P021
A small adamantane-modified peptide derived from ciliary neurotrophic factor, one of the active components identified in Cerebrolysin. In mouse studies it boosted BDNF, new neuron growth in the hippocampus and memory, and reduced Alzheimer's-like pathology. No human trials.
Not approved. Research use only.
Look it up on Wikipedia17 listings across 12 independently tested vendors, ranked by price per milligram after coupon codes anyone can use. Vendors you can only order from by message are hidden.
Some links here are affiliate links: if you buy through one, this site may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, rankings and plans are worked out the same way whether or not a vendor pays one.
Not an FDA-approved drug and not nominated for FDA's 503A bulks list, so US pharmacies can't legally compound it.
Daily price tracking started October 7, 2026; a price-history chart appears here once a few days have been collected.
| Vendor | Trust | Listing | Vials | Price | Per mg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Qingdao Sigma Chemical QSC #69 by metascore |
P21-adamantane 10mg | 20-Vial Kit | CNTF Nootropic Peptide | 20 × 10 mg = 200 mg | $790.00 $39.50 per vial |
$3.95 | Buy | |
Qingdao Sigma Chemical QSC #69 by metascore |
P21 10mg | 20-Vial Kit | Cell Cycle Regulatory Protein | 20 × 10 mg = 200 mg | $830.00 $41.50 per vial |
$4.15 | Buy | |
Qingdao Sigma Chemical QSC #69 by metascore |
P21-adamantane 10mg | 10-Vial Kit | CNTF Nootropic Peptide | 10 × 10 mg = 100 mg | $420.00 $42.00 per vial |
$4.20 | Buy | |
Qingdao Sigma Chemical QSC #69 by metascore |
P21 10mg | 10-Vial Kit | Cell Cycle Regulatory Protein | 10 × 10 mg = 100 mg | $440.00 $44.00 per vial |
$4.40 | Buy | |
Bulk Peptide Wholesale #29 by metascore |
Metascore 82 medium confidenceFinnrick 68%Bought vials 103% of label · 7 testsTitrateLab · PeptideBaseNo report for thisOnline checkout |
P21 (P021) 10 mg (10 vials) | 10 × 10 mg = 100 mg | $500.00 $50.00 per vial |
$5.00 | Buy |
Shanghai Wibson Biotechnology WBS #263 by metascore · China |
P21 (P021) 5mg*10vials (China warehouse) [jinjier] | 10 × 5 mg = 50 mg | $290.00 $29.00 per vial |
$5.80 | Buy | |
Evolve BioPep #134 by metascore · US |
Metascore 74Finnrick 66%Bought vials 103% of label · 11 testsTitrateLab · Peptide CriticLab report (image)Online checkout |
P21 12mg | 1 × 12 mg | $69.99 | $5.83 | Buy |
Shanghai Wibson Biotechnology WBS #263 by metascore · China |
P21 (P021) 5mg*10vials (China warehouse) [wbspeptide.com] | 10 × 5 mg = 50 mg | $380.00 $38.00 per vial |
$7.60 | Buy | |
Amino Asylum #245 by metascore |
Metascore 71Finnrick 62%PepIndex 26/100Bought vials 100% of label · 15 testsTitrateLab · PeptideBaseNo report for thisOnline checkout |
P21 10MG | 1 × 10 mg | $84.99 | $8.50 | Buy |
Atomik Labz Affiliate #85 by metascore · US. Florida, 33411 |
Metascore 77Finnrick 69%Bought vials 112% of label · 44 testsTitrateLab · Peptide CriticNo report for thisOnline checkoutCheck vendor |
P-21 12mg Ten Pack | 10 × 12 mg = 120 mg | $1,071.00 $107.10 per vial |
$8.93 | Buy |
Atomik Labz Affiliate #85 by metascore · US. Florida, 33411 |
Metascore 77Finnrick 69%Bought vials 112% of label · 44 testsTitrateLab · Peptide CriticNo report for thisOnline checkoutCheck vendor |
P-21 12mg | 1 × 12 mg | $119.00 | $9.92 | Buy |
Alpha BioMed #281 by metascore · US |
P21 / BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor) (10mg) | 1 × 10 mg | $100.00 | $10.00 | Buy | |
