Semax: Chemical Properties
23 PubMed CitationsExpert ReviewedGMP CertifiedLast Reviewed: February 2026
Chemical Properties
| Molecular Formula | C₃₇H₅₁N₉O₁₀S |
| Molecular Weight | 813.93 Da |
| CAS Number | 80714-61-0 |
| Sequence (3-Letter) | Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro |
| Sequence (1-Letter) | MEHFPGP |
| Amino Acids | 7 (heptapeptide) |
| Parent Molecule | ACTH(4-7) + Pro-Gly-Pro stabilizer |
| Stability | 20× more stable than native ACTH(4-10) |
| Hormonal Activity | None — devoid of corticotropic activity |
| Structural Type | Linear heptapeptide, all L-amino acids |
Identifiers
| PubChem CID | 122178 |
| InChI Key | AFEHBIGDWIGTEH-CXFOGXNKSA-N |
| Canonical SMILES | O=C(N[C@@H](CCC(O)=O)C(N[C@@H](CC1=CNC=N1)C(N[C@@H](CC2=CC=CC=C2)C(N3[C@@H](CCC3)C(NCC(N4[C@@H](CCC4)C(O)=O)=O)=O)=O)=O)=O)[C@H](CCSC)N |
| IUPAC Name | (2S)-1-[2-{[(2S)-1-[(2S)-2-{[2-{[(2S)-2-{[(2S)-2-amino-4-methylsulfanylbutanoyl]amino}-4-carboxybutanoyl]amino}-3-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)propanoyl]amino}-3-phenylpropanoyl]pyrrolidine-2-carbonyl}amino}acetyl]pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid |
References
- Eremin KO, Kudrin VS, Saransaari P, Oja SS, Grivennikov IA, Myasoedov NF, Rayevsky KS. Semax, an ACTH(4-10) Analogue with Nootropic Properties, Activates Dopaminergic and Serotoninergic Brain Systems in Rodents. Neurochemical Research. 2005;30(12):1493–1500.
- Potaman VN, Alfeeva LY, Kamensky AA, Levitzkaya NG, Nezavibatko VN. N-terminal degradation of ACTH(4-10) and its synthetic analog semax by the rat blood enzymes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1991;176(2):741–746.
- Ashmarin IP, Nezavibatko VN, Levitskaya NG, Koshelev VB, Kamensky AA. Design and investigation of an ACTH(4-10) analogue lacking D-amino acids and hydrophobic radicals. Neuroscience Research Communications. 1995;16(2):105–112.
- Ashmarin IP, Nezavibatko VN, Myasoedov NF, et al. A nootropic adrenocorticotropin analog 4-10-semax (15 years experience in its design and study). Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deiatelnosti. 1997;47(2):420–430.
- Gusev EI, Skvortsova VI, Chukanova EI. Semax in prevention of disease progress and development of exacerbations in patients with cerebrovascular insufficiency. Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii. 2005;105(2):35–40.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding Under Section 503B. FDA Compounding Database. 2023.
- Gusev EI, Skvortsova VI, Myasoedov NF, et al. Effectiveness of Semax in acute period of hemispheric ischemic stroke. Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii. 1997;97(6):26–34.
- Kolomin TA, Shadrina M, Slominsky P, Limborska SA, Myasoedov NF. A New Generation of Drugs: Synthetic Peptides Based on Natural Regulatory Peptides. Neuroscience and Medicine. 2013;4(4):223–252.
- Dolotov OV, Karpenko EA, Seredenina TS, et al. Semax, an analogue of adrenocorticotropin (4-10), binds specifically and increases levels of BDNF protein in rat basal forebrain. J Neurochem. 2006;97(Suppl 1):82–86.
- Dolotov OV, Karpenko EA, Inozemtseva LS, et al. Semax, an analog of ACTH(4-10) with cognitive effects, regulates BDNF and trkB expression in the rat hippocampus. Brain Research. 2006;1117(1):54–60.
- Levitskaya NG, Glazova NY, Sebentsova EA, et al. Investigation of the Spectrum of Physiological Activities of the Heptapeptide Semax. Neurochemical Journal. 2008;2(1–2):95–101.
- Shadrina MI, Dolotov OV, Grivennikov IA, et al. Rapid induction of neurotrophin mRNAs in rat glial cell cultures by Semax. Neuroscience Letters. 2001;308(2):115–118.
- Filippenkov IB, Stavchansky VV, Denisova AE, et al. Novel Insights into the Protective Properties of ACTH(4-7)PGP (Semax) Following Cerebral Ischaemia–Reperfusion in Rats. Genes. 2020;11(6):681.
- Medvedeva EV, Dmitrieva VG, Povarova OV, et al. The peptide semax affects the expression of genes related to the immune and vascular systems in rat brain focal ischemia: genome-wide transcriptional analysis. BMC Genomics. 2014;15:228.
- Stavchansky VV, Yuzhakov VV, Botsina AY, et al. The Effect of Semax and Its C-End Peptide PGP on the Morphology and Proliferative Activity of Rat Brain Cells During Experimental Ischemia. J Mol Neurosci. 2011;45(2):177–185.
- Kaplan AY, Kochetova AG, Nezavibatko VN, Ryasina TV, Ashmarin IP. Synthetic ACTH analogue Semax displays nootropic-like activity in humans. Neuroscience Research Communications. 1996;19(2):115–123.
- Polunin GS, Nurieva SM, Bayandin DL, Sheremet NL. Evaluation of therapeutic effect of new Russian peptide drug Semax in optic nerve disease. Vestnik Oftalmologii. 2000;116(1):15–18.
- Vorvul AO, Bobyntsev II, Medvedeva OA, et al. Effects of Semax in conditions of acute and chronic social stress. Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deiatelnosti. 2021;71(4):560–570.
- Radchenko AI, Kuzubova EV, Apostol AA, et al. The Potential of the Peptide Drug Semax and Its Derivative for Correcting Pathological Impairments in the Animal Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Acta Naturae. 2025;17(4):110–120.
- Liu Y, et al. Semax improves spinal cord injury via μ-opioid receptor targeting USP18-mediated FTO deubiquitination. Front Cell Neurosci. 2025.
- Ivanikov IO. Novel approach to treatment of refractory peptic ulcers using intranasal Semax. Clinical Gastroenterology. 2002.
- Stavchansky VV, Yuzhakov VV, Sevan'kaeva LE, et al. Melanocortin Derivatives Induced Vascularization and Neuroglial Proliferation in the Rat Brain under Conditions of Cerebral Ischemia. Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2024;46(3):2071–2092.
- Volodina MA, Sebentsova EA, Glazova NY, et al. Semax Attenuates the Influence of Neonatal Maternal Deprivation on the Behavior of Adolescent White Rats. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2012;152(5):560–563.
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