Nerve-cell structure
NAP was developed around the idea that neuronal microtubules could be protected or stabilised under disease-related stress.
Explore the research →ADNP, MICROTUBULE & TAU RESEARCH
NAP / Davunetide
A brain-focused peptide tested in human studies of cognition and neurodegenerative conditions, without an established clinical benefit.
Microtubule stabilityTau biologyCognitive trials
Substantial human testing, but the pivotal PSP trial was negativeDavunetide reached a 313-person phase 2/3 study and smaller cognition trials. The programme shows meaningful exposure and feasibility data, yet no approved neurological benefit emerged.
FOLLOW THE FULL PICTUREFrom interest to evidence, quality and the numbers.
What did researchers hope Davunetide could do?
Davunetide was developed around the idea of helping nerve cells maintain their internal structure and cope with damage linked with tau. That led researchers to explore whether it could support memory, thinking and neurological function in several human conditions.
Tau-related neuroprotection
Progressive supranuclear palsy provided a direct clinical test because abnormal tau biology is central to the disease.
Explore the research →Cognition signals
Earlier studies explored attention, working memory and functional brain measures.
Explore the research →A valuable clinical test
Davunetide demonstrates how a promising neuroprotective mechanism can be examined in a large, international trial.
Explore the research →THE SCIENCE BIT
Supporting the cell's internal transport tracks.
Davunetide, also called NAP, is a short fragment derived from ADNP. Research links it with microtubules and their associated proteins—the internal tracks that support cell shape and transport.
That rationale led to cognition and neurological-disease trials. The major PSP trial was negative, showing why an attractive mechanism needs to be judged alongside human outcomes.
See the studies & trials →- ADNP fragment
- The peptide's origin
- Microtubules
- Cell structure and transport
- Associated proteins
- Experimental interactions
How this connects to the research
Substantial human testing, with efficacy not established in the pivotal PSP trial.
Read a primary source ↗FROM MOLECULE TO TISSUE
Where NAP / Davunetide connects with the body
These are the tissues and biological systems behind the interest in NAP / Davunetide.
- Neurons
- Internal transport and structure.
- Axons
- Microtubule-related research.
- Brain
- Cognition and disease trials.
The research behind the interest
Nerve-cell structure
A key part of the research story is supporting microtubules — tiny internal structures that help nerve cells keep their shape and transport materials.
Preclinical work supports interactions with microtubule-related processes, but a mechanism does not guarantee slower neurological decline.
Strong preclinical rationaleExplore the studies →Tau-related neuroprotection
Progressive supranuclear palsy provided a direct clinical test because abnormal tau biology is central to the disease.
Despite that rationale, 30 mg twice-daily intranasal treatment for 52 weeks did not improve either primary clinical endpoint.
Human efficacy negative in PSPExplore the studies →Cognition signals
Earlier studies explored attention, working memory and functional brain measures.
Small exploratory findings appeared in some analyses, but no robust, replicated cognitive treatment effect was established.
Early and uncertain human evidenceExplore the studies →A valuable clinical test
Davunetide demonstrates how a promising neuroprotective mechanism can be examined in a large, international trial.
The PSP result was neutral, while nasal adverse effects supplied practical route-specific safety information.
Substantial human programmeExplore the studies →Studies & trials
Studies & trials
Original publication · PubMed · trial registry where availableDavunetide in progressive supranuclear palsy ↗
313 participants with progressive supranuclear palsy across 48 centres
Intranasal30 mg twice daily52 weeks
Davunetide did not improve the PSP Rating Scale or activities-of-daily-living primary endpoints versus placebo.
Nasal adverse events—including epistaxis, rhinorrhoea and discomfort—were more frequent with davunetide.
Intranasal davunetide in schizophrenia ↗
63 people with schizophrenia receiving stable antipsychotic treatment
Intranasal5 mg once daily or 15 mg twice daily12 weeks
The trial explored cognition and functional capacity in addition to safety.
It did not establish a clear overall cognitive treatment effect; subgroup and secondary signals remained exploratory.
Davunetide in amnestic mild cognitive impairment ↗
144 adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment
Intranasal5 mg once daily or 15 mg twice daily12 weeks
The programme reported exploratory attention and working-memory signals rather than a definitive disease-modifying result.
The study does not establish treatment for dementia, healthy-user cognition or long-term prevention.
