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Not FDA approved
This peptide is not FDA approved for human use, and because peptides are often incompletely studied you should not use or self-experiment with it outside qualified medical supervision.
Overview
Dihexa is a synthetic angiotensin-IV-derived peptidomimetic studied in preclinical cognition and neurodegeneration models. The reviewed source set does not support an FDA-approved Dihexa product, a validated human treatment protocol, or direct human safety data.
It also includes a major reliability problem: a key 2014 mechanistic Dihexa paper was retracted in 2025, and a 2013 procognitive paper carries an expression of concern.
Reported benefits
- Real preclinical literature exists for cognition and neurodegeneration models.
- Newer animal work still reports exploratory signal in APP/PS1 and other rodent models.
- Designed as an angiotensin-IV-derived neurotrophic / procognitive compound.
- Human efficacy and safety remain unestablished.
Mechanism of action
Dihexa is commonly framed as an angiotensin-IV-derived compound intended to influence the HGF and c-Met system and downstream pathways such as PI3K/AKT. A 2021 APP/PS1 mouse paper also reported PI3K/AKT-linked effects.
However, the direct 2014 paper most often cited for HGF and c-Met dependence and high-affinity mechanism claims was retracted in 2025, so the mechanism should be described as a preclinical hypothesis rather than settled translational fact.
Reported Use
No FDA dosing guidance
This peptide is not covered by FDA-labeled dosing guidance on this page. Peptides are often investigational or incompletely studied. Do not self-experiment; use only with a doctor or qualified clinician.
Typical dose
No validated human injectable dose was identified
Frequency
Not established
Injection sites
The reviewed source set does not justify presenting Dihexa as an evidence-backed self-injection protocol
Best timing
Not established
Effects timeline
Not established
Storage
No validated consumer formulation or storage standard was identified
Cycle length
Not established
Break between
Not established
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Quick Signals
At A Glance
A faster read on evidence, focus, structure, and status.
Evidence
Mostly preclinical
Preclinical only.
17 indexed studiesCurrent level
Preclinical
Scale: low evidence to established use
Status
Regulatory and sport context
Safety
Side Effects And Safety
Switch between common side-effect notes and stop criteria to keep safety context visible.
Reported or plausible side effects
- Do not treat anecdotal reports of headache, overstimulation, or mood change as a substitute for real safety data.
Key cautions
- No direct human clinical safety data were identified.
- Evidence uncertainty itself is part of the risk because high-profile supporting papers are under concern / retraction.
- HGF and c-Met biology intersects with cancer-related signaling, so malignancy-related caution is reasonable even though direct human Dihexa risk is unproven.
- DIY solvent or injectable preparation adds separate formulation and sterility risk.
Molecule
Molecular Information
Core structure fields that help explain what kind of peptide this is and how much sequence detail is available.
Molecular weight
504.7 Da
Chain length
Modified angiotensin-IV-derived scaffold
Sequence type
Synthetic peptidomimetic / modified tripeptide scaffold
Derived from
Angiotensin IV analogue-development program
Amino acid sequence source string
N-hexanoic-Tyr-Ile-(6)-aminohexanoic amide
Hexanoyl and aminohexyl-amide modifications intended to alter stability and exposure.
Context
Important Context
The main context that changes how confidently this peptide should be interpreted.
Research status
Preclinical only. The reviewed source set contains rodent and cell-model data, no direct human Dihexa trials, a 2021 expression of concern on the 2013 procognitive paper, and a 2025 retraction of the key 2014 HGF and c-Met mechanistic paper.
Regulatory and sport status
FDA review shows it is not FDA approved. Source: openFDA drugsfda API review dated 2026-03-08. Sport review: Likely S0 prohibited; athlete-specific review advised. Source: 2026 WADA Prohibited List PDF reviewed 2026-03-08.
Use extra caution if
- • Evidence uncertainty, HGF/c-Met malignancy-related biology, formulation risk, and anti-doping relevance all argue for caution rather than routine use framing.
Route Notes
Route-Specific Notes
Only shown when the source material adds route-specific details beyond the quick-start guide.
Injectable
- Administration: Some preclinical papers used injected rodent routes, but that does not establish a validated human-use protocol.
