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![PRL-8-53 molecular structure](/assets/peptide-structure-placeholder-DUmZBF_j.png)

# PRL-8-53

Nootropics Discontinued 

Download  PDF

Also known as: PRL 8-53, PRL8-53, Methyl 3-(2-(benzyl(methyl)amino)ethyl)benzoate hydrochloride, 3-(2-benzylmethylaminoethyl)benzoic acid methyl ester hydrochloride 

PRL-8-53 is a benzoic acid ester with a benzylmethylamino side chain, first described by N. R.

Half-Life:  Not established. No pharmacokinetic study in humans or in any animal species has been published for PRL-8-53. Route:  Oral MW:  319.83 g/mol (hydrochloride salt) CAS:  51352-87-5 

Last reviewed: Sep 7, 2026 

[

Nootropics

Category



](/wiki#cat-nootropics)

Discontinued

Research Stage

OverviewChemical InfoDosing & ProtocolsInteractionsResearchCompare Prices1 Related

## Overview

### Best Price Available

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$64.99

60 capsules · capsule

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### At A Glance

Mechanism 

Unknown. No target identification, receptor binding profile or mechanistic study has been published for PRL-8-53 in any species. The 1974 report by Hansl described the compound as a spasmolytic and central nervous system active agent and examined it in animal experiments alongsid… 

Half-Life 

Not established. No pharmacokinetic study in humans or in any animal species has been published for PRL-8-53.

Routes 

Oral 

Potential Benefits 

Improved retention of verbal information in a double-blind study in human subjects using the serial anticipation method, with most p values better than 0.01 (PMID: 418433) Produced slight improvement of acquisition of verbal material in the same human study (PMID: 418433) Produced no change in visual reaction time or motor control compared with placebo in human subjects, which argues against a general stimulant effect (PMID: 418433) Described as centrally active in animal experiments in the original 1974 report (PMID: 4824605) 

### Overview

PRL-8-53 is a benzoic acid ester with a benzylmethylamino side chain, first described by N. R. Hansl in a 1974 note in Experientia that presented it as a spasmolytic and central nervous system active agent studied in animals (PMID: 4824605). It is an outlier among the compounds sold as nootropics: almost everything claimed for it traces back to a single small human study published in 1978, and there has been essentially no follow-up research in nearly fifty years. That 1978 study, by Hansl and Mead in Psychopharmacology, tested the effect of low oral doses on learning and retention of verbal information under double-blind conditions using the serial anticipation method. The authors reported slight improvement of acquisition and statistically significant improvement of retention of verbal information, with most p values better than 0.01 and some better than 0.001, and no significant change in visual reaction time or motor control compared with placebo (PMID: 418433). PubMed indexes it as a randomized controlled trial. It was never replicated, and the widely repeated claim that volunteers doubled their memory comes from secondary retellings of subgroup results rather than from an independent trial. Searching PubMed for the acronym PRL-8-53 returns exactly one record, the 1978 human study. There is no published pharmacokinetic study, no repeat-dose toxicology, no receptor binding profile, no modern animal replication and no registered clinical trial. The mechanism is therefore unknown. The compound is a substituted phenethylamine derivative, and the 1974 report described central activity in animals alongside effects on blood pressure and interactions with apomorphine and methamphetamine, but no target has been identified and no mechanistic paper exists. Any confident mechanistic statement about PRL-8-53, including the frequently repeated claims about dopamine, acetylcholine or GABA, is not supported by published primary literature. The material sold to consumers is the hydrochloride salt, which is what the chemistry values on this page describe; the free base has a molecular weight of 283.4 g/mol (PubChem CID 39989). Purity and identity of the powder on the research chemical market have never been the subject of a published analysis, which matters more for a compound with one 47-year-old study behind it than for one with a modern regulatory dossier. PRL-8-53 has never been approved as a medicine in any jurisdiction, has never entered formal drug development, is not a controlled substance in the United States and has no established safe exposure level in humans. It should be read as a historical curiosity with an unusually strong reputation relative to the evidence supporting it, not as a characterized drug. Anyone weighing the compound should treat the total absence of safety data as the central fact about it.

