Cognitive · Dosing reference

Semax dosage

What the human evidence does and does not show, how long studies ran, and the arithmetic for working with vials.

Approved outside the USBLimited human dataNone established

Full research page Cycle-length evidence Compare Prefer Amiravo on Google

Regulatory status: Approved outside the US
Human amounts: None established in humans
Route studied: —
Frequency: Not established
Half-life: Not established
Evidence grade: Grade B · Limited human data
Vial sizes on the market: 5 mg · 10 mg · 20 mg · 30 mg
Other forms seen: NA-Semax amidate liquid spray 10 mL (10 mg) · Nasal spray 0.1% (1 mg/mL)

What Semax is

Semax is a synthetic ACTH-fragment analogue developed in Russia and studied in rodent and cell models of neuroprotection and in small Russian clinical studies of stroke. It is reported to be registered as a drug in Russia but is not FDA-approved.

The mechanism of Semax is not settled; several laboratory observations have been reported. Neurotrophin signaling (rats) Semax was reported to bind specifically, reversibly and calcium-dependently to rat basal-forebrain membranes ^1. In the same study, BDNF protein rose rapidly in basal forebrain but not cerebellum after intranasal exposure, and the authors suggested a link between BDNF and cognitive effects… How it works →

Key evidence

Dolotov et al., Journal of Neurochemistry · 2006 · Rats (basal-forebrain membranes and tissue)
Specific, reversible, calcium-dependent binding; BDNF protein increased in basal forebrain but not cerebellum at 3 hours. ¹
Eremin et al., Neurochemical Research · 2005 · Rodents
Higher striatal 5-HIAA; no change in dopamine alone; enhanced amphetamine-evoked dopamine release and locomotion. ²
Gusev et al., Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova · 2018 · Humans (110 post-stroke patients)
Plasma BDNF was higher and Barthel index improvement was reported as faster in Semax subgroups. ³

All studies on the research page

What the human evidence shows

No approved or established human dose

We searched PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov and found no human studies that administered Semax. The research described on its page is from cells or animals, and animal amounts do not translate to people.

How long did human studies run?

No human study durations are recorded for Semax.

Cycle-length evidence for Semax

Side effects reported in studies

Side effects, unspecified
Described by the authors as a minor percentage; no figures given in the abstract · 187 patients with cerebrovascular insufficiency (Russian-language study) ⁵

Full adverse-event data

Semax draw calculator

Pick the vial strength and the water added, enter an amount, and see the concentration, the units to draw and how many draws the vial holds. Arithmetic only.

1 · Vial strength

sizes on the market

2 · Water added

3 · Amount per draw

4 · Syringe

Your mix

10 mg + 2 mL water = 5 mg/mL

10 units holds 0.5 mg (500 mcg)

Draw toEnter an amount in step 3

U-100 syringe · 100 units = 1 mL

Computed from your inputs. Not a dose or a recommendation.

Compare water volumes for this vialShow

More water = lower concentration = a larger, easier-to-measure draw. Tap a row to use it.

Water	mg/mL	Draw
0.5 mL	20	—
1 mL	10	—
1.5 mL	6.667	—
2 mL	5	—
2.5 mL	4	—
3 mL	3.333	—
5 mL	2	—

Supplies and handling

Lyophilized vial
Sealed vial with the freeze-dried cake. Check the label, lot and the certificate of analysis before opening.
Sterile diluent
The diluent named on the product documentation. Bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol; sterile water does not.
Graduated syringes
Sized to the volume being measured. U-100 insulin syringes are graduated in units where 100 units = 1 mL.
Alcohol prep pads
For wiping vial stoppers before each puncture.
Nitrile gloves
Clean gloves for aseptic handling.
Sharps container
Puncture-resistant container for used needles.

Step-by-step reconstitution guide Storage and transport accessories

Storage

Follow the supplier's documentation for temperature, light and moisture protection of the lyophilized or dissolved material, and avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Methionine-containing peptides can oxidize on prolonged air exposure; stability of solutions is supplier- and lot-specific.

Lyophilized (unmixed) vials: typically stored cold and dry, away from light, as the documentation directs. Many are stable longer frozen.
Reconstituted vials: typically refrigerated (about 2–8 °C), protected from light and not frozen.
Bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol, which inhibits bacterial growth in multi-use vials; sterile water has no preservative.

Handling mistakes and troubleshooting

Added the wrong volume of diluent: The concentration changes, not the amount of compound in the vial. Recalculate with the volume actually added and relabel the vial.
Shook the vial and it foamed: Let it settle in the refrigerator. Foam is a sign of agitation; some peptides aggregate when shaken. Note it on the label.
The solution is cloudy or has particles: Do not use it. Cloudiness can indicate incomplete dissolution, contamination or degradation. Record the lot and contact the supplier with the certificate of analysis.
The powder cake looks melted or shrunken before reconstitution: This can indicate the vial was exposed to heat or moisture. Record the lot and condition on arrival.
Liquid sprayed back when the needle was removed: Pressure built up in the vial. Withdraw a small volume of air while adding diluent to keep pressure neutral.

