Research use only. Adamax is not approved for human use anywhere. Nothing here is medical advice.
One Adamax certificate we checked printed “MW 1032.3” and “Identity: conforms”. The mass spectrum on the same report showed 984.6.
The report contradicted itself, and almost nobody who bought that lot would ever notice. By the end of this guide, you will.
Adamax peptide is modified Semax. An N-acetyl cap and an adamantane-based residue
are added.
Key takeaways
- Adamax = N-acetyl Semax + an adamantane residue + a C-terminal amide. Molecular weight: 1,032.2 g/mol.
- PubMed has zero studies on Adamax (searched 24 September 2026). The evidence comes from Semax (human and animal) and Peptide 021 (mice and rats).
- A lookalike missing the adamantane group weighs 984 g/mol. On one COA we checked, the vendor printed “MW 1032.3” and “Identity: conforms”, while its own mass spectrum shows 984.6.
- Reported protocols come from vendors and user communities, not trials. No safe dose has been established.
- Adamax is not FDA-approved. New Zealand’s regulator has recommended classing it as a prescription medicine.
What is Adamax peptide?
Created using Semax. A ACTH peptide fragment with an added adamantane group to resist breakdown and enter the brain.
Sold for research purposes only for attention, memory and neuroprotection. Comes in nasal spray or freeze-dried powder (lyophilized) form.
How Adamax is built
Adamax keeps Semax’s 7-letter chain and adds two end-modifications used in Peptide 021, a neurotrophic research molecule developed by the Iqbal lab in New York:
- N-terminal acetylation (Ac-). A chemical tweak to tighten the front of the molecule with a cap so the body enzymes can’t trim it off easily.
- An adamantane amide residue. Adamantane is a fat-soluble, rigid carbon cage. Peptide 021 uses a similar Adamantane tweak to help a peptide stay intact and reach the brain. Evidence of its effects has been found in mice.
Adamax, Adamax 1032 and DW 1032: same compound?
It is true. The number 1032 identifies Adamax’s molecular weight, and vendors use it to indicate that they are selling the complete molecule.
A cheaper lookalike without the adamantane group is sold under the same brand name.
| Name you’ll see | What it means |
|---|---|
| Adamax | The full molecule: Ac-MEHFPGP + adamantane residue + amide, 1,032.2 g/mol |
| Adamax 1032 / Adamax-1032 | Same compound; the number is the molecular weight in g/mol (daltons) |
| DW 1032 | A vendor label for the same compound (used by Disguised Alpha) |
| Adamax adamantane / adamantane Semax | Descriptive names for the same compound |
| “Adamax” at 984 Da | A different molecule: acetyl-Semax plus alanine and glycine, with no adamantane. See the COA section. |
What research shows
Adamax research is unavailable. PubMed shows no Adamax peptide studies. No information on side effects either. According to New Zealand’s medicines regulator, “there seems to be limited clinical research on the benefits.“
What we have is research on its two parents:
| Claimed Adamax benefit | Compound actually studied | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raises BDNF (a brain growth factor) | Semax, intranasal | Rats | Dolotov 2006 |
| Activates neurotrophin genes after brain injury | Semax | Rats (stroke model) | Dmitrieva 2010 |
| Stroke recovery | Semax | Humans: 30 patients vs 80 controls, not randomized | Gusev 1997 |
| Anti-inflammatory, vascular effects | Semax | Rats (gene expression) | Medvedeva 2014 |
| Mood, stress resilience | Semax | Rats (chronic stress model) | Inozemtseva 2024 |
| Memory, learning, neurogenesis | Peptide 021 (adamantane) | Mice | Li 2010 |
| Protection against cognitive ageing | Peptide 021 | Aged rats | Bolognin 2014 |
| Adamax itself, any outcome | Adamax | None published | PubMed, 24 Sep 2026 |
What that evidence can and can’t tell you
In animal studies, Semax activates BDNF and neurotrophin signaling. That’s real evidence for Semax, not Adamax.
Peptide 021 improved learning and neurogenesis in mice and aged rats. It shows that the modification can be applied to a different peptide than Semax.
