Peptides · Cognitive & Mood
Semax
ACTH(4-7)PGP
Approved in Russia · unapproved in the West
A synthetic fragment of the hormone ACTH developed in Soviet-era Russia, used there for decades as a stroke and cognitive treatment — yet virtually untested in Western-standard randomised trials.
At a glance
- Decades of clinical use in Russia for stroke and cognition
- Appears to raise BDNF in preclinical studies
- Almost no Western-standard randomised trial evidence
- Unapproved in Australia, the US and Europe
How it works
Semax appears to raise BDNF (a key neuroplasticity factor) and modulate brain neurotransmitter systems. Proposed effects include neuroprotection and enhanced attention and memory, largely based on Russian clinical experience and animal work.
What the research shows
Russian trials — many small, unblinded or published only in Russian — report benefits in stroke recovery and cognitive performance. No Semax trial has ever been registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, and the most recent Russian clinical publication dates to 2018; independent Western replication is essentially nonexistent.
Regulatory status
Australia
Semax has no entry in the Poisons Standard — but that doesn't make it legal to use. It is not on the ARTG, so importing or supplying it for therapeutic use makes it an unapproved therapeutic good under the Therapeutic Goods Act, and unapproved peptide products are a current TGA enforcement priority.
Worldwide
A registered medicine in Russia (as nasal drops) and on Russia's Vital and Essential Drugs list. Not approved by the FDA, EMA or TGA — though in 2026 a US compounding advisory committee voted narrowly to recommend it for the compounding bulks list, against FDA staff advice; that vote is advisory only.
This is general information, not medical advice. retatrutide.net.au is an independent publication. Unless stated otherwise above, this compound is not an approved medicine in Australia, and this page does not endorse or facilitate its use. Speak to a registered health practitioner about any treatment decision.
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