GHRP-2: research
A peptide that releases growth hormone and can increase hunger.
Also called: Pralmorelin, KP-102, GPA-748.
Growth hormone secretagogues (ghrelin receptor) · Ghrelin receptor agonist and growth hormone secretagogue.
At least 72 human research papers; some share participants. Small infusion studies found higher food intake at one meal, without testing lasting benefits.
Studies
- Japanese adult GH test. single-arm, n=135, 77 healthy adults and 58 with severe GH deficiency. A supervised 100 mcg IV test separated severe GH deficiency from healthy responses. (source)
- GHRP-2 versus GHRH. crossover-rct, n=8, Eight healthy, non-obese men aged 25-34. GHRP-2 released more GH than GHRH; synergy was not demonstrated at these doses. (source)
- GHRP-2 versus hexarelin. single-arm, n=12, Six young adults and six older adults. Both peptides stimulated other hormones as well as GH. (source)
- 100 mcg daily for five days. single-arm, n=9, Nine healthy young men. GH responses weakened over five days and IGF-1 did not rise. (source)
- Continuous SC infusion for 30 days. single-arm, n=17, Older men and women; 17 in the 30-day phase. Continuous infusion sustained hormone changes; this does not validate intermittent self-injections. (source)
- Older adults: bolus and infusion. single-arm, n=10, Five older men and five older women with low GH/IGF-1. Dose pattern, route and pituitary reserve strongly affected the hormone response. (source)
- Food intake in lean men. crossover-rct, n=7, Lean healthy men. SC GHRP-2 infusion increased appetite and food intake. (source)
- Food intake across body sizes. crossover-rct, n=19, 10 lean and 9 obese, healthy, weight-stable adults. SC GHRP-2 infusion increased appetite and food intake. (source)
- IV PK in short children. pk-study, n=10, Ten prepubertal children with short stature. The study measured drug and GH kinetics in children, not an adult wellness dose. (source)
- Child SC dose escalation. single-arm, n=6, Six prepubertal children with GH deficiency. Short GH pulses did not raise IGF-1 despite dose escalation. (source)
- Child nasal treatment. single-arm, n=15, 15 children with GH deficiency or idiopathic short stature. An uncontrolled growth signal was not confirmed by the later 126-child randomized trial. (source)
- Nasal spray: 126-child trial. rct, n=126, 126 prepubertal children with GH deficiency. Increasing GH transiently with the spray did not improve growth. (source)
- Oral GHRP-2 for one year. single-arm, n=10, Ten prepubertal children with GH deficiency. Appetite changes did not produce a significant lasting BMI change. (source)
- Year-long nasal case report. case-report, n=1, One adult with severe, longstanding anorexia nervosa. A single case suggests appetite effects but cannot establish benefit or safety. (source)
- ICU hormone infusion study. crossover-rct, n=26, 26 adults with prolonged critical illness. Infusion raised hormone levels; this is not evidence for home recovery use. (source)
- ICU: GHRP-2 plus TRH. crossover-rct, n=14, 14 adults with prolonged critical illness. The combination changed metabolic markers; benefit cannot be assigned to GHRP-2 alone. (source)
- ICU endocrine combinations. rct, n=33, 33 critically ill men; 50 matched baseline controls. GHRP-2 alone did not reproduce the metabolic effects of the combinations. (source)
- Late-night GH pulse and sleep. crossover-rct, n=7, Seven healthy young men. A GH pulse did not improve slow-wave sleep in this small trial. (source)
- Clinician-published triple peptide use. cohort, n=14, 14 selected men on testosterone; 105 charts screened. The combination raised IGF-1; it did not prove muscle or fat-loss benefits. (source)
- Single oral exposure for detection. single-arm, Excretion-study participant; n not stated in the abstract. An oral metabolite detection window does not establish bioavailability or a dosing interval. (source)
- Nasal exposure for doping analysis. single-arm, n=1, One volunteer exposed to GHRP-2. Metabolites can remain detectable long after the short hormone response. (source)
GHRP-2 dosage
Typical reported dose: 200 mcg three times a day, with CJC no DAC
- Single supervised GH test: 100 mcg IV once after overnight fasting; blood sampled for up to 2 hours. once for diagnostic testing, into a vein. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Adults in the cited study. (source)
- IV challenge: 1 mcg/kg: 1 mcg/kg IV once; no titration. once per test day, into a vein. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Adults in the cited study. (source)
- IV challenge with GHRH: GHRP-2 1 mcg/kg plus GHRH 1 mcg/kg IV once. once per test day, into a vein. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Adults in the cited study. (source)
- IV challenge: 2 mcg/kg: 2 mcg/kg IV once; no chronic titration. once per test day, into a vein. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Adults in the cited study. (source)
- Five-day SC study: 100 mcg SC once daily for 5 days; no titration. once daily, under the skin. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Adults in the cited study. (source)
- Continuous SC: 1 mcg/kg/hour: 1 mcg/kg/hour continuously by SC infusion for 30 days. continuous infusion at 1 mcg/kg/hour, under the skin. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Adults in the cited study. (source)
Highest studied: Highest retrieved fixed-dose SC three-times-daily human regimen was 100 mcg, with GHRP-6 and sermorelin..
