Peptide LibraryCortexin
Also known as: Polypeptide cortex extract
Cortexin (also called Polypeptide cortex extract) is a brain polypeptide extract in the Neurotrophic peptide complex class. Cortexin is a preparation of low-molecular-weight polypeptides and amino acids extracted from bovine or porcine cerebral cortex, not a single defined compound. The proposed mechanism is that its peptide fraction supports neuronal metabolism and provides neurotrophic and antioxidant activity after injury, with claimed effects on cortical bioelectrical activity.
For research use only.
Key Facts
- CAS
- —
- Molecular Weight (MW)
- Mixture
- Half-life
- Mixture; not a single PK value
- FDA status
- Not Approved
- Evidence level
- Clinical Trial Evidence
- Human dose established
- Yes
- Administration Route
- Intramuscular · Intravenous (one trial)
- Frequency
- Once or twice a day
- Last updated
- Nov 7, 2026
- Reviewed
- Nov 7, 2026
- Targets
- CNS metabolism (proposed)
Research summary
Cattle-cortex polypeptide extract used in some CIS countries as a nootropic. Not FDA-approved; composition is a hydrolysate, not a single peptide.
Research evidence
- Regulatory review (FDA label)None in reviewed sources
- Controlled human trials4 reviewed sources
- Early or uncontrolled human studiesNone in reviewed sources
- Lab & animal studiesNone in reviewed sources
How it works
Each step shows whether the sources Peptide Library has reviewed include that kind of research. Counts are reviewed sources, not every study ever published. Reviews and programme summaries that describe human use are shown as "reported", not as trials, and registered trials without published results are listed but not counted. A higher step means research has progressed further; it does not mean a compound works better or is safer. Compounds whose evidence has not been reviewed yet show "Not reviewed" instead of a guess.
Peptide Library's Cortexin profile summarises 5 cited studies listed in the Science section, the compound's regulatory status, and research-protocol parameters reported for it. It is a research reference, not medical advice.
Cortexin dosage evidence
Cortexin has human doses from Russian clinical trials. The trials gave 10–20 mg a day by intramuscular injection in 10-day courses: 10 mg twice a day in a 490-patient stroke trial, 10 or 20 mg a day in chronic cerebral ischaemia, and 20 mg a day in acute stroke. All were published in Russian, mostly in one journal, and none is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Cortexin is not FDA-approved.
| Human dosing established | Yes |
|---|---|
| Studied dose range | 10–20 mg a day intramuscularly in 10-day courses (Russian trials) |
| Route | Intramuscular · Intravenous (one trial) |
| Frequency | Once or twice a day |
| Duration studied | 10-day courses, sometimes repeated |
| Evidence level | Clinical Trial Evidence |
| Last reviewed | 2026-11-07 |
Research-reported dosing
Doses as studied, one row per regimen. Different trials used different regimens; they are listed separately rather than averaged.
| Study / context | Population | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Outcome studied | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intravenous versus intramuscular Cortexin in ischaemic stroke (2025)Clinical trial · Randomised double-blind double-dummy trial comparing two forms; no untreated control group | Adults aged 30–80 in the acute and early recovery periods of ischaemic stroke (n=490) | 10 mg twice a day (intravenous or intramuscular), then 10 mg intramuscularly twice a day | Intravenous or intramuscular, then intramuscular | Twice a day | Two 10-day courses; 90 days of observation | The two forms performed alike (93.6% and 86.5% reached modified Rankin 0–2 at day 90), with similar adverse events | [Therapeutic equivalence of intravenous and intramuscular dosage forms of Cortexin in ischemic strokes]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2025. |
| Chronic cerebral ischaemia, two doses (2018)Clinical trial · Randomised controlled multicentre study, Russian-language publication | Adults with stage I–II chronic cerebral ischaemia (n=189, three groups) | 20 mg a day or 10 mg a day, compared with standard treatment alone | Intramuscular | Daily | 10 days, repeated after 6 months | Dose-dependent improvement in neurological symptoms, fatigue and sleep reported; good tolerability | [Dose-dependent effects of cortexin in chronic cerebral ischemia (results of a multicenter randomized controlled study)]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2018. |
| Acute ischaemic stroke with early verticalisation (2019)Clinical trial · Controlled clinical study, Russian-language publication | Adults with hemispheric ischaemic stroke (n=90; 30 given Cortexin) | 20 mg a day | Intramuscular | Daily | 10 days | Greater recovery of neurological deficits reported than in the two comparison groups | [Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of application of the drug cortexin in the complex rehabilitation of verticalization in patients with ischemic stroke in the acute period]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2019. |
| Early recovery after ischaemic stroke, compared with Cellex (2020)Clinical trial · Randomised comparative study, Russian-language publication | Adults in the early recovery period of ischaemic stroke (n=40; 20 given Cortexin) | 10 mg in 2 mL of 0.9% saline | Intramuscular | Daily | 10 days | The comparison drug Cellex showed larger gains on NIHSS and MMSE than Cortexin | [Comparison of the efficacy of Cellex and Cortexin in patients in the early recovery period of ischemic stroke]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2020. |
Where sources disagree
- Cortexin is an extract of polypeptides from animal brain cortex, not a single defined peptide. The trial doses apply to the product used in those studies; a research product sold under the same name may differ in content and strength.
- The largest trial compared two forms of Cortexin with each other and had no untreated or placebo group, so it shows the forms are similar, not that Cortexin works.
- The trials are Russian-language, mostly in one journal, and none is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. A 2024 study in infants gave two courses but its abstract does not state the dose (PubMed 39731376).
- Cortexin is not FDA-approved and has no DailyMed listing.
Handling & administration
- Injection Sites
- Abdomen
- Timing Notes
- Prefer injectable forms; oral versions generally have low bioavailability and are not recommended.
Sequence & molecular data
| Molecular weight | Mixture |
|---|---|
| Half-life | Mixture; not a single PK value |
| Appearance | IM solution (region-dependent) |
| Formulation | Lyophilized Powder |
Identifiers link to the public PubChem, FDA Substance Registration (UNII), ChEMBL and DrugBank records for the same entity.
Science
Mechanism of Action
Cortexin is a preparation of low-molecular-weight polypeptides and amino acids extracted from bovine or porcine cerebral cortex, not a single defined compound. The proposed mechanism is that its peptide fraction supports neuronal metabolism and provides neurotrophic and antioxidant activity after injury, with claimed effects on cortical bioelectrical activity. Because it is a mixture rather than a characterised molecule, no specific receptor or pathway can be assigned, and batch composition is not standardised in the way a single-entity drug would be. It is used clinically in several post-Soviet countries; the supporting literature is largely regional and does not meet contemporary randomised controlled trial standards.
Origin
Bovine cortex polypeptide extract.
Targets
Studies
- [Therapeutic equivalence of intravenous and intramuscular dosage forms of Cortexin in ischemic strokes]
- Exploring the psychodermatologic burden and associated psychiatric manifestations in rosacea: a systemic review
- Cerebrolysin for acute ischaemic stroke
- [Cortexin. Molecular mechanisms and targets of neuroprotective activity]
- Cortexin modulates OPG/RANK/RANKL and TRPC1 expression in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury
Research statistics
165 PubMed publications · 54.0% human clinical research · 0 registered trials
Counts of published research through 2026-11-01, not evidence that it works. Publications by year, study types and trials · How publications are counted
Regulatory & research status
Cortexin is not an FDA-approved product. It is sold for laboratory research and has no approved medical use.
| FDA status | Not Approved |
|---|---|
| Availability | Research-Only |
| WADA (sport) | Unknown / Not Listed |
| Library classification | Research-Only |
How FDA approval, compounding and research-only status differ
Benefits
Cortexin side effects
The effects below are those reported in Cortexin clinical trials; long-term safety data may still be limited.
Side Effects
- Allergy to animal protein
- Injection reactions
Storage & stability
This compound is not supplied as a powder to be mixed, so the freeze-dried powder and reconstitution handling described for research peptides does not apply. Storage conditions are product-specific: follow the label or packaging of the product itself.
Cortexin: frequently asked questions
What is Cortexin?
Cattle-cortex polypeptide extract used in some CIS countries as a nootropic. Not FDA-approved; composition is a hydrolysate, not a single peptide.
How does Cortexin work?
Cortexin is a preparation of low-molecular-weight polypeptides and amino acids extracted from bovine or porcine cerebral cortex, not a single defined compound. The proposed mechanism is that its peptide fraction supports neuronal metabolism and provides neurotrophic and antioxidant activity after injury, with claimed effects on cortical bioelectrical activity.
Is Cortexin FDA approved?
No. Cortexin is not approved by the FDA for any indication and is categorised as research-only. It has not been reviewed for safety or efficacy as a medicine, and published research should be read as investigation rather than established use.
What is the half-life of Cortexin?
Reported half-life for Cortexin is Mixture; not a single PK value. Half-life describes how long the compound persists in circulation, not how long any effect lasts, and published figures vary with route of administration, formulation and the population studied.
What peptides are similar to Cortexin?
Compounds most often compared with Cortexin include Cerebrolysin, P21 (BDNF-mimetic peptide), Dihexa and Noopept. They are grouped by shared mechanism or research area rather than by equivalence, and their regulatory status and evidence base differ.
References
- [Therapeutic equivalence of intravenous and intramuscular dosage forms of Cortexin in ischemic strokes] — Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, 2025External reference
- Exploring the psychodermatologic burden and associated psychiatric manifestations in rosacea: a systemic review — Arch Dermatol Res, 2025External reference
- Cerebrolysin for acute ischaemic stroke — Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2023External reference
- [Cortexin. Molecular mechanisms and targets of neuroprotective activity] — Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, 2015External reference
- Cortexin modulates OPG/RANK/RANKL and TRPC1 expression in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury — Neurol Res, 2026External reference
Related research, comparisons & guides
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Compiled by Peptide Library Editorial · Reviewed Aug 30, 2026 · Updated Nov 7, 2026 · Version 2
This Cortexin profile is compiled from published literature (5 cited studies linked above), public regulatory records and chemical registries. It describes what research reports; it is not medical advice, and nothing here is a dosing recommendation for humans. Peptide Library does not sell peptides. Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled · Report an error
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