Semax – 10mg

Researchers who buy Semax research peptide are typically studying its behavior as a synthetic heptapeptide analog of adrenocorticotropic hormone fragment 4-10 (ACTH(4-10)), developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and studied primarily for its association with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling. The summary below reflects the published preclinical and clinical literature and is provided strictly for research and educational reference — it does not describe an intended effect of this product in humans or animals.

In this reference:

• What Is Semax?
• Proposed Mechanism of Action
• Chemical Identity
• Purity, Storage & Quality
• Research Applications
• What the Human Evidence Shows
• Compared to Related Research Compounds
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Semax?

Semax (Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro) is a synthetic heptapeptide corresponding to the ACTH(4-7) sequence with an added Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide extension. That C-terminal extension is reported in the published literature to confer substantially greater resistance to enzymatic degradation than the native, unmodified ACTH(4-10) fragment, extending the compound’s duration of biological activity in tested models.

Researchers should be aware that Semax has a regulatory history distinct from most compounds in this catalog: it has been registered as a pharmaceutical drug in Russia since 1994, for indications including ischemic stroke and cognitive impairment, under Russian regulatory standards. That registration history is referenced here for research context only. Semax has not been evaluated in a randomized controlled trial conducted under Western (FDA/EMA) regulatory standards for any indication, has not been approved by the FDA for any use, and is sold here strictly as a research-use-only compound, entirely distinct from any pharmaceutical product registered elsewhere.

Proposed Mechanism of Action

Unlike the parent ACTH(4-10) fragment, published research indicates Semax does not act primarily through melanocortin receptors. Instead, the literature has proposed several separate research threads, with the most substantiated being an association with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression and signaling. A single intranasal application of Semax (50 μg/kg) in male Wistar rats was reported to produce rapid changes in neurotrophin gene expression, including a reported maximal 1.4-fold increase in BDNF protein levels measured in specific rat brain regions (Dmitrieva VG, et al., Dokl Biol Sci. 2003 Jul-Aug;391:292-5; PMID 14556513).

Separate published rat-model research has examined Semax’s proposed neuroprotective effects in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion models, including genome-wide transcriptional analysis of immune- and vascular-related gene expression changes in ischemic rat brain tissue. Study authors have proposed BDNF/NGF pathway modulation, effects on dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission, and regulation of oxidative-stress pathways as candidate downstream mechanisms, though the field’s strongest mechanistic data specifically concerns the BDNF-expression findings cited above. No single mechanism has been exhaustively confirmed across every proposed research thread, and researchers should treat mechanistic claims as specific to the cited study models.

Chemical Identity

Sequence	Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro
Molecular Formula	C37H51N9O10S
Molecular Weight	~813.9 g/mol
Sequence Length	7 amino acids (heptapeptide)
Appearance	White to off-white lyophilized powder

Purity, Storage & Quality

First Class Science supplies this Semax research peptide vial at research-grade purity, verified by independent third-party HPLC testing and mass spectrometry. A Certificate of Analysis is available for every batch at our Certificate of Analysis page, listing the specific lot’s purity result, molecular-weight confirmation, and test date.

Store the lyophilized (freeze-dried) compound at −20°C for long-term stability. This vial must be reconstituted with bacteriostatic or sterile water before laboratory use; after reconstitution, refrigerate at 2–8°C and use within 4–6 weeks. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles and prolonged exposure to light or room-temperature conditions, both of which are associated with accelerated peptide degradation in handling literature.

Important: This item is manufactured strictly for research purposes. It is not intended for human or veterinary use and is distributed solely for laboratory and scientific investigation.

Preparing Solutions for Laboratory Use

Laboratories reconstituting lyophilized Semax for in vitro or animal-model research typically follow standard peptide-handling practice: the vial is brought to room temperature before opening, and a diluent — commonly reconstitution solution or sterile water for injection (SWFI) — is added slowly down the interior wall of the vial rather than directly onto the lyophilized material, to reduce foaming and mechanical stress on the peptide. The vial is then gently swirled, never shaken, until the powder is fully dissolved.

Stock-solution concentration for a given protocol is calculated by dividing the total peptide mass in the vial by the volume of diluent added, and that calculation should be recorded in the study’s protocol documentation. This page describes general laboratory reconstitution practice for research use and is not a dosing guide for human or animal administration.

Quality Control Methodology

Each production batch of this Semax research peptide undergoes independent third-party testing before release. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) confirms purity by measuring the proportion of the target peptide relative to synthesis by-products or degradation fragments. Mass spectrometry separately confirms molecular identity, verifying that the measured mass of the material matches the expected ~813.9 g/mol molecular weight of Semax. Both results are recorded on the batch’s published Certificate of Analysis, letting researchers independently verify identity and purity rather than relying on manufacturer claims alone.

Who Should Buy Semax Research Peptide

Researchers who buy Semax from First Class Science are typically university and academic laboratories, contract research organizations (CROs), and biotechnology R&D teams running animal-model studies on neurotrophin signaling, BDNF gene expression, or cerebral ischemia-reperfusion research. First Class Science requires that all research-peptide orders be placed by parties who acknowledge and agree to the research-use-only terms stated on this page prior to purchase.

Research Applications

The published literature on Semax spans several distinct research areas, concentrated primarily in Russian-language and Russian-affiliated peer-reviewed journals. Each is summarized below strictly as a description of what has been studied in animal models — not as a claim about effects for any individual using this product.

BDNF/Neurotrophin Gene Expression Research

The foundational finding (Dmitrieva et al., 2003, PMID 14556513) reported that a single intranasal Semax dose produced rapid BDNF and NGF gene-expression changes in specific rat brain regions. Follow-on published research has compared the temporal dynamics of NGF and BDNF gene expression across rat hippocampus, frontal cortex, and retina under Semax administration (PMID 19662538).

Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Research

Published rat-model research has examined Semax’s association with protein-expression changes in a cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model, and separate genome-wide transcriptional analysis has examined immune- and vascular-system gene-expression changes in ischemic rat brain tissue following Semax administration. These are preclinical animal-model findings; they do not establish efficacy in humans and should not be interpreted as clinical evidence.

Comparative ACTH-Fragment Research

Because Semax’s Pro-Gly-Pro extension is specifically engineered for stability relative to unmodified ACTH(4-10), it is studied as a structure-activity reference point in comparative research on ACTH-fragment analogs and their resistance to enzymatic degradation.

What the Human Evidence Shows

Researchers evaluating Semax should know that a body of published clinical research exists, conducted primarily in Russia under Russian regulatory and publication standards, distinct from the randomized-controlled-trial standards typically expected in Western (FDA/EMA-regulated) clinical research. A published non-randomized Russian clinical study (Gusev EI, Martynov MY, et al., Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2018) examined intranasal Semax (6,000 mcg/day in two 10-day courses) in 110 stroke-rehabilitation patients, reporting elevated plasma BDNF and improved Barthel Index and motor-scale scores over a roughly 5-month observation period relative to comparator subgroups not receiving Semax.

That published clinical literature reflects a distinct regulatory, publication, and study-design context than Western-standard randomized controlled trials, and independent replication under FDA/EMA-standard trial design has not been published. This does not establish safety or efficacy for the research-grade Semax sold on this page, and does not support human self-administration outside a formal, medically supervised setting under applicable local regulation. Semax as supplied here is not an FDA-approved drug for any indication and is not evaluated by the FDA for safety or efficacy.

This distinction matters for how findings from this page should be characterized. A researcher citing the Russian clinical literature in a grant application or protocol design should describe it accurately as reflecting a distinct regulatory and publication context, not as FDA/EMA-standard clinical evidence, and should note that independent Western replication has not been published.

Compared to Related Research Compounds

Semax is frequently studied alongside other ACTH-derived and nootropic-adjacent research peptides. First Class Science supplies a related preparation for researchers running comparative studies:

Semax / Selank – 10mg/10mg pairs Semax with Selank, a separately-studied anxiolytic-research heptapeptide, for laboratories modeling combined nootropic and anxiolytic-pathway research protocols.

Each related preparation carries its own Certificate of Analysis and is subject to the same research-use-only terms described on this page.

Common Research Study Designs

Published studies referenced throughout this page typically fall into two designs: controlled rat-model studies measuring neurotrophin (BDNF/NGF) gene and protein expression following intranasal administration; and, in the case discussed above, a non-randomized Russian clinical study in stroke-rehabilitation patients. Understanding which design underlies a given finding — and its regulatory/publication context — is important for interpreting the strength of any individual claim in the literature.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purity of this Semax research peptide?
Every batch is independently verified via third-party HPLC and mass-spectrometry testing, with a Certificate of Analysis published for each lot.

How should Semax research peptide be stored?
Store the lyophilized powder at −20°C. After reconstitution, refrigerate at 2–8°C and use within 4–6 weeks; avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.

Is Semax approved for human or animal use?
Semax as sold here is a research-use-only compound and is not an FDA-approved drug for any indication. A distinct pharmaceutical formulation has been registered as a drug in Russia since 1994 under Russian regulatory standards — that registration does not apply to this research-grade material, and it is sold exclusively for in vitro and laboratory research use.

Has Semax been tested in humans at all?
Yes, in Russia, under Russian regulatory and publication standards distinct from FDA/EMA trial design. A published non-randomized study in 110 stroke-rehabilitation patients reported elevated plasma BDNF and improved functional scores. Independent replication under Western randomized-controlled-trial standards has not been published.

What is the proposed mechanism of Semax in research models?
The most substantiated proposed mechanism is an association with BDNF and NGF neurotrophin gene expression, first characterized in rat-model research (PMID 14556513). Semax does not act primarily through melanocortin receptors, unlike other ACTH-derived research peptides.

What does the Certificate of Analysis show?
The Certificate of Analysis published for each batch shows the HPLC purity result, mass-spectrometry molecular-weight confirmation, lot number, and test date, allowing researchers to independently verify the identity and purity of the specific batch they receive.

Can Semax research peptide be shipped internationally?
Shipping availability and any import restrictions for research peptides vary by destination country and are subject to change; researchers should confirm their local import regulations for research-use-only compounds before ordering.

Shipping, Handling & Compliance

This Semax research peptide ships as a lyophilized powder in a sealed glass vial, packaged to maintain cold-chain integrity in transit where applicable. All orders are subject to the research-use-only terms stated on this page, and First Class Science does not sell this or any other research peptide for human or veterinary administration under any circumstance.

Order tracking, batch-specific documentation requests, and general product questions can be directed to First Class Science customer support, which can confirm current lead times and any destination-specific documentation a receiving institution may require for its own compliance records.

Disclaimer: The research summarized above is drawn from third-party published studies conducted in animal or clinical contexts under varying regulatory standards. It is provided for research and educational reference only and does not describe an intended use, effect, or benefit of this product for any person or animal.

⊗ ALL ITEMS ARE SOLD FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY. This category covers strictly in vitro laboratory testing and scientific experimentation. Content on this site is for education only and does not authorize human or animal use of any kind, which is prohibited by law. Only trained, licensed professionals should handle these materials. Nothing sold here qualifies as a drug, food, or cosmetic, and none of it may be labeled, advertised, or used as such.