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Cognitive and sleep · Compound

Semax

Synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide derived from a fragment of ACTH, studied in small Russian clinical studies in stroke and post-stroke rehabilitation.

Philippines Peptides editorial deskUpdated Trial data checked 23 September 20267 min read

The strongest evidence found for Semax comes from small human studies, and every finding below carries its evidence level.

What is Semax

Semax is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide (Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro) derived from the 4-10 fragment of ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone), developed in Russia. Browse the full peptide library for related compounds.

In rats, semax binds specific sites in the basal forebrain and raises BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and its receptor trkB. No defined receptor target in people is reported.

The human evidence for semax is small Russian clinical studies, open-label or with non-randomised comparison groups, in stroke rehabilitation, acute stroke and motor neuron disease, plus one small placebo-comparison imaging study in healthy volunteers. Selank is a separate Russian-developed peptide with its own evidence record.

How it works

BDNF and trkB: in rats, one dose of semax raised hippocampal BDNF protein and activation of its receptor trkB (Brain Res 2006).

Binding sites: in rats, semax binds specific sites in the basal forebrain. No defined receptor target in people is reported.

Benefits studied

  • Recovery after ischaemic stroke

    Small human studies

    A Russian study of 110 stroke rehabilitation patients reported higher blood BDNF and better Barthel index improvement in the groups given semax; the abstract does not say how patients were allocated. Source: Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr 2018

  • Quality of life in motor neuron disease

    Small human studies

    An open-label study of 27 patients with motor neuron disease found no change on clinical rating scales with semax, but a better total quality-of-life score. Source: Europe PMC 18379501

  • Resting brain network activity

    Small human studies

    In 24 healthy volunteers, resting-state imaging showed a larger default mode network subcomponent within 20 minutes in the 14 given semax than in the 10 given placebo. Source: Bull Exp Biol Med 2018

  • Brain BDNF signalling

    Animal and cell

    In an animal study, one dose of semax raised hippocampal BDNF protein 1.4-fold and trkB receptor activation 1.6-fold in rats. Source: Brain Res 2006

Side effects reported

No human trial in the datasets reports adverse-event rates for Semax, whose human evidence is limited to small human studies with no completed randomised trial identified. Without controlled data, its safety in people is unknown rather than established.

Semax in the Philippines

This site has not published an FDA Philippines registration result for semax: the 23 September 2026 portal search behind the regulation hub did not include the name, and the store's own search the same day timed out. No FDA Philippines advisory in this site's regulation dataset, checked 23 September 2026, names semax. Registration is what separates a medicine a Philippine pharmacist can dispense from anything else on offer, so until a portal result exists, semax is best treated here as what it is sold as: a research compound.

Primara Labs, our partner and supplier, lists semax as "Lyophilized powder, 10 mg / vial", the same format as selank, which is usually discussed alongside it. The legal research behind this site found no Philippine FDA, DOH, BOC or DDB document that addresses products labelled research use only. In the United States, the FDA lists semax on its page of bulk drug substances for compounding that may present significant safety risks (current as of 22 April 2026); that page concerns compounding, not approval.

For research context, the semax literature is mostly Russian. The evidence dataset read only English abstracts and found no study meeting its randomised-trial rule. The human work it describes is small clinical studies in stroke and post-stroke rehabilitation, cerebrovascular insufficiency, optic nerve disease and motor neuron disease, open-label or with non-randomised comparison groups, plus one small placebo-comparison imaging study in healthy volunteers. None of that establishes an effect in healthy adults, and the status page lists semax with the other research compounds.

Regulatory status

FDA Philippines
Not publishedCould not be established: the FDA Philippines verification portal search timed out on 23 September 2026, retried the same day in a browser with the same result.
US FDA
No record foundDrugs@FDA returned no approved or tentatively approved application for this substance. Drugs@FDA does not list investigational products. Separately, the FDA lists it on its page of bulk drug substances for compounding that may present significant safety risks (current as of 22 April 2026); that page concerns compounding, not approval.
European Medicines Agency
No record foundNo row for this substance in the EMA medicines report generated 22 September 2026. That report does not cover national authorisations in EU member states.
Next milestone
No sponsor identified in any record read.