### Potential Research Fields

Memory and retention Historical nootropics Research chemicals 

## Chemical Information

IUPAC Name

Not yet available 

CAS Number

51352-87-5

Molecular Formula

C18H22ClNO2

Molecular Mass

319.83 g/mol (hydrochloride salt)

![PRL-8-53 molecular structure](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug/compound/cid/70700868/PNG)

[View on PubChem](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/70700868)

## Dosing & Protocols

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## Interactions

### Contraindications

None established. No toxicology, drug interaction, pregnancy, lactation, hepatic impairment or renal impairment data have been published for PRL-8-53 in humans or in animals. The only human exposure on record is a single 1978 study (PMID: 418433). With no pharmacokinetic profile and no repeat-dose data, there is no evidence base from which to define who should avoid it, which is itself a reason for caution.

Research Disclaimer

This interaction data is compiled from published research and community reports. It may not be exhaustive. Always consult a healthcare professional before combining compounds.

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Current low

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### Vendors Selling PRL-8-53

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#### Disguised Alpha

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### Related Compounds

[View All](/wiki)

[

### 9-Me-BC (9-Methyl-β-carboline)

Nootropics Preclinical 

9-Methyl--carboline (9-Me-BC) is a synthetic -carboline alkaloid that has drawn nootropic-community interest for a preclinical property that is genuinely unusual among -carbolines: in rodent and cell-culture studies it appears to stimulate the dopaminergic phenotype - raising tyrosine hydroxylase, the number of differentiated dopamine neurons and dopamine content - while also showing neuroprotective, neurorestorative and anti-inflammatory effects, plus in-vitro MAO-A/MAO-B inhibition \[PMID:17913302, PMID:20374418, PMID:32285253\].

t½ Not characterized in humans (no pharmacokinetic data).  Community/anecdotal only: ~5-25 mg per day, oral. No validated or approved human dose exists. 

6 studies View Profile 

](/compound/9-mbc)[

### Aniracetam

Nootropics Approved (Italy) 

Aniracetam is a pyrrolidinone in the racetam family, developed by Hoffmann-La Roche under the code Ro 13-5057.

t½ About half an hour for the parent drug in humans. Plasma elimination half-life was 0.47 to 0.49 hours after a single 400 mg oral dose in 20 healthy male volunteers (PMID: 19025058). Aniracetam is extensively metabolized to N-anisoyl-GABA and anisic acid; in six elderly hospitalized patients with cerebrovascular disease and reduced creatinine clearance, metabolite half-life was 4 to 7 times longer than in young volunteers (PMID: 9062694). 

Preclinical View Profile 

](/compound/aniracetam)[

### Bemethyl (bemitil)

Nootropics Approved (Russia) 

Bemethyl, known in the Russian literature as bemitil and sold in the region under names including Metaprot, Bemactor and Antihot, is 2-ethylthiobenzimidazole, normally handled as the hydrobromide salt.

t½ Not established in humans; in healthy volunteers given a single 250 mg oral dose of the Metaprot capsule form, peak serum ethylthiobenzimidazole averaged 0.91 microg/mL at about 1.06 h, and no terminal half-life was reported (PMID: 21870773) 

Preclinical View Profile 

](/compound/bemethyl)[

### Bromantane

Nootropics Russia Approved 

Bromantane is an atypical psychostimulant and anxiolytic developed in the 1980s at the Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, originally created as an adaptogen for Soviet military and elite athletic use and later approved in Russia for the treatment of neurasthenic and asthenic disorders under the trade name Ladasten.

34 studies View Profile 

](/compound/bromantane)[

### Cyclazodone

Nootropics Preclinical 

Cyclazodone is the N-cyclopropyl derivative of pemoline, a 4-oxazolidinone stimulant.

