Fasoracetam Reference

Plain English

What it is

Fasoracetam (also called NS-105) is a lab-made compound in the racetam family. It is not approved by the FDA for any use. It is an experimental drug that was never brought to market, and it is sold to the public as a research chemical rather than as a lawful dietary supplement.

What people use it for

In nootropic communities, people talk about it for easing anxiety, feeling more socially at ease, and helping focus. It was first studied as a possible treatment for attention problems (ADHD) in teens with certain gene changes, and more recently for a rare genetic condition. Those everyday community uses reach beyond what the research has actually tested.

What the science shows

Human evidence is thin and mixed. An early company program for vascular dementia in Japan was dropped for lack of effect, and the later teen ADHD program did not show a clear benefit and was stopped. A small early study in teens with specific gene changes reported improvement, but the broad calming and brain-boosting effects people describe are largely unproven.

The catch

This is an abandoned investigational drug with no FDA approval, so it has never cleared the safety and effectiveness bar that approved medicines must meet. The cognitive and mood effects people report remain anecdotal, and products sold online are unregulated.

Reference summary

Phase 2/3 ADHD program in adolescents with mGluR network mutations did not yield FDA approval. Earlier vascular dementia trials in Japan also did not advance.

Regulatory and posture

Categories

Nootropic, Cognitive

Aliases

NS-105, LAM-105

Evidence posture

human - Not FDA-approved. Adolescent ADHD program discontinued. Community nootropic framing extrapolates beyond the discontinued indications.

Regulatory status

No FDA-approved fasoracetam drug label. Developed by Nippon Shinyaku then licensed to Aevi Medical for adolescent ADHD with mGluR mutations; the program was discontinued after Phase 2/3 data.

Content review status

research reference