Semax

Semax peptide is made from a short chain of seven amino acids. A peptide chain that is this short is called a heptapeptide.

Semax was developed in 1991 at Moscow State University in Russia from a fraction of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACHT is produced by your pituitary gland in response to stress and stressful events.

But Semax does not directly affect cortisol or norepinephrine, which are normally released under the influence of ACTH.[i]

Instead, Semax appears to provide its benefit mainly in your brain.

Semax is a prescription drug in Russia and is on the country’s list of essential medications. Semax in the USA and other Western countries is not recognized as a drug or nootropic supplement.

Human clinical research shows that Semax improves attention and memory. Brain scans show that Semax can change how different brain regions communicate.[ii]

Animal research also shows that Semax can boost Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), neuroplasticity, dopamine, and serotonin, and help protect neurons during stress or during loss of blood flow to the brain.[iii]

Semax is most commonly used as a nasal spray.

Russian researchers did most of the human research for Semax; many of the studies are small and also in Russian.

As a nootropic, Semax has been studied in healthy people as well as people recovering from ischemic stroke.[iv]

Semax Peptide at a Glance

Semax peptide is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide studied for its nootropic and neuroprotective effects.

Some of the Semax benefits studied include improved focus, attention, memory, and learning, as well as BDNF, neuroplasticity, and neuroprotection.

Semax is used intranasally in research and as a nootropic nasal spray.

Semax is best known for supporting cognitive function without acting like a traditional stimulant.

Clinical studies have investigated Semax for its effects on memory, attention, brain electrical activity, brain connectivity, recovery from ischemic stroke, and optic nerve damage.

What does Semax do?

Nootropic users say that Semax helps improve focus, boost learning & memory, increase mental clarity, and support overall brain health.

Researchers have also studied Semax for use after brain injury or loss of brain blood flow.

Semax may help:

• Improve attention & memory: A clinical study of healthy men found that Semax improved attention and memory under extreme conditions. Details are explained later in this review.
• Support BDNF & neuroplasticity: Semax can increase BDNF activity and levels in the hippocampus, which is critical for learning and memory.
• Default Mode Network: Brain scans in healthy people show that Semax improved communication between the Default Mode Network and executive function.[v]

These Semax benefits are the primary reason why this peptide is gaining popularity among nootropic users. I’ll explain each of these benefits in this review and include links to the clinical studies if you’d like to do more of your own research on this peptide. As well as some online stores where you can buy peptides if you’d like to try Semax for yourself.

What is Semax?

Semax (ACTH(4-7)-Pro-Gly-Pro) is a synthetic peptide with the amino acid chain: Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro.

Russian researchers started experimenting with a four-amino-acid fraction of Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). They then added Pro-Gly-Pro to the end of this amino acid chain.

This addition to the chain helps make Semax more resistant to enzymatic breakdown.

Semax does not appear to have the hormonal activity of full ACTH.

Instead, clinical research shows that this compound affects nerve growth factor (NGF), Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), serotonin, dopamine, gene activity, and communication between your prefrontal cortex and executive function.[vi]

Most human research on Semax has used intranasal administration. That means the peptide is placed or sprayed into your nose.

What is Semax Used For?

Semax is best known for its support of cognition and brain protection.

For experienced Neurohackers, the most interesting nootropic applications are Semax for focus, Semax for memory, Semax for learning, and Semax for brain health.

Semax for Focus and Attention

A human clinical study published in 1997 in the Journal of Higher Nervous Activity, named after Dr. I.P. Pavlov, found that Semax improved attention in healthy men working under demanding conditions.[vii]

The difference here is that healthy people were used in this study instead of patients suffering from a brain injury.

Semax does not work like caffeine or prescription stimulants.

Its effects involve brain cell signaling, nerve growth factors, and neurotransmitter systems.

Semax for Learning and Memory

The same human clinical study also found that Semax improved memory.

Clinical studies with animals show that Semax increases Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) levels, TrkB tyrosine phosphorylation levels, and exon III BDNF and TrkB mRNA levels in your hippocampus.