Checked 23 September 2026. Primary source

How Philippine registration and prescription rules work, and what an unregistered product is under the law, is covered in the regulation hub, and every compound's status side by side is on the status page. This is general information, not legal advice.

Who should not use Semax

Everything above is research framing. For the material itself, our partner and supplier lists Semax 10mg at Primara Labs for ₱2,210 (₱1,990 with 10% off), from stock inside the Philippines.

FAQ

Is semax an approved medicine anywhere?

Not in the United States or the European Union. US FDA: No record found. EMA: No record found. The regulatory dataset this site draws on does not cover Russian registration, so this page makes no claim about it.

Has FDA Philippines issued an advisory on semax?

No FDA Philippines advisory in this site's regulation dataset, checked 23 September 2026, names semax. This site has not published an FDA Philippines registration result for semax: the 23 September 2026 portal search behind the regulation hub did not include the name, and the store's own search the same day timed out.

Can semax be brought into the Philippines from abroad?

This site has no Philippine registration result on record for semax. DOH-FDA-BOC Joint Circular No. 1, dated 22 June 2015, lets travellers bring listed FDA-regulated products into the Philippines without prior FDA clearance if the products are for personal use and within set limits. For prescription drugs, Joint Circular No. 1 sets the allowed quantity as the amount stated on a prescription that carries the physician's PRC licence number or a foreign equivalent. Joint Circular No. 1 does not say whether its prescription-drug allowance covers drugs without a Philippine CPR. No FDA circular that answers this was found. The Bureau of Customs lists pharmaceutical products as regulated imports that require a valid Certificate of Product Registration and/or an FDA License to Operate as importer. This is general information, not legal advice.

How does semax differ from selank?

Both are synthetic seven-amino-acid peptides developed in Russia. Semax is derived from a fragment of ACTH, and its human studies are in stroke, stroke rehabilitation and motor neuron disease. Selank is an analogue of tuftsin, and its human studies are small comparative studies in anxiety disorders. This page makes no claim that either is better than the other.

What evidence exists for semax?

The evidence dataset this site draws on (checked 2026-09-23) rates semax at the level "Small human studies", with 0 completed human randomised controlled trials identified. Small Russian clinical studies, open-label or with non-randomised comparison groups (stroke rehabilitation, acute stroke, motor neuron disease), and one small placebo-comparison imaging study in healthy volunteers. It has been studied for: Stroke and post-stroke rehabilitation, cerebrovascular insufficiency, optic nerve disease, motor neuron disease.

What is the regulatory status of semax?

FDA Philippines: Could not be established: the FDA Philippines verification portal search timed out on 23 September 2026, retried the same day in a browser with the same result. US FDA: No record found. Status for every compound the dataset covers is on the regulatory status page.

Where to get Semax in the Philippines

Readers who want the 90 days mapped out before they order start with the Longevity Manila protocol planner, which sets one goal, sequences the compounds behind it, and hands the list to our partner and supplier, Primara Labs.

The supply index covers what to ask a seller before paying, and why quoted prices vary so widely.

View Supply Index

Risk · Disclosure · Editorial Status

This page is editorial information for adults researching peptide therapy. It is not medical advice, not a prescription, and not an endorsement of any specific product, supplier, or protocol. Side effects can be serious and individual response varies. Talk to a licensed physician (ideally one with peptide-specific clinical experience) before starting any compound, adjusting a dose, or discontinuing therapy.

In the Philippines, GLP-1 medications are prescription-only under FDA Philippines regulation. Research-grade peptides occupy a regulatory gray area: import for personal research use is generally tolerated, but the Bureau of Customs reserves the right to inspect and detain shipments. Do not import for resale.

Editorial Status
Non-clinical
Affiliation
Not a clinic · Not a pharmacy
Last Updated
September 24, 2026

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