CMS-121_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as CMS121
A fisetin derivative from Salk, in humans since 2022 with no results published.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is CMS-121?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
It is a lab-built version of a strawberry compound, aimed at brain aging.
CMS-121 is a synthetic derivative of fisetin developed at the Salk Institute, acting on fatty acid synthase and lipid peroxidation rather than on amyloid.
What it's used for
An experimental brain compound sold by research vendors. It is in early human safety testing for Alzheimer's.
How does CMS-121 work?
What it does in the body, and where.Most Alzheimer's drug work has aimed at amyloid. This one deliberately does not.
- 01It started as fisetin, a compound in strawberriesFisetin protected cultured neurons and improved memory in healthy mice, which is where the program began in 2006.
- 02The molecule was redesigned to be more potentCMS-121 outperformed fisetin at slowing the degeneration of aging brain cells in screening.
- 03It works on lipid metabolism and inflammationThe identified target is fatty acid synthase, and the effect is on lipid peroxidation rather than on amyloid plaques.
- 04It reversed memory decline in mice already showing itDosing began at nine months of age, after the animals had started declining, which is a harder test than prevention. Mice are still mice.
A schematic of the compound's mechanism, not a diagnostic image.
What else is it used for?
Each use below carries its own evidence level. Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
- Alzheimer's disease, in phase 1 safety testingInvestigational
- Memory loss and brain agingEarly research
- General neuroprotection and longevityEarly research
The published record
Papers and trials about CMS-121
6 papers tagged human · 4 not reviews or lab · 0 clinical trial publications
1 registered trials · none with posted results
Furthest stage reached: Phase 1, completed, no results posted
Counted from Europe PMC indexing, not read by a person; a human tag can land on reviews, commentary or lab papers; clinical trial publications is the narrower count.
At a glance
Four things to know about CMS-121
Evidence
Investigational
Category
Brain, mood and sleep
Common vial
Varies
Half-life
No published human figure
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.No established human dose, no established schedule. No established schedule No range
Mouse studies dosed daily for months. There is no human schedule to report, and no basis for one.
No published human figureNo figure
Pharmacokinetics in humans would have been measured in the phase 1 trial. Nothing from that trial appears to be published, so no figure is available.
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
What does it cost?
Typical dose and cost, in plain numbers.CMS-121 is not injected
It is taken by mouth (oral). No human dose is established or published. The phase 1 trial was a safety study in healthy volunteers and its dosing has not been reported publicly. Vendor capsules are typically 25 mg, which is a packaging decision rather than a dose.
We track CMS-121 at 2 vendors, and all publish a price.
2 listings, last read Oct 11, 2026. Shipping and card fees are not included.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Room temperature. Cool, dry, out of light.
CMS-121 is taken as a pill or capsule. Keep it in its original container at room temperature, away from heat, humidity, and direct sun. No fridge or mixing needed. Check the expiration date on the bottle.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Who should avoid it
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Any existing neurological condition, where self-experimenting has obvious risks
- Taking any other medication, since interactions are uncharacterised
- Children
Stop and get help
- Any new neurological symptom, including confusion, weakness or changes in vision
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes
- Any new or unexplained symptom that starts after beginning it
- Signs of an allergic reaction such as face or throat swelling, hives, or trouble breathing
Common effects
- Unknown in humans
- No published human safety data
- No published human tolerability data
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is CMS-121 approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.No. CMS-121 is not approved anywhere and is currently in company-run clinical trials. There is no legal route to obtain it outside a trial.
- Approval statusInvestigational
- RouteBy mouth (oral)
- Checked24 August 2026
- DoseFrom community reports. No regulator or trial established this dose.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- Sources
What has happened recently
Not approved anywhere, and further along than most compounds at this tier. Developed at the Salk Institute by Pamela Maher and colleagues over roughly fifteen years, it moved into a phase 1 safety trial in healthy volunteers announced in October 2021, funded with 4.5 million dollars from the National Institute on Aging and run with Virogenics, with first doses expected in early 2022 and data collection expected to complete by autumn 2022. No results from that trial appear in the public record. Everything showing an effect is in mice.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
What else is like CMS-121?
Others in Brain, mood and sleep, side by side.If you're weighing CMS-121, it's worth reading DNSP-11, Cortexin, and MIF-1 in the same class.
A fisetin derivative from Salk, in humans since 2022 with no results published.
- Dose
- No established human dose
- How often
- No established schedule
A brain peptide from the GDNF precursor, studied in rats and monkeys and never in people.
- Dose
- Research only
- How often
- No established pattern
A brain extract from cattle, injected into muscle, used widely in Russia.
- Dose
- 10 mg per day
- How often
- Daily, in 10-day courses
A three amino acid brain peptide tested in Parkinson's and depression in the 1970s.
- Dose
- Research only
- How often
- No established pattern
Guides for this compound
- mcg vs mg: The Peptide Dosing Mistake to Avoid
Your vial says mg and your protocol says mcg. Here is the conversion and how to check it.
- How to Read a Peptide COA
What the purity number does and does not tell you, and how to spot an edited report.
- How to Vet a Peptide Vendor
Independent COAs, HPLC purity, and the red flags that mean walk away.
Sources
- Salk Institute, phase 1 clinical trial announcement for CMS121(2021)Phase 1 safety trial in healthy volunteers, NIA-funded, first doses expected early 2022.
- Salk Institute, CMS121 reverses memory decline in Alzheimer's model mice(2023)Efficacy is in mouse models, working through FASN and lipid peroxidation rather than amyloid.
Beyond these, 14 records are indexed. Browse the records