GHRP-2: what it is, what the studies show and where it stands
GHRP-2 (pralmorelin) is a synthetic six amino acid peptide that makes the pituitary release growth hormone. It acts like ghrelin at the growth hormone secretagogue receptor.
At a glance
US Not approved
Canada Not authorized
Group Growth hormone
Sources 18
Checked 10 Oct 2026What is GHRP-2?
GHRP-2 (pralmorelin) is a synthetic six amino acid peptide that makes the pituitary release growth hormone. It acts like ghrelin at the growth hormone secretagogue receptor. [3]
Other names: pralmorelin, growth hormone-releasing peptide-2, growth hormone releasing peptide-2, GH-releasing peptide-2, GHRP 2, GHRP2, KP-102, GPA 748.
How it has been given to people: injection into a vein as a single test dose, continuous infusion under the skin, and nasal spray in human studies.
Looking for doses? GHRP-2 dosage chart and vial math
Is GHRP-2 approved in the US and Canada?
United States: No FDA-approved product. FDA lists GHRP-2 for injectable and nasal use among bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks in compounding. [12]
Canada: No pralmorelin or GHRP-2 product, current or cancelled, is in Health Canada's Drug Product Database, and Health Canada has listed GHRP 2 among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs sold online. [14]
Both were checked on 10 Oct 2026 against the regulators' own product databases.
Which approved products contain GHRP-2?
No approved medicine containing GHRP-2 was found in the US or Canada. Anything sold under this name is not a regulated product, so there is no label to check a dose against.
What human studies of GHRP-2 exist?
The 8 findings listed here: 1 from randomized human trials and 7 from smaller or observational human studies.
The effect on food intake depended on the dose and was the same in lean and obese subjects. [7]
In 15 children with short stature given the nasal spray, height velocity rose from 3.7 to 6.1 cm a year at 6 months. The study had no control group. [3]
In that study IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 did not change significantly. [3]
A 30-day continuous infusion under the skin in 17 older adults kept growth hormone secretion raised, more than 3 times on day 1 and more than 1.8 times on days 14 and 30 compared with saline. [5]
Seven lean men ate about 36% more at a buffet meal during a GHRP-2 infusion than during saline. [6]
A single 100 mcg dose into a vein separated adults with severe growth hormone deficiency from healthy adults, and the test gave consistent results when repeated. [1]
A 2014 review says the GHRP-2 test is available in Japan and recommended there as a growth hormone stimulation test. [11]
A 2004 drug profile reported that US phase II trials for growth hormone deficiency appeared to have been dropped. [10]
What are the side effects of GHRP-2?
Reported in human studies or on a label:
- GHRP-2 is not specific to growth hormone: doses into a vein also raised prolactin, ACTH and cortisol in healthy adults. [8]
- It raises appetite. In 19 subjects, food intake went up by about 10% at the low infusion rate and about 34% at the high rate. [7]
- In the 30-day infusion study in older adults, safety screening tests stayed normal. [5]
- In children the nasal spray was described as well tolerated. [3]
- FDA says it is aware of reports of serious adverse events in people who received GHRP-2, with cause not established. [12]
What is the half-life of GHRP-2?
About 0.55 hours (33 minutes) for the slower phase after a single dose into a vein in 10 children. No human half-life after injection under the skin was found in the abstracts read. [2]
How does GHRP-2 compare with others in its group?
These are the peptides filed under growth hormone. The last column says whether a randomized human trial is on record for each.
| Peptide | US | Canada | Half-life | Randomized human trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipamorelin | Not approved | Not authorized | Terminal half-life of about 2 hours after a 15-minute intravenous infusion in healthy men. No human figure after injection under the skin was found. | Yes |
| CJC-1295 without DAC | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| CJC-1295 with DAC | Not approved | Not authorized | Estimated at 5.8 to 8.1 days in healthy adults after injection under the skin. | Yes |
| Sermorelin | No longer sold | Not authorized | Disappearance half-time of about 4.3 minutes after a 90-minute intravenous infusion in 10 healthy men. No human half-life after injection under the skin was found in the abstracts read. | Yes |
| Tesamorelin | Approved for one use | No longer sold | About 8 minutes in healthy adults after one 1.4 mg dose of Egrifta SV under the skin. Other labels give other figures for other formulations and conditions (see also). | Yes |
| IGF-1 LR3 | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| GHRP-2 | Not approved | Not authorized | About 0.55 hours (33 minutes) for the slower phase after a single dose into a vein in 10 children. No human half-life after injection under the skin was found in the abstracts read. | Yes |
| GHRP-6 | Not approved | Not authorized | After a single dose into a vein in nine healthy men: distribution half-life about 7.6 minutes, elimination half-life about 2.5 hours. No human half-life after injection under the skin was found. | No |
| HGH | Approved, prescription | Authorized, prescription | About 3.8 hours after an injection under the skin in healthy subjects. The label says this long figure reflects slow absorption from the injection site. | Yes |
What could not be found
These were searched for and did not turn up. They are listed so a missing number is not mistaken for a hidden one.
