NA-Semax
Cognition, Focus
Uses native Semax's ~0.5 h plasma half-life as a stand-in. No pharmacokinetics have been published for the N-acetylated form; acetylation exists to slow aminopeptidase breakdown, so the real value is likely longer. Treat this curve as a conservative floor, not a measurement.
In short
- An N-acetylated analogue of Semax, sold on the claim of a longer duration than the parent peptide.
- No pharmacokinetic study of the N-acetyl form has ever been published — the "3-10x longer" figure is a vendor claim, not a measurement.
- The clinical evidence people cite for it belongs to native Semax, which is a different molecule.
- Native Semax is a registered medicine in Russia; the N-acetyl variant is registered nowhere.
- Frequently sold as "N-Acetyl Semax Amidate" (NASA), which adds a second modification and further distance from the studied compound.
Structure
An N-acetylated (and often amidated) analogue of Semax. PubChem has no entry under this research-market name. See the Semax entry for the parent peptide.
How it works
Semax is a fragment of ACTH(4-10) with a Pro-Gly-Pro tail, stripped of hormonal activity. Its described mechanism is rapid upregulation of BDNF and NGF expression in the hippocampus and cortex, plus dopaminergic and serotonergic modulation.
N-acetylation protects the N-terminus from aminopeptidase cleavage. That chemistry is well established generally and would be expected to slow degradation.
What has not been established is by how much, whether receptor engagement is preserved, or whether the modified peptide reproduces the parent's effects. Acetylation can extend duration and can also reduce activity — both happen, and only measurement distinguishes them.
What the research shows
All the clinical results cited for this compound — stroke, cognitive impairment, optic nerve conditions — come from studies of native Semax conducted in Russia.
No trial of the N-acetylated form has been published for any indication.
Reports of stronger or longer effects than native Semax are anecdotal and are exactly the kind of claim that vendor marketing generates.
Dosing in the literature
Figures below are quoted from published studies, with the species or population they were measured in. They are records of what was studied, not recommendations.
No published dosing data for this compound.
Commonly reported ranges
These are amounts people report using. They are not from any study, have not been evaluated for safety, and are reproduced here only because they circulate widely and are better seen alongside the evidence than instead of it.
| Reported by | Amount | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Commonly reported | 300–600 µg daily, divided | intranasal |
No published human pharmacokinetic study establishes a dose, interval, or duration for this compound. Community figures below have no trial behind them and are reports of practice, not evidence. There is no literature dosing for this compound because no study has used it. Community figures are carried over from native Semax protocols, often with the assumption of greater potency that has never been measured.
Handling and storage
Typically supplied lyophilised for reconstitution into nasal drops or spray. Refrigerate after reconstitution.
Intranasal is the route with evidence behind it for the parent compound, chosen for nose-to-brain delivery. Injection has no supporting data for either form.
Side effects
No safety data exists for the N-acetylated form.
Native Semax is reported well tolerated in Russian clinical use, with nasal irritation the most common complaint. Whether that transfers to a modified molecule is an assumption rather than a finding.
Because it lacks ACTH's steroidogenic portion, cortisol effects are not expected.
Combinations
Commonly paired with NA-Selank, mirroring the Semax/Selank convention. No study has evaluated either combination.
Research status
The research is on native Semax, from the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow, and is largely untranslated and unreplicated outside Russia.
The N-acetylated derivative has no research of its own. It is a chemical modification sold on a plausible rationale.
Legal status
Not approved anywhere. Native Semax is registered in Russia; this derivative is not. Sold in Western markets for research use only.
WADA status
Not specifically named on the Prohibited List. Falls under WADA class S0, which prohibits any pharmacological substance not currently approved by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use. Treat it as prohibited in sport.
Conclusion
NA-Semax is native Semax with a chemical modification and none of its evidence. The modification is plausible; the "3-10x longer" claim attached to it has never been measured in anyone.
If you want the compound with a clinical dossier behind it, that is Semax, not this.
Sources
Track your own NA-Semax protocol
Peppers logs your doses, models your levels from this half-life, tracks your vials and tells you when you will run out. Free on iPhone.
Reference and educational information only. Not medical advice. Nothing here diagnoses, treats, or prescribes, and nothing here is a recommendation to use any compound. The compounds described are research chemicals and are not approved for human consumption. Legal and anti-doping status change — the review date above is when these claims were last checked. Talk to a qualified clinician about anything you intend to take.