Cerebrolysin

Identity unlike every other entry here, Cerebrolysin is not one molecule. It's a proprietary extract from purified pig-brain tissue, produced by controlled enzymatic hydrolysis, yielding a standardized mixture of low-molecular-weight neuropeptides and free amino acids. The low-MW fragments are small enough to cross the blood-brain barrier. It is given only by IV infusion or IM injection (peptides would be digested if taken orally). Made exclusively by EVER Neuro Pharma (Austria). ## Mechanism (as proposed) Cerebrolysin's low-molecular-weight peptide fragments are thought to cross the blood-brain barrier and mimic endogenous neurotrophic factors — BDNF, NGF and GDNF — thereby supporting neuronal survival, synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, and reducing secondary injury processes (astrogliosis, axonal injury in animal models). Because it's a mixture, the effect is described as multimodal (neurotrophic-like + neuroprotective + possibly synaptogenic) rather than a single receptor action. This "brain-cocktail mimicking growth factors" framing is biologically plausible and animal-supported — but the clinical translation is exactly what remains contested.