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Nootropic · Stimulant

Phenylpiracetam

Also called Phenotropil, Carphedon, Fonturacetam, 4-Phenylpiracetam, Karfedon

Original Wikipedia articleen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenylpiracetam revision used (24 October 2026)

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Part of the metabolic pathway of Phenylpiracetam. See the timeline on the metabolic highway.

Common dose · Oral100–200 mg PW
Onset30–60 minutes PW
Total2–3 hours (some users have reported effects lasting an entire day)[12] PW

Dosage

When sources disagree, both rows are shown as published. Nothing is averaged or merged.

Oral

SourceThresholdLightCommonStrongHeavy
PsychonautWiki< 50 mg PW50–100 mg PW100–200 mg PW200–400 mg PW400 mg+ PW
TripSit––100–200 mg TS––

Rapid onset. Typically taken up to three times a day. TS

TripSit dose text

TripSit's factsheet also states its doses as text.

Oral Common: 100-200mg | NOTE: Typically taken up to three times a day. TS

What dose are you on? (self-reported, unverified)
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Duration

Route · sourceOnsetCome-upPeakOffsetTotalAfter-effects
Oral · PsychonautWiki30–60 minutes PW–1 hour PW–2–3 hours (some users have reported effects lasting an entire day)[12] PW–

TripSit factsheet

Duration
4-6 hours TS
Aftereffects
1-4 hours TS
Onset
Rapid. TS

Mixing

For best safety practice, don't mix this drug with other stimulants.

Why: vasoconstriction, heart rate and blood pressure. PsychonautWiki says:

Quotes from PsychonautWiki, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Acute combinations: what happens when these are taken close together. Entries backed by a medical journal or agency are listed first.

Backed by medical journals

Awaiting sourcePeer-reviewed reports on acute combinations, from PubMed and the journals the harm reduction sites cite.

Risks and toxicity

Several studies suggest that this substance is safe even when high doses are consumed for a long period of time although it is worth noting that the exact toxic dosage is unknown. Anecdotal evidence from those within the community who have tried phenylpiracetam suggest that there do not seem to be any negative health effects attributed to simply trying this drug at low to moderate doses by itself and using it sparingly (but nothing can be completely guaranteed).[1] PW

It is strongly recommended that one use harm reduction practices when using this drug. PW

Lethal dosage

The median lethal dosage (LD₅₀) of phenylpiracetam has not been officially published as it has low abuse potential, but is not known to be harmful when exceeding the recommended dosage range. PW

Tolerance and addiction potential

The chronic use of phenylpiracetam can be considered as non-addictive with a low potential for abuse. It does not seem to be capable of causing psychological dependence among users, although this fact has not been corroborated by clinical studies. Tolerance to many of the effects of phenylpiracetam develops with prolonged and repeated use. This results in users having to administer increasingly large doses to achieve the same effects. After that, it takes about 3 - 7 days for the tolerance to be reduced to half and 1 - 2 weeks to be back at baseline (in the absence of further consumption). Phenylpiracetam may presents cross-tolerance with all racetam nootropics, meaning that after the consumption of phenylpiracetam certain nootropics such as aniracetam and piracetam may have a reduced effect. PW

Testing

Awaiting sourceReagent reactions and test kit guidance from a harm reduction testing service.

Effects

Awaiting sourceSubjective and physical effects from PsychonautWiki or TripSit.

Overview

Phenylpiracetam (also known as Phenotropil and Carphedon) is a central nervous system stimulant and nootropic agent belonging to the racetam family of drugs. Although it is one of the first derivatives of piracetam to be synthesized and documented, research into its properties and efficacy in humans is limited.[1][2] PW

A nootropic and piracetam analogue also known as fonturacetam, this drug has been shown to have potential memory enhancing, anxiolytic, anti-amnesia and anti-depressive effects, however has little recreational value. Around 45x more potent than Piracetam. TS

Phenylpiracetam, also known as fonturacetam (INN (International nonproprietary name)) and sold under the brand names Phenotropil, Actitropil, and Carphedon among others, is a stimulant and nootropic medication used in Russia and certain other Eastern European countries in the treatment of cerebrovascular deficiency, depression, apathy, attention, and memory problems, among other indications. It is also used in Russian cosmonauts to improve physical, mental, and cognitive abilities. The drug is taken by mouth.[1][3][4][5] WP

Side effects of phenylpiracetam include sleep disturbances among others. The mechanism of action of phenylpiracetam was originally unknown. However, it was discovered that (R)-phenylpiracetam is a selective atypical dopamine reuptake inhibitor in 2014. In addition, phenylpiracetam interacts with certain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Chemically, phenylpiracetam is a racetam and phenethylamine and is structurally related to piracetam.[1][3][6][7][8] WP

Phenylpiracetam was first described in 1983 by Bobkov Iu, et al. It was approved for medical use in Russia in 2003. Development of (R)-phenylpiracetam (code name MRZ-9547) in the West as a potential treatment for fatigue related to Parkinson's disease began by 2014. In addition to its medical use, phenylpiracetam is sold online as a nootropic.[1][7][9][10][11] WP

History

History

Phenylpiracetam was first described in the scientific literature by 1983. It was developed in 1983 as a medication for Soviet cosmonauts to treat the prolonged stresses of working in space. Phenylpiracetam was created at the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Biomedical Problems in an effort led by psychopharmacologist Valentina Ivanovna Akhapkina (Валентина Ивановна Ахапкина). Subsequently, it became available as a prescription drug in Russia. It was approved in 2003 for treatment of various conditions.[1][9][13][14] WP

Pilot-cosmonaut Aleksandr Serebrov described being issued and using phenylpiracetam, as well as it being included in the Soyuz spacecraft's standard emergency medical kit, during his 197-days working in space aboard the Mir space station. He reported "the drug acts as the equalizer of the whole organism, "tidying it up", completely excluding impulsiveness and irritability inevitable in the stressful conditions of space flight."[13] WP

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Phenylpiracetam is a racetam and is described as a stimulant. Racetams have a variety of different pharmacological activities and have varying effects. For example, phenylpiracetam is a stimulant, piracetam is a nootropic, and levetiracetam is an anticonvulsant. The mechanisms of action of most racetams, with some exceptions, are unknown.[1][3][4][5][8][22][23][24] WP

Phenylpiracetam is a racemic mixture. (R)-Phenylpiracetam is the most active enantiomer and is much more potent in stimulating locomotor activity than (S)-phenylpiracetam, which is ineffective. However, (S)-phenylpiracetam retains some activity in most pharmacological tests. On the other hand, in one animal test, the passive avoidance test, (S)-phenylpiracetam appeared to be antagonistic of (R)-phenylpiracetam.[3][25] WP

Dopamine reuptake inhibitor

Experiments performed on Sprague-Dawley rats in a European patent for using phenylpiracetam to treat sleep disorders showed an increase in extracellular dopamine levels after administration. The patent asserts discovery of phenylpiracetam's action as a dopamine reuptake inhibitor as its basis.[21][26] WP

The peculiarity of this invention compared to former treatment approaches for treating sleep disorders is the so far unknown therapeutic efficacy of (R)-phenylpiracetam, which is presumably based at least in part on the newly identified activity of (R)-phenylpiracetam as the dopamine re-uptake inhibitor WP

Both enantiomers of phenylpiracetam, (R)-phenylpiracetam and (S)-phenylpiracetam, have been described in peer-reviewed research as dopamine transporter (DAT) inhibitors in rodents, confirming the patent claim. Their actions at the norepinephrine transporter (NET) vary: (R)-phenylpiracetam acts as a dual norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI), with 11-fold lower affinity for the NET than for the DAT, whereas the (S)-enantiomer is selective for the DAT. However, whereas (R)-phenylpiracetam stimulates locomotor activity, (S)-phenylpiracetam does not do so. This kind of variation in effects has also been seen with other dopamine reuptake inhibitors.[3][25][27–32] WP

Other atypical dopamine reuptake inhibitors include modafinil, mesocarb (Sydnocarb), and solriamfetol.[29][30][33–36] WP

Other actions

Phenylpiracetam binds to α₄β₂ nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the mouse brain cortex with an IC₅₀ (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) of 5.86 μM.[4][37][38] WP

Racetams generally, but including phenylpiracetam, have been described as AMPA receptor potentiators.[39] WP

Animal studies

Research on animals has indicated that phenylpiracetam may have antiamnesic, antidepressant, anxiolytic, and anticonvulsant effects. Additional clinical research is necessary to determine whether these effects extend to humans.[1][40] WP

Phenylpiracetam has been shown to reverse the sedative or depressant effects of the benzodiazepine diazepam, increases operant behavior, inhibits post-rotational nystagmus, prevents retrograde amnesia, and has anticonvulsant properties in animal models.[1][6][9][37][41] WP

In Wistar rats with gravitational cerebral ischemia, phenylpiracetam reduced the extent of neuralgic deficiency manifestations, retained the locomotor, research, and memory functions, increased the survival rate, and lead to the favoring of local cerebral flow restoration upon the occlusion of carotid arteries to a greater extent than did piracetam.[42] WP

In tests against a control, Sprague-Dawley rats given free access to less-preferred rat chow and trained to operate a lever repeatedly to obtain preferred rat chow performed additional work when given methylphenidate, dextroamphetamine, and phenylpiracetam. Rats administered 100 mg/kg phenylpiracetam performed, on average, 375% more work than rats given placebo, and consumed little non-preferred rat chow. In comparison, rats administered 1mg/kg dextroamphetamine or 10 mg/kg methylphenidate performed, on average, 150% and 170% more work respectively, and consumed half as much non-preferred rat chow.[21] WP

Present data show that (R)-phenylpiracetam increases motivation, i.e., the work load, which animals are willing to perform to obtain more rewarding food. At the same time consumption of freely available normal food does not increase. Generally this indicates that (R)-phenylpiracetam increase motivation [...] The effect of (R)-phenylpiracetam is much stronger than that of methylphenidate and amphetamine.[21] WP

Pharmacokinetics

The pharmacokinetics of phenylpiracetam in humans are unpublished. In any case, the drug is described as having an oral bioavailability of approximately 100%, as having an onset of action of less than 1 hour, as not being metabolized, as being excreted unchanged about 40% in urine and 60% in bile and sweat, and as having an elimination half-life of 3 to 5 hours. In rodents, its absorption occurs within 1 hour with oral administration or intramuscular injection and its elimination half-life is 2.5 to 3 hours.[1][4][5] WP

Chemistry

Formula
C12H14N2O2 PC
CAS number
77472-70-9 PC
Molar mass (g/mol)
218.25 PC
IUPAC name (computed by PubChem)
2-(2-oxo-4-phenylpyrrolidin-1-yl)acetamide PC
SMILES
C1C(CN(C1=O)CC(=O)N)C2=CC=CC=C2 PC
InChIKey
LYONXVJRBWWGQO-UHFFFAOYSA-N PC
PubChem CID
132441

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References

  1. Journal / agency Malykh, A. G., Sadaie, M. R. Piracetam and piracetam-like drugs: from basic science to novel clinical applications to CNS disorders. Drugs. 12 February 2010. doi:10.2165/11319230-000000000-00000
  2. Journal / agency Valzelli, L., Baiguerra, G., Giraud, O. Difference in learning and retention by Albino Swiss mice. Part III. Effect of some brain stimulants. Methods and Findings in Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology. June 1986
  3. Journal / agency Veinberg G, Vavers E, Orlova N, Kuznecovs J, Domracheva I, Vorona M, Zvejniece L, Dambrova M. Stereochemistry of phenylpiracetam and its methyl derivative: improvement of the pharmacological profile. Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds. 2015. doi:10.1007/s10593-015-1747-9
  4. Journal / agency Gromova OA, Torshin IY. Farmakologičeskie èffekty fonturacetama (Aktitropil) i perspektivy ego kliničeskogo primenenija. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2024. doi:10.17116/jnevro202412408121 · PMID 39269293
  5. Other Fonturacetam
  6. Journal / agency Voronina TA. Cognitive Impairment and Nootropic Drugs: Mechanism of Action and Spectrum of Effects. Neurochemical Journal. 2023. doi:10.1134/s1819712423020198
  7. Journal / agency Sommer S, Danysz W, Russ H, Valastro B, Flik G, Hauber W. The dopamine reuptake inhibitor MRZ-9547 increases progressive ratio responding in rats. The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. December 2014. doi:10.1017/S1461145714000996 · PMID 24964269
  8. Journal / agency Gouliaev AH, Senning A. Piracetam and other structurally related nootropics. Brain Res Brain Res Rev. May 1994. doi:10.1016/0165-0173(94)90011-6 · PMID 8061686
  9. Journal / agency Bobkov Iu, Morozov IS, Glozman OM, Nerobkova LN, Zhmurenko LA. Pharmacological characteristics of a new phenyl analog of piracetam--4-phenylpiracetam. Biull Eksp Biol Med. April 1983. doi:10.1007/BF00838859 · PMID 6403074
  10. Journal / agency MRZ 9547. 4 November 2017
  11. Other Фенилпирацетам (Phenylpiracetam)
  12. Other My experience with phenylpiracetam - Brain Health
  13. Other Фенотропил: закономерное лидерство
  14. Journal / agency Akhapkina VI, Akhapkin RV. Identification and evaluation of the neuroleptic activity of phenotropil. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2013. PMID 23994920
  15. Other Psychoactive Substances Act 2016
  16. Other List of Controlled Substances. 8 February 2016
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  19. Journal / agency Smith AC, Stavros C, Westberg K. Cognitive Enhancing Drugs in Sport: Current and Future Concerns. Subst Use Misuse. 2020. doi:10.1080/10826084.2020.1775652 · PMID 32525422
  20. Other Prohibited List. January 2017
  21. Other Use of (r)-phenylpiracetam for the treatment of sleep disorders
  22. Journal / agency Molina-Carballo A, Checa-Ros A, Muñoz-Hoyos A. Treatments and compositions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a patent review. Expert Opin Ther Pat. July 2016. doi:10.1080/13543776.2016.1182989 · PMID 27138211
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  26. Other Kovalev, G. I., Akhapkina, V. I., Abaimov, D. A., & Firstova, Y. Y. (2007). Phenotropil as receptor modulator of synaptic neurotransmission. Nervnye Bolezni, 4, 22–26
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  39. Journal / agency Kadriu B, Musazzi L, Johnston JN, Kalynchuk LE, Caruncho HJ, Popoli M, Zarate CA. Positive AMPA receptor modulation in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders: A long and winding road. Drug Discov Today. December 2021. doi:10.1016/j.drudis.2021.07.027 · PMID 34358693 · PMC9585480
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  41. Journal / agency Antonova MI, Prokopov AA, Akhapkina VI, Berlyand AS. Experimental Pharmacokinetics of Phenotropyl in Rats. Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal. 2003. doi:10.1023/b:phac.0000016064.51030.6f
  42. Journal / agency Tiurenkov IN, Bagmetov MN, Epishina VV. Comparative evaluation of the neuroprotective activity of phenotropil and piracetam in laboratory animals with experimental cerebral ischemia. Eksperimental'naia i Klinicheskaia Farmakologiia. 2007. PMID 17523446

Text and values on this page are quoted from PsychonautWiki (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), TripSit factsheets, PubChem (public domain). Each value links to the exact revision it came from.