PepTrackevidence-graded reference
Semax
fig.1 — stylized molecular motif
Cognitive

Semax

ACTH(4-7)PGP · MEHFPGP

Top nootropic-peptide searches; marketed for focus/neuroprotection. Russia-approved (stroke/cognition) since 1994.

Evidence
Bhuman trials
Status
Removed from Cat 2 · pending PCACas of 2026-06
Approval
Not approved
Category
Cognitive
Route
Intranasal · Subcutaneous
Demand rank
honorable mention
01Dosing & Protocol
Typical · reference only
Intranasal 200-900 mcg/day (0.1%, 2-3 divided); stroke protocols 6,000-20,000 mcg/day (1%, medical care)
Titration
By route/indication
Reconstitution — illustrative, not a recommendation
SubQ (community): 10 mg vial + 2 mL BAC = 5 mg/mL; 500 mcg = 10 U on U-100. Intranasal 0.1% = ~50 mcg/drop vs 1% = ~500 mcg/drop (10x - confusion hazard).
Units are not milligrams. mg-vs-mcg confusion drives documented 5–1000× overdoses — always recompute for your own vial.
02Regulatory Status
Removal from Category 2 ≠ legal to compound ≠ FDA-approved. Removal != legal/approved; July review is not for the cognition use that drives demand. FDA flags immunogenicity.
Status
Removed from Cat 2 · pending PCAC
503A bulks
Not on the bulks list
Category 2
Removed from Category 2 ~15 Apr 2026
PCAC review
2026-07-24 (scoped to cerebral ischemia/migraine/trigeminal neuralgia, NOT cognitive-enhancement)
WADA
Not listed
03Evidence — the honest read
What the evidence actually shows

Small Russian data (Gusev 2018, ~110, non-randomized/observational - not an RCT); BDNF correlation. Unreplicated in the West.

04Safety
Contraindications
  • Pregnancy/breastfeedinghard stop
  • Children <3 (Russian label)
  • Severe anxiety/mania (mild stimulatory effect)
  • Hepatic/renal disease (caution)
Key interactions
  • Serotonergic agents (theoretical caution)
Serious signals
  • Can mildly raise anxiety/BP at higher doses
  • Very short half-life (~10-15 min; NA variants ~30-40 min) - long-acting marketing overstated
Monitoring
None validated.
05Related in Cognitive
Selank
human trials
grade B →
06Sources
1Gusev 2018
＋PepTrack research dossier — iterations 1–4, 584 de-duplicated sources, adversarially verified.
Not medical or legal advice. Educational / harm-reduction reference. Regulatory and dosing claims in this field move monthly — re-verify against primary sources (FDA docket FDA-2025-N-6895, DailyMed, ClinicalTrials.gov) before acting.
Last reviewed — 2026-06-13 · confidence: medium
← All peptides
Cognitive

Semax

ACTH(4-7)PGP · MEHFPGP

Top nootropic-peptide searches; marketed for focus/neuroprotection. Russia-approved (stroke/cognition) since 1994.

Evidence
B
human trials
Status
Removed from Cat 2 · pending PCAC
as of 2026-06
FDA approval
Not approved
off-label / gray
Route
Intranasal · Subcutaneous
Clinic protocol
Demand
—
honorable mention
WADA
Not listed
sport-legal
01

Dosing & protocol

Clinic protocol. Clinic-protocol / off-label extrapolation — not an FDA-approved regimen.
Typical — reference only

Intranasal 200-900 mcg/day (0.1%, 2-3 divided); stroke protocols 6,000-20,000 mcg/day (1%, medical care)

Worked reconstitution example

SubQ (community): 10 mg vial + 2 mL BAC = 5 mg/mL; 500 mcg = 10 U on U-100. Intranasal 0.1% = ~50 mcg/drop vs 1% = ~500 mcg/drop (10x - confusion hazard).

Titration

By route/indication

Units are not milligrams. mg-vs-mcg confusion drives documented 5–1000× overdoses — always recompute for your own vial (use the calculator →).
02

Regulatory status

Removal from Category 2 ≠ legal to compound ≠ FDA-approved. Removal != legal/approved; July review is not for the cognition use that drives demand. FDA flags immunogenicity.
StatusRemoved from Cat 2 · pending PCAC
503A bulksNot on the bulks list
Category 2 (2026)Removed from Category 2 ~15 Apr 2026
PCAC review2026-07-24 (scoped to cerebral ischemia/migraine/trigeminal neuralgia, NOT cognitive-enhancement)
WADANot listed
03

Evidence — the honest read

Bhuman trials

Small Russian data (Gusev 2018, ~110, non-randomized/observational - not an RCT); BDNF correlation. Unreplicated in the West.

04

Safety

Contraindications
  • Pregnancy/breastfeedinghard stop
  • Children <3 (Russian label)
  • Severe anxiety/mania (mild stimulatory effect)
  • Hepatic/renal disease (caution)
Key interactions
  • Serotonergic agents (theoretical caution)
Serious signals
  • Can mildly raise anxiety/BP at higher doses
  • Very short half-life (~10-15 min; NA variants ~30-40 min) - long-acting marketing overstated
Monitoring

None validated.

06

Sources

01Gusev 2018
＋PepTrack research dossier — iterations 1–4, 584 de-duplicated sources, adversarially verified.
Not medical or legal advice. Educational / harm-reduction reference. Regulatory and dosing claims in this field move monthly — re-verify against primary sources (FDA docket FDA-2025-N-6895, DailyMed, ClinicalTrials.gov) before acting.
Last reviewed — 2026-06-13 · confidence: medium