Subject: Cerebrolysin vs. Cerebroprotein — They Are NOT the Same Thing
From: Derek from Research Radar <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:45:59 +0000
List-Id: <derekpruski.substack.com>

View this post on the web at https://derekpruski.substack.com/p/cerebrolysin-vs-cerebroprotein-they

The short version: If a research vendor is selling “Cerebrolysin” in a powder vial, what you’re almost certainly looking at is Cerebroprotein — a related but distinct product. Real Cerebrolysin is manufactured by Ever Pharma (Ever Neuro Pharma, Austria) and ships in liquid glass ampules. Very few channels bring legitimate Ever Pharma ampules into the U.S.
All Content is for Research and Educational Purposes Only. Not Medical Advice.
What Cerebrolysin Actually Is
Cerebrolysin is a standardized neuropeptide preparation derived from purified porcine (pig) brain tissue. Ever Pharma uses a proprietary process to enzymatically break down lipid-free porcine brain protein into a defined, reproducible mixture of:
Low molecular weight neuropeptides (under ~10 kDa — small enough to cross the blood-brain barrier)
Free amino acids
A specific, consistent peptide profile that has been the basis of decades of published clinical research
The published literature on stroke, TBI, vascular dementia, and Alzheimer’s is built specifically on this Ever Pharma formulation. When studies cite “Cerebrolysin,” they mean this exact product.
How Cerebrolysin Works — In Plain English
Think of Cerebrolysin as doing four jobs in the brain at the same time. Here’s each one walked through simply:
1. It mimics your brain’s own growth factors
Your brain naturally produces signaling molecules called neurotrophic factors — BDNF, NGF, GDNF, and CNTF. These are the molecules that tell neurons to stay alive, grow, and connect with each other. As we age, or after injury, production of these factors drops.
Cerebrolysin contains small peptides that act like these growth factors. They bind to the same receptors and trigger the same downstream signals — telling neurons “stay alive, keep growing, keep connecting.” It’s essentially supplementing a system that’s running low.
2. It protects neurons from dying
When the brain is under stress — low oxygen, low blood sugar, injury, excess glutamate — neurons start a self-destruct process called apoptosis. Cerebrolysin interferes with that process at multiple checkpoints:
It downregulates calpain, an enzyme that chews up neuronal structure during stress
It reduces activation of caspase-3, the molecule that flips the final “destroy this cell” switch
It reduces oxidative damage from free radicals
The result: neurons that would otherwise die during a stress event have a much better chance of recovering instead.
3. It promotes new connections (neuroplasticity)
Learning, memory, and recovery from injury all depend on neurons forming new connections — growing new dendrites (the input branches) and building new synapses (the connection points between cells).
Cerebrolysin pushes this rewiring process forward. In animal models you can literally see denser dendritic branching and more synapses after treatment. In human research, this translates to improved cognitive recovery after stroke and TBI.
4. It calms down brain inflammation
Chronic activation of microglia (the brain’s resident immune cells) is a major driver of neurodegeneration. Cerebrolysin modulates microglial activation — bringing them back to a maintenance state instead of an inflammatory state. It also influences how the brain processes amyloid precursor protein (APP), which is why it shows up in Alzheimer’s research.
Putting it together: Cerebrolysin doesn’t do one thing. It simultaneously keeps neurons alive, helps them grow new connections, replaces depleted growth signals, and calms inflammation. That multi-target action is why it has staying power in the clinical literature for conditions where a single-target drug usually disappoints.
Form factor: 1 mL, 2 mL, 5 mL, and 10 mL glass ampules. 215.2 mg of peptide concentrate per mL. Pre-mixed liquid — does not need reconstitution. Cold chain shipping.
What Cerebroprotein Is
Cerebroprotein (Cerebroprotein Hydrolysate Injection, also marketed in Asia as Cattle Encephalon Glycoside and Ignotin / CEGI) is a separate product class, primarily manufactured in China.
Differences that matter:
Source tissue varies — typically bovine (cattle) brain rather than porcine
Different manufacturing process — not the Ever Pharma proprietary process. Different hydrolysis, different fractionation, different final peptide profile
Different peptide mixture — the actual neuropeptides present, their size distribution, and their ratios are not identical to Cerebrolysin
Different regulatory history — approved in China and parts of Asia; not the product studied in the European/Western trial literature
Form factor — typically shipped as lyophilized powder in vials, requires reconstitution. This is why research vendors prefer it — far easier to source, ship, and store than refrigerated glass ampules
Cerebroprotein has its own clinical literature out of China, and there’s pharmacological overlap because both are brain-derived peptide hydrolysates. But overlap is not equivalence. They are not interchangeable.
The Conversion Problem (This Is The One That Trips People Up)
Here’s the part that causes the most confusion in the community:
Cerebrolysin is referenced in milliliters (mL) because it’s a pre-mixed liquid. The concentration is fixed: 215.2 mg per mL. So a “10 mL” reference equals 2,152 mg of peptide concentrate.
Cerebroprotein is referenced in milligrams (mg) because it ships as a powder. You reconstitute it yourself, and the literature out of China references milligrams directly.
So if you’re cross-referencing between the two bodies of literature, you have to do the conversion. Multiply mL by 215.2 to get the mg equivalent, or divide mg by 215.2 to get the mL equivalent. A reference to “10 mL” and a reference to “30 mg” are not even in the same ballpark in terms of total peptide content, and people miss this constantly.
Why This Distinction Matters
The clinical evidence does not transfer cleanly. The decades of published Cerebrolysin data is on the Ever Pharma formulation specifically. Cerebroprotein has separate, smaller literature.
Form factor is the giveaway. Liquid in a sealed glass ampule with Ever Pharma branding = real Cerebrolysin. Lyophilized powder vial = Cerebroprotein, regardless of what the label says.
What I’m Doing About It
Auditing every “Cerebrolysin” listing on PeptidePrice.store and verifying with each vendor whether they’re sourcing Ever Pharma ampules or Cerebroprotein vials
Updating product names so the distinction is obvious — Cerebrolysin (Ever Pharma) vs. Cerebroprotein
Adding educational context on product detail pages so first-time researchers don’t get blindsided
If you bought something recently labeled “Cerebrolysin” — check the form factor. Liquid in a glass ampule with Ever Pharma branding is the real thing. Powder vial is Cerebroprotein.
Bottom line: Both have a place in research. They are not the same product, and they do not have the same evidence base. I’d rather have the community informed and asking the right questions than assuming vendor labels tell the full story.
Drop questions below.
All Content is for Research and Educational Purposes Only. Not Medical Advice.

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