Together, these help with neuron repair, neuroplasticity, and cell survival in your hippocampus.[viii]

Those stronger connections are part of how you create and encode memory.[ix]

Semax for Mental Clarity and Brain Fog

Neurohackers often describe Semax as helping to make their thinking feel clearer.

Many report better focus, less mental fog, improved mental energy, and easier concentration.

Human and animal clinical trials in Russia, which I mentioned and linked to earlier and later in this article, all support reports that Semax improves attention, alters brain waves, and changes brain connectivity.

Semax for Neuroprotection & Stroke Recovery

Semax has been studied more for neuroprotection than for almost any other nootropic use.

Neuroprotection means helping protect your brain and brain cells from damage.

A large part of the Russia-based human clinical research involves better ways to manage the aftermath of ischemic stroke.

An ischemic stroke happens when a clot or fatty acid buildup blocks a blood vessel that supplies blood to part of your brain. Neurons and brain cells are starved of oxygen and glucose needed for their function and survival.

If blood flow is not quickly restored, neurons can be damaged and die.

A 1997 Russian clinical study published in the S.S. Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry tested Semax in 30 patients during the acute stage of hemispheric ischemic stroke.

The control group of 80 stroke patients received only conventional stroke recovery therapy.

Researchers reported better neurological recovery in patients treated with Semax and conventional therapy compared with conventional stroke treatment alone.

The effective daily doses of Semax were 12 mg for patients with moderate severity and 18 mg for patients with severe strokes. The treatment lasted for 5 and 10 days.[x]

A 2018 clinical study published in the same journal demonstrated that Semax, when used during early stroke rehabilitation, increased BDNF levels and was associated with faster functional recovery and improved motor performance.[xi]

How does Semax work in the Brain?

Russian researchers have studied how Semax helps brain health and function in several ways. Four in particular stand out.

1. Semax boosts Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). One of the primary benefits of Semax is its influence on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF).

BDNF is a protein naturally produced in your brain, used for neuron repair and maintenance, to grow new neurons, and to strengthen brain cell signaling.

These connections between neurons are needed for learning, memory, and neuroplasticity. This is your brain’s ability to change and adapt.

A 2006 study conducted at the Russian Academy of Sciences in rats showed a 1.4-fold increase in BDNF levels in the rats’ hippocampus after Semax supplementation.

Semax also increased TrkB receptor activity. When BDNF binds to the TrkB receptor, it promotes neuronal survival and growth and strengthens synaptic connections, enhancing learning and memory.[xii]

Another animal study published in the Journal of Neurochemistry in 2006 found that intranasal Semax increased BDNF in the basal forebrain. Neurons in this brain region use acetylcholine, which is likely why Semax has been reported to improve memory.[xiii]

2. Semax Increases Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). NGF is another protein naturally produced in your brain that helps neurons grow and survive.

An animal study published in Molecular Genetics, Microbiology and Virology in 2008 showed that Semax altered the activity of genes that regulate both BDNF and NGF in the hippocampus, frontal cortex, and other brain regions involved in learning and memory.[xiv]

3. Semax and the Default Mode Network. Semax changes how different regions of your brain communicate.

A study was conducted at the Research Center of Mental Health in Moscow in 2018 with 24 healthy volunteers.

Researchers used functional MRI (fMRI) to scan study participants’ brains to determine which brain areas were active and how they worked together.

In this study, 14 volunteers received intranasal 1% Semax, and 10 received placebo. Researchers scanned their brains before treatment and again 5 and 20 minutes after using Semax.

Researchers found increased activity in the Default Mode Network after Semax.[xv]

The Default Mode Network is a linked system of brain regions that becomes active when you are not focused on the outside world.

This network turns on during wakeful rest, when you are daydreaming, remembering your past, planning your future, or thinking about how others feel.

Another 2020 study at the same Mental Health Research Center worked with 52 healthy volunteers and used what researchers called a connectomic approach. The study was designed to assess the anxiolytic effect of Semax on the brain.

The researchers mapped how different areas of the volunteers’ brains communicated with each other. And found that Semax changed whole-brain functional connectivity, including communication between the amygdala and the right temporal cortex.[xvi]

4. Semax for Neuroprotection. Semax appears to affect genes involved in inflammation, brain blood flow, cellular survival, and brain repair.

