Research Peptides Semax 10mg Vial for Laboratory Use

Product Details and Specifications for This Research Peptide

Each vial contains only the peptide Semax as a dry powder, with no water, solvent, filler or other active ingredient. It is a single compound, not a blend, so any result in your experiment can be attributed to Semax alone. It is the standard, unmodified sequence used in almost all published research, not N-acetyl Semax amidate and not a Semax and Selank blend.

How Is It Studied in Laboratory Research?

What does Semax do in the lab, and how does Semax work? Its mechanism is not fully understood. Research on peptides Semax is mostly from Russian groups linked to its developers and falls into three areas: growth-factor (BDNF) signalling, models of reduced blood flow to the brain, and dopamine and serotonin signalling. What does Semax peptide do in these models? The findings below are from rats, mice and cultured cells and do not show any effect in people. What is Semax peptide used for outside Russia? As a research tool only.

BDNF Related Signalling Research

BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is a growth-factor protein that supports nerve cell survival and the forming of new connections. It acts through a receptor called TrkB. BDNF is the most cited part of Semax research:

• Hippocampus: Dolotov et al. (2006) gave rats a single dose of Semax (50 µg/kg) and measured BDNF in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in learning and memory. BDNF protein rose up to 1.4-fold, TrkB activation (phosphorylation) 1.6-fold, BDNF messenger RNA (exon III) 3-fold and TrkB messenger RNA 2-fold.
• Binding sites: a companion study from the same group reported specific Semax binding sites in rat basal forebrain and higher BDNF protein there [VERIFY: Dolotov et al. 2006, J Neurochem 97 Suppl 1].
• After ischaemia: in rats with a blocked brain artery, Semax raised transcription of BDNF and the neurotrophin receptors TrkA and TrkC at 3 hours, and of NGF and NT-3 later (Dmitrieva et al. 2010).

These are short-term measurements in rodents, mostly from one research network. Higher BDNF levels in a rat brain sample do not show any effect on behaviour or health on their own.

Ischemia and Nerve Cell Stress Research in Animal Models

Ischaemia means reduced blood supply. Because Semax is used for stroke in Russia, much of its laboratory work uses models of stroke and nerve cell stress:

• Gene expression after a blocked artery: Medvedeva et al. (2014) permanently blocked the middle cerebral artery in rats, gave Semax (100 µg/kg) at 15 minutes and 1, 4 and 8 hours, and measured gene activity across the genome in the damaged cortex. Semax changed 96 genes at 3 hours and 68 at 24 hours. More than half were immune-related, including immunoglobulin and chemokine genes, and others were linked to blood vessel formation.
• Neurotrophins: in a similar rat model, Semax raised BDNF, NGF and their receptor genes, while its Pro-Gly-Pro tail alone had mostly non-specific effects (Dmitrieva et al. 2010).
• Oxidative stress in cells: Safarova et al. (2003) exposed cultured rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells to hydrogen peroxide. Semax reduced the number of damaged cells in a dose-dependent way, and the effect depended on when it was added.

Gene activity changes and cell survival in a dish are early-stage findings. They describe what happens in the model, not a treatment effect.

Dopamine and Serotonin Signalling Research in Cell and Animal Models

Dopamine and serotonin are messengers involved in movement, motivation and mood. The main published study is in rodents:

• Serotonin: Eremin et al. (2005) found that Semax (0.15 mg/kg, injected into the abdomen) raised the serotonin breakdown product 5-HIAA in the rat striatum by about 25% at 2 hours, and outside the cells to about 180% of baseline over 14 hours.
• Dopamine: on its own, Semax did not change dopamine or its breakdown products. Given 20 minutes before amphetamine, it strongly increased amphetamine-induced dopamine release and movement in the animals.
• Receptors in cell systems: in cell-based receptor tests, Semax has been reported to block α-MSH at the melanocortin MC4 and MC5 receptors, suggesting it may act as an antagonist or partial agonist there [VERIFY: primary study, cited via Bertolini 2012]. Like Selank, it also slows enzymes in human serum that break down enkephalins, with half the activity blocked at about 10 µM (Kost et al. 2001).

How these findings connect, and whether they occur at the levels reached in a living brain, is not established.

What Does Current Evidence Say About Human Studies?

Semax has been studied in patients in Russia, mainly in the early period after ischaemic stroke, and in smaller studies of optic nerve disease [VERIFY: Kurysheva et al. 2001]. Most of this work was published in Russian, by groups linked to its developers. A 2018 Russian meta-analysis considered 8 stroke studies (654 patients) but could pool only 3 of them (181 patients) because the rest did not meet its quality criteria or measured different outcomes. Its authors concluded that a multicentre, double-blind trial is still needed. We could not find large, independent, placebo-controlled trials published in English-language journals [CHECK clinicaltrials.gov before publishing]. Semax is not an approved medicine in the UK, and no safe or effective use in people has been established outside its Russian registration. Genesis Peptides makes no health claims for this product.

