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 Phenylpiracetam hydrazide — 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.
Phenylpiracetam hydrazide is a non-peptide racetam-class small molecule — specifically a pyrrolidinone acetohydrazide in which the terminal carboxamide of phenylpiracetam (fonturacetam) is replaced by a carbohydrazide group. First synthesized in 1980 by a Russian medicinal-chemistry group screening 4-phenyl-2-pyrrolidinone derivatives for anticonvulsant activity, it has never been approved as a drug in any jurisdiction and has no human clinical trial data. The parent compound phenylpiracetam is explicitly listed on the WADA Prohibited List under S6.A (Non-Specified Stimulants); the hydrazide analog's own it is not on the WADA Prohibited List (only beta-2 agonists are prohibited, Category S3). It is sold by gray-market research-chemical vendors labeled 'not for human consumption.'
Coluracetam
Phenylpiracetam hydrazide
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Side Effects
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Coluracetam
Phenylpiracetam hydrazide
No pricing data yet.
Check Phenylpiracetam hydrazide prices →COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
Coluracetam
2
COAs
99.7%
Avg purity
2
Labs
Phenylpiracetam hydrazide
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
No human clinical trials have been conducted; no ClinicalTrials.gov record or DrugBank entry exists. The sole preclinical finding is from the 1980 Glozman et al. synthesis paper: an ED<sub>50</sub> of approximately 310 mg/kg for seizure protection in a rodent electroshock assay (species, strain, sex, and route not fully recoverable from accessed sources). No published human toxicology, LD<sub>50</sub>, pharmacokinetics, or adverse-event data were located for this compound.
Coluracetam and Phenylpiracetam hydrazide 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
Disclosed Labs