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    Research Use Only (RUO). For laboratory research only. Not for human or veterinary use.

    Avenor Peptides
    Research Use Only (RUO):Research classification with product and batch documentation where available.
    Semax 10 mg - Avenor Peptides

    Energy & Mind

    Semax

    Strength: 10 mg

    Semax is a research-use catalogue item organized around product identity, SKU traceability and available documentation.

    €44,00
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    Batch documentationShips from Greece

    Free shipping: Greece from €50, Cyprus and Bulgaria from €100, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Spain from €200. Details

    This product is intended exclusively for laboratory research use. It is not intended for human consumption, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease.

    Product information

    FormResearch product
    Strength10 mg
    SKUAV-SEMAX-10MG
    Stock statusIn stock
    COA / BatchSee the documentation state below
    StorageIn powder form: freezer (−20°C).
    Packaging / shippingCareful shipping with clear labelling.

    Documentation on request

    There is no published document for this specific SKU variant at the moment.

    Contact us about documentation

    Research overview

    Documentation & COA

    Batch documentation and COA, where available, are linked to the specific product batch and SKU.

    This product is intended exclusively for laboratory research use. It is not intended for human consumption, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease.

    Product profile

    7

    amino acids — one of the smallest research neuropeptides

    ≈814

    g/mol molecular weight — calculated from the MEHFPGP sequence

    0

    ACTH hormonal activity — the adrenal-stimulating portion is absent

    ≥98%

    purity by HPLC

    Research context

    What it is

    Semax is a small synthetic peptide, built from a piece of a natural brain hormone.

    The key point is that it kept the action on nervous tissue, but not the hormonal action of the parent molecule.

    The technical detail

    A heptapeptide based on the ACTH(4-7) fragment, with an added Pro-Gly-Pro that stabilizes it. A non-corticotropic analogue.

    How it works

    It acts like fertilizer for neurons.

    It raises a factor that helps brain cells survive and connect to one another.

    At the same time it lowers oxidative stress and inflammation in damaged tissue.

    The technical detail

    It increases BDNF levels. A 2025 study identified the μ-opioid receptor (Oprm1) as a target in a spinal cord injury model.

    What the research shows

    The data are mostly preclinical, with a clinical base in ischemic stroke.

    In ischemia models the peptide pushed the expression of thousands of genes back toward normal.

    110

    patients, stroke 2018

    ~1,900

    genes, frontal cortex 2025

    7

    amino acids

    In the clinical study, plasma BDNF levels rose and stayed high, alongside faster motor recovery.

    Where the research stands today

    The most recent work places it on a broader map of neuroprotective peptides.

    Reviews in 2025 and 2026 examine it for neurodegenerative disease and for recovery after injury.

    The discovery of a specific molecular target gives it, for the first time, a clean mechanistic footprint.

    The technical detail

    Filippenkov et al., ischemia, IJMS 2025. Liu et al., spinal cord, Br J Pharmacol 2025. Gusev et al., stroke clinical study, 2018.

    Laboratory use

    Used in a controlled laboratory setting for in vitro studies of neurotrophin expression (BDNF, NGF, the trkB receptor) in neuronal and glial cell lines, for RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis in experimental ischaemia and stress models, for studies of interaction with metal ions and with amyloid peptides in artificial membrane systems, for comparative work against other ACTH analogues such as ACTH(6-9)PGP, and for identity and purity confirmation by HPLC and mass spectrometry.

    Research Use Only. For laboratory research exclusively. Not intended for human or veterinary use, diagnosis, treatment, or disease prevention. The regulatory approval of Semax in the Russian Federation is stated purely as a regulatory fact about the molecule: it concerns a different, approved pharmaceutical preparation, manufactured and controlled to pharmaceutical standards, and does not constitute an indication, recommendation, or suggestion of use for this research material. The clinical and preclinical data cited describe published research findings and do not transfer to research-grade material.

