Adrafinil

Olmifon, CRL 40028

Psychoactive Class

Chemical Class

Benzhydryl Diphenylmethylsulfinylacetamide (modafinil analogue)

Adrafinil is a eugeroic stimulant of the benzhydryl class that acts as a prodrug for modafinil.¹² Discovered in 1974 by chemists at the French pharmaceutical company Laboratoires Lafon during screening for analgesic compounds,² it was formerly marketed under the brand name Olmifon.¹ It promotes wakefulness and alertness without amphetamine-like effects. Long-term use is not advised due to potential liver stress from elevated hepatic enzymes associated with its metabolism.

Dosage & Duration

Dosage

Threshold~100 mg

Light100-250 mg

Moderate250-400 mg

Strong400-600 mg

Heavy600+ mg

Duration

Onset45-120 minutes

Come Up45-60 minutes

Peak4.5-6 hours

Offset1-3 hours

After Effects1-6 hours

Total6-12 hours

Subjective Effects

Effects vary widely by individual, dose, and context.

Physical

The physical effects of adrafinil can be broken down into several components.

Increased heart rate Dizziness Nausea

Cognitive

The cognitive effects of adrafinil can be broken down into several components.

Wakefulness Focus enhancement Thought acceleration Memory enhancement Motivation enhancement Current mind state enhancement Anxiety

Adapted from the Modafinil subjective effects documentation. Adrafinil is a prodrug of modafinil and is reported to produce an effectively identical experience, with a slower onset. Forked from Subjective Effect Documentation

by Josie KinsAugust 2015.

Reagent Testing

Loading reagent data

Expected colorimetric results are being prepared.

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Adrafinil is a prodrug that is primarily converted to modafinil in vivo, producing nearly identical pharmacological effects once the active metabolite has accumulated to sufficient concentrations.³ In animal studies, its locomotor-stimulating effects are blocked by α1-adrenergic and α2-adrenergic receptor antagonists, suggesting involvement of postsynaptic adrenergic signaling in its wakefulness-promoting activity.⁴ However, neither adrafinil nor modafinil has been found to bind the α1-adrenergic receptor directly, and the evidence for adrenergic agonism is considered weak. Modafinil has been identified as a weak, atypical inhibitor of the dopamine transporter, and this action may account for some or all of its pharmacological effects.⁵

Pharmacokinetics

Adrafinil is metabolized hepatically and may follow one of two pathways: the primary route converts it to the active metabolite modafinil, while a secondary route produces inactive modafinilic acid directly without prior conversion to modafinil.³ This dual pathway may account for adrafinil's lower potency relative to modafinil. Modafinil is itself further metabolized to inactive modafinilic acid and modafinil sulfone.⁶ As a prodrug, adrafinil requires time for its active metabolite to accumulate to effective concentrations in the bloodstream.³

Interactions

Caution

Use caution

These combinations are not usually physically harmful, but may produce undesirable effects, such as physical discomfort or overstimulation. Extreme use may cause physical health issues. Synergistic effects may be unpredictable. Care should be taken when choosing to use this combination.

AcebutololAceclofenacAcemetacinAcetylsalicylic acidAclidinium

TripSit

Tolerance

Full Tolerance

Repeated adrafinil use over time can reduce sensitivity to many effects, leading users to need larger doses for similar results.

Baseline Reset

1-2 weeks

Half Tolerance

3-7 days

Cross Tolerance

Benzhydryl eugeroics (modafinil, armodafinil)

Harm Potential

Addiction & Dependence

Psychological

Low

Adrafinil is considered not addictive with a low potential for abuse. It does not appear to be capable of causing psychological dependence among most users.

Toxicity

Hepatic

Prolonged use may cause elevated liver enzymes and slight hepatotoxicity due to the requirement for hepatic metabolism to convert adrafinil to its active metabolite modafinil; occasional use at typical doses appears to carry minimal hepatic risk.

