What it is
Omberacetam is not a true peptide. It is a small molecule built on a 2 amino acid frame, proline and glycine. Extra chemical groups are attached to both ends. Its sales name is Noopept. It was made at the Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology in Moscow as a stronger version of piracetam, an older memory drug. It is sold as a prescription drug in Russia. In the body it breaks down fast. One of the things it breaks down into is cyclic glycine-proline, which may cause part of its effects. See the Cyclic Glycine-Proline entry for that compound. Other names: Noopept, GVS-111, N-Phenylacetyl-L-Prolylglycine Ethyl Ester.
What researchers study it for
- Memory and thinking problems after stroke-related damage or head injury
- NGF and BDNF, proteins that help brain cells grow and survive
- Brain cell damage from glutamate and amyloid
- How it breaks down in the body
What the studies found
1. It matched piracetam in patients with mild thinking problems, with fewer side effects.
A 2009 Russian trial gave 53 patients either Noopept or piracetam for 56 days. The patients had mild memory and thinking problems from blood vessel disease or head injury. Both drugs improved scores on memory and thinking tests by about the same amount. Noopept was given at a much smaller amount. Side effects were 1.8 times less common with Noopept. Human data.
2. It raised NGF and BDNF in the rat hippocampus.
The hippocampus is a brain area tied to memory. A 2008 study found one dose of Noopept raised the genes for NGF and BDNF there. The rise lasted with longer use. Changes in the outer brain layer were smaller and mixed. Rat data only.
3. It protected cells from amyloid damage and lowered tau changes.
A 2014 study damaged nerve-like cells with amyloid, the protein that builds up in Alzheimer's disease. Cells treated first with Noopept survived better. Their mitochondria worked better. Tau, a protein that tangles in Alzheimer's disease, had fewer harmful changes. Lab cells only.
4. It protected brain cells from glutamate damage.
Too much glutamate can overexcite and kill brain cells. A 2016 study exposed mouse brain cells to high glutamate. More cells survived when Noopept was added. Lab cells only.
5. It broke down fast in rats, leaving cyclic glycine-proline behind.
A 2018 study tracked Noopept and its breakdown products in rat blood. Noopept itself disappeared quickly. Cyclic glycine-proline lasted longer and reached the brain. The authors say part of Noopept's effect likely comes from this breakdown product. Rat data only.
How much research exists
One small human trial and many lab and animal studies. Almost all come from Russian labs. No trial outside Russia and no trial against a placebo has been published.
Facts
- Formula: C17H22N2O4
- Weight: about 318 g/mol
- CAS number: 157115-85-0 (could not confirm)
- Sequence: none. It is N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester.
- Time in the blood: short in rats. It breaks down fast.
- Storage: keep dry and away from moisture.
Legal status
Registered as a prescription drug in Russia and some nearby countries. Not approved by the FDA or the European Medicines Agency. Sold as a supplement or research chemical in other countries.
For research use only. Not for human use. Nothing here is medical advice.