Semax is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide built from a fragment of the hormone ACTH. It was developed in Russia and is reported to be registered there for stroke [7]. Most of its evidence is from rats, and the human studies are small Russian-language reports without placebo control [1, 3, 4].
\nSemax is a synthetic peptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro, made from a piece of ACTH plus a stabilizing Pro-Gly-Pro tail. It was developed at the Russian Academy of Sciences. A 2022 review lists it as a drug registered in Russia for ischemic stroke.
PubChem lists the formula C37H51N9O10S [11]. It is described as a non-hormonal peptide despite its ACTH origin [12].
The Amiravo Semax reference page covers its chemistry and every study in full.
\nIts mechanism is not settled, and the leads come from rats. Semax bound to membranes in the rat basal forebrain and quickly raised levels of BDNF, a nerve growth factor, in that region. In rat stroke models it partly reversed gene changes caused by ischemia.
The BDNF rise was seen in the basal forebrain but not the cerebellum [1]. In a rat stroke model, Semax reduced ischemia-induced changes in 1,171 genes tied to immune and nerve signaling [6]. Protein profiling in the same kind of model reported higher active CREB and lower MMP-9 [8].
None of these mechanisms has been confirmed in people.
\nNo human study has measured energy, wakefulness or heart rate with Semax. In rodents it raised a serotonin breakdown product in the striatum and amplified amphetamine-driven dopamine release, but did not change dopamine on its own.
The rodent work also found more locomotor activity when Semax was combined with D-amphetamine [2]. Whether this matters in humans is unknown.
\nThe human evidence is thin. Small Russian-language studies in stroke and reduced brain blood flow reported faster recovery and higher blood BDNF in treated groups. None was described as placebo-controlled, and no trial is listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
A study of 187 patients with cerebrovascular insufficiency reported clinical improvement, as stated by the authors [5]. No controlled trial in healthy people has tested memory, focus or mood [13].
No timeline for results has been established, and no study published comparison measures for healthy users of either sex.
\nThis is the use with the most human data, but the studies are small and weakly designed. In Russia, 30 treated patients were compared with 80 controls in acute stroke, and 110 patients were studied in rehabilitation. Both reported faster neurological recovery with Semax.
The 1997 acute-stroke study was not described as randomized or blinded [4]. The 2018 rehabilitation study reported higher plasma BDNF and faster Barthel index improvement in Semax subgroups [3]. Rat stroke models support a biological rationale but are not evidence of an effect in people [6, 8].
In 2026 US FDA advisers discussed Semax for cerebral ischemia, migraine and trigeminal neuralgia as a compounding question, not as a drug approval [15].
\nNo human study of Semax in dementia or ADHD was found in Amiravo's sources. Rat work on BDNF and dopamine is sometimes cited for these uses, but it has not been tested in people with either condition.
Our guide on why most peptide evidence is animal explains why rat findings often do not carry over.
\nThey are essentially unknown. One study of 187 patients said side effects occurred in a minor percentage but gave no figures in its abstract. No study reports long-term effects or effects specific to any route of use.
Human pharmacokinetics and half-life were not located in Amiravo's sources. The US FDA lists Semax among substances with safety concerns for compounding, citing immunogenicity and limited safety information [14].
\nNo one can say from the published evidence. The human studies are small, mostly unblinded and in Russian, and adverse-event rates were not reported. The FDA says it has no or limited safety information on Semax for the proposed routes.
The FDA statement comes from its compounding safety-risk page [14]. The same gaps apply to Selank; see Selank vs Semax.
\nNo. A DailyMed search returned no Semax label, and no US approval application or registered trial was found. US FDA advisers discussed it in 2026 for the pharmacy compounding list, which is a separate process from approval.
FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee discussed Semax in July 2026 for compounding uses named by its nominators [15]. FDA has not published minutes or a decision from that meeting [15]. FDA's May 2026 categories document did not place Semax in any category [19].
Russian registration for ischemic stroke does not carry over to the US, and no Semax trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov [7, 13]. See FDA's 2025-2026 review of peptides for compounding.
