Comparison
Citicoline vs TB-500
Side-by-side of Citicoline and TB-500. 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.
Citicoline
Citicoline supplement profile: CDP-choline as a phosphatidylcholine precursor, Cognizin dosing 250-2000 mg, cognition trials, stroke recovery evidence.
TB-500
TB-500 peptide, a 17-aa thymosin beta-4 fragment. Preclinical tendon and wound healing via actin sequestration. Typical dosage 2 to 5 mg weekly. No human RCTs.
Effects at a glance
Citicoline
- •Choline donor and phosphatidylcholine precursor; oral bioavailability roughly 99%
- •Standard prescription medication for stroke recovery and vascular cognitive impairment in much of the world
- •Healthy-adult cognitive trials (Cognizin) report small gains in attention and working memory at 250 to 500 mg/day
- •ICTUS trial (n=2,298) was negative on stroke recovery in the modern thrombolysis era
- •Lower per-gram choline content than alpha-GPC (~18% vs ~40%), meaning smaller TMAO load at equivalent dose
- •Long uridine half-life (~56 hours) supports once or twice daily dosing
TB-500
- •17-amino-acid fragment of endogenous Thymosin Beta-4, an actin-sequestering peptide
- •Preclinical models show accelerated tendon, ligament, and dermal wound healing
- •Equine veterinary use for soft-tissue injury is the most documented real-world application
- •Anecdotal human protocols use 2 to 5 mg twice weekly subcutaneously for 4 to 6 weeks
- •WADA banned under S2 (peptide hormones, growth factors) since 2018
- •No completed phase II or III human RCTs as of 2026; long-term safety unestablished
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Citicoline | TB-500 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | supplement | peptide |
| Also known as | CDP-choline, cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine, Cognizin | Thymosin Beta-4 fragment, TB4-Frag, Thymosin Beta 4 |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 56 | 2 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 500 | 2.5 |
| Dosing frequency | 1 to 2 times daily | 2x weekly (anecdotal protocols) |
| Routes | oral, intravenous | subcutaneous, intramuscular |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | - |
| Peak (hr) | 2 | - |
| Molecular weight | 488.32 | 4963.4 |
| Molecular formula | C14H26N4O11P2 | C212H350N56O78S |
| Mechanism | Hydrolyzed to cytidine and choline after absorption; both cross the blood-brain barrier and are recombined intracellularly to reform CDP-choline, supporting phosphatidylcholine synthesis and acetylcholine production. | Sequesters G-actin monomers, modulates cell migration and angiogenesis, and upregulates VEGF and myosin transcription. Promotes endothelial differentiation and stem-cell migration to injury sites in preclinical models. |
| Legal status | Dietary supplement (US, Cognizin GRAS); prescription medication in most of the world | Not FDA approved; research-use-only grey market; banned by WADA |
| WADA status | allowed | banned |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement (US); Rx in most of the world | Not FDA approved; not scheduled; research-chemical status |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data for routine use | Insufficient data |
| CAS | 987-78-0 | 885340-08-9 |
| PubChem CID | 13804 | 62707662 |
| Wikidata | Q411470 | Q7799921 |
Safety profile
Citicoline
Common side effects
- mild GI upset
- headache
- restlessness
- occasional insomnia with evening dosing
Contraindications
- concurrent strong anticholinergic therapy
- established cardiovascular disease (TMAO concern, smaller than alpha-GPC)
Interactions
- anticholinergic medications: partial mutual antagonism(minor)
- cholinesterase inhibitors: additive cholinergic effect(minor)
- antimetabolite chemotherapy (5-FU): theoretical cytidine pathway interaction(minor)
TB-500
Common side effects
- injection-site irritation
- fatigue (anecdotal)
- lethargy in early dosing (anecdotal)
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- active malignancy (theoretical angiogenic concern)
- no established human safety profile
Interactions
- BPC-157: Frequently co-administered in anecdotal healing protocols; no controlled interaction data(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Citicoline comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-B outcome catalogued. TB-500 is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Citicoline.
- → If your priority is stroke recovery, pick Citicoline.
- → If your priority is post-training recovery, pick TB-500.
- → If your priority is tendon repair, pick TB-500.
Edge case: If you want to avoid research-only / gray-market sourcing, Citicoline is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Citicoline. Lower friction to source, and broader goal coverage. Reach for TB-500 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 Citicoline and TB-500?
Citicoline and TB-500 differ in category (supplement vs peptide), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Citicoline or TB-500?
Citicoline half-life is 56 hours; TB-500 half-life is 2 hours.
Can you stack Citicoline with TB-500?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper