Inosine · Inosine (purine nucleoside, precursor of uric acid/urate)
A purine nucleoside studied as a way to raise protective urate levels in Parkinson's disease, with a large Phase 3 trial (SURE-PD3) finding it safely raised urate but did NOT slow disease progression.
Short answer
Inosine (Inosine (purine nucleoside, precursor of uric acid/urate)) is a purine precursor / neuroprotective (urate pathway) with evidence grade B, meaning it is supported by human RCTs. We track 0 produkter containing Inosine. The top-ranked product scores 0 out of 10 on our composite scale (dose, evidence, price, testing, transparency). Prices range up to $0.00 per månad.
What it is
Inosine is a naturally occurring nucleoside (a building block related to DNA/RNA purines) that the body converts into uric acid (urate). Because higher natural urate levels have been epidemiologically linked to lower Parkinson's disease risk, researchers tested whether raising urate via inosine supplementation could protect the brain.
Why people take it
Urate is a natural antioxidant, and multiple observational studies found people with higher urate levels have lower rates of Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases, creating a rationale to test whether artificially raising urate via inosine could slow disease progression — a rare case of a longevity-relevant human hypothesis being tested all the way to a rigorous Phase 3 trial.
Our verdict
This is a genuinely important negative result: the large SURE-PD3 Phase 3 trial (298 patients, up to 2 years) confirmed inosine safely and reliably raises urate levels but found NO significant benefit in slowing Parkinson's disease clinical progression, and the study was stopped early for futility. This is one of the most rigorously tested compounds on this list, and the rigorous answer is that it doesn't work for its most-tested purpose.
Structure & class
Inosine is metabolized via the purine degradation pathway (inosine → hypoxanthine → xanthine → uric acid via xanthine oxidase), directly raising serum and cerebrospinal fluid urate concentrations in a dose-titratable manner.
Mechanism & clinical data
The initial Phase 2 SURE-PD trial (2014, JAMA Neurology) randomized 75 early Parkinson's patients to placebo or inosine titrated to mild (6.1-7.0 mg/dL) or moderate (7.1-8.0 mg/dL) serum urate elevation using 500 mg capsules up to three times daily, confirming safety, tolerability, and successful urate elevation in both serum and CSF over up to 24 months. The follow-up Phase 3 SURE-PD3 trial (2021, JAMA) randomized 298 early Parkinson's patients (urate below population median) to inosine titrated to 7.1-8.0 mg/dL urate (up to 3 g/day, n=149) or placebo (n=149) for up to 2 years; the trial was stopped early for futility, with no significant difference in clinical progression (MDS-UPDRS score) between groups (p=0.18) despite successfully raising serum urate by 44%. Separate small trials in ALS (pilot, n=25, up to 3 g/day) and Japanese Parkinson's patients (n=10, ~1070 mg/day) confirmed similar safety and urate-elevating findings without establishing disease-modifying benefit. Preclinical work continues to support a distinct BDNF-upregulation-mediated neuroprotective mechanism independent of urate in animal models.
Pharmacokinetics
Inosine itself is very rapidly metabolized (plasma half-life on the order of minutes) via purine catabolism to hypoxanthine, xanthine, and ultimately uric acid; clinical trials dose it multiple times daily (up to 3x/day) and titrate based on resulting serum urate levels rather than inosine levels directly.
Dose & forms
What to watch out for
Raises uric acid levels, creating a real risk of gout flares and kidney stones (urolithiasis) in susceptible individuals — this was specifically monitored in all cited trials; the large Phase 3 trial found no disease-modifying benefit for Parkinson's despite successfully raising urate, so efficacy claims for neuroprotection are not supported by the best available evidence; should not be used by anyone with a history of gout or kidney stones without medical supervision.
Where this dose comes from
The trial dose above is our editorial pick from the published human trials for this ingredient. We choose the dose that the best-available studies used on the endpoint most relevant to longevity. The range shows the lowest and highest doses tested in published trials. The landmark studies below are the papers we read to set it. You can click through and check our work.
When new trials publish, our automated sweeps flag them. If a new study materially changes the dose, we update it through editorial review and record the old dose, new dose, and the triggering study in every affected product's recommendation history. The dose is never changed automatically.
Regelverk status
Timeline
Regelverk events, evidence grade changes, and key research milestones for Inosine, most recent first. Every entry links to its primär source.
-
EU Court sharpens the bar for botanical health claimsA Court of Justice of the European Union ruling in april 2025 further tightened the requirements for how botanical ingredients (herbs, plant extracts) can be marketed with health claims in the EU, effectively removing much of the flexibility of the on-hold list.