\nSemax is reported to be a registered drug in Russia for ischemic stroke. In the US it is not approved, and the US FDA lists it on its page of compounding substances with significant safety concerns. That page and its unapproved status are usually what people mean by \"banned\".
The FDA moved Semax to a table of nominations withdrawn by their nominators, while still printing its safety concerns [14]. The Russian register entry itself was not accessed; the registration is reported in a 2022 review [7].
Our guide to peptide legality in the US explains research-use-only labels and compounding.
\nThe 2026 WADA Prohibited List does not name Semax. It lists corticotrophins, and Semax is an ACTH-derived but non-hormonal peptide, so its sport status is not settled. Amiravo has no source on standard workplace drug panels.
Athletes should confirm status with their anti-doping organization [10]. The non-hormonal description comes from a 2025 rat study [12]. See peptides and sport.
\nAmiravo does not give a Semax amount. Its Russian registration is reported only through a review article, and the register document itself has not been checked. No US-approved or trial-registered amount exists to cite.
No register document has been reviewed, so Amiravo gives no amount [7]. See Semax dosage in human studies for how the studies are listed. Community dosage charts are not covered.
\nNo human study compares routes, and no human absorption data were found. The key rat BDNF study used intranasal exposure. Oral peptides are generally broken down in the gut, and research-market strips have no published absorption data.
The rat basal-forebrain study gave Semax intranasally [1]. Amiravo does not describe how to use a spray or injection. Our guide on why most peptides are injected explains the barriers.
\nStorage follows the supplier's documentation, as no US-approved product exists. Semax contains methionine, which can oxidize with air exposure. No study has tested daily use against cycling, and Amiravo does not give cycling advice.
See storage and handling basics.
\nThey are different peptides that share a Pro-Gly-Pro tail. Semax comes from ACTH and was studied in stroke; Selank comes from the immune peptide tuftsin and was studied in anxiety. No trial has compared them, so neither can be called better.
In human serum in the lab, both inhibited enzymes that break down enkephalins [16]. Our Selank vs Semax comparison sets out the evidence side by side.
\nNo human study has given them together. One fMRI study in 52 healthy people gave each peptide or placebo separately and reported effects on brain connectivity. Amiravo does not give stacking or mixing advice.
Because both inhibited the same enzymes in a lab study, their effects could overlap, but this has not been measured [16, 17]. See the Selank + Semax combination page.
\nThere is nothing to compare. Adamax is described as an adamantane-modified Semax analogue, but a PubMed search found no peptide studies under that name. Semax at least has rat data and small human reports.
The PubMed records for \"adamax\" concern an optimisation algorithm [18]. See the Adamax reference and the full Semax reference page.
\nPubChem lists the formula C37H51N9O10S [11]. It is described as a non-hormonal peptide despite its ACTH origin [12].
The Amiravo Semax reference page covers its chemistry and every study in full.
","refs":[1,7,11,12]},{"q":"How is Semax thought to work?","short":"Its mechanism is not settled, and the leads come from rats. Semax bound to membranes in the rat basal forebrain and quickly raised levels of BDNF, a nerve growth factor, in that region. In rat stroke models it partly reversed gene changes caused by ischemia.","evidence":"animals","detail_html":"The BDNF rise was seen in the basal forebrain but not the cerebellum [1]. In a rat stroke model, Semax reduced ischemia-induced changes in 1,171 genes tied to immune and nerve signaling [6]. Protein profiling in the same kind of model reported higher active CREB and lower MMP-9 [8].
None of these mechanisms has been confirmed in people.
","refs":[1,6,8]},{"q":"Is Semax a stimulant, and does it give you energy?","short":"No human study has measured energy, wakefulness or heart rate with Semax. In rodents it raised a serotonin breakdown product in the striatum and amplified amphetamine-driven dopamine release, but did not change dopamine on its own.","evidence":"animals","detail_html":"The rodent work also found more locomotor activity when Semax was combined with D-amphetamine [2]. Whether this matters in humans is unknown.
