Synthetic heptapeptide
Semax
A synthetic research peptide with limited human evidence and no authorized human drug identified in Canada or the United States.
Why it is discussed
Neurologic, cognitive, and performance claims
Semax is discussed for cognitive, neurologic, mood, and performance claims. A PubMed-indexed study of 110 people undergoing rehabilitation after ischemic stroke included Semax-treated and untreated subgroups, a narrow setting that does not establish broad clinical benefit, product equivalence, a standardized regimen, or long-term safety.
What it is
A modified peptide derived from an ACTH fragment.
Semax is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide, commonly written as Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. Its design combines an ACTH fragment with a Pro-Gly-Pro extension. ACTH is a pituitary hormone, but Semax is not full-length ACTH; properties of the complete hormone should not be assigned to this smaller analog.
How it works
Experimental effects on neurotrophic signaling.
In rats, researchers measured changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, and its receptor TrkB after Semax exposure. BDNF participates in neuronal maintenance and plasticity, the capacity of neural connections to change. Another study found that neurotrophin responses varied with the brain region and time measured.
These observations suggest pathways worth investigating; they do not establish that increasing a marker improves cognition or repairs brain injury in people. A biomarker response and a meaningful clinical outcome are different findings.
The cited experiments do not establish a complete human mechanism, reliable cognitive enhancement, or equivalence between studied material and a nasal or injectable product sold online.
Scientific / evidence sources
Evidence at a glance
What is established—and what is not.
Limited, setting-specific human clinical evidence
One PubMed-indexed clinical study of ischemic-stroke rehabilitation compared Semax-treated and untreated subgroups and reported BDNF, motor-performance, and Barthel-index outcomes.
Broad marketed claims, equivalence of online products to studied preparations, a generally accepted clinical regimen, and long-term safety remain unestablished.
Regulatory status
Canada and the United States are checked separately.
No Health Canada-authorized human drug was identified in the current Drug Product Database review.
No FDA-approved product was identified. FDA describes aggregation, peptide-impurity, and immunogenicity concerns and says safety information is absent or limited for proposed routes.
Regulatory status describes product authorization and relevant regulatory context. It is not a complete legal opinion about possession, importation, prescribing, sale, or professional practice.
If you are reviewing a product report
The molecule profile and the testing report answer different questions.
This page summarizes evidence and regulatory context. A laboratory report may address identity, purity, or quantity for one submitted sample; it does not transfer clinical evidence or product authorization.