- Any published human study of repeated injections under the skin at 100 to 300 mcg. The studies found gave single doses into a vein, a continuous infusion under the skin, a single 10 mcg/kg dose under the skin, or a nasal spray.
- A regulator record for the Japanese diagnostic product. A 2004 drug profile says pralmorelin was awaiting approval in Japan as a diagnostic agent [10] and a 2014 review says the GHRP-2 test is available in Japan [11]; the Japanese label was not opened, so no product is listed.
- Human half-life after injection under the skin. The 0.55 hour figure is from a dose into a vein in children [2].
- A registered trial on ClinicalTrials.gov: intervention searches for GHRP-2 and pralmorelin returned 0 studies on 2026-10-11 [18].
- Any FDA approval or Health Canada authorization, past or present [15], [16].
- Controlled data on body composition, muscle or fat loss in adults. None was found.
- The details behind the adverse event reports that FDA mentions [12]. The page gives no numbers or citations.
GHRP-2 questions
Is GHRP-2 approved in the US?
No FDA-approved product. FDA lists GHRP-2 for injectable and nasal use among bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks in compounding.
Is GHRP-2 authorized in Canada?
No pralmorelin or GHRP-2 product, current or cancelled, is in Health Canada's Drug Product Database, and Health Canada has listed GHRP 2 among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs sold online.
What is the half-life of GHRP-2?
About 0.55 hours (33 minutes) for the slower phase after a single dose into a vein in 10 children. No human half-life after injection under the skin was found in the abstracts read.
Has GHRP-2 been tested in a randomized human trial?
Yes. At least one randomized human trial is listed on this page.
Sources
Each one was opened on 10 Oct 2026 and matched to the line it supports.
- Chihara K et al. A simple diagnostic test using GH-releasing peptide-2 in adult GH deficiency. Eur J Endocrinol 2007. PubMed 17609397.
- Pihoker C et al. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of growth hormone-releasing peptide-2: a phase I study in children. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1998. PubMed 9543135.
- Pihoker C et al. Treatment effects of intranasal growth hormone releasing peptide-2 in children with short stature. J Endocrinol 1997. PubMed 9390009.
- Pihoker C et al. Diagnostic studies with intravenous and intranasal growth hormone-releasing peptide-2 in children of short stature. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1995. PubMed 7559885.
- Bowers CY et al. Sustained elevation of pulsatile growth hormone (GH) secretion and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), and IGFBP-5 concentrations during 30-day continuous subcutaneous infusion of GH-releasing peptide-2 in older men and women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2004. PubMed 15126555.
- Laferrere B et al. Growth hormone releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2), like ghrelin, increases food intake in healthy men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005. PubMed 15699539.
- Laferrere B et al. Obese subjects respond to the stimulatory effect of the ghrelin agonist growth hormone-releasing peptide-2 on food intake. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2006. PubMed 16861611.
- Arvat E et al. Effects of GHRP-2 and hexarelin, two synthetic GH-releasing peptides, on GH, prolactin, ACTH and cortisol levels in man. Comparison with the effects of GHRH, TRH and hCRH. Peptides 1997. PubMed 9285939.
- Bowers CY et al. Growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 response to acute and chronic growth hormone-releasing peptide-2, growth hormone-releasing hormone 1-44NH2 and in combination in older men and women with decreased growth hormone secretion. Endocrine 2001. PubMed 11322505.
- No authors listed Pralmorelin: GHRP 2, GPA 748, growth hormone-releasing peptide 2, KP-102 D, KP-102 LN, KP-102D, KP-102LN. Drugs R D 2004. PubMed 15230633.
- Fukuda I et al. Adult growth hormone deficiency: current concepts. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 2014. PubMed 25070016.
- Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (content current as of 04/22/2026) US Food and Drug Administration. fda.gov.
- Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act US Food and Drug Administration 2026-05-14. fda.gov.
- Unauthorized injectable peptide drugs seized and sold by Canada Peptide may pose serious health risks Health Canada 2025-08-01. recalls-rappels.canada.ca.
- Health Canada Drug Product Database: active ingredient search for pralmorelin (0 records) Health Canada. health-products.canada.ca.
- Drugs@FDA via openFDA: active ingredient search for pralmorelin (no match) US Food and Drug Administration. api.fda.gov.
- The Prohibited List (2026 list as shown on the WADA website) World Anti-Doping Agency. wada-ama.org.
- ClinicalTrials.gov intervention search for GHRP-2 (0 studies) clinicaltrials.gov.
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