A practical reference on Semax: what it is, how it behaves, what the literature reports, and where the honest uncertainties sit.
Reviewed 2026-02-26. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
Development is attributed to researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow during the early 1980s, building on earlier Soviet work with ACTH fragments. Russian regulatory approval followed for intranasal use, and the compound has remained commercially available there for decades. Most published human data originate from Russian and, later, some Eastern European clinical reports, which are not always accessible in English translation. Outside that region the material is generally handled as a research chemical rather than a licensed medicine.
Regulatory status differs sharply between jurisdictions. In Russia the peptide is registered as a prescription nasal preparation, while agencies such as the United States Food and Drug Administration have not approved it for any indication. Products sold elsewhere are typically labeled for laboratory research only, and such labels shift responsibility for safe handling to the purchaser. Because the same name covers pharmaceutical-grade nasal drops and bulk research powder, identity and purity documentation becomes the main practical concern when comparing sources.
Later generations of the molecule include an N-acetylated form and an amidated form, both marketed online alongside the parent peptide. These variants differ in terminal chemistry and stability, and they are frequently discussed in the same breath even though they have not been compared in controlled trials. Supply outside formal healthcare systems comes largely from laboratories that synthesize peptides to order. Purity and identity of these materials vary widely, and no single body oversees the international trade.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide developed in the Soviet Union during the 1980s by researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow. It was designed as a truncated analog of adrenocorticotropic hormone, retaining only the fragment spanning residues four through ten. Investigators sought a peptide that would preserve the cognitive effects associated with ACTH while eliminating the hormonal stimulation of the adrenal cortex. The compound entered clinical use in Russia during the following decade.
Russian regulatory authorities approved the peptide for nasal administration, and it remains listed in the national pharmacopoeia under several trade names. Documented indications include acute ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attacks, traumatic brain injury, and certain ophthalmological and neurological conditions. Physicians also prescribe it for cognitive complaints in older patients, although the evidence base for that use is thinner. Outside Russia and a few neighboring states, the substance is not an approved medicine and is sold instead as a research chemical.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical class | Synthetic heptapeptide (ACTH fragment analog) | Not a steroid; does not belong to the melanocortin agonist drugs by marketing category |
| Molecular formula | C37H51N9O10S (commonly cited) | Reported values vary slightly with salt and counter-ion content |
| Appearance | White to off-white lyophilized powder | A single batch may appear as a loose cake or fluffy solid |
| Solubility | Freely soluble in water and aqueous buffer | Stock solutions are usually prepared in sterile water or saline |
| Typical storage | −20 °C or below, desiccated and protected from light | Seal opened vials promptly to limit moisture uptake |
The compound was developed during the 1980s at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow as part of research on fragments of adrenocorticotropic hormone. Early work examined short ACTH-derived sequences that retained neurotrophic effects while lacking the endocrine activity of the full hormone. Semax entered clinical use in Russia during the 1990s, where it received registration for several neurological indications. Outside that region it remained primarily a laboratory research material rather than an approved therapeutic. English-language literature on it grew more slowly and frequently cited the original Russian studies.
Terminology around the compound varies by source. It appears in catalogues and papers as Semax, as the heptapeptide ACTH(4-7)-Pro-Gly-Pro, and under various alphanumeric laboratory codes used by individual suppliers. These names refer to the same sequence but may imply different salt forms, purity grades, or counter-ions. Peptide databases usually list the free base mass, while product descriptions sometimes report acetate or trifluoroacetate salts with a different formula weight. Because naming conventions for research peptides are not standardised across vendors, checking the declared sequence and measured mass is more reliable than relying on a trade name alone.
Semax is a synthetic peptide created in the Soviet Union during the early 1980s by researchers working in Moscow. It was built from the short adrenocorticotropic hormone fragment known as ACTH(4-10), and the chain was then extended with three additional amino acids. The resulting molecule was named semax and entered clinical use in Russia in 1994. It is generally described as a nootropic and neuroprotective agent rather than as a hormone analogue.
