Cortexin_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as Cortexin, Korteksin, cortex polypeptide complex
A brain extract from cattle, injected into muscle, used widely in Russia.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is Cortexin?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
It is a biological extract rather than a designed molecule. That puts it in the same category as Cerebrolysin.
Cortexin is not a single peptide. It is a mixture pulled out of the brain cortex of cattle or pigs, containing dozens of small peptide fragments, most of which have never been identified individually. It is given as an injection into muscle and is used in Russia for brain recovery.
What it's used for
An injection used in Russia after a stroke or head injury, and for memory problems.
How does Cortexin work?
What it does in the body, and where.Cortexin is a mixture, so its mechanism is described in general terms rather than as one target. That vagueness is a fact about the product, not a gap in the writing.
- 01It is made by extracting peptides from brain tissueCattle or pig cortex is processed to pull out the small peptide fragments and leave the larger proteins behind.
- 02The mixture is thought to act as a set of growth signalsThe proposal is that these fragments imitate the signals a recovering brain uses. Which fragments matter has not been worked out.
- 03Animal work compares it to CerebrolysinA published comparison in animal stroke models found both appeared protective, and suggested they work through different routes.
- 04Nobody can tell you exactly what is in the vialThat is the honest limit of any tissue extract. It also makes a fake product harder to spot than with a single peptide.
Where this compound is thought to act.
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.
- Recovery after a stroke or head injury, which is its main use in RussiaClinical use
- Memory and attention problemsResearch only
- Protecting brain cells from a lack of blood flow, tested in animals against CerebrolysinEarly research
The published record
Papers and trials about Cortexin
111 papers tagged human · 100 not reviews or lab · 28 clinical trial publications
Furthest stage reached: Approved outside the US, Russia
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 Cortexin
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.10 mg per day, daily, in 10-day courses. Given in 10-day courses, repeated after a break Clinical use
The course length comes from Russian prescribing practice rather than from a trial that compared different durations.
Not establishedCommunity practice
A Russian registered product with no published pharmacokinetics.
Not yet traced to a primary source.
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
How do I dose and price it?
Enter your vial and your dose. Pick a mix. We show the draw and the cost.The vial holds a fixed amount of drug. Adding more water does not make more drug, it just spreads it thinner, so you draw a bigger number on the syringe for the same dose.
Choose your mix
Measuring the water1 mL = one full 100-unit syringe.
Cortexin starts at $38.99 across 1 vendor.
1 listing, last read Oct 10, 2026. Shipping and card fees are not included.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Dry powder in the freezer or fridge. Once mixed, fridge, and use within about a month.
Unmixed lyophilized Cortexin keeps for a long time cold. Once you add water the clock starts: most reconstituted vials hold up for roughly 28 to 30 days at fridge temperature. Keep it out of light, and do not freeze it after mixing.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.This is a very different thing from the single peptides elsewhere in this library. An extract cannot have a certificate of analysis in the usual sense, because there is no one molecule to measure the purity of. Counterfeits are common. It is meant to be given into muscle rather than under the skin, and it is mixed with a numbing solution in clinical use because the injection stings.
Who should avoid it
- Pregnancy
- Known allergy to any component, which cannot be fully known
- Anyone avoiding animal-derived products, since it comes from cattle or pig brain
Stop and get help
- Signs of an allergic reaction such as face or throat swelling, hives, or trouble breathing
- Redness, heat, or pus where it was injected
Common effects
- Pain at the injection site, which is common
- Allergic reactions, which are the main documented risk with tissue extracts
- Beyond that, little is documented outside Russian sources
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is Cortexin approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.Not in the United States. Cortexin has no FDA approval and is sold there labeled for laboratory research only, so there is no legal route to buy it for human use. It is approved in Russia.
- Approval statusResearch only
- RouteInto a muscle
- Checked22 September 2026
- Approved outside the USRussia: Registered in Russia as a prescription lyophilisate for injection, made by Samson-Med, registration LP-(005724)-(RG-RU). Not approved in the US.This does not change the United States position above.
- DoseFrom product labeling and clinical guidelines.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- SourcesNone traced yet.
What has happened recently
Registered and used clinically in Russia and some neighboring countries. It has never been approved in the US or Europe, and it is not permitted in pharmacy compounding. Do not confuse it with Cortagen, which is a defined four amino acid peptide from the same research tradition and a completely different product.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
What else is like Cortexin?
Others in Brain, mood and sleep, side by side.If you're weighing Cortexin, it's worth reading MIF-1, Davunetide (NAP), and Dermorphin in the same class.
A brain extract from cattle, injected into muscle, used widely in Russia.
- Dose
- 10 mg per day
- How often
- Daily, in 10-day courses
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- Dose
- Research only
- How often
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- Dose
- 30 mg per dose
- How often
- Twice daily in the trial
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- Dose
- Research only
- How often
- Varies
Guides for this compound
- How to Reconstitute a Peptide
Mix peptide powder with bacteriostatic water, step by step.
- How to Read an Insulin Syringe
Read the units, convert to millilitres, and draw the exact dose.
- 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.
- Why Does My Peptide Injection Itch or Welt
Injection-site irritation, a histamine reaction, or a true allergy, and how to tell them apart.
- How to Read a Peptide COA
What the purity number does and does not tell you, and how to spot an edited report.
Sources
No primary source has been traced for this compound yet. Treat everything on this page as unverified until one is. How we grade evidence
Beyond these, 181 records are indexed. Browse the records