Cerebrolysin
Clinical evidenceA pig-brain extract studied in thousands of patients for stroke and dementia — with real early signals that fade over time.
What it is
Cerebrolysin is a liquid made from pig brain, digested with enzymes into a mixture of peptides and amino acids. It is given by IV in hospitals after stroke or brain injury and in dementia. It is a mixture, not a single molecule, so it is dosed by volume. It has been in clinical use for decades.
How it works
The idea is that the mixture behaves like the brain's own growth factors, calming inflammation and nudging surviving tissue to make new cells. The animal work is genuinely blinded and often positive. No assay actually quantifies specific growth factors per dose, though.
What people report
- ✦Thousands of randomized, blinded patients studied across many trials
- ✦Several early and surrogate endpoints moved convincingly
- ✦Some independent groups reproduced a small benefit
- ✦Properly blinded rodent work supports the mechanism story
Typical use
Typically given as a hospital IV course over days, sometimes repeated. Dosed in milliliters of the liquid.
Dosing reference
Trial doses ranged from 20 mL to 50 mL by infusion. There is no single-molecule label. Any use outside formal care is a decision to weigh carefully.
Reference only — not a recommendation. Verify via primary sources.
Watch for
On durable function the answer is no: the largest confirmatory trial missed its endpoint, and benefits that appear early are gone by several months. Expert reviews call the effect small and probably below clinical relevance, at very low quality.
Educational content — not medical advice.