Regulatory status

Status: Not approved by the FDA; a DailyMed name search for this entry returned no label ^9. A 2022 peer-reviewed review lists Semax (nootropic class) among 14 peptide drugs registered in the Russian Federation and describes its use in ischemic stroke ^7. The Russian State Register entry itself could not be accessed for this entry, so the registered indications and date were not verified against it.
United States (FDA): Semax is not FDA-approved; a DailyMed name search for this entry returned no label ^9. A 2022 peer-reviewed review lists Semax (nootropic class) among 14 peptide drugs registered in the Russian Federation and states it is used to treat ischemic stroke ^7. Status in other jurisdictions was not verified.
Sport (WADA): The WADA 2026 Prohibited List names corticotrophins and their releasing factors in section S2.2.2 ^10. Semax is described in the literature as a non-hormonal ACTH-derived peptide ^12, but the List text reviewed does not name Semax, so athlete status is not determined here and the List should be consulted directly ^10.

Status varies by country and changes over time. How we describe regulatory status.

Semax compared with related compounds

Compound	Status	Evidence	Human amounts	Half-life
Semax	Approved outside the US	B	None established	—
Cerebrolysin	Approved outside the US	A	Ex-US label	Not directly measurable (peptide mixture
Adamax	Not approved — research use only	—	None established	—
Selank	Approved outside the US	B	None established	—
Dihexa	Not approved — research use only	C	None established	—
DSIP	Not approved — research use only	B	None established	—

Combinations that include Semax

Selank + Semax

Frequently asked questions

What doses of Semax have been studied in humans?

None that establish an amount. Semax is not approved anywhere and we found no human studies that administered it. Amiravo does not publish community or vendor figures.

Is there an established Semax cycle length?

No. We found no human studies that report treatment duration for Semax.

How much bacteriostatic water should be added to a Semax vial?

There is no compound-specific volume. The diluent volume only sets the concentration: concentration = mass in the vial ÷ volume added (for example, 10 mg in 2 mL gives 5 mg/mL). The calculator on this page shows the arithmetic for any combination.

How many units is a given amount on an insulin syringe?

On a U-100 syringe, 100 units = 1 mL. Units for an amount = amount ÷ (concentration per unit). The calculator converts any amount you enter at the concentration you choose; a unit is a volume mark, not an amount of compound.

Is Semax FDA-approved?

Approved outside the US. Not approved by the FDA; a DailyMed name search for this entry returned no label ^9. A 2022 peer-reviewed review lists Semax (nootropic class) among 14 peptide drugs registered in the Russian Federation and describes its use in ischemic stroke ^7. The Russian State Register entry itself could not be accessed for this entry, so the registered indications and date were not verified against it.

References

Semax, an analogue of adrenocorticotropin (4-10), binds specifically and increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein in rat basal forebrain J Neurochem. 2006
Semax, an ACTH(4-10) analogue with nootropic properties, activates dopaminergic and serotoninergic brain systems in rodents Neurochem Res. 2005
The efficacy of semax in the treatment of patients at different stages of ischemic stroke (in Russian) Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2018
Effectiveness of semax in acute period of hemispheric ischemic stroke: a clinical and electrophysiological study (in Russian) Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 1997
Semax in prevention of disease progress and development of exacerbations in patients with cerebrovascular insufficiency (in Russian) Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2005
ACTH-like Peptides Compensate Rat Brain Gene Expression Profile Disrupted by Ischemia a Day After Experimental Stroke Biomedicines. 2024
Development of Peptide Biopharmaceuticals in Russia Pharmaceutics. 2022
Brain Protein Expression Profile Confirms the Protective Effect of the ACTH(4-7)PGP Peptide (Semax) in a Rat Model of Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Int J Mol Sci. 2021
DailyMed drug-label search for semax (conducted for this entry) FDA DailyMed. 2026
WADA International Standard: Prohibited List 2026 (S0 and S2.2) WADA Prohibited List. 2026
PubChem CID 9811102 (Semax) PubChem. 2026
Genes That Associated with Action of ACTH-like Peptides with Neuroprotective Potential in Rat Brain Regions with Different Degrees of Ischemic Damage Int J Mol Sci. 2025
ClinicalTrials.gov intervention search for semax (conducted for this entry) ClinicalTrials.gov. 2026

Last reviewed October 22, 2026 by the Amiravo editorial team. Editorial policy · Report an error