- Absorption: No validated human absorption profile was identified for an injectable self-use formulation.
- Cycle: Not established.
- Additional: Gray-market injectable use adds identity, solvent, and sterility risk on top of the weak evidence base.
Oral
- Administration: Some rodent studies used oral dosing, but no validated human oral protocol was identified.
- Absorption: No validated human oral PK profile was identified in the reviewed source set.
- Cycle: Not established.
- Additional: Claims about reliable oral bioavailability should be treated cautiously because the literature base is limited and partly compromised.
Compare
How Well Documented Is It?
A quick five-point snapshot of how visible and well-documented this peptide is. Higher values mean more coverage or clearer status in that area, not better medical performance.
Research
How much published research coverage this peptide has in the linked sources, with an approval-context floor for clearly established drug products.
Source: PubMed
Regulatory
How clearly the approval or regulatory status is documented for this entry.
Source: openFDA drugsfda API
Sport
How clearly sports or competition status is documented in the linked review sources.
Source: 2026 WADA Prohibited List PDF
Breadth
How broadly this peptide appears across discussion topics and use-case groupings in the catalog.
Source: Curated site taxonomy
Sequence
How much structure or residue-sequence detail is available for this entry.
Source: Catalog seed
Protocols
Research Protocols
Common protocol-style rows shown in a consistent table layout so every peptide page is easy to compare.
| Goal | Dose | Route | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Older rodent cognition studies | Model-specific mg/kg dosing | Oral or injected rodent protocols | Study-specific |
| Newer APP/PS1 mouse work | Model-specific | Oral mouse study design | Study-specific |
Research
What It Has Been Studied For
Plain-language summaries of the main health areas where this peptide shows up in the linked research.
Stacking
What People Commonly Stack It With
A plain-language view of compounds that are commonly discussed alongside this peptide in the source material.
Practical
Preparation, Quality, And Expectations
Operational checklist blocks designed for quick scanning and repeatable page structure.
How to reconstitute
- •No validated consumer reconstitution protocol was identified for exact Dihexa.
- •Do not treat forum DMSO, PEG300, Tween, or mixed-solvent recipes as source-backed medical guidance.
- •Product identity, solvent safety, and sterility are major unresolved risks in gray-market use.
Quality indicators
Good signs
- Exact compound identity is documented.
- Source trail distinguishes exploratory preclinical work from human evidence.
- Claims acknowledge the expression-of-concern and retraction history in older Dihexa papers.
Avoid
- Strong potency, oral-activity, or HGF/c-Met claims presented without mentioning the retraction / concern record.
- DIY injectable solvent recipes presented as routine or medically validated.
- No analytical documentation or unclear identity claims.
- Marketing that implies sports permissibility.
What to expect
No reliable human expectation timeline was established for exact Dihexa.
Preclinical study timelines should not be converted into a consumer effects schedule.
References
Research And Source List
Structured reference cards with source metadata and a direct link so users can inspect the original study/source.
Evaluation of metabolically stabilized angiotensin IV analogs as procognitive / antidementia agents
JPET | 2013
Older rodent paper often cited for Dihexa, but it carries a 2021 expression of concern.
Notice of Concern for the 2013 JPET Dihexa paper
JPET | 2021
Important reliability qualifier for the older procognitive anchor.
Retraction notice for the 2014 HGF/c-Met Dihexa paper
JPET | 2025
Key reason the mechanism section has to be written cautiously.
AngIV-Analog Dihexa rescues cognitive impairment in the APP/PS1 mouse via PI3K/AKT
Brain Sciences | 2021
Newer animal paper supporting ongoing preclinical interest.
The development of small molecule angiotensin IV analogs to treat Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases
Progress in Neurobiology | 2015
Review of the angiotensin-IV-analog development program.
Hepatocyte growth factor mimetic protects lateral line hair cells from aminoglycoside exposure
Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience | 2015
Nonhuman protective-model paper relevant to the broader mechanistic program.
PubChem compound record
Technical
Registry support for molecular identity.
2026 WADA Prohibited List PDF
WADA
Official anti-doping source used for S0 review.