","refs":[2]}]},{"heading":"What the research shows","items":[{"q":"Does Semax work, and what results were seen?","short":"The human evidence is thin. Small Russian-language studies in stroke and reduced brain blood flow reported faster recovery and higher blood BDNF in treated groups. None was described as placebo-controlled, and no trial is listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.","evidence":"humans","detail_html":"A study of 187 patients with cerebrovascular insufficiency reported clinical improvement, as stated by the authors [5]. No controlled trial in healthy people has tested memory, focus or mood [13].
No timeline for results has been established, and no study published comparison measures for healthy users of either sex.
","refs":[3,4,5,13]},{"q":"Does Semax help with stroke recovery?","short":"This is the use with the most human data, but the studies are small and weakly designed. In Russia, 30 treated patients were compared with 80 controls in acute stroke, and 110 patients were studied in rehabilitation. Both reported faster neurological recovery with Semax.","evidence":"humans","detail_html":"The 1997 acute-stroke study was not described as randomized or blinded [4]. The 2018 rehabilitation study reported higher plasma BDNF and faster Barthel index improvement in Semax subgroups [3]. Rat stroke models support a biological rationale but are not evidence of an effect in people [6, 8].
In 2026 US FDA advisers discussed Semax for cerebral ischemia, migraine and trigeminal neuralgia as a compounding question, not as a drug approval [15].
","refs":[3,4,6,8,15]},{"q":"Can Semax help with dementia or ADHD?","short":"No human study of Semax in dementia or ADHD was found in Amiravo's sources. Rat work on BDNF and dopamine is sometimes cited for these uses, but it has not been tested in people with either condition.","evidence":"none","detail_html":"Our guide on why most peptide evidence is animal explains why rat findings often do not carry over.
","refs":[]}]},{"heading":"Side effects and risks","items":[{"q":"What side effects have studies reported for Semax?","short":"They are essentially unknown. One study of 187 patients said side effects occurred in a minor percentage but gave no figures in its abstract. No study reports long-term effects or effects specific to any route of use.","evidence":"humans","detail_html":"Human pharmacokinetics and half-life were not located in Amiravo's sources. The US FDA lists Semax among substances with safety concerns for compounding, citing immunogenicity and limited safety information [14].
","refs":[5,14]}]},{"heading":"Legal status and FDA review","items":[{"q":"Is Semax US FDA-approved, and will it be?","short":"No. A DailyMed search returned no Semax label, and no US approval application or registered trial was found. US FDA advisers discussed it in 2026 for the pharmacy compounding list, which is a separate process from approval.","evidence":"none","detail_html":"FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee discussed Semax in July 2026 for compounding uses named by its nominators [15]. FDA has not published minutes or a decision from that meeting [15]. FDA's May 2026 categories document did not place Semax in any category [19].
Russian registration for ischemic stroke does not carry over to the US, and no Semax trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov [7, 13]. See FDA's 2025-2026 review of peptides for compounding.
","refs":[9,13,15,19]},{"q":"Is Semax legal, and why is it called banned?","short":"Semax is reported to be a registered drug in Russia for ischemic stroke. In the US it is not approved, and the US FDA lists it on its page of compounding substances with significant safety concerns. That page and its unapproved status are usually what people mean by \"banned\".","evidence":"humans","detail_html":"The FDA moved Semax to a table of nominations withdrawn by their nominators, while still printing its safety concerns [14]. The Russian register entry itself was not accessed; the registration is reported in a 2022 review [7].
Our guide to peptide legality in the US explains research-use-only labels and compounding.
","refs":[7,14]},{"q":"Will Semax fail a drug test?","short":"The 2026 WADA Prohibited List does not name Semax. It lists corticotrophins, and Semax is an ACTH-derived but non-hormonal peptide, so its sport status is not settled. Amiravo has no source on standard workplace drug panels.","evidence":"none","detail_html":"Athletes should confirm status with their anti-doping organization [10]. The non-hormonal description comes from a 2025 rat study [12]. See peptides and sport.
","refs":[10,12]}]},{"heading":"Dosage and use","items":[{"q":"Is there a US FDA-approved amount for Semax?","short":"No. Semax is not approved for any use in the US, and this site gives no amounts, frequencies or schedules.","evidence":"none","detail_html":"No. Semax is not approved for any use in the US, and this site gives no amounts, frequencies or schedules.
