Semax

What the Russian clinical literature shows

• · Animal studies from the Russian Academy of Sciences reported neuroprotective effects in rodent models of ischaemia and memory impairment.
• · Russian clinical studies have examined Semax in stroke recovery settings as an intranasal preparation. These studies were conducted within Russian healthcare institutions and supported the domestic regulatory submission.
• · Some papers report brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulation in animal models, which formed part of the mechanistic rationale for the neuroprotection hypothesis.
• · The Russian clinical dossier supported registration as an intranasal pharmaceutical for neurological indications within Russia.
• · As with Selank, the clinical studies generally used designs and sample sizes that would not meet current FDA, EMA, or MHRA standards for a marketing authorisation application. Russian regulatory requirements at the time of submission differed from western regulatory standards.
• · Russian pharmacy availability does not constitute evidence of efficacy by western regulatory standards, and Russian registration does not apply in the UK or EU.

Sister compound: Selank (see Selank encyclopedia entry) is a separate Russian-developed peptide with a different mechanism, targeting anxiolytic rather than neuroprotective indications, often discussed alongside Semax.