Preclinical View Profile 

](/compound/cyclazodone)[

### Dihexa

Nootropics Preclinical 

Dihexa is a synthetic peptide analogue of the angiotensin IV metabolite LVV-hemorphin-7, developed at Washington State University.

t½ Not characterized in humans. Dihexa was engineered for metabolic stability (resistant to plasma and enzymatic degradation) and blood-brain-barrier penetration; in preclinical work its central procognitive effects appear to outlast its plasma presence.  5 to 40 mg oral per day (anecdotal range; no established human dose) 

1 studies View Profile 

](/compound/dihexa)

[

View Full Dosage Guide →

Protocols, calculator & safety for PRL-8-53



](/guides/dosage/prl-8-53)

### Best Price

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Disguised Alpha

$64.99

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1 vendors · 1 listings

### Research Score

30 

0 PubMed studies

### Quality Indicators

Data Completeness

63% 

Description 

Mechanism of Action 

Chemical Data 

Dosing Protocols 

Safety Profile 

PubMed Studies 

Interactions 

Vendor Listings 

### Quick Facts

Half-Life

Not established. No pharmacokinetic study in humans or in any animal species has been published for PRL-8-53.

Molecular Weight

319.83 g/mol (hydrochloride salt)

Administration

Oral

CAS Number

51352-87-5

Trial Phase

Discontinued

0

[Full Dosage Guide](/guides/dosage/prl-8-53)[Calculate Your Dose](/tools/reconstitution)

Research Disclaimer

This information is for educational and research purposes only. Not intended as medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before use.

## Frequently Asked Questions

What is PRL-8-53 used for in research?

PRL-8-53 is a benzoic acid ester with a benzylmethylamino side chain, first described by N. R. Hansl in a 1974 note in Experientia that presented it as a spasmolytic and central nervous system active agent studied in animals (PMID: 4824605). It is an outlier among the compounds sold as nootropics: almost everything claimed for it traces back to a single small human study published in 1978, and there has been essentially no follow-up research in nearly fifty years.

That 1978 study, by Hansl and Mead in Psychopharmacology, tested the effect of low oral doses on learning and retention of verbal information under double-blind conditions using the serial anticipation method. The authors reported slight improvement of acquisition and statistically significant improvement of retention of verbal information, with most p values better than 0.01 and some better than 0.001, and no significant change in visual reaction time or motor control compared with placebo (PMID: 418433). PubMed indexes it as a randomized controlled trial. It was never replicated, and the widely repeated claim that volunteers doubled their memory comes from secondary retellings of subgroup results rather than from an independent trial.

Searching PubMed for the acronym PRL-8-53 returns exactly one record, the 1978 human study. There is no published pharmacokinetic study, no repeat-dose toxicology, no receptor binding profile, no modern animal replication and no registered clinical trial. The mechanism is therefore unknown. The compound is a substituted phenethylamine derivative, and the 1974 report described central activity in animals alongside effects on blood pressure and interactions with apomorphine and methamphetamine, but no target has been identified and no mechanistic paper exists. Any confident mechanistic statement about PRL-8-53, including the frequently repeated claims about dopamine, acetylcholine or GABA, is not supported by published primary literature.

The material sold to consumers is the hydrochloride salt, which is what the chemistry values on this page describe; the free base has a molecular weight of 283.4 g/mol (PubChem CID 39989). Purity and identity of the powder on the research chemical market have never been the subject of a published analysis, which matters more for a compound with one 47-year-old study behind it than for one with a modern regulatory dossier.

PRL-8-53 has never been approved as a medicine in any jurisdiction, has never entered formal drug development, is not a controlled substance in the United States and has no established safe exposure level in humans. It should be read as a historical curiosity with an unusually strong reputation relative to the evidence supporting it, not as a characterized drug. Anyone weighing the compound should treat the total absence of safety data as the central fact about it.

