Semax
Clinical evidenceA Russian cognitive peptide with more human data than almost any nootropic — approved there for stroke since 2011.
What it is
Semax is a synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide built on a fragment of a stress hormone, with a stability tail added. Its name is Russian for 'seven.' It is approved in Russia for stroke, cognitive disorders, and optic-nerve conditions, delivered as an intranasal spray.
How it works
Within 30 minutes of an intranasal dose it raises BDNF, a key protein for learning and brain maintenance, and the effect lasts over 24 hours. It also tweaks dopamine and serotonin and inhibits an enzyme that breaks down calming neuropeptides. The design goal was cognitive benefit without the stress-hormone baggage.
What people report
- ✦Sharper focus, faster recall, and less mental fatigue reported
- ✦Decades of prescription use in Russia without a serious safety signal
- ✦Controlled trials with recognizable study design
- ✦More rigorous clinical record than most brain peptides
Typical use
Usually a short course of daily intranasal use, from weeks to a couple of months.
Dosing reference
Typically a low-concentration intranasal spray, a few sprays daily. No FDA-approved dose.
Reference only — not a recommendation. Verify via primary sources.
Watch for
Side effects are mostly mild nasal irritation. The catch is geography: most primary research is published in Russian, and it has no FDA evaluation. Heavily studied, but validated more by Russian regulators than by Western ones.
Notes
The FDA put it on its review calendar in 2026 for a compounding-status decision — a US inflection point, not a drug approval.
Reconstitution math for Semax
Typical vial: 5mg dissolved in 2ml BAC water. Adjust to see the math.
Reconstitution Calculator
Understand the math — pick a peptide, see its info, and how reconstitution works.
BPC-157
Healing & recoveryThe repair peptide everyone in the gym talks about — powerful in rats, still unproven in humans.
BPC-157 is a short chain of 15 amino acids. It is not a natural hormone your body makes on its own. It was built in a lab as a fragment of a larger 'body protection compound' first found in human stomach juice in the 1990s. Vendors sell this engineered piece, not a natural sequence.
How it works (optional detail)
In animal studies, BPC-157 seems to nudge faster blood-vessel growth at injured spots, which is the body's first step in healing. It also appears to quiet inflammation. The idea is that by tickling repair pathways rather than ordering one single thing, it helps tendons, ligaments, and gut lining recover speedier than they would on their own.
Dosing reference: Common community dosing is a few hundred micrograms a day, usually injected near the site or into belly fat. There is no approved human dose.
Reconstitution math
Concentration: 2.500 mg/ml (5mg in 2ml)
To get 1mg, draw:
0.400 ml
≈ 40 units on a U-100 insulin syringe
This calculator shows how the arithmetic works using common vial sizes. It is an educational illustration — not a dosing recommendation. Always follow the specific product's instructions and verify with primary sources or a qualified professional.
Educational content — not medical advice.