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.