Semax, FOCUS-01 and nootropics: frequently asked questions

No. There is no caffeine or any other stimulant in the bottle. It works with your brain’s own signalling rather than forcing your heart rate up, so there is no jitter on the way in and no crash on the way out. Most people describe it as a quiet sharpening rather than a kick.

Not the way you notice an energy drink. What people report is that the session stays in focus for longer and the mid-afternoon fade does not arrive on schedule. In the human study the measurable change was in attention and short-term memory scores, largest in the people who were most tired [1]. Give it a working week, and if it has not changed your day, the guarantee covers you.

Nasal delivery reaches circulation within minutes; use it 20 to 30 minutes before the work that matters. In the human study, effects were recorded for 20 to 24 hours after a single dose [1], so once a day is the standard.

One active compound, Semax, at 99.2% purity, in purified water and glycerin. That is the whole label. Semax is a seven-amino-acid peptide that has been studied for attention, memory and learning since the early 1990s and registered for clinical use in Russia since 1994. The research page lists every study.

Legal to buy, own and use in the UK; it is not a controlled substance. It is also not a licensed medicine, so we do not make medical claims. The published research reports it as well tolerated, with no stimulant effects; the honest caveat is that long-term studies in healthy adults do not exist. Full detail: legality and safety. Not for under-18s, pregnancy, breastfeeding, or alongside prescribed medication without a doctor’s view.

Email us within 30 days of delivery and we refund your first bottle in full, opened or not. No return needed for an opened bottle. The guarantee in full.

A short synthetic peptide (seven amino acids) derived from a fragment of a naturally occurring hormone. It was developed at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow and has been studied for attention, memory and learning since the early 1990s. It is the only active ingredient in FOCUS-01.

No. There is no caffeine or other stimulant in the bottle. Semax works on the brain’s own neurotrophic and monoamine signalling rather than driving up heart rate, which is why there is no jitter on the way up and no crash on the way down.

Nasal delivery reaches circulation within minutes. Most people use one spray per nostril 20–30 minutes before the work that matters. In the human study, effects on work efficiency were recorded for up to 20–24 hours after a single dose [1].

Prime the pump with two or three test sprays before the first use. Then one spray into each nostril, breathing in gently as you actuate. Use it 20–30 minutes before the work you want to be sharp for. Don’t exceed four sprays in 24 hours.

Yes. FOCUS-01 contains no caffeine, so there’s no doubling-up of stimulants. Many people find they want less coffee, not more.

Purified water and glycerin. That’s the whole list. No preservatives, no flavourings, no undisclosed carrier.

Every batch has its own certificate of analysis, listed on the batch results page and linked from the QR code on the carton.

They’re formulated as separate products for separate times of day rather than as a stack. CALM-02 is not on sale yet; you can join the waiting list on its page. If you’re taking any prescribed medication, speak to your GP or pharmacist before using either.

Yes. Semax is not a controlled substance in the UK. It is also not a licensed medicine, and we don’t present it as one: it isn’t intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any condition.

Anyone under 18, anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone taking prescribed medication without first speaking to a doctor.

A synthetic seven-amino-acid peptide (Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro) derived from a fragment of ACTH, developed in Russia and studied since the early 1990s for attention, memory and learning. It is taken as a nasal spray.

In a controlled study of healthy adults it improved attention and short-term memory scores across an eight-hour shift, with the effect lasting 20 to 24 hours. In animal work it raises BDNF, the brain’s learning signal, and activates dopamine and serotonin systems without a stimulant effect.

Semax is not a controlled substance in the UK and is not a licensed medicine. It is sold as a food supplement. Possessing and using it is legal. Full detail on our legality page.

No. It contains no caffeine or amphetamine-like compound and does not raise heart rate or blood pressure in the studies. Users describe the effect as quiet rather than wired.

As a nasal spray, one spray per nostril in the morning, 20 to 30 minutes before focused work. Do not exceed four sprays in 24 hours.

About 20 to 30 minutes for the first effects. One dose covers a working day; the human study recorded improvement 20 to 24 hours later.

Dry powder, yes. A finished preserved spray like FOCUS-01 is fine at room temperature while in use, and in the fridge for unopened spares.

The research used single and short-course dosing; daily use for a working month is common and no tolerance has been documented at study doses. Some users take weekends off as a precaution.

FOCUS-01 is a Semax nasal spray made in the UK at 99.2% assayed purity, dispatched next working day, with the batch certificate published. It costs £39 for about forty doses.

Most are. Caffeine, L-theanine, creatine and plant extracts are food supplements. Racetams and peptides such as Semax and Selank are not licensed medicines but are not controlled substances, so buying and using them is legal. Prescription stimulants (modafinil, methylphenidate) are controlled and need a prescription.

For a working day without a stimulant, Semax has the strongest human evidence in healthy adults. For a cheap daily baseline, creatine. For a quick lift, caffeine with L-theanine. Our ranking explains the order.

Some do, measurably, for specific things: caffeine for alertness, creatine for working memory when short of it, Semax for attention across a long shift. Most blends and mushroom products have small or animal-only evidence.

Yes, from supplement retailers and specialist UK brands. The things to check are a single named active at a stated dose and an independent certificate of analysis.

The well-studied ones, at studied doses, in healthy adults, have good safety records. The risk is mostly in unverified research chemicals and undisclosed blends. Anyone on medication, pregnant, or under 18 should not use them without medical advice.

A nootropic delivered through the nose rather than swallowed, used for peptides like Semax and Selank that digestion would destroy. Onset is faster and the dose reaches the brain intact.

£39 for a 10 mL bottle, about forty metered doses. Two bottles are £70. Free UK delivery over £50.

Orders are dispatched next working day from the UK by tracked 48 post, so most arrive within one to three working days.

If FOCUS-01 has not changed your working day within 30 days of delivery, email us and we refund the first bottle in full, opened or not. No return needed.

In the UK. The Semax raw material is assayed by HPLC and the certificate for each lot is on the batch results page.

COGENT is a trading name of 715 Trading Ltd, a UK company. Contact details are on the contact page.