Evidence snapshot
Evidence snapshot
Separate dimensions, not one overall score◎
Human evidenceStrong
4/5 evidence depth
Controlled intranasal studies included a 313-person phase 2/3 trial and smaller cognition programmes.
✓
Clinical efficacyEarly
1/5 evidence depth
Davunetide did not improve progression in PSP; broader cognitive efficacy remains unconfirmed.
◇
Safety evidenceDeveloping
3/5 evidence depth
Trial safety data exist, including route-specific nasal events, but unsupervised products and long-term use outside trials are not characterised.
⌁
Preclinical evidenceStrong
4/5 evidence depth
Cell and animal work supports microtubule, tau and neuroprotection hypotheses.
HOW TO READ THESE SCORESStrong preclinical evidence · strong human evidence
These are editorial evidence-depth ratings on a 1–5 scale, not a statistical result or a single scientific formula. They summarise how much relevant evidence is present in each separate category and how mature that evidence is.
Human evidenceHow much direct research in people is available and how developed it is.
Clinical efficacyWhether human studies demonstrate meaningful outcomes for the claims being discussed.
Safety evidenceHow much human safety, tolerability and longer-term follow-up information is available.
Preclinical evidenceThe depth of laboratory and animal research supporting biological plausibility.
EVIDENCE LANDSCAPENAP / DavunetideMechanism → measured response → clinical outcome
Multiple monitored intranasal trials
Pivotal PSP result negative; cognition uncertain
No approved neurological treatment role
Keep route, study setting and outcome together
A measured biological response can be valuable evidence without establishing a self-administered protocol or a durable treatment benefit.
From promising signals to human evidencePreclinical research can reveal promising biological signals. Human studies show how far those signals have translated into real-world outcomes.
What people are exploring
COMMUNITY · USE CASES & EXPERIENCE
What people want to change with NAP / Davunetide
Davunetide is explored around memory, neuroprotection and tau-related disease. Unlike many community peptides it has substantial human trial data, but the largest and most clinically decisive study did not show benefit in PSP.
Explore the everyday goalsConceptual scientific illustration
THE PRACTICAL ATTRACTION
The goals behind the interest
What the desired change means in daily life, and what makes an experience useful to understand.
Memory and attention
Interest centres on remembering information and staying mentally organised. The microtubule and tau-related biology gives this a neuroprotection story, while actual clinical outcomes have been much less persuasive.
- What makes a report informative
- Measured cognition and meaningful everyday function.
- What can muddy the picture
- A molecular mechanism does not establish improved memory after taking the peptide.
Slowing neurological decline
People concerned about tau-related disease may hope to preserve capability. That is a larger and longer-term goal than a subjective feeling of clarity, and the unsuccessful PSP trial is important context.
- What makes a report informative
- Disease-specific functional outcomes over time.
- What can muddy the picture
- Negative PSP findings should remain visible alongside the experimental rationale.
Preventive brain-health interest
Some interest is in staying sharp before any diagnosed illness. This preventive use is a separate question from trials in people with established neurological disease.
- What makes a report informative
- The population and endpoint behind each claimed benefit.
- What can muddy the picture
- No subjective short-term account can demonstrate prevention of future neurodegeneration.
PUT THE EXPERIENCE IN CONTEXT
How the goals compare with the research
Open an area to distinguish human findings from laboratory explanations.
Memory and attention
Interest often draws on earlier mild-cognitive-impairment and schizophrenia studies.
Human findings & limits
Twelve-week trials generated exploratory signals but no robust, replicated overall cognitive benefit.
Laboratory & animal context
ADNP-fragment research supports neuronal and microtubule hypotheses.
What this means: A human-tested idea that remains clinically unproven.
Tau and neurodegeneration
Davunetide is often discussed as if target relevance alone predicts disease modification.
Human findings & limits
The 52-week phase 2/3 PSP trial was negative on both primary outcomes.
Laboratory & animal context
Microtubule stability and reduced tau phosphorylation motivated the trial.
What this means: The direct human test outweighs mechanism-only optimism for PSP.
Intranasal brain delivery
The nasal route is seen as practical and potentially CNS-directed.
Human findings & limits
Trials demonstrate that intranasal administration was feasible, not that retail sprays reproduce exposure or efficacy.
Laboratory & animal context
Nose-to-brain concepts offer a rationale but do not guarantee delivery.
What this means: A studied route with concentration, device and product-quality dependence.