The parent fragment ACTH(4-10) carries the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly. Semax replaces the arginine and tryptophan positions with a proline-glycine-proline tail, giving Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. That change removes residues associated with adrenal stimulation, so the peptide does not drive cortisol release the way full ACTH does. This distinction shapes how the compound is grouped in the literature, where it sits with neuropeptides and peptide neuromodulators rather than with corticosteroids.
ACS Publications is the publishing division of the ACS. It is a nonprofit academic publisher of scientific journals covering various fields of chemistry and related sciences. As of 2026, ACS Publications published the following peer-reviewed journals: In addition to academic journals, ACS Publications also publishes Chemical & Engineering News, a weekly trade magazine covering news in the chemical profession, inChemistry, a magazine for undergraduate students, and ChemMatters, a magazine for high school students and teachers. ACS also created ChemRxiv, which is an open access preprint repository for the chemical sciences, co-owned, and collaboratively managed by the American Chemical Society (ACS), German Chemical Society (GDCh), Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), the chemistry community, other societies, funders, and non-profits; open for submissions and available for all readers at ChemRxiv.
The ENCODE project proposes to map all of the DHSs in the human genome with the intention of cataloging human regulatory DNA. DHSs mark transcriptionally active regions of the genome, where there will be cellular selectivity. So, they used 125 different human cell types. This way, using the massive sequencing technique, they obtained the DHSs profiles of every cellular type. Through an analysis of the data, they identified almost 2.9 million distinct DHSs. 34% were specific to each cell type, and only a small minority (3,692) were detected in all cell types. Also, it was confirmed that only 5% of DHSs were found in TSS (Transcriptional Start Site) regions. The remaining 95% represented distal DHSs, divided in a uniform way between intronic and intergenic regions. The data gives an idea of the great complexity regulating the genetic expression in the human genome and the quantity of elements that control this regulation. The high-resolution mapping of DHSs in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana has been reported. Total 38,290 and 41,193 DHSs in leaf and flower tissues have been identified, respectively.
=== Interactions === Venlafaxine should be taken with caution when using St John's wort. Venlafaxine may lower the seizure threshold, and coadministration with other drugs that lower the seizure threshold such as bupropion and tramadol should be done with caution and at low doses.
== Pharmacokinetics == The substance is absorbed quickly from the gut and reaches its maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) after about two hours. If applied rectally, Cmax is reached after four hours. The bioavailability of the suppositories, measured as area under the curve (AUC), is about twofold that of oral formulations, due to a first pass effect of over 50%. By far the most important metabolisation reaction is ester hydrolysis, which accounts for 26.3% of the total clearance through the kidneys. Only 0.37% are cleared in form of the original substance. The plasma half life is 2.3 hours for oral formulations and three to 3.5 hours for suppositories. Pentoxyverine is also excreted into the breast milk.
== Adverse reactions == The safety profile of cinoxacin appears to be rather unremarkable. Adverse drug reactions appear to be limited to the gastrointestinal system and the central nervous system. Hypersensitivity resulting in an anaphylactic reactions (as seen with all drugs found within this class) has also been reported in association with cinoxacin. Animal studies have shown that Cinoxacin is associated with renal damage. Such damage appears to be due to the physical trauma resulting from deposition of cinoxacin crystals in the urinary tract. Such crystaluria has also been reported with other drugs in this class. A review of the literature indicates that patients treated with cinoxacin reported fewer adverse drug reactions than those treated with nalidixic acid, furadantin, amoxicillin, or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Although phototoxicity and photoallergenicity is well demonstrated experimentally, phototoxicity does not appear to be an issue with cinoxacin As a result of this safety profile the manufacturer, Eli Lilley states that "cinoxacin perhaps should be reserved only for those patients with organisms resistant to usual first-line agents or those who fail to respond to therapy with these agents."
