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Bromantane (Ladasten / ADK-709, N-(2-adamantyl)-N-(4-bromophenyl)amine)
A Russian 'actoprotector' — an atypical mild psychostimulant that is also anxiolytic and immunomodulatory — registered in Russia (as Ladasten) for asthenia/fatigue. Honest appraisal: there is a large multicenter Russian study in asthenic disorders and a coherent rat pharmacology (it raises dopaminergic tone and reduces fatigue), but the entire evidence base comes from a single Russian research lineage, has never been independently replicated in Western trials, and is grey-market and WADA-banned elsewhere. NOT a dietary supplement, NOT a longevity drug, and its long-term safety is unknown.
Research compound — not a dietary supplement
Bromantane (Ladasten) is a research compound, not a regulated dietary supplement. It is sold for research or off-label use. The evidence below is largely preclinical (animal and in-vitro) or early-stage, so no evidence score is assigned. This page is provided for transparency and education — it is not a recommendation to use. Consult a qualified healthcare provider, and be aware that purity, dosing, and legal status vary by jurisdiction.
What the evidence says
Most Bromantane (Ladasten) studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.
Most evidence is from medium-quality randomised trials published 1995–2012 with a typical study size of 728 participants.
Based on 10 studies · 4 RCTs · 728 total participants
Confidence
Moderate confidenceBy outcome
Emerging because, although a large multicenter Russian study and a coherent rat pharmacology support an anti-asthenic, mildly stimulant and anxiolytic effect, the entire evidence base comes from a single Russian research lineage, is mostly open-label or non-placebo-controlled, has never been independently replicated in Western randomized trials, and the compound is WADA-banned with unknown long-term safety.
Bromantane (developmental code ADK-709, marketed in Russia as Ladasten) is an adamantane derivative — N-(2-adamantyl)-N-(4-bromophenyl)amine — developed in the Soviet/Russian military pharmacology programme and classed as an 'actoprotector': a synthetic compound intended to improve physical and mental working capacity under stress without raising oxygen consumption, sitting between a classical psychostimulant and an adaptogen.
In Russia it is a registered medicine used for asthenia (pathological fatigue / 'neurasthenia') and asthenic disorders, and it is unusual among stimulants in combining a mild psychostimulant effect with an anxiolytic one and with immunomodulatory activity.
The proposed mechanism, characterized almost entirely in rats by the originating Russian groups (Morozov, Seredenin, Spasov and colleagues), is a 'dopamine-positive' action: bromantane antagonizes neuroleptic effects, blocks synaptosomal dopamine and serotonin reuptake, and in striatal microdialysis increases extracellular dopamine in freely-moving rats, alongside complex serotonergic modulation; secondary work attributes a GABA-A/benzodiazepine-site-linked anxiolytic effect and a separate immunostimulatory action.
The flagship human evidence is a 2010 multicenter study across 28 Russian centres in 728 patients with psychoautonomic/asthenic syndrome, reporting high responder rates (76% CGI-S, 91% CGI-I) and improvements in anxiety, sleep and quality of life over 28 days, supported by an earlier Phase-II pilot describing a combined stimulant-plus-anxiolytic profile.
The honest evidence picture is that this entire literature — mechanism and clinical — originates from one Russian research tradition, is largely published in Russian-language pharmacology journals, is frequently open-label or non-placebo-controlled, and has never been independently replicated in Western randomized trials; there is no FDA or EMA approval and outside Russia bromantane is a grey-market research chemical.
It is also a banned substance in sport: the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits it after Russian athletes tested positive at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and a 1997 Lancet letter described it as a 'new doping agent' acting as both a stimulant and a masking agent.
Rat developmental-toxicity work showed mixed, dose-non-monotonic effects on litter size and some offspring reflexes (most pronounced at the lowest dose tested, and many differences non-significant), and long-term human safety is uncharacterized. Overall evidence is Emerging and the use case is narrow and unreplicated.
