Chemistry & pharmacokinetics

The structure, the breakdown, and the puzzle in between

Semax is a small, linear peptide, but its pharmacokinetics hold a genuine puzzle: it degrades rapidly, with its Pro-Gly-Pro fragment dominating biological samples, yet the Russian label claims a therapeutic effect lasting 20 to 24 hours after one dose. That mismatch shapes how the whole field thinks about it.

This unit covers the sequence and molecular identity, the metal-free layout of the chain as it is supplied, the intranasal route, the rapid degradation, and the leading explanations for why such a short-lived peptide acts for so long.