What the trials showed
Not graded yet. Sources are listed below.
What the internet says
“Semax boosts brain recovery and cognition.”
The gap
Not measured until the claim is graded.
A verdict describes the research, not what’s right for you.
Semax
Synthetic ACTH(4-7) fragment analog (heptapeptide)
Also known as: ACTH(4-7)-PGP, Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro
Classification
Peptide
Regulatory Status
not-established
Sources
3
Review
reviewed · 2026-10-14
Overview
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide analog related to ACTH(4-10); proposed mechanisms include melanocortin-pathway interaction or enkephalinase effects, but a definitive human pharmacological mechanism is not established by FDA labeling.
Evidence and limitations
What people claim, and what the evidence says
- NOT YET GRADED
“Semax boosts brain recovery and cognition.”
Awaiting the two-reviewer evidence council.
- NOT YET GRADED
“Semax has been shown safe in people.”
Awaiting the two-reviewer evidence council.
Known
- Not FDA-approved; bulk nomination withdrawn.
Unknown
- No FDA-approved US label.
- Controlled human evidence in healthy adults for general nootropic use was not located.
- Stroke meta-analysis authors called for more rigorous multicenter double-blind confirmation.
- Community-reported doses: n/a (no citable source).
Studied uses
- Russian-labeled use in cognitive disorders and acute ischemic stroke contexts; not FDA-approvednot indicatedIn Russia, Semax nasal drops are labeled for certain cognitive/mnestic disorders and as part of complex therapy in acute ischemic stroke. Not FDA-approved in the United States. Educational reference only.
Dangers and side effects
Contraindications
- Per Russian product materials: hypersensitivity; pregnancy/lactation without adequate study; acute psychotic states; seizure history — not an FDA label (high)US products are unapproved research/compounded goods with uncertain identity.
Warnings
- FDA bulk-nomination materials note immunogenicity and characterization concerns for peptide compounding evaluation (review)Russian approval is not FDA approval.
Common: nasal mucosa irritation with prolonged intranasal use (product materials)
- Serious
- US risk profile not established by FDA-approved labeling
Study details: trial conditions, not guidance
These are the conditions researchers used in a controlled trial with medical supervision. They aren't instructions.
Doses found
Doses as found in each source, with its grade. What was found, not a direction.
Studies, trials and professional sources
n/a
Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, forums and blogs
n/a
Claims and grades
- Plausible TheorySemax is indexed (PubChem CID 9811102; CAS 80714-61-0).
- Early EvidenceRussian clinical studies, including a 2018 study in ischemic stroke, report faster functional recovery with semax, but the underlying trials are not modern double-blind international RCTs.
- EstablishedNot FDA-approved; bulk nomination withdrawn.
Contested
- US gray-market nootropic marketing extrapolates stroke and animal data to healthy-adult cognitive enhancement without adequate controlled support.
Sources (3)
- Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (Semax nomination withdrawn) (opens in a new tab) · U.S. Food and Drug Administration · regulator
- ACTH (4-7), Pro-Gly-Pro- (Semax), CID 9811102 (opens in a new tab) · NCBI / PubChem · other
- The efficacy of semax in the treatment of patients at different stages of ischemic stroke (Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2018) (opens in a new tab) · Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova (via PubMed) · paper · 2018-01-01
Pathways
ACTH-fragment peptide signaling (proposed)
Interactions & cautions
Drug interactions
other CNS-active nootropics or stimulants — Confounded cognitive or safety monitoring possible. (review)
These are observational flags for review, not individualized instructions.
Educational reference only — not medical advice.
What people report (anecdote)
CLINICAL DATA (from trials)
Adverse events:
nasal mucosa irritation with prolonged intranasal use (product materials) · US risk profile not established by FDA-approved labeling
Effects measured:
Russian-labeled use in cognitive disorders and acute ischemic stroke contexts; not FDA-approved
ANECDOTE
What people report: anecdote, not evidence
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