Not medical advice. Semax is a research compound. This guide does not provide dosing, diagnosis, therapy recommendations, or claims about effects in humans.
Semax is a Russian nootropic heptapeptide derived from ACTH that rapidly elevates BDNF and TrkB expression in the hippocampus, producing 20-24 hour cognitive and neuroprotective effects from a single intranasal dose.
One-paragraph overview from our research datasheet — still scientific, but faster to read than the full mechanism list below.
Semax is a synthetic ACTH(4-10) heptapeptide nootropic that upregulates BDNF/TrkB signaling and modulates dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission.
Peer-reviewed literature typically discusses Semax in specific experimental settings. The points below reflect how the scientific community frames this compound—not as health claims, but as the research questions being asked.
Research vs. personal use: Literature describes experiments in controlled lab and animal models. This is distinct from any real-world use; our products are for laboratory research only.
Cognitive-related peptides are explored for stress-response pathways, neuronal signalling, and behaviour in animal models -not as treatments for human brain conditions.
Our datasheet lists mechanistic themes observed in preclinical work. These are research endpoints, not health claims. They help scientists understand and compare pathways.
Storage requirements: Lyophilised powder: store in freezer (−20 °C). Reconstituted: refrigerate 1–6 °C, away from sunlight. Use within the validated stability window for the specific batch and formulation. · Learn best practices in our detailed storage guide.
Research dosing context: Literature typically discusses 200–600 μg intranasal; 100–300 μg subcutaneous · Once daily intranasal (0.1% solution, 2–3 drops per nostril) · Plasma half-life 3–5 minutes, but functional biological duration extends to 20–24 hours due to downstream BDNF/TrkB signaling cascades. Intranasal administration delivers 0.093% of total dose to rat brain within 2 minutes, of which 80% is intact Semax. Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide is the primary metabolite. Poor oral bioavailability necessitates intranasal or parenteral routes. Russian clinical doses: 0.015–0.050 mg/kg intranasally.
Preparation steps: Follow our detailed reconstitution guide, use the calculator tool for volume confirmation, and always verify purity with the COA reading guide.
Semax is a synthetic seven-amino-acid (heptapeptide) analogue of ACTH(4-10) with a Pro-Gly-Pro tail, studied as a nootropic and neuroprotective research compound. In animal models it rapidly raises BDNF and TrkB signalling in the hippocampus and modulates serotonin and dopamine neurotransmission, which is the mechanistic basis for the cognition and mood endpoints reported in the literature. New-U supplies it for laboratory research only.
The most cited preclinical findings are neurotrophic and monoaminergic. A single dose of Semax increased hippocampal BDNF protein and TrkB phosphorylation in rats (Dolotov et al., 2006), and Semax raised striatal extracellular 5-HIAA to roughly 180% in a 1-4 hour window in rodents (Eremin et al., 2005). Most positive cognitive and stroke-recovery data come from Russian clinical and animal studies; these are research findings, not a promise of any effect in humans.
Published pharmacology describes a short plasma half-life (on the order of minutes) but a much longer functional window, because the BDNF/TrkB upregulation it triggers persists after the peptide itself has cleared. This is why the literature often separates Semax's circulating half-life from its downstream effect duration. We describe these figures descriptively from the research and make no dosing recommendation.
Semax is not FDA-approved in the United States and is sold strictly as a research chemical for laboratory use - it is not approved for human consumption here. It is, however, a registered/approved medicine in Russia (and reportedly Ukraine) for indications such as ischemic stroke and cognitive disorders. Legal status varies by jurisdiction, so confirm your local rules before purchasing.
Intranasal delivery uses the olfactory pathway to reach the brain quickly, which suits a peptide with a short plasma half-life that needs to act centrally. Russian clinical formulations are typically nasal drops; subcutaneous administration also appears in the literature. The route choice is about getting peptide to brain tissue efficiently, not a recommendation on how anyone should dose it.
No - the ACTH(4-10) fragment carries the neurotropic activity of ACTH but lacks the adrenal-stimulating portion of the full hormone, so it does not act as a meaningful cortisol stimulus. That separation of neurotrophic activity from hormonal activity was a deliberate design choice and is one reason Semax is studied as a cognition tool rather than a hormone.
Semax and Selank are both Russian Pro-Gly-Pro heptapeptides given intranasally, but from different parents: Semax is ACTH(4-10)-derived and emphasises cognition and neuroprotection, while Selank is tuftsin-derived and emphasises anxiolysis - they are sometimes studied together. Noopept is an unrelated small-molecule (a dipeptide-like racetam derivative), not a true peptide, so it is a different chemical class entirely despite the overlapping nootropic research interest.
Keep the lyophilised powder frozen at −20 °C. After reconstitution with bacteriostatic water, refrigerate at 1-6 °C and protect from light. The Pro-Gly-Pro tail makes Semax noticeably more stable than ACTH(4-10) alone, but standard peptide handling still applies - avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
No, and no. This article is educational only. We do not provide dosing, medical recommendations, or health claims. Our products are sold strictly for laboratory research, not for personal use of any kind.
Open the shop listing via “View product details.” There you will see batch specs, the Certificate of Analysis (COA), concentration, purity grade, and available SKUs with current pricing.
Other compounds researchers often read about alongside Semax.
Primary literature and registries for Semax, plus mainstream coverage of the peptide category. Research use only - not medical advice.
Databases & literature:
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Also known as: Semax, ACTH(4-10)-Pro-Gly-Pro, Semax Heptapeptide, MEHFPGP, ACTH 4-10 Analogue, Semax Acetate, N-Acetyl Semax, Семакс