Cognitive · Investigational
ACTH (4-10) Analogs
No lawful US pathway
01 · Overview
ACTH (4-10) analogs are synthetic peptides derived from the 4 to 10 amino acid sequence of adrenocorticotropic hormone, a fragment that retains behavioral activity without stimulating adrenal steroid production (PMID 8394847). They have been studied for effects on attention, memory, and alertness since the 1970s.
Their mechanism is not settled: one human study found that a melanocortin agonist with higher receptor affinity did not reproduce the brain-potential effects of ACTH 4-10, suggesting known melanocortin receptors may not mediate its cognitive effects (PMID 10917406). Related analogs include ebiratide and Org 2766 (ACTH 4-9 analogs) and Semax.
02 · Research summary & key findings
Early studies gave mixed results: infused MSH/ACTH 4-10 improved discrimination of relevant from irrelevant information in 11 healthy men (PMID 192754), while in 24 cognitively impaired older adults its memory effects ranged from facilitation to impairment depending on dose and baseline status (PMID 189334). A 60-person placebo-controlled study found intranasal ACTH 4-10 increased vigilance errors and impaired word recall in healthy adults (PMID 10917406). The ACTH 4-9 analog ebiratide increased alertness but not cognition in Alzheimer or depressed patients (PMID 8394847). No ACTH fragment analog has FDA approval for any cognitive indication.
03 · Regulatory status
ACTH (4-10) Analogs is in the investigational stage. While preclinical and early-phase data exist, it has not received regulatory approval for clinical use in the United States.
No lawful pathway today
ACTH (4-10) Analogs is not FDA-approved and does not currently have a lawful prescription or compounding pathway in the United States, so we do not sell it and will not book a consultation for it. That can change: in 2026 FDA began reviewing several peptides for compounding. If you are working on the goal it is studied for, a licensed clinician can tell you what is lawfully available, which may be something else.
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Looking for a lawful, clinician-prescribed option for cognitive support?
ACTH (4-10) Analogs is an investigational compound, is not FDA-approved, and has no lawful US compounding pathway, so we do not offer it and no clinician we work with will prescribe it. Products sold online as “research chemicals” are not made or tested to the standards required of medicines. If you are working on cognitive support, a licensed clinician can tell you at a free consultation whether an FDA-approved or lawfully compounded treatment fits you, or whether nothing does.
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04 · Administration routes
- Intranasal
- Subcutaneous injection
References
- [1]Event-related brain potentials and working memory function in healthy humans after single-dose and prolonged intranasal administration of adrenocorticotropin 4-10 and desacetyl-alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone J Clin Psychopharmacol, 2000. PMID 10917406
- [2]Cognitive effects of ACTH 4-10 in the elderly Pharmacol Biochem Behav, 1976. PMID 189334
- [3]MSH/ACTH 4-10 influences behavioral and physiological measures of attention J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1977. PMID 192754
- [4]Behavioral effects of a synthetic corticotropin 4-9 analog in patients with depression and patients with Alzheimer's disease J Clin Psychopharmacol, 1993. PMID 8394847
Primary literature
- PubMed: "ACTH Analogs"
Peer-reviewed literature indexed by the National Library of Medicine.
- ClinicalTrials.gov: "ACTH Analogs"
Registered interventional and observational studies, including status and phase.
- PubChem: "ACTH Analogs"
Chemical structure, molecular properties, and bioactivity data.
Related peptides in Cognitive
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