Verified Peptides #120 by metascore · US: FL |
Metascore 75Finnrick 65%Bought vials 109% of label · 39 testsTitrateLab · PeptideBase · Peptide Critic · PeptideCheckedNo report for thisOnline checkout |
P21 Peptide 10MG (P021) | 1 × 10 mg | $119.00 | $11.90 | Buy |
Simple Peptide #25 by metascore · US, FL 33446 |
Metascore 83Finnrick 62%PepIndex 82/100Bought vials 100% of label · 44 testsTitrateLabNo report for thisOnline checkout |
P21 – 10mg | 1 × 10 mg | $198.00 | $19.80 | Buy |
Liberty Peptides #63 by metascore · US, DE 19801 |
Metascore 79Finnrick 53%Bought vials 107% of label · 18 testsTitrateLab · PeptideBaseLab 99.8% pure · 126% of labelOnline checkout |
P21 (5mg) | 1 × 5 mg | $99.00 | $19.80 | Buy |
Core Peptides #282 by metascore |
Metascore 70 medium confidenceFinnrick 76%PepIndex 24/100Bought vials 92% of label · 4 testsTitrateLab · PeptideBase · Peptide Critic · PeptideCheckedNo report for thisOnline checkout |
P21 – 5MG | 1 × 5 mg | $116.00 | $23.20 | Buy |
Peptide Group Buy PGB #39 by metascore · US |
P21 10mg | 1 × 10 mg | $245.00 | $24.50 | Buy |
Mixing a 10 mg vial
What each common amount of bacteriostatic water gives you on a U-100 insulin syringe. Pick a vial size above to change it.
| Water | Strength | Per 10 units (0.1 mL) | Per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mL | 10 mg/mL | 1,000 mcg | 100 mcg |
| 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 500 mcg | 50 mcg |
| 3 mL | 3.333 mg/mL | 333.3 mcg | 33.33 mcg |
| 5 mL | 2 mg/mL | 200 mcg | 20 mcg |
Published lab results
4 certificates of analysis that vendors publish for P021. Numbers are only filled in where the document is readable text; image-only COAs are linked without numbers. A vendor's own COA shows one tested sample, not every batch.
| Vendor | Lab | Date | Label | Measured | Purity | Batch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Evolve BioPep |
ILS Laboratories | 2026-08-28 | 12 mg | – | – | EP2-260824-QP | View (image) |
Bulk Peptide SupplyCOA concerns Most reports come from AV Analytics, a lab with no website or lookup to verify them, and they all read 99.73-99.81% purity across 19 different peptides and blends; its MDx reports are similarly uniform. Eight others are issued to 'Peptide COA Test LLC'. Checked 2026-10-08. How we check |
MDx BioAnalytical Laboratory | 2026-06-27 | 10 mg | 10.57 mg 106% | 99.77% | P100130 | View |
Liberty Peptides |
– | 2026-04-01 | 5 mg | 6.32 mg 126% | 99.8% | View | |
Cocer Peptides |
Janoshik | – | 10 mg | – | – | CS-p210-0826 | View (image) |
Doses studied in research Animal or lab studies only
What was given to people (or animals) in published studies and official labels, each linked to its source. This is not a recommendation: study products, purity and supervision differ from research-grade vials.
Animal studies: Given to mice and rats mostly mixed into the diet for months (and from before birth to weaning in developmental models); the abstracts in our pool do not state the dietary dose.
No human studies; nearly all work is from one laboratory. Doses in animal studies do not translate directly to people.
What the research says
P021 (an adamantane-modified CNTF-derived peptide) has been studied only in rodents and cells, almost entirely by one laboratory; results in Alzheimer's, aging and Down syndrome mouse models are consistently positive, but there are no human studies. Added work is small, mostly one laboratory's studies in rodents, with no human data.
Key papers ✓ 11
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Alzheimer's Disease: Challenges and a Therapeutic Opportunity to Treat It with a Neurotrophic Compound.No new dataNarrative review
Review by the originating lab summarizing preclinical evidence that P021 promotes neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity and reduces AD-like pathology in rodent models.
Study details
- Studied
- Alzheimer's disease; preclinical studies of P021 reviewed
- Authors' conclusion
- Reviews AD pathology and preclinical studies of P021, a small neurotrophic peptide mimetic, as a potential therapeutic for AD and related neurodegenerative disorders.
- Limitations
- Authors note the review focuses only on P021 and relevant literature; preclinical data only.
-
Disease modifying effect of chronic oral treatment with a neurotrophic peptidergic compound in a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.Animalssize not reportedSham/vehicle control12 months, starting at 9-10 months of ageChronic oral treatment with P021 vs vehicle diet in a transgenic AD mouse model
12 months of oral P021 in 3xTg-AD mice reduced tau hyperphosphorylation and soluble amyloid-beta and rescued cognitive, neurogenesis and synaptic deficits.
Study details
- Studied
- Female 3xTg-AD and wild type mice
- Compared with
- Vehicle diet
- Main outcome
- Tau and Abeta pathology, BDNF/GSK3beta, cognition, neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity
- Authors' conclusion
- P021 reduced tau hyperphosphorylation and soluble Abeta and rescued cognition, neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity deficits in 3xTg-AD mice, suggesting potential as a disease-modifying AD therapy.
- Limitations
- Mouse study; effect on Abeta plaque load was only a trend.
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Prevention of Amyloid-β and Tau Pathologies, Associated Neurodegeneration, and Cognitive Deficit by Early Treatment with a Neurotrophic Compound.Animalssize not reportedFollowed at 9, 15 and 18 months post-treatmentEarly (preventive) continuous P021 treatment in a transgenic AD mouse model
Early continuous P021 in 3xTg-AD mice prevented neurodegeneration, amyloid and tau pathology, rescued episodic memory and reduced mortality.
Study details
- Studied
- Female 3xTg-AD mice treated from 3 months of age
- Compared with
- Not stated in abstract (presumably untreated controls)
- Main outcome
- Neurodegeneration, Abeta and tau pathologies, episodic memory, mortality
- Authors' conclusion
- P021 started during the synaptic compensation period prevented neurodegeneration, Abeta and tau pathologies, rescued episodic memory impairment and markedly reduced mortality in 3xTg-AD mice.
- Limitations
- Mouse model only.
-
Rescue of cognitive-aging by administration of a neurogenic and/or neurotrophic compound.Animalssize not reportedChronic oral administration of P021
Chronic oral P021 in 22–24-month-old rats reduced age-related learning and memory decline and restored neurogenesis and synaptic markers.
Study details
- Studied
- Aged (22 to 24-month-old) Fisher rats
- Compared with
- Aged untreated rats; young rats for comparison
- Main outcome
- Learning and memory, neurogenesis, BDNF, synaptic deficits, hippocampal metabolites
- Authors' conclusion
- P021 significantly reduced age-dependent decline in learning and memory, restored neurogenesis and synaptic deficits, and increased BDNF in aged rats; a potential approach for cognitive aging.
- Limitations
- Rat study; group sizes not given in the abstract.
-
Elevated Tau Level in Aged Rat Cerebrospinal Fluid Reduced by Treatment with a Neurotrophic Compound.Animalssize not reportedChronic oral P021 treatment with CSF and brain tau measurement
In aged rats, chronic P021 lowered brain and CSF total tau (but not CSF amyloid) and did not induce a detectable immune reaction.
Study details
- Studied
- Aged Fisher rats
- Compared with
- Young adult rats (reference levels)
- Main outcome
- Brain and CSF tau and Abeta/AbetaPP levels
- Authors' conclusion
- P021 is blood-brain-barrier permeable and reduced brain total tau and CSF tau, but not Abeta/AbetaPP, in aged rats to young adult levels, without detectable immune reaction.
