

Once daily in the community SC protocol; intranasal clinical protocols may be divided.

Timing

Usually daytime because the target is cognition/neurologic function; no universal standard.

Route

Intranasal has the clearest human-use history; Community sources also list subcutaneous research use.

Cycle length

4–8 weeks

Reconstitution

Community reference: 1 mL bacteriostatic water per 10 mg vial = 10 mg/mL for SC research use.

Storage

Community reference: lyophilized frozen; reconstituted 2–8 °C and use within about 30 days.

Monitoring

Neurologic/cognitive outcomes, BP, headaches, agitation/sleep effects; no validated routine laboratory panel specific to Semax.

Protocols vary widely between sources. Investigational compounds are not approved therapies, and approved products should follow their official labeling. Nothing here is medical advice.

Safety

Safety, side effects, and precautions

Side effects

Systematic human safety data are limited. Reported or plausible effects include headache, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, sleep changes, nausea and injection/nasal-site irritation depending on route.

Contraindications

No validated broad contraindication profile exists. Avoid unsupervised use in pregnancy/breastfeeding, severe psychiatric instability, seizure disorders or major neurologic disease unless the research/clinical protocol specifically addresses it.

Interactions

Formal interaction studies are limited. CNS-active medicines, sedatives, stimulants, antidepressants, anxiolytics and anticonvulsants may alter or obscure effects and should be reviewed clinically.

Stacks

Common stacks

Semax + Selank

Common nootropic/anxiolytic pairing discussed to combine neurotrophic/cognitive and anxiolytic effects.

Mostly regional/limited human evidence; combination itself is not well validated.

Questions

FAQ

References

Sources

Atlas

The Atlas verdict

Semax has a real human signal or documented human pharmacology, but evidence is too small, mixed, route-specific, or indication-specific to justify broad claims. The most defensible use of the literature is to separate what has actually been measured in people from what is still extrapolated from mechanism or animal work.

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