Semax
Also called ACTH 4-7 Pro-Gly-Pro, Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro.
Semax has no FDA-approved product. This page cites 2 sources, and the strongest evidence comes from human trials.
- Status
- No FDA-approved product
- Form
- Nasal spray
- Half-life
- Not modeled
- Strongest evidence
- Human trials
- Cited claims
- 2
- Last updated
- November 6, 2026
What the evidence says
Each claim names the kind of study behind it, what it can't tell you, and where it comes from.
Human trials
A Russian controlled stroke study compared 30 patients receiving Semax plus intensive care with 80 receiving conventional care and reported faster regression of some neurological deficits.
Limits: The English abstract does not establish randomized allocation or blinding. Unequal groups, concurrent stroke care, and limited reporting restrict causal interpretation. These acute-stroke findings do not establish cognitive improvement in healthy people or efficacy of N-acetyl analogs.
Human trials
A placebo-controlled imaging study in 24 healthy adults in Moscow found differences in the brain's default mode network shortly after intranasal Semax administration.
Limits: Fourteen participants received Semax and ten received placebo. The study measured brain-network imaging. It did not establish improved memory, daily function, or stroke recovery. A short-term scan difference is not evidence of a clinical treatment benefit.
Regulatory status
United States
No FDA-approved product was identified. The October 2026 draft, nonbinding HHS 503A policy addresses Semax free base by the intranasal route under stated conditions. It does not approve Semax, establish clinical benefit, or extend its scope to injectable products or N-acetyl analogs.