Dihexa
Aliases: N-hexanoic-Tyr-Ile-(6) aminohexanoic amide · PNB-0408
Last verified: 2026-09-23
The short version
An oligopeptide agonist of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF/c-Met) — reportedly a million times more potent than BDNF at synaptogenesis. Orally active, crosses into brain. Key fact: No controlled human trials exist. Everything known about Dihexa in humans comes from indirect sources and self-reports. Status: preclinical. Not approved; research chemical.
Identity & type
- Molecular type
- analog
- Origin
- An oligopeptide agonist of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF/c-Met) — reportedly a million times more potent than BDNF at synaptogenesis.
Mechanism of action
Activates the c-Met receptor → synaptogenesis and repair of neuronal networks (HGF system).
not confirmed in humans
Dosing & routes
Official / clinical context
No approved official document exists for Dihexa. Any protocols mentioned are to be read as information, not as a recommendation.
Regulator-approved labeling and published study designs — never a recommendation.
Community-reported practice
Anecdotally 2–20 mg/day orally; no clinical doses. Pronounced synaptic "plasticity" — faster learning and associations in some; others feel nothing. Long-term safety unknown, the community doses conservatively.
Unverified self-reports. Not medical advice. Not endorsement.
Expected effects (community)
Pronounced synaptic "plasticity" — faster learning and associations in some; others feel nothing. Long-term safety unknown, the community doses conservatively.
Protocol — official vs community
Official / label
No approved protocol exists — preclinical agent. Dihexa (PNB-0408) was never clinically tested; the Washington State University Alzheimer's-model work is the entire evidentiary base.
Duration: —
The theoretical concern is not trivial: c-Met activation is linked to tumor growth and metastasis, and a chronically administered c-Met agonist has no safety margin established in any species.
Community (anecdotal)
2–20 mg/day orally, occasionally transdermal, in nootropic-community practice. This range is anecdotal with no pharmacokinetic validation; oral bioavailability of this peptidoid is itself uncertain.
- Cycle:
- Weeks to months, with no consensus endpoints.
- Break:
- No standardized pattern.
The 100×-stronger-than-BDNF rhetoric common in vendor copy refers to in vitro potency, not human outcomes. The metastasis-relevant mechanism is the reason no rational protocol exists.
Human evidence
No controlled human trials exist. Everything known about Dihexa in humans comes from indirect sources and self-reports.
Preclinical evidence
Preclinical (Washington State University): reversal of cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's models; never clinically tested.
Known risks
- Unknown; theoretical concern: c-Met signaling is linked to tumor metastasis.characterized
- Unregulated injectable supply — sterility, purity and accurate dose not assuredtheoretical
Teal: characterized in clinical/labeling contexts. Amber: theoretical or reported outside controlled settings.
Unknowns & evidence gaps
- All human pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy
Frequently asked questions
References
Systematic references are being expanded; verify sources directly before any decision.