Noopept
A Russian-developed dipeptide nootropic roughly a thousand times more potent than piracetam, studied for memory, neuroprotection, and mild anxiolysis.
Noopept (GVS-111; INN omberacetam) is a synthetic dipeptide nootropic developed in the 1990s at the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and derived structurally from the endogenous neuropeptide cycloprolylglycine. It is proposed to act as a prodrug for cycloprolylglycine and to modulate AMPA/NMDA receptor function, upregulate BDNF and NGF, and enhance cholinergic tone, supporting memory consolidation and neuroprotection. It is an over-the-counter cognitive enhancer and anxiolytic in Russia but is not FDA-approved and exists in a legal grey zone in most Western countries, where its evidence base is dominated by small Russian trials.
Class
Synthetic dipeptide nootropic (proline-glycine derivative)
Half-life
~15-30 minutes (parent compound); active metabolite cycloprolylglycine shows longer CNS retention
Routes
Oral, Sublingual, Intranasal
Category
Cognitive & Nootropic
Researched benefits
What it's studied for
Memory consolidation
The most-studied claim: Noopept is proposed to enhance memory formation and consolidation via AMPA receptor modulation and long-term potentiation. Russian clinical work in cognitively impaired patients and rodent memory models supports this, though evidence in healthy adults is limited.
BDNF and NGF upregulation
Rodent studies (Ostrovskaya et al., 2008) report that chronic administration increases hippocampal and cortical BDNF and NGF mRNA, neurotrophic factors central to synaptic plasticity and neuron survival.
Neuroprotection
A substantial body of preclinical work reports protection against oxidative stress, glutamate/kainate excitotoxicity, and ischemia-reperfusion injury, via antioxidant enzyme upregulation and reduced calcium-mediated excitotoxic cascades. Not yet translated to human trials.
Focus and learning speed
Users and small studies describe a subtle improvement in mental clarity and learning, attributed to cholinergic potentiation and enhanced glutamatergic signaling without stimulant-like arousal.
Mild anxiolytic effect
Russian clinical literature reports anxiolytic effects at 20-30 mg/day in neurasthenia and mild anxiety, possibly via cPG-mediated modulation of the HPA axis and GABAergic tone, with a more favorable side-effect profile than benzodiazepines.
Anti-amyloid / neurorestorative signals
Preclinical reports describe anti-amyloid and neurorestorative properties relevant to models of Alzheimer's and cerebrovascular disease, forming part of its rationale for use in cognitive decline in Russia.
Mechanism
How it works
Noopept's mechanism is multifaceted and, despite decades of research, incompletely understood. The most widely cited model treats it as a prodrug for cycloprolylglycine (cPG), an endogenous brain dipeptide. After oral administration Noopept is rapidly metabolized by peptidases to release cPG, which is thought to mimic or potentiate endogenous neuropeptide signaling; cPG levels rise after dosing and appear to correlate with pharmacological effects.
Several rodent studies report that Noopept upregulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in the hippocampus and cortex. These neurotrophins support synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation, and cholinergic neuron survival, offering a plausible basis for its memory-improving and neuroprotective claims, though the magnitude and human translation remain uncertain.
Noopept is also reported to positively modulate AMPA receptor function and to sensitize hippocampal neurons to glutamatergic signaling without excitotoxicity, a mechanism shared conceptually with the racetam family. In hippocampal slice work it increased firing of CA1 GABAergic interneurons through alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and it appears to indirectly enhance acetylcholine release in cortical and hippocampal regions.
Importantly, Noopept is not a psychostimulant (it does not meaningfully engage dopaminergic reward pathways or produce amphetamine-like arousal), not a benzodiazepine-type GABAergic anxiolytic, and not a serotonergic drug. Its anxiolytic and neuroprotective effects are attributed instead to cPG-mediated HPA/GABAergic modulation, antioxidant enzyme upregulation, and stabilization of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore.
Dosing protocols
Dosing & administration
Dosing reflects protocols reported in research and community literature for educational purposes. It is not medical advice or a recommendation. Most peptides here are not approved for human use.
Beginner
- Dose
- 10 mg once daily
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Timing
- Morning
- Duration
- Week 1
- Route
- Oral or sublingual
Pair with alpha-GPC 300 mg or CDP-choline 250 mg to offset the most common side effect (headache). Assess tolerance before increasing.
Intermediate
- Dose
- 10 mg twice daily (20 mg/day)
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Timing
- Morning and midday
- Duration
- Week 2 onward
- Route
- Oral or sublingual
Do not dose after 5 PM due to potential sleep disruption. Continue choline co-administration.
Full / Clinical
- Dose
- 20-30 mg/day
- Frequency
- Divided doses
- Timing
- Morning and midday
- Duration
- Typically ~2 months in Russian studies
- Route
- Oral
Reflects the typical therapeutic range used in Russian clinical research for cognitive impairment and anxiety (e.g. 20 mg/day post-stroke; 20-30 mg/day in anxiety populations).
- Co-administer a choline source (alpha-GPC 300-600 mg/day or CDP-choline 250-500 mg/day) to prevent or reduce headaches; plain choline bitartrate is less effective for brain penetration.
- Avoid dosing after 5 PM to limit sleep disruption.
- Oral capsules are the most common research form; intranasal and sublingual routes are used to bypass first-pass metabolism, but no standardized intranasal protocol has been established.
- No approved Western dosing guidelines exist outside the Russian prescription context; use should be informed, time-limited, and coordinated with medical care.