In 2014, animal research at the Russian Academy of Sciences used a model of cerebral ischemia and found that Semax enhanced gene expression in the immune system and increased cerebral blood flow following stroke-induced loss of blood flow to the brain.

The researchers speculated that this was how Semax provided the neuroprotective effects revealed in other studies of this peptide.[xvii]

Another study at the same academy in 2020 found hundreds of changes in gene activity in rats after they were given Semax and following temporary blockage of a major brain artery.[xviii]

These studies help explain why Semax has been used successfully for decades in Russia for treating stroke patients and traumatic brain injury.

How things go bad

Your brain needs a steady supply of oxygen, glucose, nerve growth factors, and healthy blood flow.

Your neurons also need to communicate with other neurons quickly and effectively. And several things can interfere with this process.

↓ BDNF & NGF decline

↓ Neuroplasticity & neuron repair slow down

↑ Brain inflammation increases

↓ Communication between brain regions becomes less efficient

↓ Memory and learning suffer

↓ Focus becomes harder to maintain

These changes happen as you get older, experience chronic stress, poor sleep, illness, inflammation, or traumatic brain injury.

Semax appears to affect all of these systems. It boosts BDNF and NGF and improves communication between brain networks.

And during periods of severe stress, research shows that Semax alters biological pathways involved in inflammation, blood vessel health, brain blood flow, and neuron survival.

Semax benefits

The main benefits of the Semax peptide include cognitive enhancement and brain protection.

Neurohackers report that Semax improves focus.  It even boosts attention in intense work conditions and during extreme sports.

Semax users say that this peptide improves memory, likely because Semax boosts BDNF and Nerve Growth Factor levels and activity.

Students also report and recommend Semax for improved learning during study and exam periods.

How does Semax feel?

Once I was blind, and now I see.

Semax should not feel like taking a stimulant. You will not get the same effects you would get from supplementing caffeine, nicotine, or an amphetamine.

One Reddit user reported, “The mental clarity is crazy. Everything is very clear; you notice everything. Colors are more vivid. I listened to some music in the car, and every song sounded incredible. Absolutely no brain fog… dang, wish I had this in college.”

You should be better at high-level mental tasks at work or school, your recall and articulation may improve, and you should be able to outperform anyone else in the room.

Semax users report a better mood and an effect akin to an antidepressant.

You should be able to focus better on a single task and procrastinate less.

Verbal fluidity should improve when using Semax. And the quality of the information you share should give you an edge.

But Semax is not a magic bullet, and you still have to study and put in the work. On the other hand, learning should be faster, and your information processing should be enhanced.

For some people, the effect works fairly quickly. Others describe Semax as subtle. Instead of feeling stimulated, you may notice that it is easier to stay on task.

You may work longer without feeling mentally tired. And you may notice that recalling information feels easier.

But not everyone responds the same way. Some people report very noticeable effects, while others barely notice anything.

Experienced Neurohackers report that the benefits of Semax increase the longer you use it. They call it a “reverse tolerance,” where after continuous use you need a smaller dose to get the same effect.

Honestly, the only way to find out how Semax feels is to try it for yourself and see how you feel. Because everyone is different, we often react differently to the same nootropic compound.

Just make sure you follow dosage recommendations and read the Side Effects section of this review before using this nootropic.

Semax Clinical Research

Semax clinical studies include research in healthy adults, brain imaging studies, EEG studies, patients with ischemic stroke, and people with optic nerve disease.

Semax improves memory and attention in healthy people.

A 1997 study that I mentioned earlier, published in the Journal of Higher Nervous Activity, named after Dr. I.P. Pavlov, showed that Semax significantly improved memory and attention in healthy men working under extreme conditions.

This is one of the few studies done with healthy people. Most of the other studies were for treating various brain disorders or were conducted in animals.

Semax changes human brain waves

Researchers have also measured the effect of Semax using an electroencephalogram, or EEG.

An EEG measures the electrical activity produced by your brain.

The study published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine found significant changes in human brain electrical activity after Semax use.[xix]

Semax changes the brain’s default mode network

A later fMRI study conducted at the Research Center of Mental Health in Moscow, Russia, worked with 24 healthy volunteers.

