> ## Site index
> Full index of Peptides.build at https://peptides.build/llms.txt. Use it to discover every page.

# What Is Semax? Research, Form, Status

Semax explained: the ACTH-fragment peptide from Moscow, what Russian clinical and animal research has studied, how it is prescribed, and its FDA status.

URL: https://peptides.build/learn/what-is-semax/

Guide · Cognitive

# What is Semax?

Published October 12, 2026 · Educational, not medical advice

## Short answer

Semax is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide modeled on a fragment of the hormone ACTH, developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow and registered as a medicine in Russia. Its published research is Russian clinical work, mostly not randomized, plus animal studies of growth-factor signaling. In the US it is available only as a compounded medication prescribed by a licensed provider; compounded medications are not FDA-approved, and Semax is not FDA-approved for any use.

-   [Where does Semax come from?](#origin)
-   [What has Semax been studied for?](#research)
-   [How is Semax prescribed?](#prescribed)
-   [Is Semax FDA-approved or allowed in sport?](#status)
-   [How are Semax doses measured?](#units)
-   [FAQ](#faq)
-   [References](#references)

<table class="ln-facts pb-body"><caption class="pc-sr">Semax quick facts</caption><tbody><tr><th scope="row">Type</th><td>Synthetic heptapeptide (7 amino acids), analog of the ACTH(4-7) fragment</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Origin</th><td>Institute of Molecular Genetics, Moscow; registered as a medicine in Russia</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Also known as</th><td>ACTH(4-7)-PGP, Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Evidence to date</th><td>Russian clinical studies, mostly not randomized, plus animal and cell work; no Western randomized trials</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Form in this catalog</th><td>Subcutaneous injection, paired with Selank, supplied already reconstituted</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Regulatory status</th><td>Compounded medication; not FDA-approved for any use</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Anti-doping</th><td>Not named on the WADA Prohibited List; the S0 non-approved substances category can apply</td></tr></tbody></table>

Evidence snapshot**What kind of research is cited for Semax?**2 cited sources: 1 human clinical trial, 1 animal or lab study. Counts describe study type, not strength of result.

Sources cited for Semax, by study type
| Study type | Sources |
| --- | --- |
| Human clinical trials | 1 |
| Other human studies | 0 |
| Animal and lab studies | 1 |
| Review articles | 0 |

## Where does Semax come from?

Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide, seven amino acids long, with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. The first four residues, Met-Glu-His-Phe, are positions 4 to 7 of adrenocorticotropic hormone, ACTH, the pituitary hormone best known for signaling the adrenal glands. The Pro-Gly-Pro tail is the addition that makes Semax an analog of that fragment rather than the fragment itself, and it is the same tail that appears on Selank.

Semax was developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow, part of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and it is registered as a medicine in Russia, where it is also sold as a nasal spray. That history explains two things about it: most of its clinical literature is in Russian journals, and its regulatory status differs sharply by country. It is a registered medicine in one and a compounded, unapproved peptide in the US.

## What has Semax been studied for?

Semax research falls into two groups: clinical studies published in Russia, most of them not randomized, and animal and cell work on signaling pathways. The clinical study cited here is a 1997 report on Semax in the acute period of ischemic stroke, published in a Russian neurology journal. It was not a randomized trial, so it describes experience in one indication rather than a controlled comparison, and a single non-randomized study does not establish an effect.

Semax animal work describes signaling related to brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF, and nerve growth factor, NGF, two proteins involved in the survival and growth of nerve cells. That is mechanism research: it explains why the peptide interests neuroscientists, not what it will do for a given person. No Western randomized trial of Semax has been published, and nothing in the record supports using it for a diagnosed neurological or psychiatric condition. If a diagnosed condition is the reason you are reading this, that is a conversation for a clinician first.

What the published research covers
| Area | Type of evidence | What the studies describe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Acute ischemic stroke | Clinical study, Russia, 1997, not randomized | Use of Semax in the acute period of stroke; no controlled comparison |
| Neurotrophic signaling | Animal studies | BDNF- and NGF-related signaling in the nervous system |
| Attention-related pathways | Russian clinical reports and animal work | Interest in attention and neuroprotective signaling; no Western randomized trials |
| Humans outside Russia | No randomized trials published | Evidence is mostly Russian-language and uncontrolled |

Prescribed, pre-mixed

## Get Semax / Selank prescribed, pre-mixed

 US-supervised · all 50 states

[Semax / Selank](https://peptides.build/protocols/semax-selank/)Blend: outside the HHS policy

**$183**/mo*$1,099 billed every 6 months*

Pay over time at checkout![Klarna](/media/payments/klarna.png)![Afterpay](/media/payments/afterpay.png)![Affirm](/media/payments/affirm.png)

Prescription required. Your provider decides if it is appropriate. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved.

## How is Semax prescribed?

Semax is prescribed in the US as a compounded medication: a licensed provider writes a prescription for an individual patient after an online intake, and a licensed 503A pharmacy prepares it. Through Peptides.build, Semax is not offered on its own. It is prescribed as the Semax / Selank protocol, a pairing with a second synthetic peptide from the same Moscow institute whose own verified citation is an in vitro gene-expression study related to GABAergic neurotransmission, a different pathway from the growth-factor work behind Semax. Each peptide arrives in its own vial, already reconstituted, with its concentration printed on the pharmacy label.

Semax is prescribed as a subcutaneous injection in this catalog, which is a different route from the nasal spray sold in Russia. The provider decides during intake whether the pairing is appropriate for your history, sets the protocol, and follows it over time. Dosing is never published on this site; it belongs on the prescription and nowhere else.

