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MuscleLimited human evidence

GHRP-2

Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-2. Synthetic hexapeptide ghrelin-receptor agonist. Stimulates GH release potently and consistently. Studied since the 1990s; approved in some Asian markets for diagnostic GH stimulation, NOT for therapeutic use in the US.

Educational only — not medical advice. SmartPeptide does not prescribe, diagnose, or treat. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider before using any peptide, supplement, medication, or protocol.

What the research shows

Strong, reproducible GH release in healthy adults; used diagnostically in some countries to assess GH reserve. Body-composition / athletic performance benefits in humans are not established in modern RCTs.

What's still experimental

Therapeutic adult use, long-term safety, optimal cycling, combinations with CJC-1295 etc.

Anecdotal / community reports

Heavy bodybuilding-community use. Reports of recovery / sleep / appetite changes are anecdotal and confounded.

Anecdotal reports are NOT scientific evidence. They reflect personal experience and may not generalize.

FDA approval status

Source: openFDA + DailyMed (NIH/NLM)
No FDA-approved drug label exists for “GHRP-2”. This peptide is not currently approved by the FDA as a finished pharmaceutical product. Any commercial product claiming FDA approval should be treated with suspicion.

Doses studied in research

No established dose range

What published trials tested or FDA-approved labels specify. Reporting research facts — not a SmartPeptide recommendation.

No FDA-approved or established trial dose range for this peptide. Anecdotal ranges discussed in community forums exist but are not supported by published clinical trials, and SmartPeptide will not publish unverified doses.

This is the honest answer for peptides like BPC-157, IGF-1 LR3, MOTS-c, Epitalon and similar research compounds — robust human dose- ranging studies have not been published. Always work with a licensed clinician familiar with experimental peptides if you are considering any use.

FDA enforcement & recalls

Live · openFDA Drug Enforcement API
Total actions
29
recalls + withdrawals
Ongoing
3
not yet completed
Class I (serious)
0
health hazard / death risk
  • Class IITerminated· Voluntary: Firm initiated
    FDA record

    Sermorelin, 3 mg / GHRP-2, 3 mg / Vial, For SC Use-Lyophilized, Rx Only, KRS Global Biotechnology 791 Park of Commerce Blvd, Boca Raton, FL 33487. NDC 3321674092

    Reason: Lack of Assurance of Sterility

    Sep 12, 2019·KRS Global Biotechnology, Inc
  • Class IITerminated· Voluntary: Firm initiated
    FDA record

    Sermorelin Acetate, 9 mg / GHRP-2, 5.4 mg/vial Lyophilized-for SC Use, Rx Only, KRS Global Biotechnology 791 Park of Commerce Blvd, Boca Raton, FL 33487. NDC 3321674047

    Reason: Lack of Assurance of Sterility

    Sep 12, 2019·KRS Global Biotechnology, Inc
  • Class IITerminated· FDA Mandated
    FDA record

    Sermorelin/GHRP-2 9 mg/6 mg vials, Rx only, Pharm D. Solutions 1304 South Loop West, Houston, TX 77054, 1-844-263-6846

    Reason: Lack of Sterility Assurance.

    May 23, 2019·Pharm D Solutions, LLC
  • Class IITerminated· FDA Mandated
    FDA record

    Sermorelin/GHRP-2 &6 (9-9-9-mg) vials, Pharm D. Solutions 1304 South Loop West, Houston, TX 77054, 1-844-263-6846

    Reason: Lack of Sterility Assurance.

    May 23, 2019·Pharm D Solutions, LLC
  • Class IITerminated· FDA Mandated
    FDA record

    Sermorelin/GHRP-2 &6 (9-9-9 mg) vials, Pharm D. Solutions 1304 South Loop West, Houston, TX 77054, 1-844-263-6846

    Reason: Lack of Sterility Assurance.

    May 23, 2019·Pharm D Solutions, LLC
Showing 8 of 29 total enforcement actions. See full FDA history →
FDA classifications: Class I = reasonable probability of serious adverse health consequences or death. Class II = temporary or medically reversible adverse consequences. Class III = unlikely to cause adverse health consequences.

