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Semax is a synthetic ACTH(4-7) heptapeptide analog approved in Russia for stroke and cognitive disorders — studied in preclinical models for BDNF upregulation, neuroprotection, and hippocampal plasticity.
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Lyophilized vial
Sterile-filtered, freeze-dried peptide in glass vial, sealed under inert gas.
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Lyophilized and lot-tracked
Sterile-filtered, freeze-dried, sealed under inert gas. Each vial carries its own lot ID — full chain of custody from fill to delivery.
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How it works
Semax upregulates BDNF, NGF, and VEGF in hippocampal and cortical tissue in rodent models, promoting synaptic plasticity and neuronal survival. In stroke models, it reduces infarct volume and improves functional recovery versus controls. Regulatory approval in Russia/Ukraine for stroke treatment provides clinical validation unusual for a nootropic peptide.
Compound profile
Product definition
Semax is a synthetic ACTH(4-7) heptapeptide analog approved in Russia for stroke and cognitive disorders — studied in preclinical models for BDNF upregulation, neuroprotection, and hippocampal plasticity.
Semax (Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro) was developed by V.V. Mjasoedov's group at the Institute of Molecular Genetics (Russian Academy of Sciences) as a stable analog of the ACTH(4-10) sequence — the biologically active core of ACTH for cognitive and neuroprotective effects, without the ACTH sequence's endocrine activity at the HPA axis. The Pro-Gly-Pro extension was added to improve metabolic stability and CNS penetration. The compound is approved in Russia as a nasal spray formulation for ischemic stroke and peripheral vascular disease, and in Ukraine for various cognitive indications. This regulatory approval was based on clinical trial data generated within the Soviet/Russian clinical research system, providing human pharmacokinetic characterization and efficacy context that most nootropic peptides lack. The BDNF upregulation mechanism has drawn increasing Western academic interest: BDNF is recognized as one of the most important regulators of synaptic plasticity, learning, memory, and neuronal health across aging and neurological disease. Compounds that reliably upregulate BDNF in the central nervous system via a non-exercise, non-antidepressant mechanism are relevant to a broad range of neuroscience research programs.
Research audience
Semax is used by researchers studying BDNF pharmacology, neuroprotection, ischemia-reperfusion injury, hippocampal neuroplasticity, cognitive function mechanisms, and the neurotrophic factor axis in aging and neurological disease models.
Research context
Semax was developed as part of the Soviet/Russian effort to derive pharmacologically active compounds from endogenous neuropeptides without their full hormonal activity. The ACTH(4-7) core sequence had been characterized as providing cognitive effects independent of ACTH's adrenocortical function, and synthetic analogs were developed to isolate these neurological effects. Semax's Pro-Gly-Pro extension was found to improve stability and CNS bioavailability relative to the shorter ACTH fragment analogs. The clinical Russian research established Semax's utility in post-stroke recovery and cognitive disorder contexts, driving regulatory approval. Western academic interest has grown as the BDNF hypothesis in neuroplasticity and cognitive function has become central to neuroscience research — BDNF deficiency is implicated in major depression, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's, and chronic stress-induced cognitive decline. Recent Western research publications on Semax have examined its effects in animal models of anxiety, PTSD, chronic stress, and cognitive aging — extending the research applications beyond the original stroke/ischemia context. These studies leverage Semax's BDNF-upregulating mechanism as a pharmacological tool for interrogating the neurotrophic factor axis in various neurological and psychiatric disease models.
Common questions
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Research Use Only
Sold for laboratory and research purposes only. Not approved for, nor intended for, human or veterinary consumption, diagnostic use, or therapeutic application. These products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Keep out of reach of children. For use by qualified researchers only.
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