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Pick up to three peptides to see how their mechanisms, studied uses and evidence levels differ. Rows where the entries disagree are marked with a blue edge.
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Comparison
Cerebrolysin
Cognitive & neuro
Evidence level
Limited evidence
Approval status
Investigational
Mechanism of action
- 1.Supplies peptide fragments proposed to mimic neurotrophic factors such as CNTF, IGF-1 and GDNF.
- 2.Animal studies report reduced excitotoxicity and calpain activation.
- 3.Proposed anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects on neurons and glia.
- 4.Reported reduction of amyloid precursor protein processing in models.
- 5.Because it is a mixture, no single molecular target has been defined.
Studied for
- Acute ischaemic stroke
- Vascular dementia
- Alzheimer's disease as add-on therapy
- Traumatic brain injury
Reported effects
- Several small trials reported better stroke scale scores
- Cochrane review of acute ischaemic stroke found no beneficial effect on death or disability
- Dementia trials showed inconsistent, mostly small improvements
- Infusion-site reactions are the commonest adverse event
Side effects
- Dizziness and headache
- Injection-site reactions
- Agitation or restlessness
- Rare hypersensitivity reactions
- Seizures reported rarely in people with epilepsy
Research protocol
Research context only - a prescription product in the countries where it is licensed. Published stroke trials infused 10 to 50 mL intravenously daily for 10 to 21 days, and dementia studies used repeated infusion cycles over months. Most trials are small and several were funded by the manufacturer.
Research context only
Evidence justification
Many small trials with inconsistent results; the systematic Cochrane review found no benefit in acute stroke, and no major regulator outside Eastern Europe and Asia has approved it.