-
EU report identifies 117 supplement substances as potential health risksThe HoA Working Group on Food Supplements (26 European countries) published its first report evaluating 117 substances used in food supplements. Of these, 65 were assessed as likely novel foods, 6 were already regulated, 34 had insufficient data, and 12 were prioritized for Article 8 restriction under Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006. The 12 priority substances include ashwagandha, curcumin, melatonin, piperine, St. John's wort, coumarin, p-synephrine, maca, holy basil, Melaleuca, black cohosh, and L-tryptophan. The report drew on 1,500 RASFF alerts reviewed between 2017 and mid-2022.
-
Parkinson Studie Group SURE-PD3 Investigators (2021). Effect of Urate-Elevating Inosine on Early Parkinson Disease Progression: The SURE-PD3 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. PMID 34519802.Parkinson Studie Group SURE-PD3 Investigators (2021). Effect of Urate-Elevating Inosine on Early Parkinson Disease Progression: The SURE-PD3 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. PMID 34519802.
-
Schwarzschild MA, et al. (2014). Inosine to increase serum and CSF urate in Parkinson disease: A randomized, placebokontrollerad trial (SURE-PD). JAMA Neurol. PMID 24366103.Schwarzschild MA, et al. (2014). Inosine to increase serum and CSF urate in Parkinson disease: A randomized, placebokontrollerad trial (SURE-PD). JAMA Neurol. PMID 24366103.
-
EU Health Claims Regulation adoptedRegulation (EC) No 1924/2006 laid down harmonised rules for nutrition and health claims made on foods, including supplements. Only claims listed in the EU Register of authorised claims can be used. Rejected botanical claims are held in a separate on-hold list.
-
EU introduces the Novel Food RegulationRegulation (EC) No 258/97 required any food or food ingredient without a history of consumption in the EU before 15 maj 1997 to be authorised before being placed on the market. This is the framework that captures NMN, spermidine as a supplement ingredient, urolithin A, and many other longevity actives.
Landmark studies
-
Parkinson Studie Group SURE-PD3 Investigators (2021). Effect of Urate-Elevating Inosine on Early Parkinson Disease Progression: The SURE-PD3 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. PMID 34519802.
Parkinson Studie Group SURE-PD3 Investigators (2021). Effect of Urate-Elevating Inosine on Early Parkinson Disease Progression: The SURE-PD3 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. PMID 34519802.
Läs studie → -
Schwarzschild MA, et al. (2014). Inosine to increase serum and CSF urate in Parkinson disease: A randomized, placebokontrollerad trial (SURE-PD). JAMA Neurol. PMID 24366103.
Schwarzschild MA, et al. (2014). Inosine to increase serum and CSF urate in Parkinson disease: A randomized, placebokontrollerad trial (SURE-PD). JAMA Neurol. PMID 24366103.
Läs studie →
Found in these produkter
Alla produkter in our catalog that contain Inosine, ranked by our overall score. Ranking is editorial, never paid.
No produkter in our catalog contain this yet.
Buying guides and comparisons
Related ingredients
Se alla in Purine precursor / Neuroprotective (urate pathway) →Molekyler in the same class, plus the actives most often formulated alongside Inosine in our catalogue.
Nothing else in the database sits close enough to this molecule to list.
Frequently asked questions
What is Inosine?
Inosine is a naturally occurring nucleoside (a building block related to DNA/RNA purines) that the body converts into uric acid (urate). Because higher natural urate levels have been epidemiologically linked to lower Parkinson's disease risk, researchers tested whether raising urate via inosine supplementation could protect the brain.
What dose of Inosine should I take?
The trial dose in published human studies is 3000 mg per dag, with a range of 1000 to 3000 mg per dag. Always consult a qualified clinician before starting any supplement.
Is Inosine safe?
Raises uric acid levels, creating a real risk of gout flares and kidney stones (urolithiasis) in susceptible individuals — this was specifically monitored in all cited trials; the large Phase 3 trial found no disease-modifying benefit for Parkinson's despite successfully raising urate, so efficacy claims for neuroprotection are not supported by the best available evidence; should not be used by anyone with a history of gout or kidney stones without medical supervision.
What is the best Inosine supplement?
We track 0 produkter containing Inosine. The top-ranked product scores 0 out of 10 on our composite scale, which evaluates dose, evidence, price, third-party testing, and transparency. See the comparison table above. Scores are editorial judgments, not a scientific standard.
What is the evidence grade for Inosine?
Inosine has evidence grade B, meaning it is supported by human RCTs. Grade A means replicated human RCTs with hard endpoints. Grade B means human RCTs with biomarker outcomes. Grade C means mixed or small human trials. See our evidence grading methodology.
Data verification
Bevisning grades are reviewed when new human RCTs are published. Product counts update automatically as new produkter are added. Dose ranges reflect published trial data, not brand recommendations. Read how we verify.