GHRP-6: research
A peptide studied in growth hormone tests and an experimental stroke combination.
Also called: Growth hormone-releasing hexapeptide, SKF-110679.
Growth hormone secretagogues (ghrelin receptor) · Ghrelin receptor agonist and growth hormone secretagogue.
The phase 3 stroke study tested GHRP-6 with EGF. Its phase cannot be assigned to GHRP-6 alone. A direct-administration study count is not established here.
Studies
- Early human dose finding. single-arm, n=17, 17 healthy men; eight also received saline. A brief IV infusion produced a dose-related GH rise. (source)
- Placebo-controlled GH dose response. single-arm, n=18, 18 healthy men. The dose-response and acute GHRH interaction do not prove long-term muscle benefits. (source)
- Nasal dose and repeated-dose study. single-arm, n=6, Six healthy men. Nasal administration produced a hormone response in a very small study. (source)
- Early oral dose comparison. single-arm, n=14, Five healthy men and nine short-stature children. Oral GHRP-6 was active at much larger doses than IV exposure. (source)
- 34-hour IV infusion. crossover-rct, n=9, Nine healthy young men. A prolonged infusion maintained GH activity, but clinical benefit was not studied. (source)
- GH responses in obesity. single-arm, n=19, 19 adults with obesity. A larger GH response in obesity does not establish fat-loss efficacy. (source)
- Oral dosing for four days. single-arm, n=7, Seven healthy women aged 65-82. A maintained GH response over four days did not significantly raise IGF-1. (source)
- Oral dose with arginine. single-arm, n=16, Eight young and eight older adults. Arginine changed the GH response in older adults but not young adults. (source)
- Oral challenge in short children. single-arm, n=13, 13 prepubertal children with normal short stature. Oral dosing triggered GH release without establishing a clinical benefit. (source)
- Nocturnal IV dosing and sleep. crossover-rct, Healthy young men. Stage 2 sleep increased; deep sleep did not, and cortisol rose. (source)
- Oral, nasal and sublingual sleep tests. crossover-rct, Normal young men. The route and formulation changed the observed response. (source)
- GH test versus insulin testing. single-arm, n=20, 20 adults with suspected pituitary or adrenal disease. This supports supervised testing, not replacement of clinical diagnosis with self-dosing. (source)
- GHRP-6 during GH-receptor blockade. crossover-rct, n=10, Ten healthy non-obese men; five in nonfasting subgroup. The experiment demonstrates a context-dependent metabolic interaction. (source)
- High-dose IV pharmacokinetics. pk-study, n=9, Nine healthy men. The longer terminal half-life is specific to this high-dose IV study. (source)
- Nasal exposure for doping analysis. single-arm, n=1, One volunteer exposed to GHRP-6. Urine detection timing is not the drug half-life or a dosing interval. (source)
- Clinician-published combination. cohort, n=14, 14 selected testosterone-treated men. The triple combination raised IGF-1 without establishing a GHRP-6-specific benefit. (source)
- COURAGE: phase I/II combination pilot. rct, n=36, Adults aged 18-80, acute ischemic stroke within 12 hours. A small combination study supported a larger trial but cannot prove GHRP-6-alone benefit. (source)
- COURAGE-2 phase 3 stroke trial. rct, n=188, 188 adults with acute ischemic stroke; treatment within 12 hours. The phase 3 combination trial missed its main endpoint; subgroup findings need confirmation. (source)
- Swallowing symptoms after long GH use. case-report, n=1, 62-year-old bodybuilder with prior neck injury. The case raises a GH-axis safety hypothesis, not a compound-specific causal link. (source)
GHRP-6 dosage
Typical reported dose: 100 mcg three times a day, often with CJC
- Early IV dose range: 0.05-2.5 mcg/kg IV over 30 minutes; no chronic titration. once per test dose, into a vein. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Adults in the cited study. (source)
- IV bolus: 0.1 mcg/kg: 0.1 mcg/kg IV once. once per test day, into a vein. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Adults in the cited study. (source)
- IV bolus: 0.3 mcg/kg: 0.3 mcg/kg IV once. once per test day, into a vein. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Adults in the cited study. (source)
- IV bolus: 1 mcg/kg: 1 mcg/kg IV once. once per test day, into a vein. Studied in a trial. Studied in: Adults in the cited study. (source)
- With GHRH: 0.1 mcg/kg: GHRP-6 0.1 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)
- With GHRH: 0.3 mcg/kg: GHRP-6 0.3 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)
Highest studied: Highest retrieved fixed-dose SC three-times-daily human regimen: 100 mcg with GHRP-2 and sermorelin..
These are doses reported in labels, trials or user reports, not a personal plan. Check the source behind each one.
GHRP-6 side effects and risks
Reported side effects
- Flushing: Reported in GH testing; denominator not stated., mild (source)
- Cortisol or prolactin increase: Both roughly doubled at 1 mcg/kg IV in one acute study., moderate (source)
- Blood sugar disturbance: unknown, moderate (source)
- Strong hunger and water retention: unknown, moderate (source)
- Serious events in stroke combination trials: 30/95 treated patients had severe events in COURAGE 2; authors attributed none to therapy., serious (source)
- Immune reaction or injection infection: unknown, serious (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: Avoid during pregnancy. Reproductive safety is unstudied; this screen is precautionary.
- 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.
- Pegvisomant: In a small experiment, GH-receptor blockade changed GHRP-6 glucose and insulin effects. Review this combination with a specialist.
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-6 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: A 1992 study estimated 20 minutes; a high-dose IV study found terminal elimination of 2.5 ± 1.1 hours.
Gaps: Most studies assessed hormone tests; this is not proof of sustained muscle, fat-loss or injury-recovery benefits. The stroke studies tested EGF plus IV GHRP-6; the phase 3 primary endpoint was negative. Exact matched SC two-, three- and four-dose ceilings are uncertain; the published fixed-dose cohort used 100 mcg three times daily. No validated community formulation, reconstitution or storage standard was found. Long-term cardiovascular, cancer and reproductive risk is poorly measured. Twice- and four-times-daily forum proposals remain in community reports; no matched studied maximum was established.
Related to GHRP-6
- 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-2: A peptide that releases growth hormone and can increase hunger.
- Hexarelin: A peptide that releases growth hormone; repeated use can weaken the response.
- 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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