Nootropic
Semax
Approved in Russia; not Canada or USSmall human studies
A lab-made fragment of ACTH (a pituitary hormone) without its hormone effects, developed in Russia, where it's approved as a nasal spray for stroke recovery and some cognitive problems. Human data are mostly small Russian studies.
- Canada
- Not authorized
- United States
- Not approved; advisory committee voted 8-5 in Jul 2026 to allow compounding; no final rule
Download profile Opens in Vialchemy on your iPhone, where it's added to your Library as your own.
Not medical advice — talk to your doctor before making medical decisions.
At a glance
- Class
- Nootropic
- Mechanism
- Proposed: raises BDNF, affects dopamine and serotonin
- Evidence
- Small human trials (mostly Russian, stroke)
- Canada
- Not authorized
- Us
- Not approved
- Half Life
- Minutes
- Routes
- Nasal
- Common Side Effects
- Nasal irritation, headache, restlessness
- Key Cautions
- Limited independent data
What the research says
Is there human evidence?
Some for stroke recovery in Russian studies. Little independent evidence for focus or memory in healthy people.
Sleep?
Users commonly report feeling wired. Taking it late in the day may affect sleep; the check-in's sleep tags will show it.
With Selank?
A common pairing. No combination trials.
Get medical care if
- Sudden severe headache, weakness on one side or trouble speaking (call 911)
- Hives, swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing (call 911)
Buying and quality
- Not authorized by Health Canada. Products sold online as "research use only" are illegal to sell for human use in Canada, and the label doesn't change that.
- Health Canada warns these products may contain too much, too little or none of the peptide, plus contaminants like endotoxins, solvents, heavy metals or bacteria.
- A certificate of analysis (COA) from the seller isn't independent proof. A 98% purity result still leaves 2% unidentified.
- If you use it anyway: one clean needle per injection, sterile technique, label and date every vial, and stop if a site gets hot, red and spreading.
Dose calculator
Doses are set with your prescriber. This converts a dose you already have into what to draw; it doesn't recommend one. Check every number against your syringe and your vial's label.
Doses left in the vial
A blend vial
Not medical advice — talk to your doctor before making medical decisions.
Sources
Researched 2026-10-27. Trial results and approval status change.
General education, not medical advice. Nothing here is a dose recommendation. Doses, schedules and changes are set with a prescriber.