These are doses reported in labels, trials or user reports, not a personal plan. Check the source behind each one.
GHRP-2 side effects and risks
Reported side effects
- Feeling hot: 16.0% in the Japanese diagnostic label; not a rate for chronic SC use., mild (source)
- Stomach rumbling: At least 5% in the diagnostic label; the exact band boundary is not given., mild (source)
- Low blood pressure or stomach upset: Each listed at 0.1% to under 5% in diagnostic use; this spans several frequency bands., moderate (source)
- Increased hunger: Food intake +10.2% and +33.5% at the lower and higher infusion rates versus placebo., mild (source)
- Cortisol or prolactin increase: unknown, moderate (source)
- High glucose, infection or pancreatitis reports: FDA reports these events and ICU deaths; causality and incidence are not established., serious (source)
- Swelling and joint discomfort: unknown, moderate (source)
Stop and get help if
- Trouble breathing, tongue swelling, fainting or widespread hives: Stop and get emergency care now.
- Sudden severe headache, new vision loss or repeated vomiting: Get emergency assessment now; a pituitary or pressure problem must be excluded.
- Chest pain, severe breathlessness or collapse: Call emergency services now.
- Persistent severe abdominal pain or repeated vomiting: Stop and get urgent medical assessment.
- Confusion, seizure, or low blood sugar that does not resolve: Get emergency help now; do not drive.
- Fever with a hot, spreading, painful injection site: Get urgent care for a possible injection infection.
Who should avoid it
- pregnant: The Japanese pralmorelin label contraindicates pregnancy or possible pregnancy.
- breastfeeding: Avoid while breastfeeding. Human infant exposure and safety are unknown.
- tryingToConceive: Avoid while trying to conceive. Human fertility and early-pregnancy safety are unknown.
- under18: Historical child studies do not support unsupervised use in minors.
- activeCancer: GH and IGF-1 are growth signals. Avoid with active cancer; this applies GH-treatment precautions to secretagogues.
- cancerHistory: Prior cancer needs a clinician review before raising GH or IGF-1. Recurrence risk with this compound is unknown.
- diabetes: GH-related changes can worsen insulin sensitivity. Review blood sugar control and medicines.
- heartCondition: Fluid retention may strain the heart. Heart-disease safety is not established for home-use schedules.
- uncontrolledBloodPressure: Review uncontrolled blood pressure before use. Fluid retention and pressure changes need assessment.
- kidneyDisease: Kidney-disease dose adjustments and repeated-dose safety are not established.
- liverDisease: Liver-disease dose adjustments and repeated-dose safety are not established.
- diabeticRetinopathy: Review proliferative eye disease before raising GH or IGF-1. This is a GH-class precaution.
- pancreatitisHistory: Review prior pancreatitis. GH-class safety concerns do not establish a risk rate for this compound.
- sleepApnea: Review sleep apnea and new swelling. GH-related tissue or fluid changes are a class concern.
- surgeryPlanned: Tell the surgical team about use and all stacks. Perioperative safety depends on the specific study setting.
