What it is
Cerebrolysin is not one peptide. It is a mixture made by breaking down proteins from pig brains with enzymes. About 85 percent is free amino acids. About 15 percent is small peptides under 10,000 daltons. Because it is a mixture, it has no single formula or sequence. The company EVER Neuro Pharma makes it. It has been used in hospitals in Europe, Russia, and Asia for more than 50 years, mainly for stroke and dementia. It is given by IV or by injection into muscle. Researchers think its small peptides act like nerve growth factors such as BDNF and NGF. Other names: FPF 1070.
What researchers study it for
- Recovery after stroke
- Memory and thinking in Alzheimer's disease
- Traumatic brain injury
- Vascular dementia
- Nerve growth factor signaling
What the studies found
1. A large stroke trial did not meet its main goal.
The 2012 CASTA trial gave Cerebrolysin or placebo by IV to 1,070 people in Asia within 12 hours of a stroke. The main result, a combined score at 90 days, did not differ from placebo. People with more severe strokes showed a trend toward better scores. Side effects were about the same as placebo. Human data.
2. Pooled stroke trials showed better nerve scores at day 30.
This 2018 analysis combined 9 trials with 1,879 stroke patients. At day 30, Cerebrolysin patients scored better on the NIH Stroke Scale, a test of brain and nerve function. About 1 extra person in every 8 treated showed early improvement. Side effects and deaths were about the same as placebo. The analysis was funded by the maker. Human data.
3. Pooled Alzheimer's trials showed small gains in thinking scores.
This 2015 analysis combined 6 placebo-controlled trials in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Thinking test scores improved a small amount at 4 weeks. More patients were rated as improved overall at 6 months. Side effects were about the same as placebo. Human data.
4. A review describes how it may act like nerve growth factors.
This 2023 review sums up lab, animal, and human studies. It describes how Cerebrolysin raises nerve growth signals like BDNF and NGF in animals. Full-size growth factor proteins are too big to reach the brain from the blood. The small peptides in Cerebrolysin may get through. This is a review, not new test data.
How much research exists
Many human trials and several pooled analyses. Many trials are small or were run in Eastern Europe and Asia with mixed quality. Independent reviews rate the evidence as low to moderate quality.
Facts
- Formula: none. It is a mixture.
- Weight: peptide parts are under 10,000 daltons
- CAS number: 12656-61-0
- Sequence: none. It is a mixture of many peptides.
- Time in the blood: not well defined for a mixture
- Storage: room temperature away from light. Do not freeze.
Legal status
Registered as a prescription drug in many countries in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere. Not approved by the FDA.
For research use only. Not for human use. Nothing here is medical advice.