# Cerebrolysin

Not a single peptide but a purified extract of pig brain, given by infusion. It is widely used for stroke and dementia in Russia, Eastern Europe and China. Independent reviews are much less positive than its reputation there.

Also called: Pig-brain peptide extract
Source page: https://peplogue.com/peptides/cerebrolysin/
Updated: 2026-10-22. Not medical advice.

## How it works

- Where it acts: A mixture of brain-derived peptides said to act like nerve growth factors.
- What it changes: In lab and animal studies, protection and repair of nerve cells.
- What people notice: Given by drip over weeks. Independent reviews find little clear benefit after stroke. Dizziness and headache occur.

## What the evidence shows

- **Acute stroke**: Failed. A 2023 Cochrane review of seven trials (1,773 people) found no effect on deaths. No trial reported how many people ended up dead or dependent on others.
- **Vascular dementia**: Early. A Cochrane review of six trials (597 people) found a small gain in thinking scores that may be too small to matter, with very low certainty.
- **Alzheimer's disease**: Early. Pooled results from small, maker-sponsored trials suggest a benefit.

## Side effects and risks

- serious: In stroke trials, non-fatal serious adverse events were about twice as common as on placebo. Serious events overall did not differ.
- common: Headache, dizziness and agitation.
- unknown: Made from animal tissue.

Who should avoid it: Self-injection. It is a hospital infusion.

## How it is given

Into a vein in a clinic. Stroke trials used 30 mL a day for 10 days. Products sold to swallow are broken down in the gut.

## Legal status

- United States: undefined. Never approved by FDA.
- European Union: undefined. No EU-wide approval. Authorized nationally in some member states, including Austria.
- Spain: undefined. No cerebrolysin medicine in CIMA, so it is not authorised in Spain (unlike a few other EU states). Not lawful to sell to the public.
- Germany: undefined. Not verified for Germany. EU review says approved nationally in Austria; no German approval confirmed. Pharmacy import for one patient possible (§ 73 Abs. 3).
- France: undefined. Not verified. We found no French authorisation but could not search the national drug database.
- Italy: undefined. Not verified. EU status is national only and we could not confirm Italy. The maker lists an Italian site, which does not prove authorisation.
- Netherlands: undefined. Not verified. No entry found in the Farmacotherapeutisch Kompas and the CBG database could not be checked. Do not assume it is sold here.
- United Kingdom: undefined
- Canada: undefined
- Australia: undefined

## Questions people ask

**Does Cerebrolysin work for stroke?**

A 2023 Cochrane review of seven trials (1,773 people) found no effect on deaths, and no trial reported how many people ended up dead or dependent on others.

**Does Cerebrolysin help dementia?**

In vascular dementia, a Cochrane review of six trials (597 people) found a small gain in thinking scores that may be too small to matter, with very low certainty. For Alzheimer's disease, the positive pooled results come from small, maker-sponsored trials.

**Is Cerebrolysin FDA approved?**

No, it was never approved by FDA. There is no EU-wide approval, but it is authorized nationally in some member states, including Austria.

**What are the side effects of Cerebrolysin?**

Headache, dizziness and agitation. In stroke trials, non-fatal serious adverse events were about twice as common as on placebo, though serious events overall did not differ.

**Can Cerebrolysin be taken by mouth?**

It is a hospital infusion given into a vein, not a self-injection. Products sold to swallow are broken down in the gut.

## Sources

- Cochrane 2023: Cerebrolysin for acute ischemic stroke: https://www.cochrane.org/CD007026/STROKE_cerebrolysin-acute-ischaemic-stroke
- Cochrane 2019: Cerebrolysin for vascular dementia: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31710397/
- Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation: Cerebrolysin report: https://www.alzdiscovery.org/uploads/cognitive_vitality_media/addf-cerebrolysin-full-report.pdf