Semax
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide derived from ACTH(4-10), studied extensively in neuroprotective and cognitive research models.
Part of KYIN Peptides' standard catalogue — see the product page for pricing.
What Is Semax?
Semax was created in 1982 by Nikolai Myasoedov and Igor Ashmarin, working at the same Moscow-based Institute of Molecular Genetics that later produced Selank. Their starting point was ACTH(4-7) — a four-amino-acid fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone that earlier research had already shown carried nootropic, neurotrophic effects entirely independent of ACTH's hormonal role in stimulating cortisol production. The problem was the same one facing tuftsin: ACTH(4-7) degraded far too quickly in the body to be practically useful. Myasoedov and Ashmarin's solution reused the approach later applied to Selank: they fused the stabilizing tripeptide Pro-Gly-Pro onto the ACTH(4-7) fragment, producing the heptapeptide Semax. The Pro-Gly-Pro addition both extended the molecule's biological half-life and contributed independent anti-inflammatory activity of its own. See its full discovery history.
Research Focus
Semax's research use follows directly from the neurotrophic activity that first justified stabilizing the ACTH(4-7) fragment in the first place. It sits in KYIN's Cognitive & Nootropic category alongside Selank and Pinealon. See our Cognitive & Nootropic research overview, or the full Semax vs Selank comparison.
- Neuroprotective mechanism research
- Cognitive performance studies
- BDNF expression research
Clinical & Preclinical Trial Data
A published human trial (Gusev et al., 2018; 110 ischemic stroke patients at different rehabilitation stages) found that a course of Semax (6000mcg/day for 10 days, repeated after a 20-day interval) increased plasma BDNF, accelerated functional recovery, and improved motor performance regardless of when treatment began during rehabilitation. Semax has been a registered pharmaceutical in Russia since 1994 for ischemic stroke and cognitive impairment. This human trial data comes from Russian-language clinical literature and has not been replicated in a Western trial or independently reviewed in a Cochrane-style systematic review — real published human evidence, but outside the FDA trial pathway that governs drug approval in the United States.
In July 2026, an FDA advisory committee recommended Semax for the 503A compounding bulks list — a non-binding vote, not FDA drug approval. Read what it actually means →
Availability
Semax is part of KYIN Peptides' standard catalogue — see the product page for pricing, or contact us to order.
Semax questions
What is Semax?
Semax was created in 1982 by Nikolai Myasoedov and Igor Ashmarin at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow, by stabilizing ACTH(4-7) — a nootropic fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone — with a proline-glycine-proline tripeptide. It is studied extensively in neuroprotective and cognitive research models.
Has Semax been tested in human trials?
Yes. A published human trial (Gusev et al., 2018; 110 ischemic stroke patients at different rehabilitation stages) found that a course of Semax increased plasma BDNF, accelerated functional recovery, and improved motor performance. Semax has been a registered pharmaceutical in Russia since 1994 for ischemic stroke and cognitive impairment.
Does KYIN Peptides sell Semax?
Yes — Semax is part of our standard catalogue. See the product page for pricing.
Interested in Semax?
See pricing and order on the product page, or browse our other cognitive & nootropic peptides.