Psychosis Risk

Mania has been reported as a side effect, particularly in individuals with a predisposition to mood disorders such as bipolar disorder. Confusion, aggression, and overstimulation may also occur but are described as transitory effects that resolve upon discontinuation.⁷

Seizure Risk

Adrafinil is contraindicated in individuals with epilepsy.⁷

History & Culture

Discovery and Development

Adrafinil was discovered in 1974 by two chemists working at the French pharmaceutical company Laboratoires Lafon.² The compound emerged unexpectedly during a screening program aimed at identifying novel analgesic agents.² Rather than…

Legality

International

World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List (2004)¹

By Country

United StatesRestrictedNew drug

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, §§ 301(d), 505(a) (21 U.S.C. §§ 331(d), 355(a))^78798081

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prohibits introducing a new drug into interstate commerce without an effective FDA approval. FDA states that adrafinil is a pharmaceutical drug not approved for use in the United States. FDA has treated adrafinil products promoted for drug uses as new drugs and, where they lack adequate directions for those uses, as misbranded.

AustriaRestrictedS6.A

Internationales Übereinkommen gegen Doping im Sport, Anlage I (Verbotsliste 2026; BGBl. III Nr. 219/2025)¹¹¹²¹³

Adrafinil is not listed as a narcotic or psychotropic substance and is not covered by Austria’s defined new-psychoactive-substance classes. It is a non-specified stimulant in S6.A of the 2026 Prohibited List and is prohibited in competition from 1 January 2026. Under the Anti-Doping-Bundesgesetz 2021, use or presence by an athlete is an anti-doping violation unless a medical exemption applies.

ChinaPrescription only非特定刺激剂

2026年兴奋剂目录公告；《反兴奋剂条例》¹⁷¹⁸

China’s 2026 Doping Catalogue lists adrafinil (阿屈非尼) as a non-specified stimulant. Article 16 of the Anti-Doping Regulations subjects this other listed prohibited substance to prescription-drug management. The Catalogue has effect from 1 January 2026; stimulants are prohibited in competition, and unlawful production, sale, import, or export of listed prohibited substances is forbidden. Registered athletes may possess medicines containing listed prohibited substances only on a physician’s prescription.

Czech RepublicRestrictedS6.A

Světový antidopingový kodex: Seznam zakázaných látek a metod dopingu 2026^{23242526272829}

The Czech National Sports Agency’s published 2026 World Anti-Doping Code Prohibited List places adrafinil in S6.A, making its use prohibited in competition from 1 January 2026. This is an anti-doping restriction for athletes rather than a Czech controlled-drug scheduling classification; Act No. 167/1998 requires controlled, psychomodulatory, and listed psychoactive substances to be expressly placed on their respective government lists.

FinlandRestrictedLiite 1

Lääkealan turvallisuus- ja kehittämiskeskuksen päätös lääkeluettelosta (230/2025)³³³⁴³⁵

Adrafinil is listed in Annex 1 of the Finnish Medicines Agency’s Medicines List and is regulated as a medicine, including its salts and esters. The decision has applied since 19 May 2025. Medicines may be sold to the public only through statutory pharmacy channels; Adrafinil’s Annex 1 listing does not itself classify it as prescription-only.

GermanyRestrictedS6.A

Internationales Übereinkommen gegen Doping im Sport, Anlage I (Verbotsliste 2026)⁴⁰⁴¹⁴²

Adrafinil is listed as an S6.A non-specified stimulant and is prohibited in competition under the 2026 Prohibited List, effective 1 January 2026. Germany’s Anti-Doping Act prohibits manufacturing, trafficking, selling, supplying, placing on the market, or prescribing a listed substance for human sporting doping; organised-sport self-doping and related possession are also prohibited in the circumstances specified by the Act. A violation of the commercial-supply prohibition is punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine.

LaosUnregulated

Reportedly available over-the-counter, though uncommon in practice.

NetherlandsRestrictedS6.A

Internationaal Verdrag tegen doping in de sport, Verboden Lijst 2026^49505152

Adrafinil is a non-specified stimulant prohibited in competition from 1 January 2026 for athletes subject to the Netherlands’ anti-doping regime. This sport-specific restriction does not make ordinary possession a controlled-drug offence: Adrafinil is not listed under the Opiumwet, and it does not fall within List IA’s three defined substance groups.

NorwayIllegalDopingliste

Forskrift om hva som skal anses som dopingmidler (FOR-1993-04-30-318)^5556575859

Adrafinil is expressly listed as a doping agent in Norway’s Dopingliste and has been included since 1 October 2006. Without lawful entitlement, acquiring, possessing, or using it is prohibited and punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to six months. Unlawful manufacture, import, export, storage, sending, or transfer is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to two years.

PortugalRestrictedS6.A

Portaria n.º 431/2025/1, de 4 de dezembro⁶⁶⁶⁷

Portugal’s anti-doping law treats the presence, use, attempted use, and in-competition possession of a listed prohibited substance by persons within its scope as anti-doping-rule violations. Portaria n.º 431/2025/1 lists Adrafinil in S6.A, the non-specified-stimulants class, and prohibits it in competition. The current list took effect on 1 January 2026; anti-doping consequences include disqualification, suspension, financial penalties, or public disclosure.

South AfricaUnregulatedCitation needed

Reportedly available over-the-counter, though uncommon in practice.

SpainRestrictedS6.A

Resolución de 2 de diciembre de 2025, de la Presidencia del Consejo Superior de Deportes, por la que se aprueba la lista de sustancias y métodos prohibidos en el deporte⁷³

En España, el adrafinilo (CRL-40028) figura como estimulante no específico en la sección S6.A de la Lista de prohibiciones 2026. Está prohibido en competición desde el 1 de enero de 2026. La resolución se aplica a los controles antidopaje de competiciones oficiales de ámbito estatal y a deportistas con licencia para participar en ellas; el consumo o uso de las sustancias de la lista puede dar lugar a una sanción por dopaje.

AustraliaPrescription onlySchedule 4

Poisons Standard¹⁰

Adrafinil is listed in Schedule 4 of the Poisons Standard. Schedule 4 substances are prescription-only medicines under the Australian scheduling framework.

BrazilRestrictedS6.A

Lei nº 14.597/2023, art. 175, VIII; Lista Proibida 2026 do Código Mundial Antidopagem¹⁴¹⁵¹⁶

No Brasil, a Lista Proibida 2026 adotada pela Autoridade Brasileira de Controle de Dopagem classifica a adrafinila como estimulante não-especificado S6.A. A categoria S6 é proibida em competição; uso, tentativa de uso, posse, tráfico ou administração por atletas e pessoal de apoio constituem infrações às regras antidopagem e podem acarretar sanções desportivas. Esta é uma restrição antidopagem aplicável ao esporte.

ColombiaRestrictedS6.A

Lista de Prohibiciones 2026 del Código Mundial Antidopaje (Decreto 1648 de 2021)^19202122

Adrafinil is prohibited in Colombian competitive sport as an S6.A non-specified stimulant under the 2026 Prohibited List, effective 1 January 2026. The anti-doping regime applies to athletes, support personnel, and sporting bodies in the National Sport System, with violations subject to disciplinary sanctions. Adrafinil is not included in the Ministry of Health’s current controlled-substances list; its variation rules extend only to salts, isomers, hydrates, and related variations of substances already listed.

DenmarkRestrictedS6.A

Bekendtgørelse om fremme af integritet i idrætten, BEK nr. 1252 af 30. oktober 2025³⁰³¹³²

Adrafinil’s use and an athlete’s possession in competition are prohibited as a non-specified stimulant under Denmark’s anti-doping regime. The current order, in force since 1 January 2026, adopts WADA’s current Prohibited List and requires Anti Doping Denmark to publish a Danish translation; the 2026 Danish list places adrafinil in S6.A. This is a sport-specific restriction rather than a general narcotics listing: the current decree on euphoriant substances confines control to Lists A–E and specified structural groups, none of which includes adrafinil (CRL-40028).

FranceRestrictedStimulants

Arrêté du 18 mars 2026 fixant la liste des substances et méthodes dont la détention est interdite en application de l'article L. 232-26 du code du sport^36373839

Adrafinil is named under IV. « Stimulants » in France’s current anti-doping possession order. Since 28 March 2026, possessing it without a duly justified medical reason is punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment and a €3,750 fine under Article L. 232-26(I) of the Code du sport. The order repealed the corresponding 2025 list; this is a sports-law restriction rather than placement on the narcotics or psychotropics schedules.

ItalyRestrictedS6.A

Decreto 28 maggio 2025, Revisione della lista dei farmaci, delle sostanze biologicamente e farmacologicamente attive e delle pratiche mediche, il cui impiego è considerato doping^43444546

Italy lists adrafinil as an S6.A non-specified stimulant in its national anti-doping list, prohibiting its use in competition. The decree entered into force on 22 July 2025, the day of its publication in the Gazzetta Ufficiale.

MexicoRestrictedS6.A

Lista de Prohibiciones 2026 (CONADE)⁴⁷⁴⁸

Adrafinil is a non-specific stimulant in S6.A of Mexico’s 2026 Prohibited List and is prohibited in competition from 1 January 2026. Under Article 119 of the Ley General de Cultura Física y Deporte, an athlete’s use or administration of a substance on CONADE’s annually published list constitutes doping. Its presence, use or attempted use, and administration or concealment are very serious sporting infractions subject to administrative sanctions.

New ZealandPrescription onlyPrescription medicine

Medicines Regulations 1984, Schedule 1, Part 1, item 42⁵³⁵⁴

Classified as a prescription medicine following a 2005 recommendation by the Medical Classification Committee to MEDSAFE NZ,⁵⁴ partly due to concerns about potential misuse as a party drug.⁵⁴

PolandRestrictedS6.A

Amended Annex No. 1 to the International Convention against Doping in Sport (2026)^606162636465

Adrafinil is a prohibited in-competition stimulant in Poland under S6.A of the amended anti-doping Convention annex, in force for Poland since 1 January 2026. Poland’s Act on Combating Doping in Sport treats an athlete’s presence or use of a prohibited substance, possession, trafficking, and specified administration of it as doping in sport, subject to anti-doping proceedings. Adrafinil is not listed in Poland’s national schedules of psychotropic substances, narcotics, or new psychoactive substances; those schedules do not create a blanket analog control for unlisted substances.

RussiaRestrictedСписок II

Government Decree of the Russian Federation No. 681 of 30 June 1998, as amended by Government Decree No. 718 of 22 June 2018⁶⁸⁶⁹⁷⁰

Adrafinil (N-hydroxy-2-(diphenylmethylsulfinyl)acetamide) is listed as a psychotropic substance in List II of Russia’s controlled-substances list. Its circulation is restricted and subject to statutory control; the adrafinil entry took effect on 3 July 2018, so unauthorized acquisition, possession, production, and sale fall outside the permitted controlled regime.

South KoreaRestrictedS6.A

2026 금지목록 국제표준⁷¹⁷²

Adrafinil is a non-specified stimulant prohibited in competition under South Korea’s 2026 Prohibited List International Standard, effective 1 January 2026. The restriction applies to athletes and other persons subject to the Korean Anti-Doping Code.

UkraineRestrictedS6.A

World Anti-Doping Code 2026 Prohibited List^74757677

Adrafinil is an S6.A non-specified stimulant in the 2026 Prohibited List and is prohibited during the in-competition period from 1 January 2026. Ukraine’s anti-doping law treats an athlete’s use, possession without a therapeutic-use exemption, or trafficking of a prohibited substance as a doping violation. This is a sport-specific restriction; Adrafinil is not named in Ukraine’s national narcotics, psychotropic substances, and precursors schedule.

References

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