Noopept
Also known as: Omberacetam, N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester, GVS-111, Ноопепт
Lower numbers = closer to natural. Higher numbers = more enhanced.
Why this rating?
Noopept is a Russian dipeptide nootropic promoted for memory and cognition. It has no anabolic, fat-loss, androgenic, estrogenic or GH-axis action of any kind, so it does not move the needle on natural muscular potential - rated 1 (essentially natty), in line with other pure cognitive/health compounds that do not build muscle. Its own evidence base is thin regardless of muscle relevance: few human trials have ever been run (the longest found was roughly 56-60 days, e.g. Amelin et al. 2011) and no dose has been shown to be optimal.
Overview
A synthetic dipeptide (N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester) developed in Russia and promoted as a nootropic. It is a prodrug of cyclic glycine-proline (cycloprolylglycine) and is an analog of piracetam. It is not FDA-approved; human evidence is limited.
Important Warnings
- •Not FDA-approved: the FDA treats noopept/omberacetam as an unapproved new drug and has issued import alerts, making its sale in dietary supplements, food or medicine unlawful in the US. Sale/supply for human consumption is likewise prohibited in the UK.
- •Human safety and efficacy data are limited - few clinical trials exist and none have run long enough to establish a chronic-use safety profile, so treat it as a research chemical rather than a proven nootropic.
Purpose & Use Cases
Cognitive / Memory Support
Promoted as a nootropic for memory and cognition, on the basis of preclinical neurotrophic (BDNF/NGF-type) and AMPA-modulating effects.
Neuroprotection (Preclinical)
Proposed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-neurotoxic actions - largely from laboratory and animal work rather than robust human trials.
Benefits
- Reported cognitive/memory support (mostly subjective / preclinical basis)
- Preclinical BDNF increase via its cycloprolylglycine metabolite
- Active at low doses (10-30mg/day)
- Widely used nootropic where legal (e.g. OTC in Russia)
Good to Know
A Russian dipeptide nootropic with thin human evidence
Noopept (omberacetam) is a synthetic dipeptide first reported in 1996 in Russia and marketed there without prescription. It is a prodrug of cyclic glycine-proline and a piracetam analog. Crucially, few human trials have ever been run - the longest lasted only 56 days - and no dose has been shown to be optimal, so claims should be read with skepticism.
The BDNF/NGF story is mostly preclinical
Its metabolite cycloprolylglycine modulates AMPA receptors and, in cell culture, increases BDNF. That is the mechanistic basis for the neurotrophic (BDNF/NGF) reputation - but it is laboratory and animal data, not proof of a cognitive benefit in healthy humans.
Not FDA-approved - and outright banned to sell in some countries
In the US it is an unapproved new drug that is unlawful to sell in supplements, food or medicine; the UK prohibits sale/supply for human consumption; Hungary lists it as a controlled substance. It is OTC in Russia. Legal status varies sharply by country.
Dosage Guidelines
| Experience Level | Dosage Range |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 10 – 20 mg/day |
| Intermediate | 20 – 30 mg/day |
| Advanced | 30 – 40 mg/day |
Sources consistently describe noopept as frequently dosed at 10-30mg/day (split into 1-2 doses), with no loading phase, but note there is no solid evidence that any dose is optimal. A published trial in post-stroke cognitive impairment used 20mg/day (10mg twice daily) for 2 months with good tolerability (Amelin et al., 2011). Community sources (e.g. PsychonautWiki) place 20-40mg/day in a "strong" tier with more reported headache/irritability - treat the 30-40mg end as an upper/advanced-only range, not a target. Often stacked with a choline source (e.g. alpha-GPC) to reduce headache risk. Its metabolism and elimination half-life in humans remain poorly characterized.
The true elimination half-life in humans has not been well characterized. Community reports (e.g. PsychonautWiki) describe subjective/nootropic effects from an oral dose lasting roughly 3-5 hours, unverified/community-derived, not a pharmacokinetic measurement.
Side Effects
Headache, Irritability & Sleep Disturbance
commonCommunity and vendor-reported effects, more likely at doses above roughly 20mg/day: headache, irritability, mild brain fog and sleep disturbance (racetam-type nootropics are often linked to acetylcholine demand/depletion). The one published trial with meaningful follow-up (20mg/day for 2 months in post-stroke patients) reported the drug was well tolerated overall (Amelin et al., 2011), so these effects appear dose-dependent and generally mild rather than the norm at typical doses.
Stay within the typical 10-30mg/day range split into 1-2 doses, and pair with a choline source (e.g. alpha-GPC or CDP-choline), a common racetam-stacking practice believed to reduce headache risk.
Limited Safety Data
uncommonFew human trials have ever been carried out, and the longest with published follow-up ran roughly 56-60 days (e.g. Amelin et al., 2011, 2 months), so the long-term/chronic-use safety profile is genuinely under-characterised. No major reference publishes a large, quantified side-effect profile from randomized trials.
Treat as a research chemical: conservative dosing, avoid long-term use, and be aware evidence is thin.
Sourcing / Purity Risk
uncommonSold as an unregulated research chemical/'supplement' in many markets (and unlawful to sell for human use in the US/UK), so purity and dosing accuracy vary.
Use a source with a certificate of analysis; verify legality in your jurisdiction.
General Mitigation Strategies
The honest headline is that human safety and efficacy data are limited - few trials, none long. Keep doses low (10-30mg/day), avoid open-ended use, and remember it is not FDA-approved and is unlawful to sell for human consumption in the US and UK.
Post Cycle Therapy (PCT)
Not a hormone and does not affect the HPTA. No PCT required.
How It Works
Noopept is a prodrug of cyclic glycine-proline. It is metabolised to cycloprolylglycine, which acts as a modulator of AMPA receptors; in cell culture cycloprolylglycine increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Other proposed actions include antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, inhibition of neurotoxicity, and activation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1). As a piracetam analog it is grouped with the racetam nootropics. Note: much of the BDNF/mechanistic data is preclinical (cell culture / animal), not human.
Fundamentals
Reference on the practices relevant to Noopept: how they are done and where they go wrong. Not a recommendation to use it.
Legal Status
USA: unapproved new drug, unlawful to sell in supplements, food or medicine; Russia: available without prescription; UK: sale/supply for human consumption prohibited; Hungary: controlled substance (since Aug 2020).
Legal status varies by country and changes over time. This is a general summary, not legal advice.
WADA Status
Noopept is not explicitly named on the WADA Prohibited List and is not a stimulant or hormone. However, as a substance not approved for human therapeutic use in most jurisdictions (unlawful to sell for human consumption in the US/UK), tested athletes should verify its status - marking uncertain out of caution.