Semax for Depression: What the Evidence Shows
What human and animal studies show about Semax for depression, how strong that evidence is, and what is still unproven.
- Strongest evidence
- Animal
- Human studies
- 0
- PubMed records, our ledger
- Animal studies
- 6
- PubMed records, our ledger
- Studies we summarised
- 1
- with an outcome for depression
Evidence for depression
Each row is an outcome related to depression from a published study, strongest design first. Animal and cell results are labelled and are not human results. User reports are not counted as evidence here.
| Outcome | Result | Study type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anhedonia and hippocampal BDNF | Chronic semax reversed or attenuated stress-induced anhedonia and the fall in hippocampal BDNF in rats. | Animal · rat (not a human result) | European journal of pharmacology 2024, PMID 39442746 |
| Forced swim test | No effect was seen on immobility in the forced swim test. | Animal · rat (not a human result) | European journal of pharmacology 2024, PMID 39442746 |
PubMed records for Semax and depression: 0 human, 6 animal (search counts, not studies we reviewed). Grades follow our .
How strong is it?
A human randomized trial outweighs any number of animal studies. Animal and cell results show a mechanism worth testing, not that it works in people.
What depression is
MedlinePlus describes depression as more than a feeling of being sad or irritable for a few days, and as a serious mood disorder.[2]
What the one cached semax stress study measured
In a chronic unpredictable stress model, male rats received daily intraperitoneal injections of semax at a low dose of 60 nmol/kg of body weight, with sucrose preference as the measure of hedonic status.[1]
Chronic semax reversed or substantially attenuated stress-induced anhedonia, body-weight suppression, adrenal hypertrophy and the fall in hippocampal BDNF; this is rat data.[1]
In the forced swim test, neither the stress procedure nor the peptides changed the duration of immobility.[1]
Where human data stop
The goal ledger (PubMed, run 2 Oct 2026) counts 0 human-only papers and 6 animal-only papers for semax with depression terms, with 1 paper under the broader human filter and no randomized-trial tag.
Calculated from pubmed query (semax[tiab]) AND (depression[tiab] OR depressive[tiab] OR antidepress*[tiab] OR "mood disorder"[tiab] OR "mood disorders"[tiab]); date 2026-10-02; human only count 0; human filter count 1; animal filter count 6; randomized filter count 0. Formula: counts as recorded in the goals.json ledger
Other peptides people research for depression
All peptides for depression, comparedCommon questions
Does Semax help with depression?
The strongest study we summarise for depression is animal evidence, across 1 study with an outcome for depression. That is not proof it works in people.
Is Semax approved for depression?
No. Semax is not FDA approved for any use, including depression.
What is the best peptide for depression?
There is no single answer. Our depression overview compares each candidate by evidence grade and legal status rather than by popularity.
Is semax used for depression?
There is no human depression trial of semax in the ledger (0 human-only papers); the cached evidence is one rat study of 60 nmol/kg injections.
Calculated from human only papers 0; rat studies 1. Formula: counts from the goals.json ledger and the cached abstract
More on Semax
Sources
- 1Antidepressant-like and antistress effects of the ACTH(4-10) synthetic analogs Semax and Melanotan II on male rats in a model of chronic unpredictable stress.European journal of pharmacology · 2024PMID 39442746Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 2Official web pageOfficial web page · web page
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