Semax vs Selank: What Is the Difference in Research?

Semax and Selank are the two best-known Russian-developed research peptides, and Semax vs Selank (or Selank vs Semax) is one of the most searched comparisons. They come from the same institute and share the Pro-Gly-Pro tail, but they are built on different natural molecules.

The main Semax vs Selank difference is the parent molecule: Semax comes from a hormone fragment, Selank from an immune peptide, and their research has followed those origins. Semax and Selank are often studied side by side, so the question is rarely Selank or Semax in general, but which one fits your research question. Some suppliers sell a Selank Semax blend or a Selank + Semax peptide mix. A Selank and Semax blend makes it impossible to tell which peptide caused a result, so many study designs buy Selank and Semax as separate products. On a COA, the masses tell a Semax Selank pair apart: about 813.9 for Semax and about 751.9 for Selank. If you order Selank Semax peptide stock separately, check both certificates. [LINK: Selank vial]

Other comparisons. Adamax vs Semax: Adamax is sold by some vendors as a further-modified Semax; we found no peer-reviewed studies on it, so its structure is not independently established. Cerebrolysin vs Semax: Cerebrolysin is a mixture of peptides from pig brain tissue, not a single defined peptide. Pinealon vs Semax: Pinealon is a three-amino-acid peptide (Glu-Asp-Arg) from a different Russian research group [VERIFY]. P21 vs Semax: P21 (P021) is a small modified peptide derived from ciliary neurotrophic factor, studied mainly in mouse models [VERIFY]. Each is a different compound with its own, generally smaller, body of literature.

Certificate of Analysis and Purity Testing for Each Batch

Every batch of our peptides Semax stock comes with a certificate of analysis (COA) from [CONFIRM: lab name] [independent third-party lab: CONFIRM]. The COA shows two separate tests: HPLC, which measures purity, and mass spectrometry, which confirms the molecule. Both are needed. A high purity figure alone does not prove the main peak is Semax, and a correct mass alone does not show how much of the sample is impurity.

How to Find and Download the Certificate for Your Batch

1. Find the batch number on your vial label [and on the packing slip: CONFIRM].
2. Go to [LINK: COA library page], or use the COA link in the product images on this page.
3. Choose the certificate whose batch number matches your vial and download the PDF.
4. If you cannot find your batch, contact us at [CONFIRM: email] and we will send it.

How to Read HPLC Purity and Mass Spectrometry Results

• HPLC purity: the trace shows one main peak for Semax and smaller peaks for impurities, such as shorter “deletion” sequences missing one amino acid, or oxidised Semax (methionine sulphoxide). Purity is the main peak’s area as a percentage of all peaks. This batch: [CONFIRM: __%].
• Mass spectrometry: the measured monoisotopic mass should be about 813.35. It is usually reported as [M+H]+ at about 814.4, and sometimes as [M+2H]2+ at about 407.7. A peak 16 units heavier (about 830.4) suggests oxidised methionine. A mass of about 751.9 would mean Selank, not Semax.
• Net peptide content (if shown): the share of the powder that is peptide, as opposed to counter-ions (usually acetate) and residual water. It is usually well below 100% even when purity is high.
• Check the details: the product name, batch number, test date and lab name should all be on the certificate.

How to Store and Handle a Lyophilised Peptide Vial

How to store Semax: as a dry, lyophilised powder it is much more stable than in solution. For long-term storage, keep the sealed vial at −20 °C, away from light and moisture. Does Semax need to be refrigerated? For short periods, 2–8 °C in a fridge is generally suitable for lyophilised peptides [CONFIRM in-house guidance], and short periods at room temperature during delivery are normal. Because Semax contains methionine, which oxidises in air, keep the vial sealed until use. Before opening a cold vial, let it reach room temperature so moisture does not condense on the powder. Handle with gloves, using sterile technique, in a lab setting.

Storage Before and After Reconstitution

• Before reconstitution: sealed vial at −20 °C long term, or 2–8 °C short term. How long does Semax last unopened? [__ months: CONFIRM], and never past the expiry date on the label.
• How to reconstitute Semax: Semax dissolves readily in water. In research protocols, the powder is usually dissolved in sterile bacteriostatic water [LINK: bac water], added slowly down the side of the vial and swirled gently rather than shaken. The volume used depends on the concentration your protocol needs.
• After reconstitution: store the solution at 2–8 °C, protected from light, and use within [__ days/weeks: CONFIRM from your stability data]. Avoid repeated freezing and thawing; if longer storage is needed, split the solution into single-use aliquots and freeze them.
• Discard any solution that turns cloudy, changes colour or contains particles.