## Is Semax FDA-approved or allowed in sport?

Semax is not FDA-approved for any use. The compounded form prescribed here is prepared by a licensed 503A pharmacy for one patient, and compounded medications are not FDA-approved. Registration as a medicine in Russia has no bearing on its status in the US.

Semax is not named on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List. That is not the same as being permitted: the list's S0 category covers non-approved substances, which can include a peptide with no approval in the athlete's country, so drug-tested athletes should check with their governing body before using it.

## How are Semax doses measured?

Semax prescriptions are written in micrograms, and the volume drawn depends on the concentration printed on the vial. Because Semax and Selank arrive as separate vials with separate label strengths, the arithmetic is done once per vial, and the most common mistake on this pair is drawing one peptide with the other's units. The free Semax / Selank calculator on this site converts a prescribed dose and a label strength into units on a U-100 insulin syringe; it performs arithmetic only and does not recommend a dose.

Prescription, not research grade

## Prescribed Semax vs research peptides: what is different?

Prescribed Semax is not a research chemical. It is a prescription medication: a licensed US provider reviews your intake first, and a licensed 503A pharmacy compounds it for you by name. Vials sold online as “research use only” skip both steps. What you pay for here is that review, a pharmacy you can name, and a label that says what is in the vial.

A research seller’s certificate of analysis is a document the seller controls: it chooses the lab and the sample, and a PDF can be reused, edited or re-dated. No regulator checks it.

Prescribed Semax compared with research-use-only peptides
| Point | Prescribed through Peptides.build | Research use only |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Access | Online intake reviewed by a licensed US provider; prescribed only when appropriate. | No prescription and no clinical review of whether it suits you. |
| How it's labeled | A prescription medication compounded for you by name. | Commonly sold labeled “research use only, not for human consumption.” |
| Who prepares it | A licensed 503A US compounding pharmacy under state and federal oversight. | Unregulated suppliers, often with no verifiable chain of custody. |
| Testing | Third-party tested. | Certificates of analysis are self-reported when provided at all. |
| Purity and identity | Prepared to a prescription for a specific patient. | Purity, strength, and even identity are unverified by any independent party. |

This compares two care models, not two products. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved, and we do not claim otherwise. What a prescription adds is a licensed provider deciding whether a protocol is appropriate for you and a licensed pharmacy preparing it. [Read the full guide to research vs prescription peptides](https://peptides.build/learn/research-peptides-vs-prescription-peptides/).

Common questions

## Semax FAQ

### Is Semax a nootropic?

Semax is often described that way online, but nootropic is a marketing label, not an evidence grade. The published research is Russian clinical work, mostly not randomized, plus animal signaling studies, and no Western randomized trial has tested it. A provider will frame it as a research peptide, not a proven cognitive enhancer.

### Is Semax approved anywhere?

Semax is registered as a medicine in Russia, where it was developed and where it is sold as a nasal spray. It is not FDA-approved for any use in the US, where it reaches patients only as a compounded medication prescribed by a licensed provider; compounded medications are not FDA-approved.

### Is Semax a hormone?

No. Semax is a synthetic analog of a four-amino-acid fragment of ACTH with an added Pro-Gly-Pro tail. It is a short peptide, not the full hormone, and it is not a steroid.

### Can I get Semax without Selank?

Through Peptides.build, Semax is prescribed only as part of the Semax / Selank protocol, which supplies the two peptides in separate vials. Whether that pairing fits your history is a decision your provider makes during intake.

### Is Semax banned in sport?

Semax is not named on the WADA Prohibited List. The list's S0 category can cover non-approved substances, so drug-tested athletes should check with their governing body rather than assume it is permitted.

### Does Semax need to be mixed before use?

Not through this site. Semax prescribed through Peptides.build ships already reconstituted, with the concentration on the pharmacy label. The calculator exists for reading that label and converting a prescribed dose into syringe units.

Prescribed, not mixed at home

## Semax / Selank through Peptides.build

A licensed US provider reviews a short online intake and decides whether a protocol is appropriate. A US 503A pharmacy prepares it already reconstituted, labels the concentration and ships it cold-chain. Dosing is set by the provider and is not published on this site.

-   [Semax / Selank protocol: pricing, who it is for, FAQ](https://peptides.build/protocols/semax-selank/)
-   [All cognitive protocols compared](https://peptides.build/protocols/cognitive/)
-   [Semax / Selank Calculator: units, reconstitution and dosing chart](https://peptides.build/tools/semax-selank-calculator/)
-   [What is Selank?](https://peptides.build/learn/what-is-selank/)
-   [Semax vs Selank: what is the difference?](https://peptides.build/learn/semax-vs-selank/)
-   [What is DSIP?](https://peptides.build/learn/what-is-dsip/)

Sources

## References

1.  Usage of neurospecific peptide substance Semax in acute period of ischemic insult. *Neurology Bulletin (Nevrologicheskiy Vestnik)*, 1997. [doi:10.17816/nb80150](https://doi.org/10.17816/nb80150)Study type: Clinical study (acute ischemic stroke; not randomized)
2.  Selank administration affects the expression of some genes involved in GABAergic neurotransmission. *Frontiers in Pharmacology*, 2016. [doi:10.3389/fphar.2016.00031](https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2016.00031)Study type: In vitro study (gene expression)

Citations are listed with their study type so the evidence can be weighed. Review articles summarize other studies; animal and in vitro findings do not describe outcomes in people.

This article is educational and is not medical advice. Semax is not FDA-approved for any use, and compounded medications are not FDA-approved. No results are implied or guaranteed. Talk to a licensed provider about your own history before starting any protocol.