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Semax
Pick your pack · how long it lasts
At 2.10 mg/wk — select pack size
1 × 10-vial pack required for packing — samples add on to any pack
Lab-direct quality — full packs or single-vial samples
Every batch ships straight from the lab that synthesises it — sealed, tamper-evident, and HPLC-verified to >99% purity with a batch-linked Certificate of Analysis. View the batch Certificate of Analysis → Buying direct means you pay the lab-direct rate on every vial, with nothing stacked on top.
Order a full sealed 10-vial research pack for a complete study supply, or add a single-vial sample alongside your pack to trial a new compound first. Same lab, same batch, same verified purity — scaled to whatever your research needs.
What It's Researched For
In plain terms, Semax is studied as a brain peptide for focus, memory and brain protection. Here is what that looks like across the research.
Focus & memory
Research explores sharper attention and working memory, and in Russia it has clinical use for cognitive problems.
Neuroprotection & recovery
In clinical research it is investigated for protecting and helping the brain recover after a stroke or head injury.
Mood & motivation
Studied for lifting mood and drive through its effect on the brain's feel-good chemical messengers.
Direct-to-brain nasal route
Research uses a nasal-drop format so the peptide reaches the brain quickly, with effects lasting much of the day.
Overview
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.
Semax was developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences as a cognitive and neuroprotective peptide based on a fragment of ACTH. The core sequence is residues 4-10 of ACTH with a C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension that protects the peptide from enzymatic degradation - without that extension, the fragment would be destroyed within seconds.
What makes Semax unusual is the disconnect between its plasma half-life (3-5 minutes) and its functional effect (20-24 hours after a single intranasal dose). The trick is that Semax does not need to stay in circulation to keep working - it rapidly raises BDNF and TrkB expression in the hippocampus, and that neurotrophic boost persists long after the peptide itself has been cleared.
Semax is approved in Russia for acute stroke, TBI, and cognitive disorders, and is widely used in the nootropic research community. Supplied here as sterile lyophilised powder for in-vitro and preclinical research.
Mechanism of Action
Semax rapidly upregulates BDNF and TrkB in the hippocampus, tunes serotonin and dopamine neurotransmission, and activates enkephalin-dependent signalling - all from a brief plasma exposure.
Eremin et al. (Neurochemical Research, 2005) characterised the serotonergic and dopaminergic effects of Semax in detail, showing striatal 5-HIAA elevation to 180% within 1-4 hours. Intranasal administration delivers approximately 0.093% of the total dose to rat brain within 2 minutes, with 80% of that remaining intact peptide. Plasma half-life is very short (3-5 min), but the downstream BDNF/TrkB upregulation extends the functional effect window to 20-24 hours. Pro-Gly-Pro is the primary metabolite and has its own independent neurotrophic and immune-modulating activity.
Common Questions People Are Asking
What is Semax and how does it work?
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.
What does the Semax research actually show?
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.
What is the half-life of Semax and how long does it last?
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.
Is Semax legal, and is it FDA-approved?
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.
Why is intranasal used instead of injection in Semax research?
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.
Does Semax have ACTH-like effects on cortisol?
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.
How is Semax different from Selank, and from Noopept?
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.
How should Semax be stored?
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.
Where can I buy Semax?
Right here — Semax is supplied directly by New-U Research Compounds on this page. Every batch is independently third-party tested to >99% HPLC purity with a batch-linked Certificate of Analysis, supplied as lyophilised research-grade material, and shipped direct from source worldwide in discreet, tracked packaging. Strictly for laboratory research use only — not for human use.
How much does Semax cost?
Semax pricing is shown live on this page, per pack size — 10-vial research packs as standard, with single-vial sample options on selected compounds. Larger vial strengths lower the per-mg cost, every order includes the batch Certificate of Analysis, and shipping is free on orders over $300.
Is Semax third-party tested?
Yes. Every Semax batch is verified by independent laboratories (Janoshik Analytics and Freedom Diagnostics) for identity and purity, with a batch-linked Certificate of Analysis confirming >99% purity by HPLC. Every order ships with its COA, and current batch certificates are published on our COA page.
How do I buy Semax?
Add the Semax pack size you need to your cart and check out: enter your shipping details, then choose your payment method — cryptocurrency or card — on the next step. Every order ships with its batch Certificate of Analysis (COA). Semax is supplied strictly for laboratory research use only, not for human or veterinary use.
What payment methods can I use to buy Semax?
At checkout you can pay by cryptocurrency (BTC, ETH, SOL, LTC, USDC, USDT and more) or by card, each handled by a dedicated secure payment provider. You choose your method after confirming your order.
How fast is shipping, and do you ship worldwide?
Yes — we ship worldwide in discreet, unmarked, temperature-stable, tracked packaging. Delivery typically takes 6–14 business days, and shipping is free on orders over $300.
Pharmacokinetics
Evidence Tier
Overall: Mixed (human + animal)
The mechanistic evidence is robust rodent work, while the positive cognition and stroke-recovery data come largely from Russian clinical and animal studies. Semax is an approved medicine in Russia but is NOT FDA-approved; the research-grade material supplied here is unapproved laboratory material in the US.
Tier 1 · Human clinical
Tier 2 · Animal
Source References & Further Reading
Last reviewed: 16 June 2026 · New-U Research Compounds
Key Characteristics
Specifications
About Semax: ACTH(4-10) Nootropic Peptide, BDNF & TrkB Research Guide
Semax is the flagship of the Russian nootropic peptide research programme, an ACTH(4-10) analogue developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The core insight was that ACTH residues 4-10 carry neurotropic activity independent of any adrenal/cortisol stimulation, and that adding a C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro tail gives the fragment the metabolic stability it needs to survive long enough to reach brain targets - the same stabilising trick used in its sibling peptide Selank.
The most studied feature of Semax pharmacology is the gap between its very short plasma half-life and its much longer functional effect. The mechanism explains it: in rats a single application of Semax produced an increase in hippocampal BDNF protein and elevated TrkB receptor phosphorylation (Dolotov et al., Brain Research, 2006), and that neurotrophic signal persists after the peptide itself has cleared. Semax also activates serotonergic and dopaminergic systems - striatal extracellular 5-HIAA rose to roughly 180% over a 1-4 hour window in rodents (Eremin et al., Neurochemical Research, 2005) - which is part of the focus-and-mood profile reported in the literature.
New-U Research Compounds supplies Semax as a research-grade lyophilised powder at >99% HPLC purity, verified by independent third-party labs. All material is strictly for in-vitro and laboratory research use. Semax is not FDA-approved and is not approved for human therapeutic use outside specific clinical indications in Russia and some neighbouring countries; nothing on this page constitutes medical advice or a dose recommendation.
Customer Reviews
Lab report was clear
The Semax lab report was easy enough to check before checkout. Batch reference on the vial matched up and the documentation looked organised.
— Anton W**** · 30 June 2026
Well packed vial
The Semax arrived in secure packaging with no damage to the seal or label. Nothing loose in the parcel and the vial was protected properly.
— Caleb S**** · 30 June 2026
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