There is no evidence to support Adamax’s claims. Chemistry has not yet been used to measure these hypotheses.
There is no specific data on Adamax peptide benefits for men or women.
Adamax dosage in research protocols
No dose is scientifically tested. The numbers you see online are either from vendors or users in various forums based on information from Semax.
| Source | Route | Reported amount | Frequency / cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| PeptideMind (community guide) | Subcutaneous | 375 mcg typical; 300 mcg–1 mg range | Once daily; 6-week cycles |
| Vendor nasal sprays | Intranasal | About 100 mcg per spray (1 mg/mL sprays) | Not specified by vendors |
| Semax, for context | Clinical use (Russia) | 12–18 mg per day in acute stroke | 5–10 day courses (Gusev 1997) |
“Adamax 10mg” is the vial size, not dose. Semax row is for another substance and doesn’t apply to Adamax.
Adamax nasal spray vs subcutaneous injection
Adamax is available as a nasal spray and injection powder. Sprays are most common because Semax has published extensive studies on intranasal use.
| Nasal spray | Subcutaneous (subq) injection | |
|---|---|---|
| How it’s sold | Pre-mixed liquid, often 1 mg/mL in a 10 mL bottle, or powder you mix into a sprayer | Lyophilized powder, usually 10 mg per vial |
| Preparation | None for pre-mixed sprays | Reconstitute with bacteriostatic water |
| Precision | Depends on the pump; roughly 0.1 mL per spray | Measured in a U-100 insulin syringe |
| Main drawbacks | Nasal irritation reported; dose varies with technique | Needles, sterility and infection risk |
How to reconstitute Adamax powder
Add bacteriostatic water slowly down the vial wall and swirl gently until clear. For a 10 mg vial:
| Bac water added | Concentration | Per 10 units (0.1 mL) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mL | 10 mg/mL | 1 mg (1,000 mcg) |
| 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 500 mcg |
| 3 mL | 3.33 mg/mL | 333 mcg |
| 5 mL | 2 mg/mL | 200 mcg |
Check other volumes with our peptide reconstitution calculator. Vendors advise storing the powder frozen or refrigerated and using the mixed solution within about 28–30 days, kept at 2–8 °C. For a DIY nasal spray, the same maths applies: at 1 mg/mL, a 0.1 mL pump delivers about 100 mcg. Measure your pump’s volume rather than assuming it.
Adamax side effects, safety and legal status
Adamax has no safety data from any trial. The side effects below are what users and vendors report, not measured rates.
| Reported by users and vendor guides | Unknown or theoretical |
|---|---|
| Headache, especially at the start | Long-term effects of any kind |
| Nasal irritation (sprays) | Interactions with psychiatric or other medication |
| Restlessness or mild anxiety | Effects in pregnancy, breastfeeding or under-18s |
| Poor sleep if taken late in the day | Contamination or wrong compound (see COA section) |
| Fatigue, nausea |
The most concrete risk lies not in the peptide, but what’s in the vial. Some “Adamax” is a different molecule than others, as the next section shows.
Is Adamax legal?
- United States: Adamax is not FDA-approved and is sold only as a research chemical. In July 2026 an FDA advisory committee recommended six peptides, including Semax, for pharmacy compounding. Adamax was not among them (STAT; Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney).
- New Zealand: Medsafe recommended in 2025 that ACTH analogues, naming Adamax and Semax, be classified as prescription medicines (Medsafe). Adamax has also been identified in border seizures there (Wikipedia).
- Elsewhere: Adamax isn’t approved in any country. Check your local rules before buying.
Where to buy Adamax and how to check a COA?
Make sure the mass is correct. 99% HPLC purity shows that the powder is primarily one substance. It doesn’t specify which. Mass spectrometry does. Adamax’s numbers are easy to read.
| Compound | Formula | Expected [M+H]+ | Expected [M+2H]2+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adamax (real) | C50H69N11O11S | 1,032.5 | 516.8 |
| Ac-MEHFPGP-Ala-Gly (984 lookalike) | C44H61N11O13S | 984.4 | 492.7 |
| Semax | C37H51N9O10S | 814.4 | 407.7 |
COA checklist for Adamax
- Mass spectrum present, not just a purity percentage.