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
β thalassemia major (Mediterranean anemia or Cooley anemia) is caused by a βo/βo genotype. No functional β chains are produced, and thus no hemoglobin A can be assembled. This is the most severe form of β-thalassemia. β thalassemia intermedia is caused by a β+/βo or β+/β+ genotype. In this form, some hemoglobin A is produced. β thalassemia minor is caused by a β/βo or β/β+ genotype. Only one of the two β globin alleles contains a mutation, so β chain production is not terribly compromised and patients may be relatively asymptomatic.
Bicalutamide is eliminated in similar proportions in feces (43%) and urine (34%), while its metabolites are eliminated roughly equally in urine and bile. The drug is excreted to a substantial extent in unmetabolized form, and both bicalutamide and its metabolites are eliminated mainly as glucuronide conjugates. The glucuronide conjugates of bicalutamide and its metabolites are eliminated from the circulation rapidly, unlike unconjugated bicalutamide. The pharmacokinetics of bicalutamide are not affected by consumption of food, a person's age or body weight, renal impairment, or mild-to-moderate hepatic impairment. However, steady-state levels of bicalutamide are higher in Japanese individuals than in white people.
On 5 April 2024, the Mexican embassy in Quito was raided by Ecuadorian police and military forces. Mexico and numerous other countries decried the raid as a violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1954 Caracas Convention on Diplomatic Asylum. The raid was carried out to arrest the former vice president of Ecuador, Jorge Glas, who had been sentenced for corruption and had been living in the embassy since 17 December 2023. A few hours before the attack, he had been granted political asylum. In response to the raid, Noboa said he made "exceptional decisions to protect national security, the rule of law and the dignity of a population that rejects any type of impunity for criminals, corrupt people or narco-terrorists", and that he would "not allow sentenced criminals involved in very serious crimes to be given asylum", arguing that such actions were against the Vienna Convention and other international agreements. Noboa later said that he wished to resolve the diplomatic issue with Mexico, but added that "justice is not negotiated" and that "we will never protect criminals who have harmed Mexicans".
Beginning in 1986, members of the University Health Center including Presbyterian University Hospital, Falk Clinic, the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and Eye & Ear Hospital consolidated into the Medical and Health Care Division (MHCD) and led by Detre, became closely linked administratively, although Presbyterian University Hospital remained separate. In 1990, MHCD acquired neighboring Montefiore Hospital which merged with Presbyterian University Hospital to form the "University of Pittsburgh Medical Center" (shortened to UPMC), the first time that name was officially used. UPMC then formed a network of specialty and community hospitals in 1994 named the Tri-State Health System and established a for-profit health insurance division, UPMC Health Plan, which contracted with these hospitals. In 1996, UPMC acquired South Side, Aliquippa and Braddock hospitals. Meanwhile, UPMC began to merge with several of the already affiliated Tri-State hospitals including St. Margaret Memorial, Shadyside, and Passavant hospitals in 1997 and Magee-Womens Hospital in 1998. The acquisition and mergers consolidated the Tri-State Health System into a significant portion of the UPMC health system. Due to the immense growth of the medical center, as well as the university's concerns over financial risks associated with faculty practice in the face of national changes in health care reimbursement, the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC separated in 1998, launching UPMC as an independent nonprofit corporation supporting the university.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is a short synthetic peptide built from seven amino acids: methionine, glutamic acid, histidine, phenylalanine and three prolines. The sequence derives from the 4-10 fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone with an added proline-glycine-proline tail. No plant or animal extract is involved; the material is produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis.
It was developed in the Soviet Union during the early 1980s by groups at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow. Russian approval for intranasal use followed, and it has been marketed there since. Western laboratories encountered it mainly through translated literature and, later, through online research-chemical trade.
It holds a Russian registration as a prescription nasal product but has no approval from the European Medicines Agency or the United States Food and Drug Administration. Buyers outside Russia usually receive material sold strictly for laboratory research. That distinction matters because research-grade and pharmaceutical-grade products carry different documentation and testing expectations.
It originated at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow during the 1980s. The work was carried out by a Russian research group that specialized in peptide neuropharmacology.