Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Head-to-head comparison of Coluracetam and Lemairamin — mechanism, side effects, legal status, and pricing.
Coluracetam is a non-peptide small-molecule racetam-family nootropic (pyrrolidinone-substituted tetrahydrofuroquinoline) that enhances high-affinity choline uptake (HACU), the rate-limiting step in acetylcholine synthesis. Originally developed by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma as MKC-231 for Alzheimer's disease and later by BrainCells Inc. as BCI-540 for major depressive disorder, it is not FDA-approved for any indication and remains inactive in U.S. regulatory development. Sold only as an unregulated research chemical/nootropic powder with no validated human dose or safety profile.
Lemairamin is a non-peptide small-molecule cinnamamide alkaloid (N-phenethyl cinnamide) natural product, not approved for human use in any jurisdiction. All available data are preclinical (rodent, zebrafish, C. elegans, in vitro, and computational). It is sold exclusively as an unregulated 'research chemical' explicitly labeled 'not for human consumption'; quality, purity, and identity are not independently verified by any regulatory body. No human clinical trials, pharmacokinetic studies, or safety data exist.
Coluracetam
Lemairamin
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Side Effects
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Coluracetam
Lemairamin
No pricing data yet.
Check Lemairamin prices →COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
Coluracetam
2
COAs
99.7%
Avg purity
2
Labs
Lemairamin
2
COAs
99.8%
Avg purity
2
Labs
No peer-reviewed or regulatory-posted human efficacy or safety data exist. One Phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (NCT00621270) tested BCI-540 (80 mg once daily or three times daily vs. placebo) in 115 participants with major depressive disorder and concomitant anxiety (Jan 2008–Oct 2009); the trial is listed as Completed but has no results posted (hasResults=false, confirmed via ClinicalTrials.gov). In rodent models, oral coluracetam (1–10 mg/kg) significantly improved Morris water-maze learning deficits in AF64A-lesioned rats without tremor, salivation, or hypothermia, and reversed working-memory deficits and hippocampal acetylcholine depletion in AF64A-treated mice (Bessho et al. 1996, PMID 8740080; Murai et al. 1994, PMID 7710736). Coluracetam is not FDA-approved for any indication; U.S. development for Alzheimer's disease is listed as Inactive.
Key references
No human data exist. No completed or registered human clinical trials were located on ClinicalTrials.gov, and no PubMed-indexed human pharmacokinetic, safety, or efficacy studies exist. All available data are preclinical: In transgenic Alzheimer's mice, gx-50 disassembled Aβ oligomers, decreased cortical Aβ accumulation, inhibited Aβ-induced neuronal apoptosis and calcium toxicity, improved Morris water maze performance, and was reported to cross the blood-brain barrier (Tang et al. 2013). In mouse and rat pain models (formalin tonic, neuropathic, bone-cancer pain), subcutaneous and intrathecal lemairamin dose-dependently reduced pain hypersensitivity/mechanical allodynia without evident tolerance, linked to spinal α7 nAChR activation and downstream IL-10/β-endorphin release (Wang et al. 2020). Murine microglial cell cultures showed gx-50 activation of α7 nAChR engaged JAK2/STAT3 and PI3K/AKT signaling to suppress pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion (Shi et al. 2016). Zebrafish DSS-induced colitis models showed lemairamin attenuated intestinal inflammation via Akt signaling (2024). C. elegans studies reported WGX-50 promoted markers of healthy ageing (daf-16/skn-1 longevity genes, 2025).
Coluracetam and Lemairamin are both in the Cognitive category and may have overlapping mechanisms. Researchers should review both profiles carefully, understand the mechanisms of action, and monitor the relevant biomarkers when combining compounds in the same class. As always, consult a licensed healthcare provider before making any decisions about combining research compounds.
This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Key references
Disclosed Labs