Is Research Use of This Peptide Legal in the UK, and Is It Banned in Sport?

[LEGAL REVIEW: this section]

People often ask “Is Semax legal in the UK?” These are the facts we can state; they are not legal advice.

• Not a controlled drug. Semax is not listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 [VERIFY].
• Not a licensed medicine in the UK. Semax is a registered medicine in Russia, but it has no marketing authorisation from the MHRA, so it cannot legally be sold or supplied in the UK as a medicine for human use, or as a food supplement. Is Semax legal in the US? It is not approved by the FDA and is not a scheduled controlled substance there; it is not approved by the EMA in the EU either.
• Psychoactive Substances Act 2016. Because Semax acts on the nervous system in research models, supplying it for human consumption could fall under this Act. Supply as a research chemical, labelled and sold for laboratory use and not for consumption, is the basis on which we sell it [LEGAL REVIEW]. We will not sell to anyone who says they intend to use it on a person or an animal.

So is Semax legal to buy in the UK? For laboratory research, on the basis above [LEGAL REVIEW]. The rules depend on how a product is sold and used, and they can change.

Is it banned in sport? Semax is not named on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2026 Prohibited List. Section S0 bans pharmacological substances not covered by another section that have no current approval for human therapeutic use by any government health authority. Because Semax is approved in Russia, whether S0 applies is not clear-cut. Athletes covered by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) rules should check with UKAD before any contact with it [VERIFY with UKAD].

What to Check Before Buying Research Peptides in the UK

Before you buy Semax or any other research peptide, check:

• A batch-matched COA with both HPLC purity and mass spectrometry identity, from a named lab. For Semax, the mass should be about 813.9.
• The exact compound. The listing should say Semax (MEHFPGP), the amount per vial, and whether it is the standard sequence, N-acetyl Semax amidate or a blend with Selank.
• Net peptide content and salt form, so you know how much actual peptide is in the vial.
• Clear research-use labelling and no dosing, focus, mood or treatment claims. Many Semax for sale listings make these claims; a supplier that does is selling outside the rules.
• The right name. “Sema” is common shorthand for semaglutide, a completely different weight-loss drug. Make sure the product is Semax.
• A UK address and contact details, and dispatch from the UK.

The lowest price is rarely the best value if there is no batch certificate behind it. Wherever you buy Semax, check the COA before you open the vial. To order this vial, add it to your basket at the top of this page [CONFIRM: or “Semax buy button” wording to match your theme].

UK Delivery, Dispatch and Packaging

• Dispatch: orders placed before [CONFIRM: time] on a working day are dispatched the same day from [CONFIRM: town/county].
• Delivery: [CONFIRM: carrier and service, e.g. Royal Mail Tracked 24], [CONFIRM: price / free over £__].
• Packaging: vials are sealed and packed in [CONFIRM: protective packaging details], in plain outer packaging. Lyophilised peptides are stable at room temperature for the length of normal UK transit; store them as described above on arrival [CONFIRM].
• Payment: [CONFIRM: payment methods].

When you buy Semax UK stock from us, it is held and shipped within the UK, so there are no customs delays. Every Semax buy UK order includes the batch number on the packing slip for COA lookup, and our Semax peptide UK stock is batch-tested before it goes on sale. For larger lab orders, contact [CONFIRM: email].

What Is Semax and How Is It Related to ACTH?

What is Semax peptide? It is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide (sometimes misspelt Seemax peptide or Seamax peptide) made at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, under academicians I.P. Ashmarin and N.F. Myasoedov. It first appeared in the scientific literature in 1991. In Russia, Semax is a registered prescription medicine given as nasal drops, and it is on the Russian List of Vital and Essential Drugs approved in December 2011. It is not licensed by the MHRA in the UK, the EMA in the EU or the FDA in the US, and outside Russia and some neighbouring countries it is supplied only as a research chemical.

Its link to ACTH is in the first four amino acids. ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) is a 39-amino-acid hormone made by the pituitary gland that tells the adrenal glands to release cortisol. Short pieces of ACTH, such as ACTH(4-10), were found in earlier animal research to affect behaviour without stimulating the adrenal glands. Semax takes ACTH(4-7), Met-Glu-His-Phe, and adds a Pro-Gly-Pro tail. Natural ACTH fragments are broken down within minutes by enzymes in blood, and the tail makes the chain more resistant to those enzymes. Semax is therefore usually described as a stable analogue of ACTH(4-10). It does not contain the part of ACTH that acts on the adrenal glands.