","refs":[7]}]},{"heading":"Semax with other compounds","items":[{"q":"Semax vs Selank: which is better, and are they the same?","short":"They are different peptides that share a Pro-Gly-Pro tail. Semax comes from ACTH and was studied in stroke; Selank comes from the immune peptide tuftsin and was studied in anxiety. No trial has compared them, so neither can be called better.","evidence":"humans","detail_html":"In human serum in the lab, both inhibited enzymes that break down enkephalins [16]. Our Selank vs Semax comparison sets out the evidence side by side.
","refs":[16]}]}],"slug":"semax-questions-answered","title":"Semax: Side Effects, Evidence, FDA Status and More, Answered","unknown":["Side-effect rates and long-term safety in humans [5].","Human pharmacokinetics, half-life and absorption by any route.","Whether Semax affects memory, focus, energy, dementia or ADHD in people.","Its registered Russian indications and amounts, since the register was not accessed [7].","How Semax and Selank behave together [17]."],"id":"6add3bf36eeac63d973b300c"}],"Article?limit=100&q=%7B%22slug%22%3A%22selank-questions-answered%22%7D":[{"body":"Selank is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide based on tuftsin, an immune peptide. It was developed in Russia and is reported to be registered there as an anti-anxiety drug [1, 6]. Its human evidence is one small Russian study in anxiety plus a related immune study, neither described as placebo-controlled [3, 4].
\nSelank is a synthetic peptide with the sequence Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro. It is tuftsin, a fragment of immunoglobulin G, with a Pro-Gly-Pro tail added for stability. A 2022 review lists it as a registered Russian drug in the anti-anxiety class.
PubChem lists the formula C33H57N11O9 [9]. It is not US FDA-approved, and a DailyMed search found no label [7]. The Amiravo Selank reference page covers its chemistry and studies in full.
\nIts mechanism is not settled. In lab tests on brain-cell membranes, Selank enhanced GABA binding, the same broad system targeted by benzodiazepines. In rats it changed the activity of dozens of nerve-signaling genes in a pattern that resembled GABA's.
In rat frontal cortex, across Selank and GABA groups, 45 of 77 measurable genes changed at 1 hour and 22 at 3 hours, with Selank's changes correlating with GABA's [2]. In mice, one Selank effect was blocked by naloxone, so an opioid-system link has been proposed [5]. In patients, the half-life of the natural opioid leu-enkephalin rose during treatment [3].
In a membrane assay, Selank blocked diazepam's effect on GABA binding [1]. How that applies to people taking other medicines is unknown.
\nOne Russian study in 62 patients with generalized anxiety disorder or neurasthenia compared Selank with the benzodiazepine medazepam and reported similar anti-anxiety effects. The abstract does not describe randomization, blinding or a placebo group, so the result is weak evidence.
Thirty patients received Selank and 32 received medazepam, assessed with Hamilton, Zung and CGI scales [3]. The authors also reported anti-fatigue and stimulant-like effects with Selank [3]. No trial is listed on ClinicalTrials.gov [11].
\nNo study has published comparison measures for healthy users, and no timeline for results has been established.
In cultured blood cells, Selank suppressed IL-6 gene expression in cells from patients with depression but not healthy controls [4]. The same study also reported a significant rise in IL-6 concentration in culture with Selank, so the immune findings are mixed [4]. Results reported by sex have not been published. The evidence for any use in healthy people is absent.
\nNo study in Amiravo's sources measured sleep. The one anxiety study reported stimulant-like and anti-fatigue effects alongside reduced anxiety, which points away from sedation, but that is a single unblinded report. Whether morning or evening use matters has not been studied.
The description of anti-asthenic and psychostimulant effects comes from the 2008 study [3]. A mouse study found behavioral effects in only one of two strains, a reminder that results vary even in animals [10].
\nNobody knows for humans. Human pharmacokinetics and half-life have not been published in the sources reviewed. In rats, across Selank and GABA groups, 45 of 77 measurable genes changed at one hour and 22 at three hours. That does not tell you how long effects last in people.
The rat time points come from the frontal-cortex gene study [2]. Our guide on why most peptide evidence is animal explains why such findings travel poorly.
