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Informational only. Not medical advice. We don't sell Semax.

Sources

Educational only. Not medical advice. Semax Hub doesn't sell Semax.

This page is the citation hub for our guides. We prefer peer-reviewed papers, official Russian prescribing materials, and primary regulatory documents over vendor blogs. Where a claim is weakly sourced, the article says so.

How we cite

PreferUse carefullyAvoid as primary
Peer-reviewed journals (PubMed / DOI)Manufacturer package inserts and product pages“Research peptide” shop blogs
Official Russian registration / label textEncyclopedic secondaries (e.g. Wikipedia) for orientationAnonymous forum dosing lore
Government list / order documentsWestern research briefs that map evidence gapsUnsourced “KGB ops” timelines

If a statement needs a citation and we do not have one yet, we say so on the page.

Cornerstone papers

  1. Kolomin T, Shadrina M, Slominsky P, Limborska S, Myasoedov N. A new generation of drugs: synthetic peptides based on natural regulatory peptides. Neuroscience & Medicine. 2013;4:223-252. doi:10.4236/nm.2013.44035
    IMG RAS–linked review: Semax/Selank design, Russian clinical framing, tolerability notes.

  2. Ashmarin IP, Nezavibat'ko VN, Myasoedov NF, et al. [A nootropic adrenocorticotropin analog 4-10-semax (15 years experience in its design and study)]. Zh Vyssh Nerv Deiat Im I P Pavlova. 1997;47(2):420-430. PMID: 9173745
    Design memoir from the primary Russian literature.

  3. Dolotov OV, et al. Semax, an analog of ACTH(4-10) with cognitive effects, regulates BDNF and trkB expression in the rat hippocampus. Brain Research. 2006;1117(1):54-60. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2006.07.108 · PMID: 16996037
    Strongest commonly cited mechanism paper (animal).

  4. Official Russian prescribing information. Semax nasal drops 0.1%, registration ЛС-002553 (30.12.2011); prescription release; ATC N06BX. Package insert PDF.

Origin and chemistry

  • Potaman VN, Alfeeva LY, Kamensky AA, Levitzkaya NG, Nezavibatko VN. N-terminal degradation of ACTH(4-10) and its synthetic analog semax by the rat blood enzymes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1991;176(2):741-746. doi:10.1016/S0006-291X(05)80247-5 · PMID: 1851003
  • Kaplan AY, Kochetova AG, Nezavibathko VN, Rjasina TV, Ashmarin IP. Synthetic ACTH analogue Semax displays nootropic-like activity in humans. Neurosci Res Commun. 1996;19(2):115-123. (Early human/EEG-era report; small by modern standards.)
  • Name etymology (“seven amino acids” / СЕМь АминоКиСлот): widely repeated secondary explanation, e.g. Wikipedia: Semax. Prefer primary chemistry papers above for the molecule itself.

Folklore note: Search nicknames like “KGB peptide / KGB brain spray” are not primary historical titles. Direct KGB operational origin is not established in the peer-reviewed trail we cite. See Origin.

Mechanism

  • Dolotov OV, et al. Brain Research 2006 (BDNF/TrkB, hippocampus). DOI and PMID above.
  • Eremin KO, Kudrin VS, Saransaari P, et al. Semax, an ACTH(4-10) analogue with nootropic properties, activates dopaminergic and serotoninergic brain systems in rodents. Neurochemical Research. 2005;30(12):1493-1500. doi:10.1007/s11064-005-8826-8 · PMID: 16362768
  • Kost NV, Sokolov OY, Gabaeva MV, et al. Semax and selank inhibit the enkephalin-degrading enzymes from human serum. Bioorg Khim. 2001;27(3):180-183. doi:10.1023/A:1011373002885 · PMID: 11443939 (clinical relevance of in-vitro IC50 still uncertain)
  • Dmitrieva VG, et al. Semax and Pro-Gly-Pro activate the transcription of neurotrophins and their receptor genes after focal brain ischemia in rats. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2010;30(1):71-79. PMID: 19633950
  • Medvedeva EV, et al. The peptide semax affects the expression of genes related to the immune and vascular systems in rat brain focal ischemia. BMC Genomics. 2014;15:228. doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-228

More detail: How Semax works.

