Cortagen vs NAC
Side-by-side comparison of Cortagen and NAC: mechanism, half-life, dose range, safety profile, and vendor pricing.
Price snapshot
Cortagen
NAC
Cortagen
Cortagen is a synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) from the Khavinson bioregulator family developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. It is organ-targeted to cardiac and coronary…
Lowest listed price: $79.00 across 1 listing
Full Cortagen profileNAC
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is the acetylated form of the amino acid L-cysteine — a small thiol-containing molecule that serves as a rate-limiting precursor for glutathione (GSH) synthesis and, independently, as a direct…
Lowest listed price: $49.99 across 1 listing
Full NAC profileSide-by-side comparison
| Attribute | Cortagen | NAC |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Longevity | Antioxidants |
| Research Stage | Preclinical | Preclinical |
| Mechanism of Action | Cortagen is a synthetic tetrapeptide, Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro (AEDP), created by the Khavinson group through directed synthesis based on the amino-acid composition of Cortexin, a polypeptide complex extracted from the cerebral cortex [PMID:15159690]. It is a… | NAC's mechanism of action operates through at least four distinct but overlapping pathways, and understanding which pathway dominates in a given clinical context is essential for predicting whether supplementation will actually help. The four pathways are (1)… |
| Half-Life | Unknown (tetrapeptide; estimated <4 hours) | — |
| Typical Dose Range | — | — |
| Dosing Frequency | once_daily | — |
| Administration | Subcutaneous, Intramuscular | — |
| Side Effects | — | NAC has one of the most favorable safety profiles in medicine when dosed appropriately and used for appropriate indications. Side effects are almost entirely gastrointestinal at oral therapeutic doses and anaphylactoid at high IV infusion rates; true allergic… |
| Molecular Weight | 430.4 g/mol (C17H26N4O9, PubChem CID 18439621) | — |
| Common Vial Sizes | 20 | — |
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Cortagen: potential benefits
- Peripheral nerve repair - accelerated axon regeneration and faster nerve-conduction recovery after injury in rat models [PMID:11276314; PMID:12134478]
- Neuroprotection and antioxidant activity in the cerebral cortex and in chronic brain-ischemia models (preclinical) [PMID:18239817; PMID:21476278]
- CNS/cognitive support as the synthetic short-peptide analog of the cortex-derived Russian drug Cortexin
- Anti-aging chromatin remodeling - reactivation of age-silenced ribosomal genes in lymphocytes from elderly donors [PMID:15085253; PMID:37042594]
- Mild immune-signaling modulation (IL-2 expression), generally weaker than Vilon or Epithalon [PMID:12447482; PMID:16224591]
- Longevity-protocol stacking as one of the Khavinson short-peptide bioregulators (commonly paired with Epitalon or Pinealon)
NAC: potential benefits
- No structured benefit list published.
Frequently asked
What's the difference between Cortagen and NAC?
Cortagen is a longevity that cortagen is a synthetic tetrapeptide, ala-glu-asp-pro (aedp), created by the khavinson group through directed synthesis based on the amino-acid composition of cortexin, a…. NAC is a antioxidants that nac's mechanism of action operates through at least four distinct but overlapping pathways, and understanding which pathway dominates in a given clinical context is essential for…. The two differ in mechanism, half-life (Unknown (tetrapeptide; estimated <4 hours) vs not reported), and typical dose range.
Which has the longer half-life, Cortagen or NAC?
Cortagen has a half-life of Unknown (tetrapeptide; estimated <4 hours). NAC has a half-life of not reported. Longer half-lives generally mean less frequent dosing but slower on/off kinetics.
Which is cheaper, Cortagen or NAC?
Lowest listed price on BodyHackGuide: Cortagen from $79.00, NAC from $49.99. Prices are pulled from the vendor listings tracked on BHG and change frequently. See the compare tables on each compound page for the current set of offers.
Can you stack Cortagen and NAC?
Stacking depends on mechanism overlap, safety profile, and goals. Cortagen and NAC should only be stacked after reviewing each compound's individual protocol page, side effect profile, and any published interaction data. Use the BodyHackGuide stack builder for a structured review before combining research compounds.
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Listings from the vendors we track. Prices change often, so check the vendor before you buy.
Before you buy Cortagen or NAC
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Related comparisons
Research use only. BodyHackGuide is a research and price-comparison reference. The compounds discussed on this page are not approved by the FDA for human consumption and are sold strictly for laboratory research. Prices shown are pulled from vendor listings tracked on BHG and are subject to change. We earn an affiliate commission on some outbound clicks, and every vendor is ranked on the same public, reproducible methodology. See editorial standards and affiliate disclosure.