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 Oxiracetam — 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.
Oxiracetam is a non-peptide racetam-class cognitive enhancer, structurally the 4-hydroxy analog of piracetam. It is approved as a prescription drug for dementia in Italy (since 1984) and China, but is NOT FDA-approved in the United States. The FDA has classified oxiracetam as a 'new drug' requiring approval and determined it does not qualify as a dietary supplement; in the US it is sold only as an unregulated gray-market research chemical.
Coluracetam
Oxiracetam
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Side Effects
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Coluracetam
Oxiracetam
No pricing data yet.
Check Oxiracetam prices →COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
Coluracetam
2
COAs
99.7%
Avg purity
2
Labs
Oxiracetam
2
COAs
99.4%
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
Multiple placebo-controlled human trials exist in dementia, organic brain syndrome, and traumatic brain injury populations, plus human pharmacokinetic studies. One double-blind controlled trial in elderly organic-brain-syndrome patients used doses titrated from 400–2400 mg/day; a separate placebo-controlled trial in senile dementia of Alzheimer type and multi-infarct dementia used 800 mg twice daily and reported improvement on cognitive measures versus placebo. Preclinical findings include AMPA receptor modulation and enhanced neurotransmitter release in rat hippocampal preparations, and identification of the (S)-enantiomer as the active component alleviating cognitive impairment in a rat chronic cerebral hypoperfusion model. Oral bioavailability in humans is ~56% (versus 28–42% in rats, 81–90% in dogs), with predominantly renal excretion of unchanged drug.
Coluracetam and Oxiracetam 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