Semax_
Also known as ACTH 4-10
A nasal spray for sharper focus, memory, and mental clarity.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is Semax?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
Semax is a 7-amino-acid peptide based on a fragment of ACTH, a brain-signaling hormone, given as a nasal spray. In plain terms: it raises BDNF, a chemical that helps brain cells grow and connect, which is why it is used for focus and memory, and in Russia after strokes.
What it's used for
A nasal spray that sharpens focus, memory, and mental clarity by raising a brain-growth signal. It works within about half an hour and is used in Russia for stroke recovery and attention.
How does Semax work?
What it does in the body, and where.Semax is seven amino acids based on a fragment of ACTH, a brain-signalling hormone, with the hormonal part removed. It is a nasal spray, and it is a registered medicine in Russia.
- 01It reaches the brain through the noseThe nasal route bypasses the blood-brain barrier, which is why it is not injected.
- 02BDNF risesBDNF is a protein that supports the growth and connection of brain cells, and raising it is the main proposed mechanism.
- 03Almost all research is Russian-languageIt has been used clinically there for decades for stroke and cognitive complaints, but the studies are largely not replicated or published in Western journals.
Where this compound is thought to act.
What else is it used for?
Each group 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.
Stroke recovery
Clinical use- RegulatoryIt is a registered prescription medicine in Russia for stroke, brain injury, and optic nerve disease.
- Human trialIn a study of 110 post-stroke patients, nasal Semax raised a brain-growth protein and improved daily-function and motor scores over about five months. The study had no randomisation, no placebo group, and reported no statistics.
Focus and brain signalling
Early research- Animal studyA single nasal dose raised BDNF protein about 1.4-fold and its gene activity 3-fold in rat brain within hours.
- No dataNo Western randomised controlled trial exists for any use.
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.0.2 up to 0.6 mg per day, 1-2x daily. Taken in courses, usually 10 to 14 days, with breaks betweenCommunity practice
The Russian clinical literature uses course dosing rather than continuous use, and users report the effect fading if it is taken every day without a break. No controlled study has compared courses against continuous use.
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.
Semax is not injected
It is taken nasal spray.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Fridge after opening. Use within about 30 days.
Store sealed Semax in the fridge. Once opened, keep it upright in the fridge and plan to finish it inside roughly 30 days. Keep it out of light and do not freeze the liquid.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Who should avoid it
- No formal contraindications established outside Russia
- Pregnancy
Stop and get help
- No serious adverse events have been reported at studied doses
- Signs of an allergic reaction
Common effects
- Mild nasal irritation
- Occasional short-lived headache
- Possible difficulty sleeping if taken late in the day
- No tolerance, dependence, or withdrawal has been documented
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is Semax approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.No. Not FDA-approved.
Sold for research use only. Not cleared for human consumption or medical use.
- DoseFrom research and community reports. No regulator has reviewed this dose.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- Sources
- Reviewed22 July 2026
What else is like Semax?
Others in Brain, mood and sleep, side by side.If you're weighing Semax, it's worth reading Selank, N-Acetyl Semax Amidate, and DSIP (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide) in the same class.
A nasal spray for sharper focus, memory, and mental clarity.
- Dose
- 0.2 up to 0.6 mg per day
- How often
- 1-2x daily
A nasal spray that eases anxiety while keeping you clear-headed.
- Dose
- 0.25 up to 0.5 mg per day
- How often
- 1-2x daily
A longer-lasting version of Semax for focus and memory.
- Dose
- 0.2 up to 0.4 mg per day
- How often
- 1-2x daily
A before-bed peptide used to deepen sleep.
- Dose
- 0.1 up to 0.2 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- Nightly
10What these words mean
Show glossary +
What these words mean
- Titrate
- Starting at a low dose and increasing it slowly over time so your body adjusts and side effects stay mild.
- Subcutaneous
- An injection just under the skin, into the fat layer, usually with a short, thin insulin needle.
- Intramuscular (IM)
- An injection into a muscle, using a longer needle.
- Reconstitution
- Mixing a powdered peptide with liquid (bacteriostatic water) so it can be drawn into a syringe.
- Bacteriostatic water
- Sterile water with a tiny amount of preservative, used to mix powdered peptides.
- Concentration
- How strong the mixed peptide is, in milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL). More water makes it weaker; less water makes it stronger.
- Units (on the syringe)
- The marks on an insulin syringe. 100 units equals 1 mL. They measure how much liquid you draw, not the dose in milligrams.
- mcg and mg
- Units of dose. 1 milligram (mg) equals 1,000 micrograms (mcg).
- GLP-1
- A natural gut hormone that lowers appetite and blood sugar. Drugs that copy it, like semaglutide, are used for weight loss.
- Growth hormone secretagogue
- A compound that nudges your body to release more of its own growth hormone, rather than injecting the hormone itself.
- Half-life
- How long a compound stays active in your body. A longer half-life means you inject less often.
- Peptide vs small molecule
- A peptide is a short chain of amino acids. A few items here (like MK-677 or methylene blue) are small molecules, not true peptides, but people use them the same way.
- Research only
- No approved dose or use in people. Sold for research and not reviewed by the FDA for safety or quality.
- Investigational
- Still being tested in clinical trials and not yet approved or legally sold for general use.
- Banned in drug-tested sport
- Prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA); using it can disqualify a competing athlete.