Long cycles for prevention
Some users extrapolate the 52-week PSP design toward maintenance or prevention.
Human findings & limits
The long trial did not slow PSP and was not conducted in healthy users.
Laboratory & animal context
Chronic animal protection cannot define preventive human use.
What this means: Trial duration should not be mistaken for a successful maintenance schedule.
Research sources and further reading
Dose & duration
DOSE & DURATION
Research protocols · community patterns · calculator toolsSee the numbers in their proper context
See the amount, how often it was used and how long each study ran. Published human research and community descriptions each carry their own source label, so you can see where the numbers came from.
Source matters. The figures below show authorised, human-research or community-described protocols in their original context — not a personalised recommendation.
ONE ANECDOTAL COMMUNITY EXAMPLE
ANECDOTAL · UNVALIDATEDHuman dose arms with no successful maintenance regimen
These are separate intranasal trial arms—not a titration ladder. The highest and longest protocol failed to slow PSP.
1MCI low arm
5 mg · once dailyRandomized 12-week research arm
2MCI / schizophrenia
15 mg · twice dailyHigher 12-week research arm
3PSP phase 2/3
30 mg · twice daily52-week pivotal protocol
4Clinical result
No PSP benefitBoth primary endpoints were neutral
What human studies administeredIntranasal arms ranged from 5 mg once daily to 30 mg twice daily across different diagnoses and trial designs.
What the protocols do not establishThey do not create an approved dose, a nootropic titration, a preventive cycle or evidence that higher exposure works better.
ROUTE & DELIVERYNasal tolerability became part of the evidence
Epistaxis, rhinorrhoea and nasal discomfort were more frequent with davunetide in the PSP trial. Device and formulation still matter.
PROFESSIONAL SOURCE CONTEXT
Davunetide PSP phase 2/3 trial ↗The source documents the published phase 2/3 exposure and its negative efficacy result. It is not a dosing recommendation.
Davunetide has published intranasal human protocols, but no approved neurological dose and no evidence-led self-use schedule.
PUBLISHED HUMAN RESEARCH
View source ↗Phase 2/3 PSP trial ↗
Adults with progressive supranuclear palsy
WHAT THIS TRIAL EXAMPLE SHOWS
This was a published human study. It involved Adults with progressive supranuclear palsy. Route: Given through the nose. The study lasted 52 weeks. The figures below describe the research design, not a personal schedule.
| First amount studied | 30 mg |
|---|---|
| How often? | Twice daily |
| How was it given? | Given through the nose |
| How long? | 52 weeks |
See the exact study wording +
Start / initial: 30 mg
End / target: 30 mg
Frequency: Twice daily
Route: Intranasal
Study duration: 52 weeks
Source: Lancet Neurology trial ↗
This high-dose trial was negative on both primary efficacy endpoints; it is not a target for community dosing.
PUBLISHED HUMAN RESEARCH
View source ↗MCI and schizophrenia studies ↗
Adults in monitored cognition programmes
WHAT THIS TRIAL EXAMPLE SHOWS
This was a published human study. It involved Adults in monitored cognition programmes. Route: Given through the nose. The study lasted 12 weeks. The figures below describe the research design, not a personal schedule.
| First amount studied | 5 mg |
|---|---|
| Later or target amount | 15 mg |
| How often? | Once daily to twice daily |
| How was it given? | Given through the nose |
| How long? | 12 weeks |
See the exact study wording +
Start / initial: 5 mg
End / target: 15 mg
Frequency: Once daily to twice daily
Route: Intranasal
Study duration: 12 weeks
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov MCI record ↗
These were randomized research arms, not a validated nootropic titration or maintenance plan.
CALCULATOR TOOLS
Work with the numbers
Convert amounts, concentration, liquid volume and vial requirements. These tools do the arithmetic; they do not select a dose.
NEED HELP READING THE NUMBERS?Source labels, routes and dose termsOpen guide +
HOW WE LABEL NUMBERSKnow where a dose came from before you compare it.
Authorised labelHuman trialCommunity-describedBEFORE THE NUMBERS: CHECK THE PRODUCT
Understand peptide testing →A dose only means something if the vial contains what the label says.
Purity, identity, quantity, sterility and endotoxin testing answer different questions. Learn how to read a COA and why a high purity percentage is not the same as confirming the amount in the vial.
READ THIS PAGE IN THREE STEPS
Understand the study before the number
A dose only makes sense alongside the population, route, frequency and duration. Start with where the number came from, then look at how it was delivered and how long the study actually ran.
