Dihexa
What it’s used for
Lab & animal research
Dihexa is an experimental peptide-like compound derived from angiotensin IV. People use it for memory, learning and focus, and it has been explored for protecting the brain in Alzheimer's models. All research so far is in animals and lab models, a key 2014 paper on how it works was retracted in 2025, and there is no human data on its effects or safety.
- Memory & learning Used for memory and learning. In a 2025 animal study, it improved working memory after repeated mild brain injury.
- Brain protection Explored in Alzheimer's mouse models for preserving synapses and for effects on inflammation markers.
- Brain plasticity Studied in lab models for helping brain cells form new connections (synapses and dendritic spines).
What to expect
- Weeks 1–2
Subtle changes in thinking; some people get headaches
- Weeks 2–4
Better focus and memory reported
- Weeks 4–8
Learning effects reported
- After stopping
Effects reported to last days to weeks
Side effects & safety
Side effects
- Headaches, reported in weeks 1–2
Stop and get help if
- Headaches that don't go away
- Panic, depression, or feeling manic or overstimulated
- Trouble sleeping for more than 3 days
- Any new neurological change, or reactions at the injection site
Which symptoms mean call 911 or see a doctor
What regulators say
- The FDA found no human exposure data for dihexa products by any route and says it can't assess human safety.
Why most peptides aren’t FDA-approved What’s really in “research use only” vials
Avoid or check first if
- Cancer or cancer risk — it activates c-Met, which raises a theoretical concern about promoting cell growth
- Pregnant or breastfeeding — safety hasn't been studied
In sport
Likely banned at all times. An unapproved research compound, so S0 bans it at all times. The main argument that it falls under S2.3 as an HGF modulator rests on a paper retracted in 2025.
Which peptides are banned in sport
How much people take
Injectable
Injectable
- Neuroprotection Daily or 3× weekly · under the skin · 4–8 weeks on 5–8 mg
Similar doses appear in 1 other source
Oral
For every goal: Oral
- Cognitive enhancement Once daily (morning) 8–10 mg
- Intensive learning Once daily 10–15 mg
- Neuroprotection Daily or 3× weekly 5–8 mg
- Maintenance Every other day 5 mg
Similar doses appear in 3 other sources
How to store it
How many units do I draw?
Injectable
Injectable
Fridge · 30 days DMSO stock at 2–8°C (35.6–46.4°F). It won't dissolve in water; use pharmaceutical-grade DMSO. Avoid repeated freeze–thaw.
Injecting under the skin Where, rotating sites, which syringe
- Where: belly (at least 2 in / 5 cm from the navel), front of the thigh, or back of the upper arm.
- Rotate sites each time and skip bruised, scarred or sore skin.
- Syringe: most people use a U-100 insulin syringe with a short, thin needle (29–31 gauge, 8 mm or shorter).
- How: wipe with alcohol and let it dry, pinch the skin, go in at 45–90°, push slowly. Use each syringe once.
General practice for under-the-skin injections, not specific to Dihexa.
The full guide: how to inject safely
Oral
Room temp Capsules keep at room temperature
Ready to use
The oral form doesn’t need mixing.
Combining it with others
AI assessment Based on how each compound works, not on studies of the combination. How we assess
Use caution 3
Can be combined 8
Semax NA Semax Amidate Adamax Selank Adalank PE-22-28 Bromantane Cerebrolysin
What the research says
Mostly animal studies
- There are no human studies of its effects, how the body handles it, or its safety.
- The injectable recipe is a lab solvent mix (DMSO, PEG300, Tween 80, saline); whether it suits people is unknown.
- Long-term effects and interactions with other medicines or peptides are unknown.
What studies found
- A foundational paper was retracted The 2014 HGF/c-Met paper cited in the catalog was retracted in April 2025. Its reported findings should not support claims of established cognitive benefit.
- Separate 2025 preclinical experiment An animal study reported improved working-memory performance after repeated mild brain injury with directly administered brain Dihexa. A MET antagonist blocked this result; human benefit remains untested.
- Dihexa: FDA compounding safety statement FDA has not identified human exposure data for dihexa acetate products by any route and lacks information needed to assess human safety.
How long it stays in your body
Half-life is how fast the level in your body halves — not how long effects last or how often to dose.
- Half-life
- 12 hours
- Mostly cleared
- 2.5 days ≈97% gone after 5 half-lives
Reported estimate Injectable · Original source not checked.
50% left in the body
12 h after a dose
Drag to see how much is left over time.
Animal studies: rat IV 12.68 d · rat IP 8.83 d
What it’s made of
- Length
- Modified tripeptide with hexanoic acid
- Molecular weight
- 504.7 Da
- Formula
- Not verified
An exact sequence has not been verified for this form.
The exact formulation, clinical benefits and long-term safety require further verification.
Length and weight come from a reference listing and were not independently confirmed.
Doses in animal and lab studies 2
Doses used in animal or cell studies. They don’t translate directly to people.
- Working-memory recovery after repeated mild brain injury 1 nmol/day highest studied regimen described here · Daily · Intracerebroventricular
- Research-based injectable 0.5 mg/kg · Once daily · SubQ or Intraperitoneal
Sources
Sources 15
How this page was made
How it may work: Proposed HGF/c-Met signaling supports synapse formation in laboratory models; BDNF potency comparisons are not clinical superiority.
Preparation in studies: No product-specific preparation or stability instruction was verified.
Research last checked: Oct 12, 2026 (a targeted search, not a full review).
Community doses, how long people take it, timing and storage are compiled with AI from public peptide guides, clinics and forums, cross-checked against other sources where we could, and rewritten in plain language. “Combining it with others” is an AI assessment of how the compounds work. Study notes are written from each paper’s abstract where one exists. How we source
Original source guide