NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
🧠

Noopept

Russian synthetic dipeptide nootropic; little blinded human data.

Preliminary evidence 🧠Nootropic

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
6 verified / 6
Classification
Nootropic
❝
What the evidence says. Graded preliminary: the only human trials are small, mostly open-label or active-comparator (not placebo-controlled) Russian studies in stroke or organic brain-disease patients, backed by strong animal mechanism (BDNF/NGF). There are no rigorous placebo-controlled RCTs in healthy adults and no Western/meta-analytic confirmation. (Preliminary evidence: Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.)

What is Noopept?

Noopept is a nootropic used for memory & cognition support. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Noopept (omberacetam, GVS-111) is a synthetic dipeptide developed in Russia as a piracetam analogue; orally it is converted to the endogenous peptide cycloprolylglycine, which modulates AMPA/glutamate signalling and raises nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in animal brain. Human data are limited to a few small trials in patients, not healthy people. An open study in 60 stroke patients (20 mg/day) reported improved MMSE and word-association scores by 2 months, and comparative trials in ~53 patients with vascular or post-traumatic cognitive impairment found effects similar to or earlier than piracetam, with MMSE rising roughly 26 to 29. These studies were unblinded or lacked placebo controls, were conducted by the developers, and have not been replicated in Western populations. The FDA does not recognise noopept as safe or effective; it is sold online as a 'research chemical', not a licensed medicine or dietary supplement.

Purported Benefits

✓Memory & cognition support
✓Mild cognitive impairment after stroke
✓Reduced mental fatigue (asthenia)
✓Anxiolytic / calming effect

Evidence by outcome

The same supplement can be well-proven for one use and unproven for another — here is the human evidence graded outcome by outcome.

OutcomeEvidenceEffectStudies
Cognition after strokeOpen trial in 60 stroke patients improved MMSE, but unblinded, developer-run and unreplicated in the West. Preliminary ↑ benefit · moderate 1
Cognition in vascular/traumatic impairmentComparative trials vs piracetam (~53 patients) showed earlier MMSE gains; placebo-poor and developer-conducted. Preliminary ↑ benefit · moderate 2
Anxiolytic / calming effectAn EEG study in MCI reported an anxiolytic effect alongside cognitive changes; small and not placebo-controlled. Preliminary ↑ benefit · small 1
Memory in healthy adultsNo human trials in healthy people; nootropic claims rest only on rodent NGF/BDNF and antiamnesic data. No Evidence ↔ mixed

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
Studied at 10 mg twice daily (20 mg/day) by mouth for ~1.5–2 months; not an approved drug or dietary supplement.
Active Compounds
N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester (omberacetam, GVS-111)Cycloprolylglycine (active brain metabolite)

Safety & Cautions

Noopept is not FDA-approved as a drug or dietary supplement; quality and purity of products sold online as 'research chemicals' are unverified, and long-term human safety is unknown. Reported effects include irritability, restlessness, headache, insomnia, blood-pressure changes and fatigue; it should be avoided in pregnancy, breastfeeding, and uncontrolled hypertension. Because it influences glutamate signalling and CNS arousal, caution is warranted with stimulants, sedatives, antihypertensives and antiepileptic drugs, though formal human interaction data are lacking. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Noopept with any medicine.

Key Studies

RCT Amelin 2011 ✓ PubMed
Open trial, 60 stroke patients: 20 mg/day noopept improved MMSE and word-association scores by 2 months vs controls; high safety reported.
RCT Neznamov & Teleshova 2008 ✓ PubMed
Comparative trial vs piracetam in ~53 patients with vascular/traumatic cognitive impairment; noopept effects emerged earlier, MMSE rose ~26 to 29.
RCT Bochkarev 2008 ✓ PubMed
EEG study in mild cognitive impairment: noopept increased alpha/beta-rhythm power and reduced delta, plus anxiolytic effect; clearest in vascular disease.
Review Ostrovskaya 2008 ✓ PubMed
Rat hippocampus: noopept raised NGF and BDNF mRNA after single and 28-day dosing, with no tolerance (effect potentiated over time).
Review Ostrovskaya 2001 ✓ PubMed
Oral GVS-111 (0.5–10 mg/kg) retained antiamnesic activity in rats, improving one-session learning beyond piracetam and its metabolite.
Review Kovalenko 2002 ✓ PubMed
Preclinical anti-inflammatory action: dose-dependent inhibition of inflammation, reducing adjuvant arthritis by 74–94%, likely antioxidant-related.
6 sources cited · 6 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Noopept

What is Noopept used for?

Noopept is most often taken for Memory & cognition support, Mild cognitive impairment after stroke, Reduced mental fatigue (asthenia), Anxiolytic / calming effect. Russian synthetic dipeptide nootropic; little blinded human data.

Does Noopept work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Noopept (omberacetam, GVS-111) is a synthetic dipeptide developed in Russia as a piracetam analogue; orally it is converted to the endogenous peptide cycloprolylglycine, which modulates AMPA/glutamate signalling and raises nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in animal brain. Human data are limited to a few small trials in patients, not healthy people. An open study in 60 stroke patients (20 mg/day) reported improved MMSE and word-association scores by 2 months, and comparative trials in ~53 patients with vascular or post-traumatic cognitive impairment found effects similar to or earlier than piracetam, with MMSE rising roughly 26 to 29. These studies were unblinded or lacked placebo controls, were conducted by the developers, and have not been replicated in Western populations. The FDA does not recognise noopept as safe or effective; it is sold online as a 'research chemical', not a licensed medicine or dietary supplement.

What is the typical dose of Noopept?

Studied at 10 mg twice daily (20 mg/day) by mouth for ~1.5–2 months; not an approved drug or dietary supplement.

Is Noopept safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Noopept is not FDA-approved as a drug or dietary supplement; quality and purity of products sold online as 'research chemicals' are unverified, and long-term human safety is unknown. Reported effects include irritability, restlessness, headache, insomnia, blood-pressure changes and fatigue; it should be avoided in pregnancy, breastfeeding, and uncontrolled hypertension. Because it influences glutamate signalling and CNS arousal, caution is warranted with stimulants, sedatives, antihypertensives and antiepileptic drugs, though formal human interaction data are lacking.

How many studies support Noopept?

NutriDex cites 6 sources for Noopept, graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Noopept: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/noopept

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_noopept,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Noopept: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/noopept},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

← Back to the full dex · All substances