Focus & Cognition
Semax
Animal and cell research studies how it affects memory, focus, and the brain's own protective signals. Research-grade Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide analog of the ACTH(4-10) fragment, made for neuroprotection and cognition research.
$44.99
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Orders by 1:30 PM MT ship the same dayShips from Canada, every day
- Free shipping over $140. Most Canadian stores start free shipping at $200.
- Discreet, unmarked packaging.
- Third-party tested by Janoshik
- COA published per batch
Reconstitution calculator for Semax →
- Tested by Janoshik, every batchIndependent HPLC and mass spec. The lab is named on the report.
- The report is public before you orderPublished under the lot number printed on the vial, so you can match them on arrival.
- Ships from Canada within 24 hoursTracked and discreet. Free shipping over $140.
Certificate of Analysis
- Purity (HPLC)
- 99%+
- Format
- Lyophilized powder
- Storage
- −20°C (long-term)
- Shipping
- Canadian domestic
- Testing
- HPLC purity + content
This batch's COA publishes here the day Janoshik files results, track it on Lab Reports.
How Semax is studied to work, in plain words
- Semax is a lab-made chain of seven amino acids, built from a small piece of a hormone called ACTH.
- It docks on the melanocortin receptors in the brain, the docking points ACTH fits, and leaves the adrenal glands alone.
- Animal studies report it raising BDNF, a protein that supports brain cells and the connections between them.
- In rat brain tissue with blood flow blocked, the genes that changed most were tied to the immune system and blood vessels.
- It has been an approved drug inside Russia for decades. Outside Russia only two human studies of any size are published.
These are findings investigators reported in their own study participants and in rats, mostly published in Russian-language journals and not repeated by any group outside Russia. They are not a result for this vial, and not a result for any reader. Semax is not approved by Health Canada, the FDA or the European Medicines Agency for any use, and everything Lux BioPure sells is supplied for laboratory research use only.
- [1]Effects of Semax on the default mode network of the brainBulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2018
- [2]The efficacy of Semax in patients at different stages of ischemic strokeZhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii im. S.S. Korsakova, 2018
- [3]Genome-wide transcriptional analysis of Semax in rat brain focal ischemiaBMC Genomics, 2014
How it works, step by step
Step 1 of 3Melanocortin receptors in the brain
Step 1 · Target
Melanocortin receptors in the brain
- Semax shares the core seven-part sequence of its parent hormone fragment.
- So it fits the same docking points in the brain that fragment fits.
- Studied for which docking points in the brain it fits.
The adrenal glands are left alone
- Unlike the full hormone, Semax leaves the adrenal glands alone.
- Those are the small glands on top of the kidneys that make stress hormones.
Measured2018 pilot study, 24 healthy adults given a single dose or a placebo, which carries no active drug: a larger volume in one part of the default mode network.Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2018
Step 2 of 3BDNF, a growth factor for brain cells
Step 2 · Target
BDNF, a growth factor for brain cells
- BDNF is a protein that supports the growth of brain cells.
- It also supports the connections between them.
- Studied for BDNF rising in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex within hours of a dose.
BDNF rises within hours of a dose
- Animal studies report the rise in the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex.
- The protein behind it supports brain cells and the connections between them.
Measured2018 study, 110 people recovering from a stroke: BDNF in the blood rose. The abstract does not describe the study as randomized or placebo controlled.Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii im. S.S. Korsakova, 2018
Step 3 of 3Immune and blood-vessel genes in injured brain tissue
Step 3 · Target
Immune and blood-vessel genes in injured brain tissue
- Researchers can read which genes switch on or off after a dose.
- That maps what a molecule touches without assuming what it does.
- Studied by reading which genes switch on or off.
What the molecule touches, mapped
- The reading shows which genes changed, not what the change means.
- Genes tied to the immune system and to blood vessels moved most.
Measured2014 rat study, blood flow to part of the brain blocked: immune and blood-vessel genes changed activity more than any other group measured.BMC Genomics, 2014
What is Semax?
Semax was first developed in Russia and has been studied in neurological and cognitive research for decades.
