Comparison
AOD-9604 vs Noopept
Side-by-side of AOD-9604 and Noopept. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
AOD-9604
AOD 9604 peptide: 16-amino-acid hGH fragment 176-191. Preclinical lipolytic activity, phase 2 obesity trial showed no weight loss vs placebo.
Noopept
Noopept cognitive enhancer profile: 10 to 30 mg dosage, dipeptide nootropic mechanism, memory effects, and how it compares to piracetam.
Effects at a glance
AOD-9604
- •Modified 16-amino-acid synthetic fragment of human growth hormone (residues 176-191)
- •Preclinical models show lipolytic activity in adipose tissue without GH-axis growth effects
- •Phase 2 obesity trial (Heffernan 2001) showed no significant weight-loss difference versus placebo
- •Anecdotal protocols use 250 to 500 mcg subcutaneously daily on an empty stomach
- •No FDA approval; the obesity drug development program was discontinued in 2007
- •Granted GRAS status in some jurisdictions for compounded use; not validated for fat loss in humans
Noopept
- •Russian dipeptide nootropic developed in the 1990s, registered in Russia 2002 for cognitive impairment
- •Roughly 1,000-fold higher per-mg potency than piracetam; therapeutic dose 10 to 30 mg/day
- •Active metabolite cycloprolylglycine modulates AMPA receptors and increases NGF and BDNF in rodent hippocampus
- •Russian RCTs in stroke recovery and vascular cognitive impairment show modest improvements over 4 to 8 weeks
- •Western evidence base is essentially absent; healthy-adult enhancement trials have not been published
- •Unscheduled in the US but not approved for human consumption; UK is prescription-only since 2014
Side-by-side
| Attribute | AOD-9604 | Noopept |
|---|---|---|
| Category | peptide | nootropic |
| Also known as | hGH fragment 176-191, Human Growth Hormone Fragment 176-191 | GVS-111, N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester, Omberacetam |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 0.3 | 20 |
| Dosing frequency | daily | 2 to 3 times daily, last dose before mid-afternoon |
| Routes | subcutaneous | oral, sublingual |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 0.5 |
| Peak (hr) | 2 | 1 |
| Molecular weight | 1815.17 | 318.37 |
| Molecular formula | C78H125N23O23S2 | C17H22N2O4 |
| Mechanism | Modified C-terminal fragment of human growth hormone proposed to stimulate beta-3 adrenergic receptor signaling in adipocytes, increasing lipolysis and fatty-acid oxidation without engaging the GH receptor or activating IGF-1. | Hydrolyzed to active metabolite cycloprolylglycine; AMPA receptor modulation, BDNF and NGF upregulation, antioxidant and antiexcitotoxic effects. |
| Legal status | Not FDA approved; research-use-only grey market in most jurisdictions | Approved in Russia and CIS states; prescription-only in UK; unscheduled and unapproved in US, EU varies |
| WADA status | unknown | unknown |
| DEA / Rx | Not FDA approved; not scheduled; research-chemical status | Not scheduled in the US |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data; not recommended | Not recommended |
| CAS | 221231-10-3 | 157115-85-0 |
| PubChem CID | 71300630 | 183503 |
| Wikidata | Q4654106 | Q4321022 |
Safety profile
AOD-9604
Common side effects
- injection-site reactions
- transient mild headache (anecdotal)
- minimal in clinical trials
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- no established human safety profile for chronic use
Interactions
- beta-blockers: theoretical antagonism of beta-3 adrenergic lipolytic signaling(minor)
Noopept
Common side effects
- headache
- irritability
- sleep disturbance with late-day dosing
- occasional blood pressure elevation
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- pediatric use
- severe hepatic impairment
- severe renal impairment
Interactions
- memantine and other glutamatergic agents: theoretical AMPA-pathway interaction(minor)
- antidepressants: theoretical effect via BDNF axis, undocumented(minor)
- antihypertensives: occasional blood pressure elevation may require monitoring(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Noopept comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, controlled substance, oral dosing, with a Tier-B outcome catalogued. AOD-9604 is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is fat loss, pick AOD-9604.
- → If your priority is body composition, pick AOD-9604.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Noopept.
- → If your priority is memory, pick Noopept.
Edge case: If you cannot self-administer injections, Noopept is the only oral option in this pair.
Default choice: Noopept. Wider use case, and broader goal coverage. Reach for AOD-9604 only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between AOD-9604 and Noopept?
AOD-9604 and Noopept differ in category (peptide vs nootropic), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, AOD-9604 or Noopept?
AOD-9604 half-life is 0.5 hours; Noopept half-life is 0.7 hours.
Can you stack AOD-9604 with Noopept?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper