Overview

A potent GH secretagogue with a genuine regulatory approval — but as a single-dose pituitary function test, not as a therapy. Its therapeutic use is entirely off-label extrapolation.

Limited or non-US approvalDiagnostic approval in Japan only. Not lawful for therapeutic sale in the US.

At a glance

Regulatory status	Approved in Japan as a diagnostic agent for GH deficiency. Not approved in the US or EU for therapeutic use.
Drug class	Growth hormone-releasing peptide — synthetic hexapeptide ghrelin mimetic
Route	Subcutaneous or intravenous
Half-life	~30–60 minutes
Evidence rating	3/5 Moderate Evidence rating 3 out of 5: Moderate Small or early-phase human trials, or good controlled topical human data.
Studied in	Diagnostic validation studies in Japan; short-term GH secretion studies; small studies in cachexia.

How it works

Ghrelin receptor agonism at the pituitary and hypothalamus. More potent than ipamorelin at releasing GH, but less selective: it produces measurable rises in ACTH, cortisol and prolactin.

Evidence base

Rated 3 of 5 — Moderate. Small or early-phase human trials, or good controlled topical human data.

Good acute pharmacology data; essentially no chronic-use safety data.

Benefits & potential uses

Bars indicate how well each claim is supported: three = strong human evidence, two = moderate, one = preliminary or preclinical.

Strong, reliable GH release Strong evidence

Robust and reproducible enough to serve as an approved diagnostic stimulus for pituitary function.
Appetite stimulation Preliminary

Meaningful in cachexia and appetite-loss settings, where it has been studied in small trials.
Oral and intranasal bioavailability studied Preliminary

Alternative routes have been explored, unlike most peptides.

Risks, cons & cautions

Bars indicate seriousness: three = serious or common, two = moderate, one = minor.

Cortisol and prolactin elevation Moderate evidence

Less selective than ipamorelin; repeated dosing can push these hormones outside normal ranges.
No therapeutic approval Serious

Approved only as a one-off diagnostic; chronic dosing has never been evaluated for safety.
Tachyphylaxis Moderate evidence

GH response declines with continued use.
Insulin resistance Moderate evidence

GH-axis class effect.
Unregulated supply outside Japan Serious

Sold as a research chemical with no quality assurance.
Banned in sport Minor

Prohibited by WADA.

Who should avoid it

Active malignancy
Pregnancy
Hyperprolactinemia
Cushing syndrome or adrenal disorder

If used under medical supervision, monitor

IGF-1, prolactin, morning cortisol
Fasting glucose

Regulatory & legal status

Diagnostic approval in Japan only. Not lawful for therapeutic sale in the US.

Infographic

GHRP-2 — benefits & risks at a glance Download SVG

Where to read further

We link to live literature searches rather than a frozen citation list, so you always see current results — including anything published after our last review.

growth hormoneghrelindiagnosticappetite

Related peptides in Growth Hormone Axis

Terms used on this page

Growth Hormone Secretagogue (GHS): A growth hormone secretagogue is any compound that stimulates endogenous GH release, a class spanning GHRH analogues and ghrelin-mimetic agents acting at the GHS receptor.
Growth Hormone Secretagogue Receptor (GHS-R1a): GHS-R1a is the G protein-coupled ghrelin receptor mediating growth hormone release and appetite, notable for unusually high constitutive activity in the complete absence of any ligand.
Potency vs Efficacy: Potency is the concentration a drug needs to produce a given effect, while efficacy is the largest effect it can produce at any concentration; the two are independent properties.
Prolactin: Prolactin is a 199-amino-acid anterior pituitary hormone held under tonic dopamine inhibition, central to lactation and the marker of prolactinomas and drug-induced hyperprolactinaemia.
Cortisol: Cortisol is the principal human glucocorticoid, secreted by the adrenal cortex under ACTH control on a pronounced daily rhythm and carried in plasma largely bound to corticosteroid-binding globulin.
Agonist: An agonist is a ligand that binds a receptor and stabilises its active conformation, producing a biological response rather than merely occupying the binding site.

This page is educational information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your medical history, medications, or risk factors. Do not start, stop or change any treatment based on it. Speak to a qualified healthcare professional who knows your case.