14 received intranasal 1% Semax, and 10 received placebo. Researchers scanned the participants before treatment and then 5 and 20 minutes later.

Semax changed activity in the default mode network. This network is involved in memory, planning, thinking, and information processing.[xx]

Semax changes communication throughout the right and left hemispheres of your brain. Another human study done in the Mental Health Research Center in Moscow included 52 healthy participants.

Researchers mapped communication between different regions of the brain while people were at rest. They found that Semax changed whole-brain functional connectivity.[xxi]

That translates to how Semax may support working memory, planning, attention, and decision-making.

Semax may support recovery after ischemic stroke

A 1997 study published in the S.S. Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry showed Semax reduced proinflammatory levels of interleukin-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-8, and C-reactive protein when used immediately after ischemic stroke.[xxii]

Another study in Moscow in 2018 reported that early rehabilitation after a stroke and the use of Semax, a peptide, increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, improved motor performance, and accelerated functional recovery.[xxiii]

Semax Recommended Dosage

Semax seems to be well tolerated by most people and safe to use if you follow dosage recommendations.

For nootropic use, use the recommended adult dosage:

Semax nasal spray – up to 750 – 1,000 mcg per day.

Semax subcutaneous injection – 100 – 300 mcg per day

For stroke recovery, Semax dosage is 300 – 600 mcg per day.

Semax is typically used for 3-6 weeks, followed by a 3-6-week break.

Semax is a stimulant and mood enhancer. It increases serotonin and dopamine in the brain and potentiates the effects of stimulants.

It also normalizes stress hormones, so it balances itself out.  Semax is very soluble in water, so you inject it subcutaneously rather than intramuscularly. An insulin needle works well for injecting this peptide.

Many Neurohackers use Semax intranasally in either nostril. A mcg is one-thousandth of a mg. So, a .1% spray bottle contains 50 mcg per drop. Dosage is usually 2-3 drops. That is a 100 – 150 mcg dose.

But Semax products vary in concentration; focus on the amount delivered per spray rather than the total amount in the bottle.

For example, Peptidology Lyophilized Semax contains 10 mg of Semax in a 3 mL vial and must be reconstituted.

Lyophilized means it is a freeze-dried powder and must be reconstituted before you can calculate the concentration.

Once Semax is reconstituted, refrigerate it, and it will keep for a month or two. Like any peptide, it is sensitive to light, so keep it in a cool, dark place, in a covered container, in your fridge.

How to Reconstitute Semax

Many Semax peptide products are sold as lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder. Removing the water helps keep the peptide stable during storage.

To prepare a lyophilized peptide, bacteriostatic water is added back to the vial. This is called reconstitution.

The amount of bacteriostatic water added determines the final peptide concentration.

For example, the same 30 mg vial will be more concentrated if you add less bacteriostatic water and less concentrated if you add more water.

Follow the instructions supplied with the specific peptide product you are using. I recommend following the seller’s instructions.

And keep everything clean when working with the vial and liquid. I will cover peptide reconstitution, concentration math, storage, and peptide handling in a separate Nootropics Expert guide.

Semax Side Effects

Semax is well tolerated and safe for most people, as supported by published human studies.

Reported Semax side effects and user experiences include headache, nasal irritation, mild agitation, irritability, and trouble sleeping if used later in the day.

Like all nootropic supplements, more is never better. Your mileage may vary, and you’ll need to find out how you respond to various recommended dosages.

Where to buy Semax

Semax peptide quality is critical. You want to know that the peptide in the vial is actually Semax and that the amount and purity match what the seller claims.

Always check for independent 3^rd party testing and a Certificate of Analysis (CoA). If the supplier can’t provide a CoA, find another supplier.

I currently recommend two sources for Semax, and full disclosure, I am an affiliate for each of the companies I recommend on this page.

Insulin syringes and refillable nasal sprayers are available on Amazon.

Peptidology Semax

Peptidology is located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and has been in business since 2024. Peptidology has a robust independent testing program and shipping protocol.

The company uses two different 3^rd party labs, Vanguard Laboratory (Olympia, WA) and Eagle Analytical Services (Houston, TX), for testing, which follow their 14-step protocol.

