Cerebrolysin

Overview

Cerebrolysin is not a single peptide but a complex biologic produced by enzymatic hydrolysis of purified porcine brain tissue, containing low-molecular-weight peptides (<10 kDa) and free amino acids. Manufactured by EVER Pharma (Austria), it is registered in 50+ countries (Europe, Asia, Russia, Latin America) for ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and dementia, but is NOT FDA-approved in the United States.

Mechanism of Action

The proposed mechanism is neurotrophic-like activity, with preclinical data suggesting effects mimicking CNTF, BDNF, and NGF and promoting neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and neuronal survival via PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK signaling. Because Cerebrolysin is a heterogeneous porcine-brain hydrolysate rather than a defined molecule, the precise mechanism and the identity of the active constituents remain poorly characterized.

Research Summary

The CASTA trial (Heiss et al., Stroke 2012, PMID 22282884, n=1070) failed its primary endpoint in Asian ischemic stroke patients, though a post-hoc subgroup with NIHSS >12 showed favorable mortality and functional trends. The CARS trial (Muresanu et al., Stroke 2016, PMID 26564102) reported improved upper-extremity motor recovery at day 90 with 30 mL/d for 21 days alongside rehabilitation. The Guekht 2011 vascular-dementia RCT (PMID 20656516, n=242) reported ADAS-cog+ and CIBIC+ improvements vs placebo. A 2023 Cochrane review (Ziganshina et al., PMID 37818733) concluded moderate-certainty evidence that Cerebrolysin/Cerebrolysin-like peptide mixtures probably do not reduce all-cause death in acute ischemic stroke, and flagged a possible increase in non-fatal serious adverse events. Many pivotal trials are industry-sponsored, and batch-to-batch variability as a porcine-brain hydrolysate is an ongoing methodological concern.

Vendors selling Cerebrolysin

Scored vendors carrying Cerebrolysin, ranked by trust grade. Grades are computed from indexed Certificates of Analysis. Full $/mg pricing is on the comparison page.

Prescribers who offer Cerebrolysin

19 prescribers in our directory work with Cerebrolysin, each confirmed from their own website. Peptides like Cerebrolysin require a prescription from a licensed provider — telehealth options are available.

Reported Side Effects

• Injection site reactions
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Agitation or insomnia
• Rare hypersensitivity/anaphylaxis (biologic porcine-derived product)

Compare Cerebrolysin with Others

Research References

• Heiss WD et al. Cerebrolysin in patients with acute ischemic stroke in Asia: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial (CASTA). Stroke 2012;43(3):630-636 (2012)
• Muresanu DF et al. Cerebrolysin and Recovery After Stroke (CARS): A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Multicenter Trial. Stroke 2016;47(1):151-159 (2016)
• Guekht AB et al. Cerebrolysin in vascular dementia: improvement of clinical outcome in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2011;20(4):310-318 (2011)
• Ziganshina LE et al. Cerebrolysin for acute ischaemic stroke. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2023;10:CD007026 (2023)

Frequently asked questions

Has Cerebrolysin been independently lab-tested?

Disclosed Labs has collected 3 Certificates of Analysis (COA) for Cerebrolysin from 2 independent testing labs. 3 vendors have submitted material for testing. Full testing data is available at https://www.disclosedlabs.com/peptides/cerebrolysin/testing.

Where can researchers source Cerebrolysin?

1 vendor with Disclosed Labs trust grades currently list Cerebrolysin, including Optima Supply. Compare live prices and lab-verified COAs at https://www.disclosedlabs.com/prices/cerebrolysin.

Which prescribers offer Cerebrolysin with a prescription?

19 prescribers in the Disclosed Labs directory work with Cerebrolysin, each confirmed from their own website, with telehealth options available. Cerebrolysin requires a prescription from a licensed provider. Browse them at https://www.disclosedlabs.com/prescribers?peptide=Cerebrolysin.

How does Cerebrolysin work?

The proposed mechanism is neurotrophic-like activity, with preclinical data suggesting effects mimicking CNTF, BDNF, and NGF and promoting neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and neuronal survival via PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK signaling. Because Cerebrolysin is a heterogeneous porcine-brain hydrolysate rather than a defined molecule, the precise mechanism and the identity of the active constituents remain poorly characterized.

What does the research say about Cerebrolysin?

The CASTA trial (Heiss et al., Stroke 2012, PMID 22282884, n=1070) failed its primary endpoint in Asian ischemic stroke patients, though a post-hoc subgroup with NIHSS >12 showed favorable mortality and functional trends. The CARS trial (Muresanu et al., Stroke 2016, PMID 26564102) reported improved upper-extremity motor recovery at day 90 with 30 mL/d for 21 days alongside rehabilitation. The Guekht 2011 vascular-dementia RCT (PMID 20656516, n=242) reported ADAS-cog+ and CIBIC+ improvements vs placebo. A 2023 Cochrane review (Ziganshina et al., PMID 37818733) concluded moderate-certainty evidence that Cerebrolysin/Cerebrolysin-like peptide mixtures probably do not reduce all-cause death in acute ischemic stroke, and flagged a possible increase in non-fatal serious adverse events. Many pivotal trials are industry-sponsored, and batch-to-batch variability as a porcine-brain hydrolysate is an ongoing methodological concern.