Noopept (Peptide Note)
Also known as: N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester · GVS-111
A small proline-containing dipeptide derivative — technically a peptidomimetic — developed in Russia as an orally active cognitive enhancer with structural lineage to piracetam.
- Category
- Cognitive Enhancement
- Half-life
- Oral bioavailability; parent compound rapidly metabolised to active cycloprolylglycine
- Formula
- C₁₇H₂₂N₂O₄
- Weight
- 318.37 g/mol
Section 1
Overview
Noopept is, strictly speaking, a small peptidomimetic rather than a classical research peptide — a proline-containing dipeptide ester developed in Russia as an orally active analogue of the racetam-class nootropics. It is included on this site because its mechanism of action and discovery history are firmly within the peptide research tradition, and because peer-reviewed literature continues to position it alongside Semax and Selank as part of the Russian cognitive-peptide family.
After oral administration Noopept is rapidly metabolised to cycloprolylglycine, an endogenous cyclic dipeptide that is itself a putative cognitive enhancer. The parent compound and metabolite together produce the pharmacological effects characterised in research.
Reported potency is approximately three orders of magnitude greater than piracetam on equivalent endpoints in animal models, with a broader profile that includes anxiolytic and neuroprotective effects alongside the core pro-cognitive activity.
Section 2
Discovery & History
- Developed in Russia in the 1990s by Skoldinov and colleagues at the V. V. Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology, as part of a programme to find more potent and orally active successors to piracetam.
- Granted clinical approval in the Russian Federation in 2011 for cognitive indications.
- Internationally available only as a research chemical.
- Subject to a continuing peer-reviewed literature on mechanism, pharmacokinetics, and behavioural pharmacology.
Section 3
Mechanism of Action
- 1Rapid metabolism to cycloprolylglycine, an endogenous cyclic dipeptide with intrinsic neuropeptide-like activity.
- 2Modulation of AMPA and NMDA glutamate receptor function in hippocampal neurons.
- 3Increased BDNF and NGF expression in the hippocampus after sustained dosing — paralleling the Semax/Selank mechanism.
- 4Antioxidant effects, including upregulation of endogenous antioxidant enzyme activity.
- 5Anxiolytic effects in animal stress models, attributed to modulation of corticosterone responses and glutamatergic tone.
Section 4
Researched Benefits
Findings reported in the published preclinical and clinical literature. Effects in research contexts do not constitute claims of therapeutic benefit in humans.
- 1Improved memory consolidation in animal learning paradigms.
- 2Cognitive improvement in clinical trials in mild cognitive impairment populations (Russian literature).
- 3Anxiolytic effects in animal stress models.
- 4Neuroprotection against ischaemic and oxidative injury in research models.
- 5Oral bioavailability — distinctive among the broader nootropic peptide family.
- 6Reported tolerability in long-term clinical use in Russia.
Section 5
Theoretical Dosing & Protocols
| Route | Dosage | Frequency | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral (clinical use in Russia) | Typical clinical doses 10–30 mg per day | Twice or three times daily | Cycles of 1.5–3 months in published clinical practice |
Note: Not licensed in the UK; this information is provided for educational reference only.
Section 6
Administration Routes
- Oral — the molecule's defining feature, made possible by the peptidomimetic chemistry that resists gastrointestinal proteolysis.
- Parenteral routes used in some research but not standard clinical practice.
Section 7
Safety Profile
Commonly reported
- · Mild headache
- · Sleep disturbance if dosed late in the day
- · Occasional irritability at higher doses
Rare / theoretical
- · Hypersensitivity reactions
- · Long-term Western safety data is limited
Contraindications
- · Not licensed for human use in the UK
- · Severe hepatic or renal impairment (per Russian labelling)
- · Pregnancy/lactation
Section 8
UK & EU Regulatory Context
United Kingdom
Not licensed as a medicine in the UK. Research chemical only.
European Union
Not approved by the EMA. Used clinically in the Russian Federation.
Section 9
Clinical Studies Summary
Noopept in mild cognitive impairment — randomised trial
Russian clinical trial reporting cognitive improvement in subjects with mild cognitive impairment versus placebo.
Noopept and hippocampal BDNF expression
Sustained oral dosing produced significant increases in hippocampal BDNF expression in rodent models.
Cycloprolylglycine as the active metabolite of Noopept
Demonstration that the rapidly formed metabolite cycloprolylglycine carries a substantial portion of the parent compound's pharmacological activity.
Section 10
Frequently Asked Questions
Section 11
Sourcing for Laboratory Research
Sourcing Noopept (Peptide Note) for laboratory research
Researchers in the United Kingdom and elsewhere typically obtain Noopept (Peptide Note) from specialist research-chemical suppliers. Purity, third-party testing, and supplier transparency are the principal differentiators worth evaluating before placing an order. The two suppliers below are commonly referenced in UK research contexts.
Reminder: research peptides are sold strictly for in vitro and preclinical laboratory purposes. Importation or supply for human consumption is not permitted under UK medicines legislation.