- Peaks at about 1,032 and 516–517. Peaks at 984 and 492 mean the adamantane is missing.
- Lot number matches your vial, and the lab offers online verification.
- Net content in mg (a 10 mg vial should test close to 10 mg).
- Endotoxin and sterility results if you’re buying for injection.
For a full walkthrough, see how to read a peptide COA. Compare vetted vendors in our best peptide vendors list.
Adamax peptide FAQ
What is Adamax used for?
Adamax is sold for research on focus, memory and neuroprotection. It has no approved medical use, and no study has tested it for any of these. The claims come from Semax and Peptide 021 research.
What is Adamax and Adalank?
Adalank is sold by the same vendors as a Selank analogue, the way Adamax is a Semax analogue. Like Adamax, it has no published studies. Semax and Selank are compared in our Semax vs Selank guide.
Is Adamax better than Semax?
Nobody knows. Semax has decades of Russian research and clinical use; Adamax has none. The adamantane group may improve stability, but that hasn’t been measured. See Adamax vs Semax.
Is Adamax an alternative to Adderall, modafinil or ADHD medication?
No. Adderall and modafinil are approved stimulant-type drugs with large bodies of trial data. Adamax is an unapproved research peptide with no ADHD studies. Semax has been proposed for ADHD only in a theoretical paper (Tsai 2006).
How does Adamax compare with Cerebrolysin or NAD+?
They’re unrelated. Cerebrolysin is a pig-brain peptide mixture used clinically in some countries, and NAD+ is a metabolic coenzyme (see our NAD+ guide). None has been compared with Adamax in a study.
Is Adamax safe?
Unknown. There are no safety trials, only user reports of headache, nasal irritation, restlessness and poor sleep. The biggest proven risk is getting the wrong compound, so check the mass on the COA.
Does Adamax need to be refrigerated?
Vendors recommend keeping the powder frozen or refrigerated and the mixed solution at 2–8 °C, used within about 28–30 days. Pre-mixed sprays should also be refrigerated.
Sources
- Adamax. Wikipedia (structure, formula, molar mass).
- Medsafe. Classification of unscheduled peptides, June 2025. PDF.
- Li B, et al. Neurotrophic peptides incorporating adamantane improve learning and memory… in mice. FEBS Lett. 2010. doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2010.06.025.
- Bolognin S, et al. Rescue of cognitive-aging by administration of a neurogenic and/or neurotrophic compound. Neurobiol Aging. 2014. doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.02.017.
- Kazim SF, et al. Disease modifying effect of chronic oral treatment with a neurotrophic peptidergic compound… Neurobiol Dis. 2014. doi:10.1016/j.nbd.2014.07.001.
- Dolotov OV, et al. Semax… increases levels of BDNF protein in rat basal forebrain. J Neurochem. 2006. doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.2006.03658.x.
- Dmitrieva VG, et al. Semax and Pro-Gly-Pro activate the transcription of neurotrophins… Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2010. doi:10.1007/s10571-009-9432-0.
- Medvedeva EV, et al. The peptide Semax affects the expression of genes related to the immune and vascular systems… BMC Genomics. 2014. doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-228.
- Gusev EI, et al. Effectiveness of Semax in acute period of hemispheric ischemic stroke. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr. 1997. PMID 11517472.
- Inozemtseva LS, et al. Antidepressant-like and antistress effects of… Semax and Melanotan II… Eur J Pharmacol. 2024. doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.177068.
- Tsai SJ. Semax… a potential agent for the treatment of ADHD and Rett syndrome. Med Hypotheses. 2006. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2006.07.017.
- STAT. FDA panel backs compounded BPC-157, KPV peptides. 23 July 2026. Link.
- Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. FDA advisory committee voted yes on six peptides. Link.
- Vendor certificates: True Lab Peptides COA AMX10L0; American Peptides COA7596.
- Community sources (anecdotal): PeptideMind; PeptIQ; Derek’s Research Radar; Krysia.