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 NSI-189 — 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.
NSI-189 (INN: amdiglurax; developmental code ALTO-100) is a non-peptide small-molecule benzylpiperazine-aminopyridine derivative investigated as a neurogenic/neuroplasticity-modulating agent for major depressive disorder. It stimulates hippocampal neural progenitor proliferation and differentiation in vitro and neurogenesis in vivo (mouse), acting independently of monoamine reuptake pathways. NSI-189 has never been FDA-approved; Phase 2 monotherapy trials in MDD (220 patients, 2020) and a Phase 2b trial under Alto Neuroscience (~300 patients, 2024) both failed to meet primary MADRS endpoints, and it remains investigational only.
Coluracetam
NSI-189
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Side Effects
COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
Coluracetam
NSI-189
No pricing data yet.
Check NSI-189 prices →COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
Coluracetam
2
COAs
99.7%
Avg purity
2
Labs
NSI-189
No COA data yet.
Submit testing data →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
Human data exist from three registered trials: a Phase 1 single-dose PK study in healthy volunteers (NCT01310881), a Phase 1B multiple-dose-escalation study in 24 MDD patients (28-day inpatient dosing at 40 mg once/twice/thrice daily; half-life ~17.4–20.5 hours; no serious adverse events; no significant hippocampal volume change at day 28 or 84), and a Phase 2 double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 220 MDD outpatients (12 weeks at 40 mg or 80 mg daily) that missed its primary MADRS endpoint at both doses (p=0.22 and p=0.34, respectively), with some significant secondary/patient-reported benefits at 40 mg. A Phase 2b trial under the ALTO-100 designation (~300 adults, 34 US sites, 6-week double-blind) also failed to meet its primary MADRS endpoint (topline October 2024). Preclinical findings include improved motor/neurological deficits sustained to 24 weeks in a rat stroke model (oral dosing starting 6 hours post-MCAO; increased hippocampal/cortical MAP2 neurite outgrowth; in vitro OGD/R assays showed reduced cell death and upregulated BDNF/SCF), reversal of motor and cognitive impairments in an Angelman syndrome mouse model (with mild performance enhancement in wild-type mice), improved Barnes maze memory retention in a 5xFAD Alzheimer's mouse model (conference abstract), and prevention of peripheral neuropathy indices with increased hippocampal neurogenesis/synaptic markers/volume and protected long-term memory in mouse and rat models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, alongside enhanced mitochondrial function in a type 2 diabetic rat model.
Coluracetam and NSI-189 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