- Limitations
- Rat study only.
-
Early neurotrophic pharmacotherapy rescues developmental delay and Alzheimer's-like memory deficits in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome.Animalssize not reportedPrenatal through early postnatal; assessed at 3 weeks and about 7 months of agePrenatal to early postnatal P021 treatment
Prenatal-to-early-postnatal P021 rescued developmental delay and later memory deficits in Ts65Dn Down syndrome model mice.
Study details
- Studied
- Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome
- Main outcome
- Developmental delay, hippocampus-dependent memory, synaptic markers
- Authors' conclusion
- Early neurotrophic support rescued developmental delay in pups and AD-like memory impairments in adult Ts65Dn mice and altered GSK3beta activity and plasticity markers.
- Limitations
- Mouse model only. The figures file for this PMID appears to be from a different (DYRK1A) paper, so no figure is shown.
-
Effects of a ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) small-molecule peptide mimetic in an in vitro and in vivo model of CDKL5 deficiency disorder.Humans + animalsIn vitro cell model plus in vivo chronic mouse treatment
In CDKL5-deficiency cell and mouse models, P021 restored neuronal proliferation, survival and maturation deficits.
Study details
- Studied
- SH-CDKL5-KO cells and young and adult Cdkl5 KO mice (CDKL5 deficiency disorder model)
- Main outcome
- Neuronal proliferation, survival, maturation; BDNF; neuroanatomical and behavioral defects
- Authors' conclusion
- P021 restored proliferation, survival and maturation deficits in the cell model, but chronic in vivo treatment failed to increase BDNF or improve neuroanatomical defects in KO mice, with limited behavioral benefit.
- Limitations
- In vivo results were largely negative; treatment timing or duration may need to change.
-
Prenatal to early postnatal neurotrophic treatment prevents Alzheimer-like behavior and pathology in mice.Animalssize not reportedSham/vehicle controlTreatment to postnatal day 21; assessed at 4 and 22 monthsOral P021 diet from prenatal day 8 to postnatal day 21, then standard diet
Prenatal-to-weaning P021 in 3xTg-AD mice rescued cognitive deficits at 4 months and reduced tau pathology and plaque load at 22 months.
Study details
- Studied
- Female 3xTg-AD and wild-type mice
- Compared with
- Vehicle diet
- Main outcome
- Cognition, tau and Abeta pathology, postsynaptic markers, neuroinflammation
- Authors' conclusion
- Early P021 treatment rescued cognitive deficits at 4 months, reduced tau pathology and Abeta plaque load at 22 months, and improved some synaptic and neuroinflammation markers; a potential early prevention strategy.
- Limitations
- Mouse model only.
-
Neurotrophic peptides incorporating adamantane improve learning and memory, promote neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity in mice.Animalssize not reportedAnimal study of peripherally administered P21
The original report: P21 (Ac-DGGLAG-NH2) given peripherally improved learning and spatial memory in normal adult mice and increased neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus.
Study details
- Studied
- Normal adult C57Bl6 mice
- Main outcome
- Learning, short-term and spatial memory, neurogenesis
- Authors' conclusion
- P21 enhanced learning and memory and promoted neurogenesis and maturation of new neurons in mice.
- Limitations
- Mouse study, brief abstract without numbers.
-
Inhibition of AMD-Like Pathology With a Neurotrophic Compound in Aged Rats and 3xTg-AD Mice.Animalssize not reported3 months in rats, 18 months in miceAnimal study with chronic P021 treatment
Aged rats and 3xTg-AD mice: chronic P021 (3 months in rats, 18 months in mice) reduced age-related retinal pathology resembling macular degeneration; animal study from the compound's developers.