In rats, bromantane shows a 'dopamine-positive' profile: it antagonizes neuroleptic effects, blocks synaptosomal dopamine reuptake, and — in striatal microdialysis of freely-moving rats — increases release and metabolism of dopamine in the dorsal striatum. The originating Russian work attributes its psychostimulant and anti-fatigue actions to enhanced dopaminergic tone (with proposed effects on dopamine biosynthesis). This is rat neurochemistry, not validated human pharmacology.
Bromantane inhibits neuronal serotonin reuptake and alters regional 5-HT/5-HIAA content in rats, and produces an anxiolytic effect in stress-reactive inbred strains that has been linked to normalization of benzodiazepine-site (GABA-A) binding under stress. This dual stimulant-plus-anxiolytic profile is unusual for a psychostimulant, but is established in animals, not in controlled human receptor studies.
Bromantane was originally described as an immunostimulator, and experimental work has used it as an immunomodulating adjuvant. The immunomodulatory action is proposed to contribute to its 'actoprotector' resistance-to-stress profile. The data are preclinical and from the same Russian research tradition.
How Bromantane (Ladasten) works — from molecular targets to health outcomes. Click an edge to see supporting research.This visualization is in beta — pathways are being refined and expanded.
Avoid — rat developmental-toxicity signals and no adequate human pregnancy/lactation data.
Do not use — bromantane is WADA-prohibited and acts as a masking agent; positive tests led to its addition to the banned list.
Be aware bromantane is not approved by the FDA or EMA and is sold 'for research use only'; quality is unverified.
Bromantane raises dopaminergic tone in animals; combining it with other psychostimulants or dopaminergic drugs could produce additive stimulation and is unpredictable in humans. Use caution.
In rats bromantane antagonizes neuroleptic (dopamine-blocking) effects, so it could in principle oppose antipsychotic action. Human relevance is unestablished; treat any combination cautiously.
Tip: Inherent to a mild psychostimulant; use daytime dosing and lower the dose.
Tip: No independent long-term human safety data exist; absence of reported harm is not evidence of safety.
Tip: Stems from grey-market sourcing outside Russia rather than the compound itself; there is no verified Western product.
Bromantane (Ladasten) has an evidence score of 3.5/10 — emerging evidence based on 6 indexed studies. A Russian 'actoprotector' — an atypical mild psychostimulant that is also anxiolytic and immunomodulatory — registered in Russia (as Ladasten) for asthenia/fatigue. Honest appraisal: there is a large multicenter Russian study in asthenic disorders and a coherent rat pharmacology (it raises dopaminergic tone and reduces fatigue), but the entire evidence base comes from a single Russian research lineage, has never been independently replicated in Western trials, and is grey-market and WADA-banned elsewhere. NOT a dietary supplement, NOT a longevity drug, and its long-term safety is unknown. Representative study: PMID 21322821.
The commonly studied dose of Bromantane (Ladasten) is No Western-validated dose exists. In Russian clinical use, Ladasten (bromantane) was given orally at roughly 50–100 mg/day in courses of about 4 weeks for asthenic disorders. These figures come from Russian practice and are not validated outside Russia; this is not a recommendation, and bromantane is WADA-banned.. Individual needs vary — start at the lower end of the range and adjust based on how you respond.
The best time to take Bromantane (Ladasten) is in the morning. It can be taken on an empty stomach. Bromantane has a relatively long-lasting actoprotector effect in animals (a single dose improved physical work capacity for at least 24 h).
Bromantane (Ladasten) should be used with caution — talk to a healthcare provider before taking it. The most commonly reported side effects are overstimulation / insomnia, unknown long-term effects, risks from unregulated 'research use only' product (mislabelling, contamination, wrong dose). Use caution if any of these apply to you: Pregnancy and breastfeeding — rat developmental-toxicity signals and no adequate human data; avoid entirely; Competitive or drug-tested athletes — bromantane is a WADA-prohibited substance and a masking agent; Known hypersensitivity to the compound.
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Reviewed by Dr. Baher Al Hakim · Last reviewed June 2026 · evidence from 10 studies · how we score · editorial policy
This information is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or medication.
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