They test up to 23 vials per batch for purity, net peptide content, impurities, identity, endotoxins, sterility, residual solvents, container-closure integrity, solubility analysis, and residual TFA using Ion Chromatography.

Their testing complies with ISO/IEC 17025:2017, and a Certificate of Analysis is available on their website. Look for it when you order.

Their peptides are manufactured in GMP-aligned facilities in the USA and Taiwan.

Each product vial also carries a unique, batch-coded QR code that links to that lot’s Certificate of Analysis.

When you order, Peptidology accepts credit cards, Zelle, wire transfers, ACH transfers, and HSA/FSA for payment. Customer service is available 9 AM – 12 midnight PST, Monday to Saturday.

Peptidology offers standard Semax along with several related peptide options.

Use Discount Code for 10% off when you order: nootropics10

Peptidology Semax – 10 mg vial.

Peptidology N-Acetyl Semax – 9.5 mg vial.

Peptidology Semax + Selank Blend – 10.83 mg/10 mg or 27 mg/27 mg vial.

Peptidology Bacteriostatic Water – o.9% Benzyl Alcohol – 10 mL

Peptidology Reconstitution Solution (no alcohol) – 20 mL

Peptidology also offers N-Acetyl Semax. Adding an acetyl group to Semax seems to improve this peptide’s bioavailability and the rate at which your body and brain use it.

Remember that most of the human clinical studies I referenced in this review used the standard Semax formulation. So do not assume that every result from standard Semax applies equally to N-Acetyl Semax.

Peptidology also sells a Semax + Selank combination. Combining the two may be a good option for you if you are looking for the cognitive benefits of Semax along with the anti-anxiety effects of Selank.

I will do an extensive review of Selank in another article on Nootropics Expert.

SwissChems Semax

SwissChems has supplied one of the largest research compound catalogs available anywhere for the past 8 years. The company is based in New York and has been in business since 2018.

SwissChems says their “mission is to provide research-grade compounds with complete transparency.” They use 3^rd party independent labs for every peptide batch and publish a Certificate of Analysis on their website. Each batch is verified to a purity standard of 99% or higher.

For payment, SwissChems accepts credit cards, bank transfers, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and several other cryptocurrencies. Customer service is available 24/7 by phone and email if you need help or have questions.

SwissChems sells 30 mg of standard Semax in a lyophilized vial. They also offer a Semax + Selank bundle.

SwissChems Semax is 3^rd-party HPLC tested, and a CoA is available for each batch on their website.

HPLC is a laboratory technique used to separate and quantify compounds in a sample. It helps confirm peptide purity.

I have been referring SwissChems products to our community for over a year, and so far, I have received no complaints.

Use this discount code for 10% off when you check out: David

SwissChems Semax – 5 mL vial

SwissChems Selank + Semax Brain Research Bundle – two 5 mL vials

RCDbio Semax

RCDbio appears to be located in Wyoming, and I cannot find anywhere how long they have been in business.

The company claims to have 3^rd party testing for each peptide batch, and the Certificate of Analysis is supposed to be included with your peptide shipment.  They do not publish the CoA on their website.

RCDbio offers both lyophilized Semax and a ready-made Semax nasal spray.

The nasal spray is a convenient option because it does not require reconstitution.

For payment, RCDbio accepts Cryptocurrency, Venmo, credit cards, and PayPal.

Use discount code: nootropics for 10% off your order at checkout.

RCDbio Semax – 5 mg/ 10 mg or 30 mg vial

RCDbio Semax Nasal Spray – 10 mL/30 mg total – 300 mcg per spray

Semax vs. Selank: What’s the Difference?

Semax and Selank are both synthetic peptides used to boost or repair brain function. But they are usually used for different goals.

Semax is best known for improving focus, attention, learning, and memory, as well as mental clarity, neuroplasticity, and neuroprotection.

Selank is known for reducing anxiety and stress, improving focus, and improving mood.

Some Neurohackers combine Semax and Selank because they want the cognitive benefits of Semax with the calming effects of Selank.

But they are different peptides and are not interchangeable.