Study details
- Studied
- Aged rats and 3xTg-AD mice
- Main outcome
- Retinal degeneration, gliosis, tau, amyloid/APP and VEGF
- Authors' conclusion
- Chronic P021 ameliorated AMD-like retinal pathology, indicating therapeutic potential in AMD and Alzheimer-related retinal changes.
- Limitations
- Animal study; no numbers in abstract; same laboratory as other P021 work.
-
Neurotrophic Treatment Initiated During Early Postnatal Development Prevents the Alzheimer-Like Behavior and Synaptic Dysfunction.Animalssize not reportedSham/vehicle controlBirth to postnatal day 120Animal study of P021 in diet vs vehicle diet
3xTg-AD mice treated with P021 from birth to day 120 avoided cognitive impairment and showed higher pCREB and BDNF and less synaptic protein loss at 4 months.
Study details
- Studied
- Female 3xTg-AD and wild-type mice
- Compared with
- Vehicle diet
- Main outcome
- Cognitive function and synaptic plasticity markers
- Authors' conclusion
- Treatment during early development prevented cognitive impairment and synaptic protein deficits in the AD mouse model.
- Limitations
- Mouse study; no numbers in abstract; same laboratory.
Reported side effects
No human safety data in the published literature.
✓ positive · ✗ negative · ~ mixed · ? inconclusive, judged on each paper's own main outcome. Grades: A strong human evidence → D little or none. Papers and verdicts are drawn from PubMed, Europe PMC and Russian journals (CyberLeninka); not medical advice.
Discussions elsewhere
Experiences and questions about P021 on other sites. Treat anecdotes with care.
P021: questions people ask
What is P021?
CNTF-derived neurotrophic peptide (P21). A small adamantane-modified peptide derived from ciliary neurotrophic factor, one of the active components identified in Cerebrolysin. In mouse studies it boosted BDNF, new neuron growth in the hippocampus and memory, and reduced Alzheimer's-like pathology. No human trials.
How much does P021 cost?
The cheapest P021 from an independently tested vendor is $3.95 per mg (Qingdao Sigma Chemical QSC, P21-adamantane 10mg | 20-Vial Kit | CNTF Nootropic Peptide, $790.00). Across 17 listings from 12 vendors the median is $8.50 per mg.
Where can I buy P021?
12 vendors tested by Finnrick sell P021. The cheapest per mg right now: Qingdao Sigma Chemical QSC ($3.95), Bulk Peptide Wholesale ($5.00), Shanghai Wibson Biotechnology WBS ($5.80). 1 of them publish a lab report (COA) for P021; compare lab scores and reports in the table above before buying.
How much bacteriostatic water for 10 mg of P021?
Adding 2 mL of bacteriostatic water to a 10 mg vial of P021 gives 5 mg/mL: each 10 units on a U-100 insulin syringe holds 500 mcg. With 1 mL it's 10 mg/mL (1,000 mcg per 10 units); with 3 mL, 3.333 mg/mL (333.3 mcg per 10 units). More water makes small amounts easier to measure. Mixing charts: 5 mg, 10 mg, 12 mg.
Is P021 FDA approved?
Not approved. Research use only.
Can P021 be compounded in the US?
Not an FDA-approved drug and not nominated for FDA's 503A bulks list, so US pharmacies can't legally compound it. Compounding status for every peptide.
Does P021 work? What does the research say?
Evidence grade C (mostly animal studies), from 11 papers: Numerous rodent studies, almost all from one laboratory, show benefits in Alzheimer's, aging and Down syndrome models; no human data. P021 (an adamantane-modified CNTF-derived peptide) has been studied only in rodents and cells, almost entirely by one laboratory; results in Alzheimer's, aging and Down syndrome mouse models are consistently positive, but there are no human studies. Added work is small, mostly one laboratory's studies in rodents, with no human data. See the papers.
What dose of P021 was used in studies?
P021 is tested only in animals or cells. Given to mice and rats mostly mixed into the diet for months (and from before birth to weaning in developmental models); the abstracts in our pool do not state the dietary dose. These are amounts used in published studies or official labels, not a recommendation.