    Structural data

    Class
    Synthetic non-corticotropic melanocortin analogue — derived from the ACTH(4-10) fragment
    Sequence
    Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro (MEHFPGP)
    Chain length
    7 amino acids (a heptapeptide)
    Structural composition
    The ACTH(4-7) fragment of the natural hormone, with a Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide attached at the C-terminus
    Molecular formula
    C37H51N9O10S
    Molecular weight
    ≈813.9 g/mol
    Role of Pro-Gly-Pro
    The proline-glycine-proline tripeptide is added as a structural shield against peptidases — it does not exist in natural ACTH
    Hormonal activity
    Does not carry the corticotropic (adrenal-stimulating) activity of the parent hormone — described in the literature as a non-corticotropic analogue
    Literature designation
    Also referred to as ACTH(4-7)PGP
    Product form
    Lyophilized powder in a sealed 10 mg vial
    Purity
    ≥98% (HPLC) — supplied with CoA

    Comparison

    Feature comparison

    FeatureSemax (this product)SelankDSIP
    Parent moleculeThe ACTH(4-7) fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormoneTuftsin — an immunoglobulin fragmentA natural peptide isolated from rabbit cerebral blood
    Chain length7 amino acids7 amino acids9 amino acids
    Shared structural featureAttached Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptideAttached Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptideCarries no such modification
    Research schoolRussian — Institute of Molecular Genetics / Kurchatov InstituteRussian — same institute, same design logicSwiss — Schoenenberger and Monnier, 1970s
    Main field of studyNeurotrophins (BDNF, NGF), cerebral ischaemia, inflammatory genesAnxiolytic models, cytokines in stressed animalsSlow-wave sleep regulation in animals
    Regulatory statusAn approved medicine in Russia (a regulatory fact, not a use recommendation)An approved medicine in RussiaNot approved as a medicine anywhere
    International replicationLimited — few groups outside RussiaVery limitedOld and inconsistent data
    Product formLyophilized powderLyophilized powderLyophilized powder

    Storage & handling

    • The sealed vial of lyophilized powder is stored frozen and protected from light.
    • The lyophilized form is markedly more stable than the reconstituted one — the vial stays sealed until the point of laboratory use.
    • Before opening, allow the vial to reach room temperature so that moisture does not condense onto the powder.
    • After reconstitution with a suitable sterile diluent, the solution is stored refrigerated and protected from light.
    • The reconstituted solution has a considerably shorter stability window than the powder and is intended for short-term laboratory use.
    • Avoid repeated freeze–thaw cycles, which degrade peptide integrity.
    • Avoid vigorous shaking of the vial — small peptides are sensitive to mechanical stress.
    • Handle using standard aseptic laboratory practice and appropriate personal protective equipment.
    • Keep away from children and out of food preparation areas.

    Documentation

    • Certificate of Analysis (CoA) per batch, with date and lot number.
    • Purity analysis by HPLC — specification ≥98%.
    • Identity and molecular weight confirmation by mass spectrometry.
    • Research Use Only (RUO) declaration on the packaging.
    • Documents available on request for the specific batch you received.

    References

    References & documentation

    1. 1.Dolotov O.V. et al. (2006). Semax, an analog of ACTH(4-10) with cognitive effects, regulates BDNF and trkB expression in the rat hippocampus. Brain Res, 1117(1), 54-60.
    2. 2.Agapova T.Y. et al. (2007). Neurotrophin gene expression in rat brain under the action of Semax, an analogue of ACTH 4-10. Neurosci Lett, 417(2), 201-205.
    3. 3.Filippenkov I.B. et al. (2020). Novel Insights into the Protective Properties of ACTH(4-7)PGP (Semax) Peptide at the Transcriptome Level Following Cerebral Ischaemia-Reperfusion in Rats. Genes, 11(6), 681.
    4. 4.Glazova N.Yu. et al. (2020). Semax, synthetic ACTH(4-10) analogue, attenuates behavioural and neurochemical alterations following early-life fluvoxamine exposure in white rats. Neuropeptides, 86, 102114.
    5. 5.Filippenkov I.B. et al. (2021). Antistress Action of Melanocortin Derivatives Associated with Correction of Gene Expression Patterns in the Hippocampus of Male Rats Following Acute Stress. Int J Mol Sci, 22(18), 10054.
    6. 6.Kolacheva A.A. & Ugrumov M.V. (2021). A Mouse Model of Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Axonal Degeneration As a Tool for Testing Neuroprotectors. Acta Naturae, 13(3), 110-113.
    7. 7.Sciacca M.F.M. et al. (2022). Semax, a Synthetic Regulatory Peptide, Affects Copper-Induced Abeta Aggregation and Amyloid Formation in Artificial Membrane Models. ACS Chem Neurosci, 13(4), 486-496.
    8. 8.Filippenkov I.B. et al. (2023). Synthetic Adrenocorticotropic Peptides Modulate the Expression Pattern of Immune Genes in Rat Brain following the Early Post-Stroke Period. Genes, 14(7), 1382.
    9. 9.Inozemtseva L.S. et al. (2024). Antidepressant-like and antistress effects of the ACTH(4-10) synthetic analogs Semax and Melanotan II on male rats in a model of chronic unpredictable stress. Eur J Pharmacol, 984, 177068.
    10. 10.Filippenkov I.B. et al. (2024). Changes of Transcriptomic Activity in Rat Brain Cells under the Influence of Synthetic Adrenocorticotropic Hormone-Like Peptides. Biochemistry (Mosc), 89(9), 1643-1656.
    11. 11.Gusev E.I. et al. (2018). [The efficacy of semax in the treatment of patients at different stages of ischemic stroke]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, 118(3 Vyp 2), 61-68. [in Russian]
    12. 12.Gusev E.I. et al. (1997). [Effectiveness of semax in acute period of hemispheric ischemic stroke (a clinical and electrophysiological study)]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, 97(6), 26-34. [in Russian, no DOI — PMID 11517472]

