Neuro & cognitive
Adamax
Also called Adamantyl Semax (seller description)
Adamax is a lab-made peptide sold online as a 'stronger' version of Semax, a Russian nasal nootropic. There is no peer-reviewed research on Adamax itself: no published animal studies, human trials or safety data were found. Its structure and effects are described only by sellers.
Overview
Adamax is a lab-made peptide sold online as a 'stronger' version of Semax, a Russian nasal nootropic. There is no peer-reviewed research on Adamax itself: no published animal studies, human trials or safety data were found. Its structure and effects are described only by sellers.
How it works
Unknown. No peer-reviewed literature describes how Adamax works. Any claimed mechanism is borrowed from research on its parent compound, Semax, and has not been tested for Adamax.
What research shows
- No peer-reviewed literature on Adamax was found in this review (searches of PubMed-indexed sources, journals and regulators); there are no published cell, animal or human studies.
- Medsafe's 2025 classification submission names Adamax as a marketed cognitive-enhancer peptide but cites no published research on it 1.
Doses studied in people
No published human or animal dosing data exist; any doses circulating online are not based on research.
Read this first: these are the amounts given to participants in published studies or written on official prescribing labels, reported for reference. They are not recommendations. Trial doses were chosen for specific patients under medical supervision, and a dose that is safe in one person can be harmful in another.
Vial math
Many research vials hold 5 or 10 mg of powder. This table shows how much ends up in each mark on a U-100 insulin syringe for common amounts of added liquid. It is arithmetic only, not a dose.
| Vial | Liquid added | Concentration | Per unit (0.01 mL) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mg | 1 mL | 5 mg/mL | 50 mcg | Open in calculator |
| 5 mg | 2 mL | 2.5 mg/mL | 25 mcg | Open in calculator |
| 5 mg | 3 mL | 1.67 mg/mL | 16.7 mcg | Open in calculator |
| 10 mg | 1 mL | 10 mg/mL | 100 mcg | Open in calculator |
| 10 mg | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 50 mcg | Open in calculator |
| 10 mg | 3 mL | 3.33 mg/mL | 33.3 mcg | Open in calculator |
More sizes: all vial sizes · How this works: Syringes and units · Reconstitution guide.
Safety
- No published safety data of any kind; short- and long-term risks are unknown.
- Unregulated products may not contain what the label says, and purity is unverified.
- New Zealand's regulator flagged unsupervised use of these unapproved peptides as a risk of harm 2.
Report side effects of any drug or product to the FDA through MedWatch. For a possible poisoning in the US, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
Legal status
- FDA
- Not FDA-approved; no FDA evaluation found.
- Compounding
- Not named on FDA's 503A Category 2 page or withdrawn-nominations table (current as of 04/22/2026), and not found on FDA's 503A nominations list as retrieved 34.
- Sports (WADA)
- Not named on the 2026 Prohibited List. As a substance with no government approval for human use anywhere, it would likely fall under S0 (non-approved substances, prohibited at all times); athletes should confirm with their anti-doping organization 5.
- Other
- New Zealand: proposed in 2025 for prescription-medicine classification as part of an 'ACTH analogues' group entry; the decision was deferred in July 2025 and the final outcome was not verified in this review 12.
Rules change often. See Legal status of peptides for how these categories work.
History
Adamax appeared on the online 'research peptide' market in the 2020s. New Zealand's medicines regulator, Medsafe, listed it in June 2025 as one of two peptides marketed as cognitive enhancers in the ACTH-analog group and proposed classifying that group as prescription medicines 1. At its July 2025 meeting, the Medicines Classification Committee agreed prescription classification would reduce risk of harm but deferred a final decision pending more information 2.
Common questions
Is there any research on Adamax?
No peer-reviewed studies on Adamax were found; even regulators reviewing it cite no published research 1.
Is Adamax the same as Semax?
Sellers describe it as a modified Semax, and New Zealand's regulator groups it with Semax as an ACTH-analog cognitive enhancer 1. Research on Semax cannot be assumed to apply to Adamax.
Is Adamax legal or approved?
Is Adamax banned in sport?
It is not named on the 2026 WADA list, but unapproved substances generally fall under the S0 'non-approved substances' ban 5.
Related compounds
Sources
- Medsafe (New Zealand): Classification of unscheduled peptides, submission to the Medicines Classification Committee (June 2025) Regulatory
- Medsafe: Minutes of the 74th meeting of the Medicines Classification Committee, 23 July 2025 Regulatory
- FDA: Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (content current as of 04/22/2026) Regulatory
- FDA: Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A (category lists) Regulatory
- WADA 2026 Prohibited List (official English text, Dutch Treaty Series Trb. 2026, 25) Regulatory
Last reviewed 2026-10-26 · How we research · Found an error? See our corrections policy.