Clinical evidence

Stroke / cerebrovascular

  • Gusev EI, Skvortsova VI, Miasoedov NF, et al. Effectiveness of semax in acute period of hemispheric ischemic stroke. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 1997;97(6):26-34. PMID: 11517472
  • Gusev EI, Martynov MY, Kostenko EV, et al. The efficacy of semax in the treatment of patients at different stages of ischemic stroke. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2018;118(3):61-68. doi:10.17116/jnevro20181183261-68 · PMID: 29798983
  • Shmonin AA, Verbickaya EV, Soloveva LN, Malceva MN, Melnikova EV. Meta-analysis: Semax effectiveness in the acute period of stroke. Bulletin of Rehabilitation Medicine. 2018;17(2):81-88. eco-vector (authors still call for a proper multicenter double-blind RCT)

Optic nerve

  • Polunin GS, Nurieva SM, Baiandin DL, Sheremet NL, Andreeva LA. [Evaluation of therapeutic effect of new Russian drug Semax in optic nerve disease]. Vestn Oftalmol. 2000;116(1):15-18. PMID: 10741256
  • Kurysheva NI, Shpak AA, Ioĭleva EE, et al. [Semax in the treatment of glaucomatous optic neuropathy in patients with normalized ophthalmic tone]. Vestn Oftalmol. 2001;117(4):5-8. PMID: 11569188

Independent Western gap appraisal

  • Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. Semax: Cognitive Vitality Report (for researchers). PDF

Evidence geography and limits: Evidence map.

Safety and product identity

  • Official Russian label (ЛС-002553): mild nasal mucosal irritation with prolonged use; prescription dispensing. Package insert PDF
  • Kolomin et al. 2013 (above): clinical tolerability notes in summarized experience (including nasal mucosa findings; limited diabetes/glucose note in one dataset)
  • Manufacturer overview (promotional tone; use cautiously): semax.ru: Что это

Visitor Q&A: Safety & FAQs.

Quality caveat: Pharmacy Semax in Russia is not the same evidentiary or quality world as unregulated online “research” vials. We do not evaluate or recommend vendors.

Regulatory documents

  • Registration ЛС-002553 (30.12.2011) and related manufacturer-cited registrations (e.g. Р N000812/01): see label / manufacturer materials above
  • Russian Government Order № 2199-р (7 December 2011) approving the Vital and Essential Drugs list for 2012: Minzdrav · ConsultantPlus
  • Secondary orientation on non-approval outside Eastern Europe: Wikipedia: Semax (verify against primary documents)

Plain-language map: Regulatory status.

Semax vs Selank

  • Kolomin et al. 2013 (comparative IMG review)
  • Kost et al. 2001 (shared enkephalinase theme in vitro)
  • Zozulia AA, et al. Efficacy and possible mechanisms of action of a new peptide anxiolytic selank in the therapy of generalized anxiety disorders and neurasthenia. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2008;108(4):38-48. PMID: 18454096
  • Volkova A, et al. Selank administration affects the expression of some genes involved in GABAergic neurotransmission. Front Pharmacol. 2016. PMID: 26924987 · PMC4757669

Comparison page: Semax vs Selank.

Guide index

Gaps we still flag

  • Large independent Western multicenter double-blind RCTs for many popular claims
  • Full English texts for some Russian clinical series (abstracts only for many readers)
  • Confirmed archival proof of a KGB “ops drug” origin (absent from our primary set)
  • Head-to-head modern trials that cleanly separate Semax vs Selank for healthy-volunteer “nootropic” use

When we add a new claim in a guide, it should land here too.