What forms does PRL-8-53 come in?

PRL-8-53 is available in capsule form.

How much does PRL-8-53 cost?

Prices start at $64.99 across 1 verified vendor.

How do I compare PRL-8-53 vendors?

Compare prices, payment methods, shipping, and COA scores across 1 vendor.

## Research Tools

[

### Peptide Calculator

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](/tools/reconstitution)[

### Reconstitution Guide

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](/guides/how-to-reconstitute-peptides)[

### Nasal Spray Calc

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](/tools/intranasal)[

### Half-Life Visualizer

Decay curves



](/tools/halflife)

## Related Compounds

[View All](/wiki)

[

### 9-Me-BC (9-Methyl-β-carboline)

Nootropics Preclinical 

9-Methyl--carboline (9-Me-BC) is a synthetic -carboline alkaloid that has drawn nootropic-community interest for a preclinical property that is genuinely unusual among -carbolines: in rodent and cell-culture studies it appears to stimulate the dopaminergic phenotype - raising tyrosine hydroxylase, the number of differentiated dopamine neurons and dopamine content - while also showing neuroprotective, neurorestorative and anti-inflammatory effects, plus in-vitro MAO-A/MAO-B inhibition \[PMID:17913302, PMID:20374418, PMID:32285253\].

t½ Not characterized in humans (no pharmacokinetic data).  Community/anecdotal only: ~5-25 mg per day, oral. No validated or approved human dose exists. 

6 studies View Profile 

](/compound/9-mbc)[

### Aniracetam

Nootropics Approved (Italy) 

Aniracetam is a pyrrolidinone in the racetam family, developed by Hoffmann-La Roche under the code Ro 13-5057.

t½ About half an hour for the parent drug in humans. Plasma elimination half-life was 0.47 to 0.49 hours after a single 400 mg oral dose in 20 healthy male volunteers (PMID: 19025058). Aniracetam is extensively metabolized to N-anisoyl-GABA and anisic acid; in six elderly hospitalized patients with cerebrovascular disease and reduced creatinine clearance, metabolite half-life was 4 to 7 times longer than in young volunteers (PMID: 9062694). 

Preclinical View Profile 

](/compound/aniracetam)[

### Bemethyl (bemitil)

Nootropics Approved (Russia) 

Bemethyl, known in the Russian literature as bemitil and sold in the region under names including Metaprot, Bemactor and Antihot, is 2-ethylthiobenzimidazole, normally handled as the hydrobromide salt.

t½ Not established in humans; in healthy volunteers given a single 250 mg oral dose of the Metaprot capsule form, peak serum ethylthiobenzimidazole averaged 0.91 microg/mL at about 1.06 h, and no terminal half-life was reported (PMID: 21870773) 

Preclinical View Profile 

](/compound/bemethyl)[

### Bromantane

Nootropics Russia Approved 

Bromantane is an atypical psychostimulant and anxiolytic developed in the 1980s at the Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, originally created as an adaptogen for Soviet military and elite athletic use and later approved in Russia for the treatment of neurasthenic and asthenic disorders under the trade name Ladasten.

34 studies View Profile 

](/compound/bromantane)[

### Cyclazodone

Nootropics Preclinical 

Cyclazodone is the N-cyclopropyl derivative of pemoline, a 4-oxazolidinone stimulant.

Preclinical View Profile 

](/compound/cyclazodone)[

### Dihexa

Nootropics Preclinical 

Dihexa is a synthetic peptide analogue of the angiotensin IV metabolite LVV-hemorphin-7, developed at Washington State University.

t½ Not characterized in humans. Dihexa was engineered for metabolic stability (resistant to plasma and enzymatic degradation) and blood-brain-barrier penetration; in preclinical work its central procognitive effects appear to outlast its plasma presence.  5 to 40 mg oral per day (anecdotal range; no established human dose) 

1 studies View Profile 

](/compound/dihexa)

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