Semax — 10mg

Semax (Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro) is a heptapeptide derived from the adrenocorticotropic hormone fragment ACTH(4-10), modified at the C-terminus with a Pro-Gly-Pro sequence that confers resistance to enzymatic degradation. It was developed by the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and has been approved in Russia since the 1990s for stroke treatment and cognitive enhancement — a regulatory history that provides a clinical evidence base unusual among synthetic neuropeptides.

Semax modulates the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems through interactions with melanocortin receptors MC4 and MC5, producing cognitive enhancement effects that have been characterized as improved attention, working memory, and information processing speed. Like Selank, it inhibits enkephalinase, but its primary neurotrophic action is through upregulation of BDNF and NGF in hippocampal and cortical regions — directly supporting synaptic plasticity and neuronal survival. In ischemic stroke models, it reduces infarct volume and promotes recovery of neurological function through both neuroprotective and neuroplasticity mechanisms.

A particularly notable line of research concerns Semax's ability to inhibit amyloid beta aggregation. In vitro studies have shown that the peptide disrupts the nucleation and elongation phases of amyloid fiber assembly, the pathological process central to Alzheimer's disease progression. While this remains an early-stage finding, it has positioned Semax as a subject of growing interest in neurodegenerative disease research alongside its established cognitive enhancement applications.