Cortagen vs NAD+
Side-by-side comparison of Cortagen and NAD+: mechanism, half-life, dose range, safety profile, and vendor pricing.
Price snapshot
Cortagen
NAD+
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 profileNAD+
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, oxidized form) is a pyridine dinucleotide coenzyme essential to energy metabolism, DNA repair via PARP enzymes, sirtuin-mediated gene regulation, and calcium signaling via CD38.…
Lowest listed price: $25.00 across 11 listings
Full NAD+ profileSide-by-side comparison
| Attribute | Cortagen | NAD+ |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Longevity | Longevity |
| Research Stage | Preclinical | Phase II |
| 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… | Redox Cofactor Function NAD+ serves as the primary electron acceptor in catabolic reactions (glycolysis, TCA cycle, fatty acid oxidation), cycling between its oxidized (NAD+) and reduced (NADH) forms. This fundamental energy metabolism role means every cell… |
| Half-Life | Unknown (tetrapeptide; estimated <4 hours) | Varies by form: NR ~8 hours plasma; NMN ~1-2 hours plasma; IV NAD+ infusion dose-dependent |
| Typical Dose Range | — | Oral precursors: NR 300-2,000 mg/day, NMN 250-900 mg/day, NAM 500-1,500 mg/day; IV NAD+ 500-1,500 mg per session. |
| Dosing Frequency | once_daily | Oral precursors once daily (higher doses split AM/midday); IV NAD+ weekly-to-monthly at clinics. |
| Administration | Subcutaneous, Intramuscular | Oral (precursors), Intravenous, Intramuscular, Subcutaneous |
| Side Effects | — | Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) NR has the best-characterized safety profile of the NAD+ precursors. Across published RCTs at 1,000-2,000 mg/day for up to 12 weeks, adverse effects have been mild and uncommon: - Gastrointestinal upset (5-10% of users) - Mild… |
| Molecular Weight | 430.4 g/mol (C17H26N4O9, PubChem CID 18439621) | 663.4 g/mol (NAD+); NR 255.3 g/mol; NMN 334.2 g/mol; NAM 122.1 g/mol |
| Common Vial Sizes | 20 | 100mg, 250mg, 500mg |
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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)
NAD+: potential benefits
- Restores age-associated NAD+ decline — 50% loss between young and older adulthood
- Increases peripheral blood NAD+ by up to 142% at 1,000 mg NR daily (Elhassan 2019)
- Supports sirtuin-mediated gene regulation and PARP-mediated DNA repair
- Improves muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic postmenopausal women (Yoshino 2021)
- Increases aerobic performance in amateur runners at 300-600 mg NMN (Liao 2021)
- Reduces inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-alpha) in middle-aged/elderly (Martens, Elhassan)
- Brain NAD+ elevation demonstrated in Parkinson trial (Brakedal 2022)
- Excellent safety profile at evidence-supported doses (500-2000 mg/day NR)
Frequently asked
What's the difference between Cortagen and NAD+?
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…. NAD+ is a longevity that redox cofactor function nad+ serves as the primary electron acceptor in catabolic reactions (glycolysis, tca cycle, fatty acid oxidation), cycling between its oxidized (nad+) and…. The two differ in mechanism, half-life (Unknown (tetrapeptide; estimated <4 hours) vs Varies by form: NR ~8 hours plasma; NMN ~1-2 hours plasma; IV NAD+ infusion dose-dependent), and typical dose range.
Which has the longer half-life, Cortagen or NAD+?
Cortagen has a half-life of Unknown (tetrapeptide; estimated <4 hours). NAD+ has a half-life of Varies by form: NR ~8 hours plasma; NMN ~1-2 hours plasma; IV NAD+ infusion dose-dependent. Longer half-lives generally mean less frequent dosing but slower on/off kinetics.
Which is cheaper, Cortagen or NAD+?
Lowest listed price on BodyHackGuide: Cortagen from $79.00, NAD+ from $25.00. 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 NAD+?
Stacking depends on mechanism overlap, safety profile, and goals. Cortagen and NAD+ 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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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. Every vendor is ranked on the same public, reproducible methodology. See editorial standards and affiliate disclosure.