Evidence
Research & clinical studies (4)
Effect of nootropic dipeptide noopept on CA1 pyramidal neurons involves alpha7 nAChRs on interneurons in hippocampal slices from rat
Noopept (5 uM) increased action potential firing in CA1 GABAergic interneurons through alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activation, an effect abolished by selective alpha-7 antagonists.
PMID 36195298Noopept in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment in patients with stroke
In 60 post-stroke patients, noopept 20 mg daily for 2 months significantly improved MMSE scores and verbal association tests versus controls, with high tolerability.
PMID 22500312Noopept-induced upregulation of BDNF and NGF expression in rat brain
Chronic Noopept administration increased BDNF and NGF mRNA in rat brain, most pronounced in the hippocampus, supporting a neurotrophic mechanism for its cognitive effects.
PMID 18803028Comparative study of the anxiolytic activity of noopept in patients with anxiety and neurasthenic disorders
Noopept at 20-30 mg/day produced anxiolytic effects in neurasthenia and mild-to-moderate anxiety with a favorable side-effect profile relative to benzodiazepines, though the study was open-label and small.
PMID 19946425Combinations
Stacking & blends
Noopept + Choline
Prevent headaches and support cholinergic tone
Noopept's cholinergic potentiation can outstrip endogenous acetylcholine precursor availability; adding alpha-GPC or CDP-choline reliably reduces the most common side effect and may enhance the cognitive effect.
Russian nootropic stack
Combined cognitive drive and calm
Semax pushes BDNF/focus and Selank adds anxiolysis without sedation; both are listed as synergistic with Noopept in community interaction data.
Noopept + Phenylpiracetam
Amplified focus and stimulation
Phenylpiracetam adds a stimulant-adjacent racetam effect; the two are reported compatible, though stacking multiple novel compounds complicates attribution of effects.
Noopept + Lion's Mane
Neurotrophic / neuroregenerative support
Both are reported to support NGF/BDNF-related pathways and are listed as synergistic in interaction data.
Safety
Side effects & considerations
Commonly reported effects
Contraindications & cautions
- Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding
- Pediatric use (under 18)
- Known hypersensitivity to Noopept
- Severe hepatic impairment
- Severe renal impairment
- Uncontrolled hypertension (relative)
- Cardiovascular disease (relative)
- Seizure disorder (relative)
- Concurrent psychiatric medication without physician oversight (relative)
Described as well tolerated in Russian open-label practice, but long-term safety data meeting Western standards do not exist. Headache is by far the most common effect, usually in the first 1-2 weeks and mitigated by co-administered choline. Stop use and seek care for chest pain, palpitations, severe headache with neurological symptoms, allergic reaction, or severe mood deterioration. Not currently on the WADA Prohibited List, but athletes should verify current status.
FAQ
Noopept — common questions
What is Noopept and where does it come from?
Noopept (N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester; GVS-111; INN omberacetam) is a small dipeptide nootropic developed in the 1990s at the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences by Tatiana Voronina and Rita Ostrovskaya. It is sold over-the-counter in Russia as a cognitive enhancer and anxiolytic. In the West it is not approved as a drug or recognized as a dietary supplement, existing in a legal grey zone as an unregulated research chemical.
Is Noopept evidence-based for cognitive enhancement?
Not to Western regulatory standards. The clinical evidence is dominated by small Russian open-label and unblinded trials that would not meet FDA or EMA approval criteria. For genuine cognitive impairment the evidence-based treatments are cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine; for healthy adults, exercise, sleep, and diet have far stronger support. Noopept's evidence is suggestive but hypothesis-generating rather than definitive.
How does Noopept compare to piracetam?
They share proposed mechanisms (AMPA modulation, cholinergic effects) but differ markedly in potency. Noopept is roughly a thousand times more potent per milligram, with a typical daily dose of 20-30 mg versus 1,600-4,800 mg for piracetam. Neither is approved in the US, and users who respond to one may or may not respond to the other.
What dose should I start with?
Start with 10 mg once daily in the morning for week 1, paired with alpha-GPC 300 mg or CDP-choline 250 mg to offset headaches. If tolerated, increase to 10 mg twice daily (morning and midday) in week 2. The typical full dose in Russian studies is 20-30 mg/day. Do not dose after 5 PM.
Why do I need to take choline with Noopept?
Noopept's cholinergic potentiation can outstrip the brain's acetylcholine precursor supply, producing headaches, the single most common side effect. Co-administering alpha-GPC (300-600 mg/day) or CDP-choline (250-500 mg/day) reliably prevents or reduces these headaches. Plain choline bitartrate is less effective for brain penetration.
Can Noopept help with anxiety?
Russian clinical literature (Neznamov & Teleshova, 2009) reports anxiolytic effects at 20-30 mg/day in neurasthenia and mild anxiety, with a favorable profile versus benzodiazepines. However these studies were open-label and small. For diagnosed anxiety disorders, first-line evidence-based treatments are SSRIs, SNRIs, and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
What are the most common side effects?
Headaches are by far the most common, usually in the first 1-2 weeks and mitigated by choline. Other reported effects include irritability, sleep disruption if dosed late, brain fog at high doses, mild GI complaints, and mild blood pressure elevation. Long-term safety data meeting Western standards do not exist.
Is Noopept legal in my country?
It depends on jurisdiction. In Russia and several CIS states it is an approved prescription medicine. In the US it is unscheduled but not approved as a drug or recognized as a supplement under DSHEA. Status varies across the EU, with the Czech Republic and Hungary having explicit restrictions. Verify current local status before purchasing, as importation across borders can carry legal risk.