Animal and cell studies have looked at its role in raising BDNF, guarding nerve cells, and shifting how the brain performs. They have also looked at how it damps swelling in nerve tissue.
Supplied as lyophilized powder. A typical research protocol mixes it and gives it through the nose in animal models.
What is the molecule?
- Formula
- C₃₇H₅₁N₉O₁₀S
- Mol. Weight
- 813.9 Da
- Sequence length
- 7 amino acids
- Half-life (est.)
- ≈ 20 min (IN)
- CAS
- 80714-61-4
- For laboratory research use only.
- Not for human or veterinary use.
- Not intended for diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease.
- Use only in a controlled lab setting, and only by trained staff.
Research Profile
preclinical research consensus for informational comparison only
What arrives, and what to do with it
The vial ships lyophilized, a sealed powder, not a ready-to-use liquid. It needs a diluent and a clean workspace before it is usable in a protocol: sterile saline, or bacteriostatic water for a longer hold.
What's in the box
One sealed 30 mg vial of lyophilized powder, with its lot number printed on the label. The diluent is sold separately.
Store cool and dark, cold once mixed
The label on the vial says it plainly: store in a cool, dark place. The sealed powder keeps at room temperature there, per the manufacturer specification. Reconstituted with sterile saline it holds 24 to 48 hours at 2-6°C; with bacteriostatic water it holds up to 28 days.
How to tell it went right
A good sample is clear and colorless. Crystals or particles mean it has degraded. If either shows, or the lot on the vial does not match the report on our lab reports page, stop and contact us before it goes into a protocol.
Questions about Semax
What is Semax studied for?
It is a lab-made chain of seven amino acids that fits the melanocortin docking points in the brain. In a 2018 pilot study, 24 healthy adults given a single dose of Semax nasal spray or a placebo, a dummy spray with no active drug in it, showed a larger volume in one part of the default mode network on a resting brain scan. Those are findings in study participants, not a result for this vial.
[1]Effects of Semax on the default mode network of the brainBulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 2018
How much human research on Semax is published?
Very little outside Russia, where it has been an approved drug for decades. One 2018 study followed 110 people recovering from a stroke and reported BDNF rising in the blood, and the published abstract does not describe that study as randomized or placebo controlled.
[2]The efficacy of Semax in patients at different stages of ischemic strokeZhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii im. S.S. Korsakova, 2018
Is Semax legal to buy in Canada for research?
Research peptides sold only for in vitro laboratory use sit in a legally distinct category from approved drugs, and that is the category this vial is sold in. Health Canada classifies a substance by marketing intent under the Food and Drugs Act, not by molecular structure, and Canada runs no licensing registry for research chemicals. Semax holds no Drug Identification Number.
How is each batch tested?
An independent lab, Janoshik, runs HPLC and mass spec on every batch before it goes on sale. The report is published under the lot number printed on the vial label, so the two can be matched on arrival. The HPLC purity recorded for this product is 98%+.
What arrives in the box, and how is it stored?
One sealed 30 mg vial of lyophilized powder, with its lot number printed on the label, and the diluent is sold separately. The sealed powder keeps at room temperature in a cool, dark place, per the manufacturer specification. Reconstituted with sterile saline it holds 24 to 48 hours at 2-6°C, and with bacteriostatic water up to 28 days.
Is Semax for human use?
No. Everything Lux BioPure sells is supplied for laboratory research use only, not for human or veterinary use, and not to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Semax is not approved by Health Canada, the FDA or the European Medicines Agency for any use.
Pairs With
Frequently asked questions
Are Lux BioPure products for human consumption?
No. All products are sold strictly for lab and research use only. They are not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
How are your peptides tested for purity?
An independent third-party lab checks every batch before we put it on sale. Results show 99%+ purity.
How fast is shipping in Canada?
Orders usually ship within 24 hours. Shipping is a flat $20 anywhere in Canada, and it is free on orders above $140 after coupons. No tax is added: the price plus shipping is what you pay.
Do I need to be a certain age to purchase?
Yes. You must be 19 years of age or older to purchase from Lux BioPure.
For research purposes only. Not for human consumption. All products are sold strictly as research chemicals for in vitro laboratory use.