1Source
Was it an authorised label, a human trial or a community-described pattern?
2Route & frequency
How was it given, and how often? The same number by a different route may not mean the same exposure.
3Duration
Was this one dose, a short trial or long-term treatment? A study window is not automatically a recommended cycle.
ROUTES EXPLAINED
Plain-English guideWhat do the injection types mean?
Route means how a compound was delivered. It affects absorption and can completely change how a study should be interpreted.
SubQ / SCSubcutaneous
An injection into the fatty layer just under the skin.
Common in peptide and metabolic-drug studies. It usually aims for systemic absorption rather than treating only the spot injected.IMIntramuscular
An injection into muscle tissue.
Muscle can absorb a medicine differently from fat. An IM amount should not be assumed to be equivalent to a SubQ amount.IVIntravenous
Delivered directly into a vein.
This gives immediate bloodstream exposure and is commonly used in supervised research or clinical settings. It is not interchangeable with a home injection route.INIntranasal
Delivered through the nose rather than by injection.
The amount delivered depends on formulation and device. A spray count alone does not tell you the dose unless concentration and spray volume are known.Other routes you may see:Oral = swallowed.Topical = applied to skin or another surface.Implant = a formulation placed under the skin by a trained professional.
CALENDAR SETUP
Intranasal trial context
Human trial · negative primary outcomesThe 52-week PSP trial used 30 mg twice daily and did not improve either primary endpoint. This is research exposure, not a validated cognitive-health target. Record a specific protocol if one exists; no wellness schedule is prefilled.
Form and route: Investigational intranasal trial formulation
The planner keeps amounts and repeat patterns blank for this compound. Use its formulation guide to record an independently specified schedule.
PLAIN-ENGLISH GLOSSARYWhat do the dose terms mean?Open glossary +
mgmilligram
One thousand micrograms (mcg).
mcg / μgmicrogram
One thousandth of a milligram.
mcg/kgweight-based dose
The amount is calculated for each kilogram of body weight.
IUinternational unit
A measure of biological activity used for some medicines; it cannot be converted to mg without compound-specific information.
Routehow it was given
For example SubQ, IM, IV, intranasal, oral or topical.
Frequencyhow often
For example once daily, twice weekly or every seven days.
Titrationplanned step-up or step-down
A protocol changes the amount over time rather than using one fixed amount throughout.
Half-lifehow quickly levels fall
The time taken for the amount of a compound in the body to reduce by roughly half. It can influence study timing but does not by itself define a schedule.
Cyclea defined period of use
Usually means an on-period followed by a stop or review. Many community 'cycles' have not been clinically validated.
Maintenancea continuing phase
A longer-term amount or interval used after an initial phase when a study or authorised treatment actually defines one.
Reconstitutionturning powder into solution
Adding a specified liquid to a freeze-dried vial so a concentration can be calculated.
U-100 unitssyringe volume markings
100 units equals 1 mL on a U-100 insulin syringe. The markings show volume, not peptide mass.
Often combined with
OFTEN COMBINED WITH
Community rationale · component roles · evidence boundaryWhy people explore pairings with NAP / Davunetide
See the thinking behind community-named stacks, the different role each component is proposed to play, and how much of that idea has actually been tested as a combination.
Potential first, evidence in context. Pairings are usually explored because their research stories appear complementary. That makes them interesting to study, but does not yet prove extra benefit or safety.
CURRENT COMPOUNDNAP / Davunetide
→
OFTEN EXPLORED WITHDavunetide + specialist neurological care
Davunetide + Diagnosis-specific therapy and rehabilitation
→
OFTEN EXPLORED WITHDavunetide + cognitive rehabilitation
Davunetide + Targeted cognitive strategies
→
OFTEN EXPLORED WITHDavunetide + Semax / Pinealon
Davunetide + Experimental cognitive peptides
Combination-specific human research is the strongest evidence for what a pairing adds. Evidence for either ingredient alone should not be silently transferred to the combination.
DNAP / DAVUNETIDE IS USUALLY DISCUSSED AROUNDMicrotubule and tau neuroprotection tested in human trials
＋The programme reached phase 2/3, but davunetide did not slow PSP and has no approved cognitive indication.
PTHE PAIRED APPROACH MAY ADDDiagnosis-specific rehabilitation or experimental cognitive peptides
Rehabilitation can have independent value. Semax and Pinealon are community pairings without controlled combination evidence.