\nThey have not been measured in published human data. The abstracts of the two human studies did not report adverse-event frequencies. Nothing is known about long-term effects or effects specific to any route of use.
The FDA states it lacks important safety information on Selank and notes immunogenicity concerns for compounded peptides [12]. The lab finding that Selank blocked diazepam's action on GABA binding suggests drug interactions are possible but untested [1].
\nThe evidence cannot answer that. Human data come from small Russian-language studies, mostly from one research network, with no reported side-effect rates. The US FDA lists Selank on its page of compounding substances that may present significant safety risks.
Selank acetate appears in FDA's table of nominations withdrawn by their nominators, with FDA's safety concerns still printed [12]. The same gaps apply to Semax; see Selank vs Semax.
\nNo. A DailyMed search found no Selank label, and no trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Its reported Russian registration as an anxiolytic does not carry over to the US, where approval would need its own application and trials.
The Russian registration is reported in a 2022 review; the register entry was not accessed [6]. See FDA's 2025-2026 review of peptides for compounding.
\nIn the US it is unapproved, and the US FDA lists it among compounding substances with safety concerns. FDA judges a product's intended use from its claims and how it is sold, not from a research-use label alone [15]. Amiravo covers US status only, so check local rules elsewhere, such as Germany.
The 2026 WADA list does not name Selank among its examples, so athlete status is not settled [8]. Our guide to peptide legality in the US explains research-use-only labels. For any research material, start with its certificate of analysis; see how to read a certificate of analysis.
\nAmiravo does not give a Selank amount. Its Russian registration is reported only through a review article, and the register document has not been checked. No US-approved or trial-registered amount exists to cite, and dosage charts online are not reviewed amounts.
No register document has been reviewed, so Amiravo gives no amount [6]. See Selank dosage in human studies for how the studies are listed.
\nNo human study compares routes, and no human absorption data were found. In mice, two administration routes gave different behavioral and receptor-binding effects, and only in one of two strains. Amiravo does not describe injection sites or how to make sprays.
The route comparison is from a 2016 mouse study [10]. Oral peptides are generally broken down in the gut; see why most peptides are injected.
\nNo US-approved product exists, so storage follows the supplier's documentation for temperature, light and moisture. No study has tested cycling Selank, and Amiravo does not give cycling advice.
See storage and handling basics.
\nThey are different peptides that share a Pro-Gly-Pro tail. Selank comes from tuftsin and was studied in anxiety; Semax comes from ACTH and was studied in stroke. No trial has compared them, so neither can be called better.
In human serum in the lab, both inhibited enzymes that break down enkephalins [13]. Our Selank vs Semax comparison sets out the evidence side by side.
\nNo human study has given them together. One fMRI study in 52 healthy people gave Selank, Semax or placebo separately and reported effects on brain connectivity. Amiravo does not give stacking advice.
Shared enzyme effects in the lab mean their actions could overlap, but this has not been measured [13, 14]. See the Selank + Semax combination page and the full Selank reference page.
\nPubChem lists the formula C33H57N11O9 [9]. It is not US FDA-approved, and a DailyMed search found no label [7]. The Amiravo Selank reference page covers its chemistry and studies in full.
","refs":[1,6,7,9]},{"q":"How is Selank thought to work?","short":"Its mechanism is not settled. In lab tests on brain-cell membranes, Selank enhanced GABA binding, the same broad system targeted by benzodiazepines. In rats it changed the activity of dozens of nerve-signaling genes in a pattern that resembled GABA's.","evidence":"mixed","detail_html":"In rat frontal cortex, across Selank and GABA groups, 45 of 77 measurable genes changed at 1 hour and 22 at 3 hours, with Selank's changes correlating with GABA's [2]. In mice, one Selank effect was blocked by naloxone, so an opioid-system link has been proposed [5]. In patients, the half-life of the natural opioid leu-enkephalin rose during treatment [3].
In a membrane assay, Selank blocked diazepam's effect on GABA binding [1]. How that applies to people taking other medicines is unknown.
