Semax
An ACTH fragment with the hormonal activity stripped out and the neurological activity kept — the best-known nootropic peptide there is.
An ACTH(4-10) analogue studied for cognition, BDNF and recovery after stroke, mostly in Russian research.
- Also known as
- ACTH(4-10) analogue
- Class
- Synthetic fragment of ACTH with a stabilising Pro-Gly-Pro tail
- Evidence
- Early human studies
- FDA
- Not approved (registered in Russia)
- WADA 2026
- Not named
Concentrations · 1 vial
from R 4005mg selected — in stock and shipping now.
About Semax
Semax is derived from ACTH(4-10), a fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone, modified so that the hormonal effects are gone and what remains acts on the brain. Like Selank it came out of the Russian Academy of Sciences and has been in clinical use there for decades, in contexts ranging from cognitive impairment to stroke recovery.
The research interest that brings people here is narrower than the clinical one: focus, memory consolidation and neuroprotection, mediated in part through BDNF — brain-derived neurotrophic factor, the signalling protein most associated with neuroplasticity. It is the most widely used nootropic peptide and the reference point that Adamax, its modified successor, is measured against.
Specifications
Evidence level: Early human studies · Mainly small Russian trials; registered as a medicine in Russia.
- Sequence
- Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro (seven amino acids), an ACTH(4-10) analogue
- Formula
- C37H51N9O10S PubChem ↗
- Molecular weight
- 813.9 g/mol
- CAS number
- 80714-61-0
Certificate of analysis
Independent lab test · Janoshik Analytical, 25 June 2025
- Report
- Task #69188
- Sample tested
- Semax 10 mg, batch XA11
- Client on report
- Kerisite peptide; manufacturer qinglishangmao.com
- Method
- Identity, amount and peptide purity per vial
- Purity
- 99.499%
- Amount
- 11.80 mg
Results apply to the sample the lab tested. Check it at janoshik.com/verify with key 588RKASXBZP6.
How our batches are tested
Demand for peptides has grown quickly, and the factories that make them now run batches far more often than they used to. When batches were large and infrequent, we could test each one ourselves. At today’s pace that stopped being practical: independent testing is priced per sample, per compound, in US dollars.
So we share it. STRIATA is one of a group of companies across South Africa that buy from the same factory, and together we split the cost of independent lab testing. Each test is paid for once and shared by everyone who buys from that factory, which lets the testing keep pace with the batches.
That is why the client named on a certificate may be another company, and why the vial in a lab’s photo may carry another brand’s label: the report names whoever sent that sample in. We publish every certificate exactly as the lab issued it, unedited. If you have a question about a certificate, ask us on WhatsApp.
What one test costs at Janoshik Analytical
- BPC-157 or TB-500US$215
- GHK-Cu, Semax, Selank or EpithalonUS$290
- Two-peptide blend (BPC-157/TB-500, CJC/Ipamorelin)US$320
- GLP-1 test (semaglutide, tirzepatide, retatrutide)US$360
- NAD+US$450
- KLOW four-peptide blendUS$800
- Endotoxin screen, added to any test+US$180
Per sample, from Janoshik’s published price list, checked 17 October 2026.
What it’s researched for
Research context, not medical advice. Everything we sell is supplied for research purposes.
Focus and attention
The effect most people are after, and the one that made Semax the default nootropic peptide well before the others arrived.
Memory consolidation
Studied for learning and memory formation rather than recall alone, which is consistent with a BDNF-mediated mechanism.
Neuroprotection
The basis of its Russian clinical use, in contexts including stroke recovery and cognitive decline.
What the research does not show
The limits of the evidence, stated as plainly as the findings.
- Large international randomised trials. The human studies, including those after stroke, are mainly Russian.
Reconstitution and storage
The 5mg vial with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water gives 2.5mg/mL. Semax, like Selank, is commonly used intranasally in research settings; the vial we supply is lyophilised powder for reconstitution. Unopened vials are stable at room temperature in transit but belong in a fridge once they arrive, and out of a parked car in a Highveld summer.
Questions we get about Semax
Sources
- Dolotov OV, Karpenko EA, et al. Semax, an analogue of adrenocorticotropin (4-10), binds specifically and increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein in rat basal forebrain. Journal of Neurochemistry, 2006.
- Eremin KO, Kudrin VS, et al. Semax, an ACTH(4-10) analogue with nootropic properties, activates dopaminergic and serotoninergic brain systems in rodents. Neurochemical Research, 2005.
- Gusev EI, Skvortsova VI, et al. [Effectiveness of semax in acute period of hemispheric ischemic stroke (a clinical and electrophysiological study)]. Zhurnal Nevrologii I Psikhiatrii Imeni S.S. Korsakova, 1997.
Often bought with it
Order Semax in South Africa
Everything ships from Johannesburg, nationwide. Add it to your order slip, send the slip on WhatsApp, and we’ll confirm stock, pricing and delivery before you pay a cent.