Adamax
Adamax is a synthetic Semax analog — the ACTH(4-10)-derived heptapeptide backbone modified with an N-terminal acetyl group and a C-terminal adamantane moiety to resist enzymatic breakdown and extend its duration from minutes to most of a day; research protocols typically start around 300 mcg subcutaneously once daily in the morning and titrate toward roughly 1000 mcg. Some researchers instead use it intranasally like Semax. Adamax is a research compound, not an approved drug, and has no robust peer-reviewed human data of its own.
Best for
Adults exploring research-context cognitive support — focus, memory, attention, and mental-fatigue resistance — who want a longer-acting alternative to Semax's short (~30-60 minute) window from a single daily dose.
What to expect
Onset is typically reported within roughly 20-40 minutes of dosing, with peak effect around 1-2 hours and a duration of about 6-8 hours per dose — substantially longer than Semax's ~30-60 minute window.
Pairs with
Often explored standalone. Within the cognitive family it is sometimes discussed alongside Selank (for a calmer, anxiolytic complement) rather than stacked with Semax, which shares its mechanism.
Subcutaneous injection once daily, preferably in the morning. A 10 mg vial reconstituted with 2 mL bacteriostatic water gives 5 mg/mL.
Note: because Adamax is a Semax-family peptide, some researchers dose it intranasally instead (a separate mg-scale nasal protocol) — do not mix up the two. Important: dose is in micrograms (mcg), not milligrams — a 1000x error.
Start low and titrate: roughly 300 mcg for the first 1-2 weeks to assess tolerance, then step up (about 500, then 750, up to roughly 1000 mcg) over following weeks. Commonly run in 8-12 week cycles with a roughly equal break to preserve receptor sensitivity.
Specific dosing varies by goal and physician guidance.
- How often
- Daily
- When
- Morning
- Route
- Subcutaneous
- Vial & water
- 10 mg vial in 3 mL = 3.33 mg/mL · 300 mcg = 9 units on a U-100 syringe
- Cycle
- Titrate slowly: ~300 mcg for the first 1-2 weeks, then step toward ~500, 750, and up to ~1000 mcg over following weeks. Typically run in 8-12 week cycles with a roughly equal break to preserve receptor sensitivity.
The same numbers the goodtides app and the Dose Calc use — a research reference, not a prescription. Responses are individual; research protocols start at the low end.
Adamax is a synthetic analog of Semax, itself a fragment analog of ACTH(4-10) (the Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro heptapeptide) that has been used pharmaceutically in Russia for decades.
It is a research peptide, not approved for human use in any jurisdiction, and the specific human evidence base for Adamax (as opposed to Semax) is very limited.
Adamax takes that backbone and adds two specific modifications: an N-terminal acetyl group that slows enzymatic degradation, and a C-terminal adamantane (a bulky, highly lipophilic cage-like hydrocarbon) that increases lipophilicity and blood-brain-barrier penetration. Together these extend the plasma half-life from the minutes-scale of unmodified Semax to several hours, stretching a single dose's window of activity toward most of a day.
Mechanistically it is studied along the same pathways as Semax: upregulation of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and sensitization of its TrkB receptor in the hippocampus (a region central to memory consolidation and emotional regulation), with additional proposed melanocortin (MC4) receptor activity inherited from its ACTH-fragment lineage. Through these neurotrophic and neuroplasticity mechanisms, research explores Adamax in models of learning, memory retention, attention, neuroprotection, and mental fatigue.
References3
- Dolotov OV et al. - Semax, an analog of ACTH(4-10) with cognitive effects, regulates BDNF and trkB expression in the rat hippocampus (Brain Res) (rat)
- Shadrina M et al. - Comparison of the temporary dynamics of NGF and BDNF gene expression in rat hippocampus, frontal cortex, and retina under Semax action (J Mol Neurosci) (rat)
- PubChem - Semax Compound Summary, CID 9811102 (ACTH(4-10) heptapeptide analog, the parent scaffold of Adamax; C37H51N9O10S, MW 813.9)
Log every dose, count every vial, and verify your batches — free in the goodtides app.
This page is educational reference material about compounds studied in research settings. It is not medical advice, and nothing here is a recommendation to buy, possess, or use any compound. Research findings described are from published literature; individual compounds may not be approved for human use. Talk to a licensed clinician about anything that affects your health.