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Semax
$99.99
Semax is a Russian-developed nootropic heptapeptide (ACTH 4-7 derivative) prized in research for upregulating BDNF and NGF while modulating dopamine and serotonin. Premium Semax Canada supply, third-party grade, for laboratory and educational use only.
Description
When your research demands a peptide with a genuine clinical pedigree, few compounds rival Semax: a synthetic heptapeptide engineered in Russia to deliver the neurotropic, neuroprotective power of ACTH without its hormonal baggage, and registered as a prescription nootropic since 1994. Helixx supplies premium, research-grade Semax Canada to laboratories that want the same molecule behind decades of Russian neuroscience, held to the same exacting standard as the rest of our Canadian peptides catalogue, and shipped fast from within Canada.1
What Is Semax?
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro (PubChem CID 9811102), developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The trick is in the construction: it fuses the ACTH(4-7) fragment (the part of adrenocorticotropic hormone responsible for neurotropic activity) with a C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide that resists enzymatic breakdown. The result is a molecule that keeps ACTH’s neuroprotective and nootropic character while shedding the corticotropic (hormonal) effects, and one that survives long enough in tissue to act. It has been studied and used in Russia since the mid-1990s, typically given intranasally, and is a frequent subject of comparison alongside its sibling peptide Selank in the nootropic-peptide literature.
How Semax Works
Semax’s principal mechanism is the upregulation of neurotrophins. A single intranasal or systemic dose raises brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein and mRNA, together with nerve growth factor (NGF) expression, in the hippocampus and frontal cortex, and increases trkB receptor expression and tyrosine phosphorylation, activating the BDNF/trkB signaling cascade that supports learning, memory and neuronal survival.1 Beyond neurotrophins, Semax modulates monoaminergic neurotransmission: it enhances striatal dopamine release and locomotor responses and positively modulates the serotonergic system, which is thought to underlie its acute pro-attentional, stimulant-like effects. In cerebral ischemia-reperfusion models it acts as a neuroprotectant by upregulating active CREB, downregulating pro-inflammatory and apoptotic mediators such as MMP-9, c-Fos and active JNK, and normalizing ischemia-disrupted immune and neurosignaling gene-expression profiles.2
What the Research Shows
- Neurotrophin upregulation. A single administration of Semax increased BDNF expression across multiple regions of the rat brain in vivo, giving direct evidence for its neurotrophin-driven mechanism.1
- Neuroprotection in ischemia. Proteomic profiling in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model confirmed Semax’s protective effect, with upregulation of active CREB and downregulation of MMP-9, c-Fos and active JNK in ischemic brain tissue.2
- Measurable human brain-network effects. Resting-state fMRI in healthy volunteers showed intranasal Semax was associated with a greater volume of the rostral (medial frontal cortex) subcomponent of the brain’s default mode network.3
- Human electrophysiology. Intranasal Semax produced nootropic-type changes in the human EEG, providing early human evidence of a central nervous system effect.4
Researchers frequently position Semax within the broader neuropeptide toolkit, comparing and stacking it conceptually with Selank for anxiolytic-nootropic work and with regenerative blends such as GLO (TB-500 + BPC-157 + Copper GHK) and standalone BPC-157 when tissue-repair and neuroprotection endpoints are studied together.
Chemical Properties
| Research Name | Semax (ACTH 4-7 heptapeptide) |
| CAS Number | 80714-61-0 |
| Molecular Formula | C37H51N9O10 |
| Molecular Weight | 751.9 g/mol |
| Classification | Synthetic nootropic / neuroprotective heptapeptide |
Research Protocols & Handling
Semax is supplied strictly for laboratory, research and educational use only. It is not for human consumption and not for veterinary use. Lyophilized peptide should be stored sealed, cool and away from light; for long-term stability, keep at -20°C. Reconstitute with bacteriostatic or sterile water, swirling gently rather than shaking, and store the reconstituted solution refrigerated at 2–8°C with use within a limited window to preserve peptide integrity. As with all of our Canadian peptides, handle using appropriate laboratory practice, accurate analytical measurement, and clean technique. Nothing here constitutes dosing guidance for humans.
Potential Side Effects & Safety
The risk picture is worth stating plainly. In Russian clinical observation Semax is generally reported as well tolerated over short courses (roughly 10–30 days) and is largely free of the hormonal/corticotropic side effects of ACTH, but the following effects are documented and should be understood by anyone handling the compound in a research context:
- Nasal / mucosal irritation. Transient irritation after intranasal administration is the most commonly reported adverse effect.
- Headache. Mild, transient headache has been reported.
- Altered taste (dysgeusia). A rare metallic or altered taste during or shortly after dosing.
- Irritability or agitation. Some reports of feeling wired or on-edge.
- Sleep changes. Insomnia or altered sleep, plausibly related to Semax’s dopaminergic, stimulant-like activity.
- Appetite variation. Increases or decreases in appetite.
- Nasal-lining changes. Visible changes in the nasal lining in a minority of users with repeated intranasal use.
- Blood-glucose changes. Mild, transient increases in blood glucose reported in a small proportion of diabetic patients in clinical observation.
- Incomplete long-term picture. Robust long-term safety data, independent Western pharmacovigilance, and Phase 2/3 randomized controlled trials are lacking, so the adverse-effect profile is not fully characterized.
Not approved for human consumption in Canada or elsewhere; research and educational use only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Semax legal in Canada?
Semax is not an approved drug or Natural Health Product in Canada, and it is not authorized for human consumption here. It may be lawfully bought and handled as a research chemical for laboratory and educational use only. Helixx supplies Semax Canada strictly on that basis, never for personal use.
How does Semax differ from Selank?
Both are Russian-developed nootropic peptides, but they come from different parents: Semax is an ACTH(4-7) derivative studied mainly for attention, memory and neuroprotection, whereas Selank is a tuftsin analogue researched more for anxiolytic endpoints. They are frequently compared, and sometimes studied together, in the neuropeptide literature.
What is the mechanism behind Semax’s nootropic reputation?
In animal models a single dose upregulates BDNF and NGF and activates BDNF/trkB signaling that supports neuronal survival and learning,1 while dopaminergic and serotonergic modulation is thought to drive its acute pro-attentional effects. Human EEG and fMRI studies show measurable central-nervous-system activity.4
How should Semax be stored for research use?
Keep the lyophilized powder sealed, cool and dark (-20°C for long-term storage). After reconstitution with bacteriostatic or sterile water, refrigerate at 2–8°C and use within a limited window. These handling notes apply to research settings only and are not human dosing instructions.
References
Peer-reviewed and authoritative sources cited above. Helixx supplies research materials for laboratory and educational use only; citations are provided for independent verification, not as medical guidance.
- Dolotov OV, et al. The heptapeptide SEMAX stimulates BDNF expression in different areas of the rat brain in vivo. Dokl Biol Sci. 2003;391:292-5. PMID: 14556513.
- Stavchansky VV, Filippenkov IB, Remizova JA, et al. Brain protein expression profile confirms the protective effect of the ACTH(4-7)PGP peptide (Semax) in a rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(12):6179. PMID: 34201112.
- Lebedeva IS, Panikratova YaR, Sokolov OYu, et al. Effects of Semax on the default mode network of the brain. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2018;165(5):653-656. PMID: 30225715.
- Koroleva MV, Meizerov EE, Nezavibat’ko VN, Kamenskii AA, Dubynin VA. Effect of the heptapeptide Semax on the human electroencephalogram. Biull Eksp Biol Med. 1996;121(1):7-10. PMID: 8679991.