    Product information

    Frequently asked questions

    Since it derives from a hormone, does it have hormonal activity?
    No, and this is the critical distinction. The corticotropic action of ACTH — its ability to stimulate the adrenal glands — resides in regions of the full chain that are absent from Semax. This is why the literature explicitly classes it among the non-corticotropic melanocortin analogues (Inozemtseva et al., 2024).
    Why was the Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide added?
    It acts as a structural shield against the enzymes that break peptides down. Without it, a molecule this small would be degraded far too quickly to study. The same design logic was applied to Selank by the same research school.
    What did the neurotrophin studies show?
    Dolotov and colleagues (Brain Research, 2006) recorded in rat hippocampus a 1.4-fold increase in BDNF protein, a 3-fold increase in exon III BDNF mRNA and a 2-fold increase in trkB receptor mRNA. Agapova and colleagues (2007) confirmed increased BDNF and NGF in the hippocampus within one hour — but found NGF decreased in the frontal cortex, meaning the effect is region-specific.
    Is it true that it is an approved medicine in Russia?
    Yes, and it is a regulatory fact that sets the molecule apart. Semax is a registered medicine in the Russian Federation and the scientific literature states this openly (Filippenkov et al., 2020). This concerns a different, approved pharmaceutical preparation and is not an indication or a recommendation for use of the material supplied here.
    How strong is the clinical evidence internationally?
    This is the main limitation. The overwhelming majority of clinical work comes from Russian groups and Russian-language journals, from the 1990s (Gusev et al., 1997) through to recent years (Gusev et al., 2018, in 110 patients). There is no large multicentre double-blind Western-style trial, and independent international replication remains limited.
    Are there negative or modest findings?
    Yes, several. Kolacheva and Ugrumov (Acta Naturae, 2021) found that Semax raised striatal dopamine only slightly, albeit reliably — far less than the nomifensine positive control. Inozemtseva and colleagues (2024) found no effect at all in the forced swim test. And Filippenkov and colleagues (2024) caution that suppression of immune-related genes under normal physiological conditions should also be assessed as a possible risk.
    How does it compare with Selank and DSIP?
    Selank comes from the same Russian school and shares the same Pro-Gly-Pro design modification, but was built on tuftsin — an immunoglobulin fragment, not a hormone — and is studied mainly in anxiolytic models. DSIP is of entirely different origin: a natural nonapeptide isolated in Switzerland in the 1970s, with old and inconsistent data around sleep. See the comparison table above.
    Can it be used by humans or animals?
    No. The product is supplied exclusively for laboratory research. It is not intended for human or veterinary use, nor for in vivo application outside a controlled laboratory setting. No administration or dosing guidance is provided.
    Do I receive a certificate of analysis?
    Yes. Every batch is accompanied by a CoA with HPLC analysis and mass spectrometry identity confirmation. It is available on request for the specific batch you received.