＋
OFTEN EXPLORED WITH
Explore →＋Davunetide + specialist neurological care
Davunetide + Diagnosis-specific therapy and rehabilitationWHY IT IS EXPLOREDThe peptide was studied as a disease-modifying candidate within structured clinical care.
Davunetide did not improve PSP progression and should not replace symptom management, rehabilitation or multidisciplinary support.OFTEN EXPLORED WITH
Explore →＋Davunetide + cognitive rehabilitation
Davunetide + Targeted cognitive strategiesWHY IT IS EXPLOREDA pharmacological hypothesis and structured compensatory training address different parts of cognitive difficulty.
No controlled trial establishes additional benefit from the combination; rehabilitation should stand on its own evidence.OFTEN EXPLORED WITH
Explore →Davunetide + Semax / Pinealon
Davunetide + Experimental cognitive peptidesWHY IT IS EXPLOREDCommunity stacks combine microtubule, neurotrophic and neural-ageing narratives.
No human combination study supports synergy; overlapping CNS uncertainty makes effects and adverse events harder to attribute.01Start with the diagnosis
PSP, MCI, medication effects and healthy-user goals are fundamentally different contexts.
02Respect the negative result
A combination does not reverse the pivotal PSP trial outcome.
03Watch nasal and CNS effects
Bleeding, discomfort, sleep or behavioural changes become harder to attribute in a stack.
Safety context
SAFETY & UNCERTAINTY
Human safety data exist, but the pivotal benefit–risk result was unfavourable
01ENCOURAGING CONTEXTA substantial human programme exists
Randomized intranasal studies provide route, exposure and adverse-event information beyond a preclinical peptide profile.
02THE IMPORTANT BOUNDARYThe pivotal PSP trial was negative
Davunetide did not improve disease severity or activities of daily living after 52 weeks.
03WHAT REMAINS UNKNOWNAny beneficial neurological indication
Exploratory cognition signals have not produced an approved treatment, while retail formulation and long-term self-use are unvalidated.
What the current evidence saysNasal bleeding, runny nose and discomfort were more common in the PSP trial, while serious events reflected a medically vulnerable population. New gait, vision, swallowing, speech, memory or behavioural changes need neurological assessment rather than experimental stacking.
01 · OBSERVEDPublished safety findings
The summary above reflects the human or preclinical evidence currently represented on this profile.
02 · UNCERTAINGaps still matter
Limited follow-up, small studies or absent controlled trials can leave uncommon and longer-term risks unresolved.
03 · CONTEXTProduct and regulatory status
Route, product identity, quality and regulatory status can materially change the safety context; see the linked status sources below.
Epistaxis, rhinorrhoea and nasal discomfort were more frequent with davunetide in the PSP trial.
New falls, gaze difficulty, swallowing change, focal weakness, confusion or rapid cognitive decline needs clinical assessment.
Device delivery, concentration, purity and combinations with other CNS-active compounds change uncertainty.
Sources & current status
READ FURTHER
Sources & current status
Follow the professional sources used across this profile, then see how the compound is currently described in regulatory and research terms.
KEY RESEARCH RECORD
9 sourcesSources used on this profile
Original human trialDavunetide in progressive supranuclear palsyFree full paper ↗Original publicationDavunetide in progressive supranuclear palsyJournal / DOI ↗Bibliographic recordDavunetide in progressive supranuclear palsyPubMed ↗Trial registryDavunetide in progressive supranuclear palsyClinicalTrials.gov ↗Original publicationIntranasal davunetide in schizophreniaJournal / DOI ↗Bibliographic recordIntranasal davunetide in schizophreniaPubMed ↗Clinical trial registryDavunetide in amnestic mild cognitive impairmentClinicalTrials.gov record ↗Professional sourceUnited KingdomMHRA products database ↗Professional sourceUnited StatesFDA Drugs@FDA database ↗
CURRENT STATUS
How to interpret its position today
No UK-authorised medicine is represented on this profile
Davunetide / NAP is presented as a research compound. The MHRA products database should be checked for any future change in authorised status.
MHRA products database ↗No FDA-approved therapeutic product identified
Regulatory evaluation of a substance for compounding is separate from approval of a drug for safety and efficacy.
FDA Drugs@FDA database ↗Profile reviewed against its linked source record on 20 September 2026. See how evidence is assessed.