- testedAthlete: WADA bans this compound at all times, including out of competition.
- other: Do not add a GH secretagogue when GH or IGF-1 is already excessive. Investigate the cause.
- other: A pituitary mass needs specialist review. GH testing and GH-raising drugs are not interchangeable.
Interactions
- Insulin and sulfonylureas: GH-class precaution: insulin sensitivity and medicine needs can change. Exact interaction trials for this peptide are lacking.
- Other GH secretagogues, GH, and IGF-1: Overlapping GH/IGF-1 effects can add hormone, swelling and blood sugar risks. Combination benefit is not established.
- Glucocorticoids and oral estrogen: These can change GH responses or IGF-1 interpretation. Do not change prescribed hormone replacement to alter a peptide response.
- Anticoagulants and antiplatelets: General injection precaution: blood thinners increase bleeding/bruising risk. A direct interaction with this peptide has not been established.
- Other pituitary diagnostic agents: The Japanese label says simultaneous diagnostic use lacks established safety; use requires a supervised test plan.
Product quality risks
- Unregulated products may have the wrong identity, dose or sterility. A purity percentage alone cannot establish injection safety.
- Studies identified glycine-modified GHRP-2, GHRP-6 and ipamorelin in black-market or seized preparations.
- No representative market-wide contamination or underdosing rate was found for this compound.
How GHRP-2 works
It turns on the ghrelin receptor, which helps the pituitary release growth hormone. GH can then raise IGF-1, a growth signal. A larger hormone pulse does not prove better strength, recovery or longer life.
- GHS-R1a, the ghrelin receptor: Prompts GH release through the brain and pituitary.
- GH / IGF-1 pathway: Can increase growth signals; lasting benefits depend on the compound and schedule.
Half-life: 0.55 ± 0.14 hours after IV dosing in 10 children; adult Japanese label gives about 0.42-0.69 hours.
Gaps: No convincing long-term randomized muscle, fat-loss or injury-recovery benefit has been established. Nasal child trials conflict; repeated GH peaks did not reliably raise IGF-1 or improve growth. Matched SC twice- and three-times-daily monotherapy ceilings remain uncertain. IV or continuous infusion doses cannot substitute. Long-term cancer, heart, fertility and metabolic outcomes, and representative online-product testing, are missing. The 200 mcg twice-daily report stays in community reports; no matched studied ceiling was found.
Related to GHRP-2
- Ipamorelin: An experimental peptide that triggers growth hormone release.
- MK-677 (ibutamoren): This experimental oral drug raises growth hormone and IGF-1; risks include high blood sugar and swelling.
- GHRP-6: A peptide studied in growth hormone tests and an experimental stroke combination.
- Hexarelin: A peptide that releases growth hormone; repeated use can weaken the response.
- BPC-157: An experimental repair peptide with mostly animal evidence and a few small human reports.
- Sermorelin: An experimental short-acting peptide that triggers growth hormone release, with limited evidence of adult benefits.
Sources
- 503B Bulk Drug Substances List, FDA · FDA · 2026
- Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, FDA · FDA · 2026
- Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding Under Section 503A of the FD&C Act, FDA · FDA · 2026
- Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks, FDA · FDA · 2026
- Find product information about medicines, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency · MHRA · 2026
- Peptide products, Therapeutic Goods Administration · TGA · 2026
- The 2026 Prohibited List, World Anti-Doping Agency · WADA · 2026
- Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard—October 2026) Instrument 2026, Australian Government · Australian Government · 2026
- Think twice before injecting peptides bought online: unauthorized products can seriously harm you, Health Canada · Health Canada · 2026
- Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, FDA · FDA · 2025
- GENOTROPIN® (somatropin) for injection, for subcutaneous use, FDA · 2025
- 注射用GHRP科研100, PMDA · 2025
- October 29, 2024 Meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, FDA · 2024
- Using intramuscular injections in people on oral anticoagulants, NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service · NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service · 2023
- Evaluation and treatment of adult growth hormone deficiency: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline., Molitch ME et al. · The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2011
Sources checked: 2026-10-18.
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