What is the difference between Fasoracetam and Pramiracetam?

Fasoracetam: Fasoracetam (NS-105, NFC-1) is a non-peptide racetam-class small molecule characterized as a metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) activator that also modulates acetylcholine release and GABA-B sign... Pramiracetam: Pramiracetam is a non-peptide synthetic racetam-class nootropic (2-oxopyrrolidone/pyrrolidinone acetamide derivative) with CAS 68497-62-1 and molecular formula C14H27N3O2. It was previously approved a...

What does the research say about Fasoracetam vs Pramiracetam?

Fasoracetam: Human data exist but the compound is not approved anywhere. The best-sourced human study is a completed Phase 1 open-label single-dose PK/single-blind placebo-controlled dose-escalation trial of NFC-1 (fasoracetam) in 30 adolescents (age 12–17) with ADHD carrying mGluR-network gene variants (NCT02286817; Elia et al. 2018, Nature Communications). CG… Pramiracetam: Human data consist of a handful of small older trials (1985–1996): healthy-volunteer pharmacokinetic studies, a scopolamine-induced-amnesia challenge study, a placebo-controlled trial in young males with head-injury/anoxia-related memory deficits (400 mg TID improved delayed recall), and a small dose-finding trial in Alzheimer's disease that found…

Fasoracetam vs Pramiracetam

Q: Can you stack Fasoracetam and Pramiracetam?

Fasoracetam (cognitive) and Pramiracetam (cognitive) are in the same category and may have overlapping mechanisms — researchers should review both profiles carefully before combining. Consult a licensed provider before combining any compounds.

Head-to-head comparison of Fasoracetam and Pramiracetam — mechanism, side effects, legal status, and pricing.

Fasoracetam

Fasoracetam (NS-105, NFC-1) is a non-peptide racetam-class small molecule characterized as a metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) activator that also modulates acetylcholine release and GABA-B signaling. A single Phase 1 trial in 30 adolescents with ADHD and mGluR-network gene variants showed clinical improvement on CGI scales, but broader development was discontinued and fasoracetam has never been approved in any jurisdiction. It is sold only as an unregulated research chemical/nootropic.

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Pramiracetam

Pramiracetam is a non-peptide synthetic racetam-class nootropic (2-oxopyrrolidone/pyrrolidinone acetamide derivative) with CAS 68497-62-1 and molecular formula C14H27N3O2. It was previously approved and marketed in Italy and some Eastern European countries under brand names Pramistar, Neupramir, and Remen for memory/attention deficits in aging-associated dementias; Italian authorization was revoked in 2020 at manufacturer request. It is not FDA-approved in the United States, where it is sold only as an unapproved gray-market research chemical. The related racetam phenylpiracetam is explicitly listed on the WADA Prohibited List as an S6 stimulant; pramiracetam itself is not explicitly named, leaving its status under WADA's 'similar structure/effect' catch-all unresolved.

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Fasoracetam

Pramiracetam

Category

Cognitive

Legal Status

Research Only

Mechanism

Fasoracetam is characterized in the human trial literature and rodent pharmacology as a metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) activator/modulator rather than a classical ionotropic glutamate agent. Rodent studies (Shirayama et al., 1999) demonstrated that it increases acetylcholine release in the cerebral cortex, enhances high-affinity choline uptake in cortex and hippocampus without changing choline acetyltransferase activity, and reverses memory disruption induced by the GABA-B agonist baclofen—suggesting a dual mechanism of facilitating cholinergic neurotransmission and suppressing GABA-B-receptor-mediated responses. No receptor-binding affinity (Ki/EC50) data for specific mGluR subtypes have been located in primary sources.

Proposed mechanism is based on animal/in-vitro data, not confirmed in humans: pramiracetam significantly increased sodium-dependent high-affinity choline uptake (HACU) into rat hippocampal synaptosomes in vitro, an effect specific to hippocampus (not observed in cerebral cortex or corpus striatum). At 100 mg/kg i.p. it did not alter norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, 5-HIAA, or HVA levels in rat brain, suggesting the effect is not mediated via direct monoaminergic action. The hypothesized downstream effect is increased availability of choline as an acetylcholine synthesis precursor in cholinergic terminals; a separate rat study found systemic pramiracetam increased cortical (not hippocampal) nitric oxide synthase activity in a dose-dependent manner.

Side Effects

Headache (63.3% in NCT02286817 trial)

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Fasoracetam

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$0.021/mg

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Pramiracetam

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Lab Verification

COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.

Fasoracetam

COAs

99.7%

Avg purity

Labs

Full testing data

Pramiracetam

COAs

99.9%

Avg purity

Labs

Full testing data

Fasoracetam Research Summary

Human data exist but the compound is not approved anywhere. The best-sourced human study is a completed Phase 1 open-label single-dose PK/single-blind placebo-controlled dose-escalation trial of NFC-1 (fasoracetam) in 30 adolescents (age 12–17) with ADHD carrying mGluR-network gene variants (NCT02286817; Elia et al. 2018, Nature Communications). CGI-I improved from 3.79 to 2.33 and CGI-S from 4.83 to 3.86 from baseline to week 5 (both P<0.001) in this small, largely uncontrolled sample. In rats (Wistar), fasoracetam reversed memory disruption across scopolamine-, NBM-lesion-, AF64A-, cerebral-ischemia-, baclofen-, and ECS-induced amnesia models, increased cortical acetylcholine release, and enhanced high-affinity choline uptake in cortex and hippocampus (Shirayama et al., 1999).

Key references

Pramiracetam Research Summary

Human data consist of a handful of small older trials (1985–1996): healthy-volunteer pharmacokinetic studies, a scopolamine-induced-amnesia challenge study, a placebo-controlled trial in young males with head-injury/anoxia-related memory deficits (400 mg TID improved delayed recall), and a small dose-finding trial in Alzheimer's disease that found no convincing benefit at doses up to 4,000 mg. A scopolamine-challenge study (600 mg BID × 10 days) showed partial mitigation of induced amnesia in healthy young and older male volunteers. No modern (post-2000) randomized controlled trials were located. Preclinical findings: in rats, 7.5 and 15 mg/kg/day × 7 weeks significantly improved reference (long-term) memory on a 16-arm radial maze but did not affect working memory; 300 mg/kg i.p. increased cortical nitric oxide synthase activity ~20% (synergistic ~40% increase with lithium pretreatment); moderate protection against hypobaric-hypoxia-induced deficits in immature rats.

Key references

Can you stack Fasoracetam and Pramiracetam?

Fasoracetam and Pramiracetam 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.

Other comparisons

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This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.