Comparison
Noopept vs PT-141
Side-by-side of Noopept and PT-141. 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.
Noopept
Noopept cognitive enhancer profile: 10 to 30 mg dosage, dipeptide nootropic mechanism, memory effects, and how it compares to piracetam.
PT-141
PT-141 peptide (bremelanotide, Vyleesi): MC4R agonist for libido and erectile dysfunction. 1.75 mg subcutaneous, 30 to 60 min onset, 2 to 4 h half-life.
Effects at a glance
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
PT-141
- •Cyclic 7-amino-acid synthetic peptide and melanocortin receptor agonist (MC4R-preferring)
- •FDA approved in 2019 as Vyleesi for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in pre-menopausal women
- •Acts centrally on hypothalamic sexual-desire circuits rather than peripherally on vasculature
- •On-demand dosing: subcutaneous 1.75 mg approximately 45 minutes before sexual activity
- •Common adverse effects: nausea (~40%), flushing, headache, injection-site reactions, hyperpigmentation
- •Off-label male ED use is documented but not FDA approved; mechanism is distinct from PDE5 inhibitors
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Noopept | PT-141 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | nootropic | peptide |
| Also known as | GVS-111, N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester, Omberacetam | Bremelanotide, Vyleesi |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.7 | 2.7 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 20 | 1.75 |
| Dosing frequency | 2 to 3 times daily, last dose before mid-afternoon | as needed (max once per 24 hours, max 8 per month) |
| Routes | oral, sublingual | subcutaneous |
| Onset (hr) | 0.5 | 0.75 |
| Peak (hr) | 1 | 1.5 |
| Molecular weight | 318.37 | 1025.18 |
| Molecular formula | C17H22N2O4 | C50H68N14O10 |
| Mechanism | Hydrolyzed to active metabolite cycloprolylglycine; AMPA receptor modulation, BDNF and NGF upregulation, antioxidant and antiexcitotoxic effects. | Synthetic agonist of melanocortin receptors with preference for MC4R, expressed in hypothalamic and limbic circuits regulating sexual motivation. Engages central pathways distinct from peripheral PDE5-mediated vasodilation. |
| Legal status | Approved in Russia and CIS states; prescription-only in UK; unscheduled and unapproved in US, EU varies | Prescription only as Vyleesi; FDA-approved 2019 for HSDD in pre-menopausal women. Compounded versions sold off-label for male sexual function are research-use-only grey market. |
| WADA status | unknown | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | Not scheduled in the US | Rx only (not a controlled substance) for the FDA-approved Vyleesi formulation |
| Pregnancy | Not recommended | Not recommended; contraindicated during pregnancy per Vyleesi label |
| CAS | 157115-85-0 | 189691-06-3 |
| PubChem CID | 183503 | 9941379 |
| Wikidata | Q4321022 | Q422059 |
Safety profile
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)
PT-141
Common side effects
- nausea (~40%)
- flushing
- headache
- injection-site reactions
- hyperpigmentation (focal, gums, face, breasts)
- transient blood pressure increase (~6 mmHg systolic)
Contraindications
- uncontrolled hypertension
- established cardiovascular disease
- pregnancy
- naltrexone co-administration (reduces opioid efficacy due to MC receptor crosstalk)
Interactions
- naltrexone (oral): bremelanotide reduces oral naltrexone exposure significantly; avoid co-administration(major)
- antihypertensives: transient BP rise after bremelanotide can offset BP control(moderate)
- PDE5 inhibitors (sildenafil, tadalafil): no documented adverse interaction; mechanisms are non-overlapping(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. PT-141 is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Noopept.
- → If your priority is memory, pick Noopept.
- → If your priority is sexual function, pick PT-141.
- → If your priority is libido, pick PT-141.
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 PT-141 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 Noopept and PT-141?
Noopept and PT-141 differ in category (nootropic vs peptide), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Noopept or PT-141?
Noopept half-life is 0.7 hours; PT-141 half-life is 2.7 hours.
Can you stack Noopept with PT-141?
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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