Comparison
Armodafinil vs Noopept
Side-by-side of Armodafinil 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.
Armodafinil
Armodafinil is the R-enantiomer sold as Nuvigil. Half-life 10-15 h, 150 mg standard dose, narcolepsy and shift-work approvals, Schedule IV.
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
Armodafinil
- •FDA approved in 2007 for narcolepsy, shift-work sleep disorder, and OSA residual sleepiness
- •R-enantiomer of modafinil; 150 mg armodafinil is roughly equivalent to 200 mg modafinil
- •Schedule IV controlled in the US; prescription-only globally
- •Longer terminal half-life of about 15 hours produces extended late-day wakefulness coverage
- •Same CYP3A4 induction as modafinil; reduces hormonal contraceptive efficacy
- •Side-effect profile and dermatologic risk warnings mirror modafinil
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 | Armodafinil | Noopept |
|---|---|---|
| Category | pharmaceutical | nootropic |
| Also known as | Nuvigil, R-modafinil, (R)-(-)-modafinil | GVS-111, N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester, Omberacetam |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 15 | 0.7 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 150 | 20 |
| Dosing frequency | daily, morning | 2 to 3 times daily, last dose before mid-afternoon |
| Routes | oral | oral, sublingual |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 0.5 |
| Peak (hr) | 3 | 1 |
| Molecular weight | 273.35 | 318.37 |
| Molecular formula | C15H15NO2S | C17H22N2O4 |
| Mechanism | Weak dopamine reuptake inhibition plus downstream activation of histaminergic, noradrenergic, and orexinergic wake systems; R-enantiomer of modafinil with longer half-life. | Hydrolyzed to active metabolite cycloprolylglycine; AMPA receptor modulation, BDNF and NGF upregulation, antioxidant and antiexcitotoxic effects. |
| Legal status | Schedule IV (US); prescription-only globally; not a supplement | Approved in Russia and CIS states; prescription-only in UK; unscheduled and unapproved in US, EU varies |
| WADA status | banned | unknown |
| DEA / Rx | Schedule IV | Not scheduled in the US |
| Pregnancy | Not recommended | Not recommended |
| CAS | 112111-43-0 | 157115-85-0 |
| PubChem CID | 9148206 | 183503 |
| Wikidata | Q4791953 | Q4321022 |
Safety profile
Armodafinil
Common side effects
- headache
- nausea
- dizziness
- anxiety
- insomnia (with later-day dosing)
- dry mouth
- mild blood pressure elevation
Contraindications
- recent myocardial infarction
- unstable angina
- left ventricular hypertrophy
- significant arrhythmia
- history of Stevens-Johnson syndrome
- psychotic disorders
- pregnancy
- concurrent MAOI use
Interactions
- hormonal contraceptives: CYP3A4 induction reduces contraceptive efficacy; use barrier method(major)
- cyclosporine: reduced cyclosporine levels via CYP3A4 induction(major)
- warfarin: CYP2C9 inhibition raises INR(moderate)
- phenytoin: CYP2C19 inhibition raises phenytoin levels(moderate)
- MAOIs: potential hypertensive reaction(major)
- classical stimulants: additive cardiovascular and sleep-disruption effects(moderate)
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?
Armodafinil comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, controlled substance, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Noopept is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is wakefulness, pick Armodafinil.
- → If your priority is fatigue resistance, pick Armodafinil.
- → If your priority is memory, pick Noopept.
- → If your priority is stress and HPA-axis regulation, pick Noopept.
Edge case: Half-lives differ materially (Armodafinil ~15 hr vs Noopept ~0.7 hr). Armodafinil reaches steady state faster; Noopept is easier to dial in if tolerability is uncertain.
Default choice: Armodafinil. Wider use case, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Noopept 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 Armodafinil and Noopept?
Armodafinil and Noopept differ in category (pharmaceutical vs nootropic), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Armodafinil or Noopept?
Armodafinil half-life is 15 hours; Noopept half-life is 0.7 hours.
Can you stack Armodafinil with Noopept?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
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