IV mixture of small peptides and amino acids from pig brain, approved in Austria and other countries for stroke, brain injury and dementia.
Also called FPF-1070, Porcine brain peptide preparation, Cerebrolysin concentrate
Cerebrolysin is not a single peptide. It is a solution made by breaking down purified pig brain protein with enzymes, leaving short peptides and free amino acids; each milliliter holds 215.2 mg of that peptide fraction. EVER Neuro Pharma in Austria makes it, and it is prescribed in Austria, Russia, Eastern Europe, China and other Asian countries for stroke recovery, traumatic brain injury, and Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. It is not approved by the FDA or sold legally in the US.
It is given as a daily IV infusion in courses that start soon after a stroke or brain injury, or in repeated courses for dementia. Its makers say it acts like the brain's own growth factors, helping neurons survive and form new connections.
The human evidence is large but split. Manufacturer-supported trials and meta-analyses report better arm function and neurological scores after stroke and better recovery after brain injury. Independent Cochrane reviews found no effect on death after acute ischemic stroke, flagged a rise in non-fatal serious adverse events, and rated the dementia evidence very low quality. The biggest single trial, CASTA in 1,070 stroke patients, missed its primary endpoint.
What it binds to, and what happens inside the body after that, step by step.
Because Cerebrolysin is a mixture, there is no single receptor. The manufacturer and animal studies describe neurotrophic-factor-like effects: protecting neurons from injury, increasing synaptic plasticity, reducing infarct size and edema in ischemia models, and raising glucose transporters at the blood-brain barrier. The Austrian label notes that the peptides resemble the body's own, so blood levels cannot be measured directly.
Human results and animal results are kept apart below. A result in rats tells you a mechanism is plausible. It does not tell you what happens in a person.
Cerebrolysin is an approved drug with dozens of randomized trials, which is why it earns an A for evidence volume, but the results do not all point the same way. Industry-supported meta-analyses report moderate gains in early neurological recovery after stroke and after traumatic brain injury; independent Cochrane reviews find no reduction in deaths after stroke, a possible increase in non-fatal serious adverse events, and only very low-quality evidence for vascular dementia.
7 RCTs, 1,773 people with acute ischemic stroke (including one trial of the similar product Cortexin)
No difference in all-cause death (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.65-1.41); non-fatal serious adverse events were higher with Cerebrolysin (RR 2.39, 95% CI 1.10-5.23).
Read the study1,070 patients with acute ischemic stroke, daily IV Cerebrolysin or placebo started within 12 hours
No significant difference on the primary combined outcome at 90 days; a post hoc look at severe strokes (NIHSS above 12) showed a trend toward benefit.
Read the study208 stroke patients in early rehabilitation, daily IV Cerebrolysin or saline
Arm function on the Action Research Arm Test at day 90 was clearly better with Cerebrolysin (Mann-Whitney 0.71, 95% CI 0.63-0.79); authors called the trial exploratory and small.
Read the study9 RCTs, 1,879 patients with ischemic stroke (industry-supported analysis)
Cerebrolysin improved NIHSS at day 21-30 (Mann-Whitney 0.60) with a number needed to treat of 7.7 for a clinically relevant change.
Read the study185 patients with moderate-to-severe TBI (GCS 6-12) across two RCTs
A combined outcome of function and neuropsychology favored Cerebrolysin at day 30 and day 90 (Mann-Whitney 0.60, p = 0.0146 at day 90), described as a small-to-medium effect.
Read the study6 RCTs of IV Cerebrolysin vs placebo in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's
Cognition improved at 4 weeks (SMD -0.40) but not significantly at 6 months; global clinical change favored Cerebrolysin at 6 months (OR 4.98).
Read the study6 RCTs, 597 people with mild-to-moderate vascular dementia
Small gains in cognition (SMD 0.36) and global function (RR 2.69), but all evidence was rated very low quality with high risk of bias.
Read the study132 patients with nonfluent aphasia after left MCA stroke, 123 analyzed
At day 90 the Cerebrolysin group gained 14.8 more points on the Western Aphasia Battery than placebo (95% CI 9.5-20.1).
Read the studyNo preclinical studies are listed as key studies here. The human data above carries the evidence.
These are questions the published research has not answered.
Austrian marketing authorization 1-21380, granted 25 March 1996 according to the current Austrian label (the product was in use before this date under earlier authorizations; the original year is not verified here). Also registered in Russia, China and other countries in Eastern Europe and Asia. Not approved by the FDA or centrally by the EMA. Not named on the WADA Prohibited List; because it is government-approved in some countries it does not clearly fall under S0, but athletes should check with their anti-doping authority, since WADA's S2 class covers growth factors and growth factor modulators broadly.
No human half-life has been published for Cerebrolysin, so we do not draw a clearance curve. Half-lives quoted online for it are usually estimates from animal data.
This table records the doses that trials and approved labels used, with the source for each row. It is a record of research, not a recommendation, and it is open to free members.
Which symptoms are expected and which mean stop and get help: side effects and red flags.
Tap a claim to see what the studies found.
It is a digest of pig brain protein containing short peptides and amino acids. Neurotrophic-factor-like activity has been described in lab work, but it is not a vial of intact BDNF or NGF.
Some trials and industry-supported meta-analyses show better early neurological and motor scores. The largest trial was neutral on its primary endpoint, and Cochrane found no effect on death and more non-fatal serious adverse events.
Trials enrolled people with stroke, brain injury or dementia. No controlled trial has tested it in healthy adults.
The label allows only small volumes by intramuscular injection, while the trials used much larger daily IV infusions. Small home injections are far below any studied regimen.
These pairings come up often. Almost none have been tested together in a trial, and the evidence note on each says so plainly.
Both are used in Russian stroke care and are combined online for cognitive recovery.
EvidenceNo randomized trial has tested the two together.
Not supplied as a powder. The ready-made solution is stored below 25 C, not refrigerated or frozen, in the original carton to protect it from light. Shelf life is 48 months for 1-10 mL ampoules and 24 months for 20-50 mL vials (Austrian label).
Ampoules are single use. Diluted infusion solutions in saline, Ringer's or 5% glucose were tested as stable for 24 hours at room temperature; the label says to discard any unused amount immediately.
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