Overview
Widely sold in the West as a nootropic supplement despite being a prescription drug in its country of origin and explicitly excluded from the US supplement category. Its Russian trial record is more substantial than most nootropics and still falls well short of Western standards.
Limited or non-US approvalPrescription medicine in Russia. Not a lawful dietary supplement in the US. Unapproved in the EU and UK.
| Regulatory status | Registered as a prescription medicine in Russia. In the US, FDA has determined it is not a lawful dietary ingredient. Not approved in the EU or UK. |
|---|---|
| Drug class | Dipeptide-derived nootropic — a proline-containing dipeptide ethyl ester |
| Route | Oral or sublingual |
| Half-life | ~16–30 minutes (active metabolite cycloprolylglycine persists longer) |
| Evidence rating |
2/5 Limited
Evidence rating 2 out of 5: Limited
Preclinical work plus scattered human reports, uncontrolled use, or negative trials. |
| Studied in | Russian randomized trials in mild cognitive impairment of vascular and post-traumatic origin; extensive Russian preclinical work. |
How it works
Rapidly metabolised to cycloprolylglycine, an endogenous neuropeptide. Reported effects include increased BDNF and NGF expression in the hippocampus, modulation of AMPA and NMDA receptor function, and antioxidant activity. Structurally related to the racetam family but active at far lower doses.
Evidence base
Rated 2 of 5 — Limited. Preclinical work plus scattered human reports, uncontrolled use, or negative trials.
- More Russian trial data than most nootropics, and no independent Western replication.
Benefits & potential uses
Bars indicate how well each claim is supported: three = strong human evidence, two = moderate, one = preliminary or preclinical.
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Reported cognitive benefit in mild impairment Preliminary
Russian randomized trials described improvement in cognitive and affective symptoms in vascular and post-traumatic cognitive impairment.
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Neurotrophin upregulation Preliminary
Documented increases in hippocampal BDNF and NGF expression in animal models.
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Active at low doses Preliminary
Roughly a thousandfold more potent by weight than piracetam.
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Anxiolytic component reported Preliminary
Russian studies describe reduced anxiety and irritability alongside cognitive effects.
Risks, cons & cautions
Bars indicate seriousness: three = serious or common, two = moderate, one = minor.
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Not a lawful supplement in the US Serious
FDA has stated it does not meet the dietary ingredient definition, making its sale as a supplement unlawful — a fact most vendors omit.
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Evidence base not independently replicated Serious
No Western randomized trials exist. Methodological standards in the source literature are inconsistent.
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Irritability, headache and sleep disruption Moderate evidence
Commonly reported, particularly at higher doses or later in the day.
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Blood pressure elevation Moderate evidence
Reported in some users; caution advised in hypertension.
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No long-term safety data Moderate evidence
Chronic use has not been characterised outside Russian practice.
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Product quality varies widely Moderate evidence
Sold by supplement vendors with inconsistent purity and labelling.
Who should avoid it
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Uncontrolled hypertension
- Severe hepatic or renal impairment
- Concurrent stimulants without medical supervision
If used under medical supervision, monitor
- Blood pressure
- Sleep quality and mood
- Cognitive assessment if used for impairment
Commonly confused with
These mix-ups cause real harm — two products sold under one name, or two molecules whose effects run in opposite directions.
Both are Russian-developed neuropeptides sold as nootropics in the West. Semax is a seven-residue ACTH fragment given intranasally; noopept is an orally active dipeptide ester. Neither has Western regulatory review.
Compare side by sideRegulatory & legal status
Prescription medicine in Russia. Not a lawful dietary supplement in the US. Unapproved in the EU and UK.
Infographic
Where to read further
We link to live literature searches rather than a frozen citation list, so you always see current results — including anything published after our last review.
- PubMed — all published literature on Noopept
- PubMed — randomized controlled trials only
- ClinicalTrials.gov — registered human trials
Related peptides in Cognitive & Neurological
Terms used on this page
- Nootropic
- A nootropic is any substance claimed to improve cognition, a term coined for a specific pharmacological profile that has since become a marketing category with no regulatory meaning.
- Nerve Growth Factor (NGF)
- Nerve growth factor is the founding neurotrophin, supporting sympathetic and sensory neurons and basal forebrain cholinergic neurons while also acting as a potent peripheral pain mediator.
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)
- BDNF is a neurotrophin that signals through the TrkB receptor to support neuronal survival, dendritic growth and the late, protein-synthesis-dependent phase of synaptic potentiation.
- Preclinical Study and Animal Model
- Preclinical studies are the laboratory, cell and animal experiments done before any human exposure, establishing mechanism, target engagement and the toxicology package that permits a first trial.
- Potency vs Efficacy
- Potency is the concentration a drug needs to produce a given effect, while efficacy is the largest effect it can produce at any concentration; the two are independent properties.
This page is educational information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your medical history, medications, or risk factors. Do not start, stop or change any treatment based on it. Speak to a qualified healthcare professional who knows your case.