Mechanism & targets

ChEMBL · UniProt · Open Targets

Molecule (ChEMBL)

View on ChEMBL
Formula
C45H55N9O6

Protein targets (UniProt)

  • Growth hormone secretagogue receptor type 1
    Q92847gene: GHSRHomo sapiens· 366 aaReviewed

    G protein-coupled receptor specific to ghrelin, an appetite-regulating peptide hormone commonly found in stomach (PubMed:35027551, PubMed:39833471). Upon activation, stimulates appetite and promotes growth hormone secretion (PubMed:11322507, PubMed:10604470, PubMed:35027551, PubMed:39833471). Also binds other growth hormone releasing peptides (GHRP) (e.g. Met-enkephalin and GHRP-6) as well as non-peptide, low molecular weight secretagogues (e.g. L-692, 429, MK-0677, adenosine) (PubMed:11322507,…

  • Growth hormone secretagogue receptor type 1
    Q99P50gene: GhsrMus musculus· 364 aaReviewed

    G protein-coupled receptor specific to ghrelin, an appetite-regulating peptide hormone commonly found in stomach (By similarity). Upon activation, stimulates appetite and promotes growth hormone secretion (By similarity). Also binds other growth hormone releasing peptides (GHRP) as well as non-peptide, low molecular weight secretagogues (By similarity)

  • Growth hormone secretagogue receptor type 1
    O08725gene: GhsrRattus norvegicus· 364 aaReviewed

    G protein-coupled receptor specific to ghrelin, an appetite-regulating peptide hormone commonly found in stomach (By similarity). Upon activation, stimulates appetite and promotes growth hormone secretion (PubMed:10604470). Also binds other growth hormone releasing peptides (GHRP) as well as non-peptide, low molecular weight secretagogues (PubMed:10604470)

Live research

PubMed · ClinicalTrials.gov · Europe PMC · OpenAlex
PubMed papers
256
total
Human studies
0
MeSH: humans
Clinical trials
0
published
Active trials
0
0 total registered

Europe PMC — 1,933 additional records

Includes EU/UK studies and PubMed Central full-text articles. Often surfaces research weeks before PubMed indexes it.

Research volume (OpenAlex topic graph)

Total works
2,882
all years
Last 5 years
748
recent activity
Open access
2,332
freely readable
OA share
81%
of all works

Human clinical evidence

Semantic Scholar · AI TLDRs · influence-ranked
Semantic Scholar API is currently rate-limited.

Human-study summaries for “GHRP-2 OR pralmorelin” are available on Semantic Scholar but the shared free-tier API quota is exhausted right now. Try refreshing in a few minutes, or check the PubMed and Europe PMC panels above for the same literature.

Research funding & verification

NIH RePORTER · CrossRef DOI registry

Publication landscape

CrossRef · DOI registry
Indexed works (CrossRef)
270
all DOIs registered
Retracted papers
0
no retractions on record
Top funders of indexed research
  • University of Isfahan2 works
  • University of Cádiz2 works
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China2 works
  • National Key Research and Development Program of China2 works
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism2 works
  • Albert Szent-Györgyi School of Medicine, University of Szeged, Hungary1 works

Funder diversity is a credibility signal. Research concentrated in a single drug company's funding warrants more scrutiny than research funded across NIH, charities, and academic grants.

Preprints — cutting edge

bioRxiv · medRxiv · via Europe PMC

Preprints have NOT been peer-reviewed. They are early research shared by authors before formal validation. Treat findings as preliminary.

Showing 6 of 8 preprints indexed by Europe PMC.

Known risks

Hyperprolactinemia, cortisol elevation, appetite stimulation (notable). Long-term safety in non-diagnostic use is unestablished. Source quality varies dramatically.

Reported side effects

Hunger (often pronounced), injection-site reactions, mild flushing, possible nausea, water retention.

FDA adverse event reports (FAERS)

Updated quarterly by FDA
Reports filed
4
FAERS, all years
Serious reports
3
75% of reports
Top reporting countries
  • US4

Most-reported reactions

  • Urticaria
    2
  • Abdominal Pain Upper
    1
  • Burning Sensation
    1
  • Injection Site Urticaria
    1
  • Nausea
    1
  • Pain
    1
  • Pancreatitis Acute
    1
  • Product Lot Number Issue
    1
  • Product Physical Consistency Issue
    1
  • Product Quality Issue
    1

Counts from FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Voluntary reports — they show what was reported, not whether the drug caused the event. Many reports lack confirmation. FAERS docs

What requires medical supervision

Not FDA-approved for therapeutic use in the US. Discuss with a clinician familiar with experimental peptides before any use.

Questions for your clinician

  • Why GHRP-2 vs FDA-approved sermorelin/tesamorelin?
  • What labs would we track?
  • What's our stop criteria?

Editorially curated references

Discussions about GHRP-2

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