Library / Cognitive

Cerebrolysin

Also known as FPF 1070

Human trials

Mixture of low molecular weight peptides and amino acids derived from pig brain. Approved in some countries but not by the TGA, FDA or EMA (Not verified per country); a Cochrane review found no clear benefit for acute ischaemic stroke.

Not an approved medicine. Cerebrolysin is not an approved medicine for this use in Australia or the United States. This page summarises published research for information only. It is not a recommendation to use Cerebrolysin, and VialOwl does not sell or supply it.

Background

A mixture of small peptides and amino acids extracted from pig brain tissue, made by the Austrian company EVER Neuro Pharma (formerly Ebewe Pharma). It is widely used for stroke in Russia, Eastern Europe, China and other parts of Asia, but is not approved by the TGA, FDA or EMA.

How it is thought to work

It is claimed to act like natural nerve growth factors, protecting brain cells and supporting recovery. Because it is a mixture, its active components and exact mechanism are not well defined.

What is claimed, and the evidence

Claim	Evidence	Notes
Recovery after acute ischaemic stroke	Human trials Not supported	A 2023 Cochrane review of 7 trials (1,773 people) found little or no difference in deaths and no clear benefit; trials were often at risk of bias and partly manufacturer funded.
Recovery after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury	Human trials	A manufacturer linked meta analysis of two small trials (185 patients) reported a small to medium benefit; independent confirmation is lacking.
Memory, focus and cognitive enhancement in healthy people	No published evidence	Marketed as a nootropic online; no evidence in healthy people.

Side effects

Effect	How often	Notes
Non fatal serious adverse events Serious	Uncommon	The 2017 Cochrane review found more non fatal serious adverse events with cerebrolysin (20 of 667) than placebo (8 of 668), though total serious events did not differ.
Overall adverse events	Common	In stroke trials the total number of people with any adverse event was similar to placebo (about 46%).

Warnings

Independent reviews have not shown clear benefit for stroke, and one found more non fatal serious adverse events.
It is derived from animal brain tissue and is given by injection or infusion; unregistered supplies may not meet manufacturing standards.
Unapproved products bought online are not checked by any regulator for purity, sterility or strength; they may be contaminated, underdosed, overdosed or contain a different substance to the label.

Regulatory status

Australia: Not included on the ARTG (unapproved). Not specifically listed in the Poisons Standard (June 2026).
United States: Not FDA approved.

Sources

Also in Cognitive

From the VialOwl library, reviewed 26 September 2026. For education and general information. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation to use Cerebrolysin.