","refs":[1,2,3,5]}]},{"heading":"What the research shows","items":[{"q":"Does Selank work for anxiety?","short":"One Russian study in 62 patients with generalized anxiety disorder or neurasthenia compared Selank with the benzodiazepine medazepam and reported similar anti-anxiety effects. The abstract does not describe randomization, blinding or a placebo group, so the result is weak evidence.","evidence":"humans","detail_html":"Thirty patients received Selank and 32 received medazepam, assessed with Hamilton, Zung and CGI scales [3]. The authors also reported anti-fatigue and stimulant-like effects with Selank [3]. No trial is listed on ClinicalTrials.gov [11].
","refs":[3,11]},{"q":"Does Selank work, and what results were seen?","short":"No study has published comparison measures for healthy users, and no timeline for results has been established.","evidence":"humans","detail_html":"In cultured blood cells, Selank suppressed IL-6 gene expression in cells from patients with depression but not healthy controls [4]. The same study also reported a significant rise in IL-6 concentration in culture with Selank, so the immune findings are mixed [4]. Results reported by sex have not been published. The evidence for any use in healthy people is absent.
","refs":[3,4]},{"q":"Did any human study measure sleep with Selank?","short":"No human study listed in the Selank record measured sleep as an outcome.","evidence":"humans","detail_html":"No human study listed in the Selank record measured sleep as an outcome.
","refs":[3,10]}]},{"heading":"Side effects and risks","items":[{"q":"What side effects have studies reported for Selank?","short":"They have not been measured in published human data. The abstracts of the two human studies did not report adverse-event frequencies. Nothing is known about long-term effects or effects specific to any route of use.","evidence":"humans","detail_html":"The FDA states it lacks important safety information on Selank and notes immunogenicity concerns for compounded peptides [12]. The lab finding that Selank blocked diazepam's action on GABA binding suggests drug interactions are possible but untested [1].
","refs":[1,3,4,12]}]},{"heading":"Legal status","items":[{"q":"Is Selank US FDA-approved, and why not?","short":"No. A DailyMed search found no Selank label, and no trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Its reported Russian registration as an anxiolytic does not carry over to the US, where approval would need its own application and trials.","evidence":"humans","detail_html":"The Russian registration is reported in a 2022 review; the register entry was not accessed [6]. See FDA's 2025-2026 review of peptides for compounding.
","refs":[6,7,11]},{"q":"Is Selank legal?","short":"In the US it is unapproved, and the US FDA lists it among compounding substances with safety concerns. FDA judges a product's intended use from its claims and how it is sold, not from a research-use label alone [15]. Amiravo covers US status only, so check local rules elsewhere, such as Germany.","evidence":"humans","detail_html":"The 2026 WADA list does not name Selank among its examples, so athlete status is not settled [8]. Our guide to peptide legality in the US explains research-use-only labels. For any research material, start with its certificate of analysis; see how to read a certificate of analysis.
","refs":[8,12,15]}]},{"heading":"Dosage and use","items":[{"q":"Is there a US FDA-approved amount for Selank?","short":"No. Selank is not approved for any use in the US, and this site gives no amounts, frequencies or schedules.","evidence":"none","detail_html":"No. Selank is not approved for any use in the US, and this site gives no amounts, frequencies or schedules.
","refs":[6]}]},{"heading":"Selank with other compounds","items":[{"q":"Selank vs Semax: which is better, and are they the same?","short":"They are different peptides that share a Pro-Gly-Pro tail. Selank comes from tuftsin and was studied in anxiety; Semax comes from ACTH and was studied in stroke. No trial has compared them, so neither can be called better.","evidence":"humans","detail_html":"In human serum in the lab, both inhibited enzymes that break down enkephalins [13]. Our Selank vs Semax comparison sets out the evidence side by side.
","refs":[13]}]}],"slug":"selank-questions-answered","title":"Selank: Side Effects, Anxiety, Sleep, Legality and More, Answered","unknown":["Side-effect rates and long-term safety in humans [3, 4].","Human pharmacokinetics, half-life and absorption by any route.","Whether Selank affects sleep, or works in a placebo-controlled trial.","How it interacts with benzodiazepines and other medicines in people [1].","Its registered Russian indication and amounts, since the register was not accessed [6]."],"id":"6add3bf28aad45d273ca22a5"}]}}