Semax or N-acetyl Semax amidate? Searches for N acetyl Semax amidate (also written N-acetyl-Semax-amidate, acetyl Semax amidate, N acetyl Semax or NA-Semax) refer to a modified version with an acetyl group on the first amino acid and an amide on the last. Both changes are common in peptide chemistry to slow breakdown by enzymes, but there is far less peer-reviewed research on N-acetyl Semax amidate than on Semax, and its exact structure varies between suppliers. On NA-Semax vs Semax (or N acetyl Semax amidate vs Semax): the published literature is almost entirely on the unmodified sequence, which is what this vial contains.

Amino Acid Sequence, Molecular Weight and Chemical Structure

• Sequence: H-Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro-OH (one-letter code MEHFPGP). Positions 1 to 4 are ACTH(4-7); positions 5 to 7 (Pro-Gly-Pro) are the stabilising tail, the same tail used in Selank.
• Formula and weight: C37H51N9O10S, average molecular weight about 813.9 g/mol, monoisotopic mass about 813.35.
• CAS number: 80714-61-0.
• Structure: the single sulphur atom comes from methionine at position 1, which is the residue most prone to oxidation, one reason the powder is stored sealed and cold. Glutamic acid carries a negative charge at neutral pH and histidine is mostly uncharged, so with the free N-terminal amine and C-terminal acid, Semax has a small net negative charge at neutral pH and dissolves readily in water.
• Stability in biological samples: the half life of Semax in blood is short. Rat studies from 1991 tracked how blood enzymes cut it from the N-terminal end [VERIFY: Potaman et al. 1991, figure]. Published values vary with species and method, so check primary sources for your model.

Scientific References and Published Studies

Key published studies on peptides Semax cited on this page:

1. Kost NV, Sokolov OYu, Gabaeva MV, Grivennikov IA, Andreeva LA, Myasoedov NF, Zozulya AA. Semax and selank inhibit the enkephalin-degrading enzymes from human serum. Bioorg Khim. 2001;27(3):180–183.
2. Safarova ER, Shram SI, Zolotarev YA, et al. Effect of Semax peptide on survival of cultured rat pheochromocytoma cells during oxidative stress. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2003;135(3):268–271. doi:10.1023/A:1024141232307
3. Eremin KO, Kudrin VS, Saransaari P, Oja SS, Grivennikov IA, Myasoedov NF, Rayevsky KS. Semax, an ACTH(4-10) analogue with nootropic properties, activates dopaminergic and serotoninergic brain systems in rodents. Neurochem Res. 2005;30(12):1493–1500. doi:10.1007/s11064-005-8826-8
4. Dolotov OV, Karpenko EA, Inozemtseva LS, et al. Semax, an analog of ACTH(4-10) with cognitive effects, regulates BDNF and trkB expression in the rat hippocampus. Brain Res. 2006;1117(1):54–60. PMID 16996037
5. Dmitrieva VG, Povarova OV, Skvortsova VI, et al. Semax and Pro-Gly-Pro activate the transcription of neurotrophins and their receptor genes after cerebral ischemia. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2010. PMID 19633950 [VERIFY volume, pages]
6. Medvedeva EV, Dmitrieva VG, Povarova OV, et al. The peptide semax affects the expression of genes related to the immune and vascular systems in rat brain focal ischemia: genome-wide transcriptional analysis. BMC Genomics. 2014;15:228. doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-228
7. Shmonin AA, Verbitskaya EV, Soloveva LN, Maltseva MN, Melnikova EV. Meta-analysis: Semax effectiveness in the acute period of stroke. Bulletin of Rehabilitation Medicine. 2018;2(84). [VERIFY pages]
8. Deigin VI, Poluektova EA, Beniashvili AG, Kozin SA, Poluektov YM. Development of peptide biopharmaceuticals in Russia. Pharmaceutics. 2022;14(4):716.
9. World Anti-Doping Agency. Prohibited List 2026, S0 Non-Approved Substances.

[CHECK: add DOI or PubMed links before publishing; add Dolotov 2006 (J Neurochem), Potaman 1991, Kurysheva 2001 and the MC4/MC5 receptor study if you keep those sentences]

Related Research Peptides and Buying Guides

Semax peptides are often researched alongside other Russian-developed peptides, and in other formats. Related products:

• Semax nasal spray 10mg: the same peptide as a ready-made solution with a metered pump, for intranasal study designs. [LINK: Semax nasal spray]
• Selank 10mg vial: the tuftsin-based peptide from the same institute, the usual comparison for Semax. [LINK: Selank vial]
• Selank nasal spray 10mg: Selank as a ready-made solution. [LINK: Selank nasal spray]
• Epitalon 10mg vial: another short peptide first developed in Russia, as a lyophilised research vial. [LINK: Epitalon vial]
• Bacteriostatic water 10ml: for reconstituting lyophilised peptides in research protocols. [LINK: Bac water]
• Guides: [LINK: How to read a peptide COA] · [LINK: How to store research peptides]

Or return to the top of this page to order Semax 10mg.

All products are for laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use.