Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Head-to-head comparison of Cerebrolysin and Semax — mechanism, side effects, legal status, and pricing.
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.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide (Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro) derived from ACTH(4-10) with a Pro-Gly-Pro C-terminal extension for metabolic stability. It was developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics (Russian Academy of Sciences) and registered as a drug in Russia in 1994. It is not FDA-approved.
Cerebrolysin
Semax
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
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COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
Cerebrolysin
3 vendors list this, but none clear the trust bar (score ≥70) yet.
Check Cerebrolysin prices →Semax
COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
Cerebrolysin
1
COAs
—
Avg purity
1
Labs
Semax
82
COAs
99.5%
Avg purity
16
Labs
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.
Key references
Semax's evidence base is primarily Russian-language clinical literature. Gusev, Skvortsova and colleagues reported improved neurological recovery in acute hemispheric ischemic stroke when Semax was added to conventional therapy (Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr, 1997; PMID 11517472), and subsequent Russian studies extended use to cerebrovascular insufficiency (PMID 15792140). Preclinical work by Dolotov, Myasoedov and colleagues demonstrated that intranasal Semax rapidly elevates BDNF protein and TrkB activation in rat hippocampus and basal forebrain (Brain Res 2006, PMID 16996037; J Neurochem 2006, PMID 16635254). Genome-wide transcriptional analysis by Medvedeva et al. in rat focal ischemia showed Semax modulates a broad panel of immune-response and vascular-system genes (BMC Genomics 2014, PMID 24661604). Western evidence is limited; Semax has not been evaluated by the FDA and has no pivotal trials in the US or EU.
Cerebrolysin and Semax are both in the Cognitive category and may have overlapping mechanisms. Researchers should review both profiles carefully, understand the mechanisms of action, and monitor the relevant biomarkers when combining compounds in the same class. As always, consult a licensed healthcare provider before making any decisions about combining research compounds.
This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Key references
Disclosed Labs