GHRP-6

Areas of active research — not promised effects

Each tag links to other compounds with research into that goal. Research use only: these are areas of study, not human-use claims.

Related by research scope · open each to compare

GHRP-6 has no approved New Drug Application. It was placed on the FDA Section 503A Category 2 bulk drug substances list, which restricts its use in pharmaceutical compounding. As of the April 23, 2026 FDA action removing 12 peptides from Category 2, GHRP-6 was NOT among the substances removed; it remains in Category 2. The July 23–24, 2026 PCAC agenda does not include GHRP-6 as a substance under review for addition to the 503A bulks list. Compounding of GHRP-6 in 503A/503B pharmacies remains restricted until further regulatory action.

Transparent blend · bci-1.0 · never paid-placement

Primary name

GHRP-6

Origin

Developed in the 1980s by Cyril Bowers and colleagues at Tulane University as part of a series of enkephalin-derived synthetic hexapeptides; the sequence His-D-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH₂ was designed to mimic and improve upon the GH-releasing activity of met-enkephalin analogs. GHRP-6 was the prototypical member of the GHRP family that led to the discovery of the GHS receptor (GHS-R1a), later identified as the receptor for the endogenous hormone ghrelin.

Registry IDs

PubChem CID

4345065

InChIKey

WZHKXNSOCOQYQX-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Molecular formula

C46H56N12O6

Molar mass

873.0 g/mol

Monoisotopic

872.44457755 Da

InChIKey

WZHKXNSOCOQYQX-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Appearance

White to off-white lyophilized powder

Solubility

Soluble in water and dilute aqueous buffers; soluble in dilute acetic acid

Sequence not available in current seed.

Stability: Stable as lyophilized powder under cold-chain conditions; D-amino acid substitutions (D-Trp, D-Phe) confer moderate proteolytic resistance. Reconstituted soluti

Vial sizes

5 mg · 10 mg

Purity grades

≥98% HPLC

Salt forms

Free base (primary)

• GHS hazard class on file
• PPE & spill response
• Disposal guidance
• Not-for-human-consumption posture

How much research exists, and of what maturity — never a verdict on whether it works.

Mechanism of action

• GHRP-6 is a selective agonist of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHS-R1a), the same receptor activated by the endogenous orexigenic hormone ghrelin
• Binding to GHS-R1a on pituitary somatotrophs couples through Gq/11 proteins to activate phospholipase C, generating IP3 and diacylglycerol, which mobilizes intracellular calcium stores and triggers exocytotic release of stored GH
• Concurrently, GHRP-6 acts at hypothalamic GHS-R1a to suppress somatostatinergic tone and stimulate endogenous GHRH release, amplifying pituitary GH output through a dual central-pituitary mechanism
• Secondary receptor interactions also lead to modest stimulation of cortisol and prolactin secretion, and prominent appetite stimulation via central ghrelin mimicry — effects that distinguish GHRP-6 from more selective secretagogues such as ipamorelin

Pharmacokinetics (ADME)

Half-life

~15–30 minutes (subcutaneous; estimated from peak GH kinetics and a published human PK study in nine healthy male volunteers)

Clearance

Rapid; primarily peptidase-mediated; specific clearance values not formally established in the gathered literature

PK–PD note: Peak plasma GH response occurs approximately 15–30 minutes post-subcutaneous injection. The short half-life necessitates multiple daily dosing in research protocols. The D-Trp and D-Phe residues confe…

Reading the evidence

• Evidence quality and gaps vary by application — see the cited grades above.
• Indexed-article counts span all evidence tiers, not only completed human trials.
• No first-party human-dosing, efficacy, or benefit claims are made here.

Key reviews & evidence-gap sources

• Berlanga-Acosta J, et al. Synthetic Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptides (GHRPs): A Historical Appraisal of the Evidences Supporting Their Cytoprotective Effects. Clin Med Insights Cardiol. 2017;11:1179546817694558. — Anchoring historical/systematic appraisal; PubMed/MEDLINE search date-escalated from 1980, English-only. Identifies GHS-R1a and CD36 as dual GHRP receptors; PI-3K/AKT1 prosurvival; ROS/anti-inflammatory/antifibrotic effects. States GHRP-6 IV administration proved safe in a dose scale-up trial in healthy volunteers (unregistered, Cuban).
• The Growth Hormone Secretagogue Receptor: Its Intracellular Signaling and Regulation (PMC3975427) — Reviews GHSR1a intracellular signaling including IRS-1/PI3K/Akt modulation by ghrelin/GHS.
• Neuroprotective Actions of Ghrelin and Growth Hormone Secretagogues. Front Mol Neurosci. 2011. — Reviews ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt prosurvival signaling via GHS-R1a activation relevant to GHRP-6 family.

No registered human trials found for this compound.

Status

No registered trials found

Summary (literature)

In early human dose-escalation studies, GHRP-6 was generally well tolerated at single intravenous doses up to 1–4 µg/kg; reported effects included transient flushing, fatigue, and increased hunger. The prominent appetite stimulation (ghrelin mimicry) is considered a primary disti…

WADA status

Prohibited — WADA 2026 Prohibited List, Section S2 (Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics); prohibited both in-competition and out-o…

Dominant research route: Subcutaneous (with intravenous used for PK characterization in human volunteer studies)

Single-dose PK dose-escalation in 9 healthy male volunteers at 100, 200, and 400 μg/kg (GHRP-6 bolus); described as safe in a dose scale-up clinical trial

Bioavailability: IV bolus defines 100% systemic exposure reference; used to characterize clearance and half-life of the hexapeptide (MW 872.44 Da)

Primary human pharmacokinetic characterization route; not an efficacy trial. RUO context: describes what was studied, not a protocol.

Human PK in healthy male volunteers at 1, 3, and 10 μg/kg SC; bi-exponential profile with distribution t½ 7.6 ± 1.9 min and elimination t½ 2.5 ± 1.1 h; peak GH within ~15–30 min

Bioavailability: Rapid absorption; sustained vs IV but still short half-life (~20–30 min) supporting pulsatile GH-release study designs

Most frequently cited research/clinical administration route in human studies; peptide nature favors parenteral delivery.

Oral GHRP-6 administration tested in children with short stature for GH-releasing effect (Bellone et al., 1995); activity demonstrated but limited by GI degradation

Bioavailability: Reported oral bioavailability approximately 0.3% in published studies; very low due to gastrointestinal degradation and poor intestinal absorption of the hexapeptide

Oral-stability ≠ oral-absorption: the route was studied for GH-releasing activity in humans, but systemic exposure is minimal. Bioavailability figure sourced from secondary aggregator citing primary PK literature.

Intranasal GHRP-6 GH-releasing activity assessed in conscious dogs; intranasal bioavailability estimated at 34.4–44.9% relative to IV

Bioavailability: Significant intranasal activity and bioavailability demonstrated in a canine preclinical model; no human PK dataset retrieved

Non-invasive route studied only in animals; offers potential for non-invasive delivery per preclinical evaluation.

Animal & human figures are kept visibly separate so studied animal doses are never misread as human guidance.

Sorted A–Z by vendor — never by price

Weekly median $/mg from the live vendor crawl.

Researched storefront prices, bucketed

p25 $3.00 · median $4.00 · p75 $4.60 · 10 researched vendors

Legit, COA-backed band: $2.90–$5.80/mg.

Value rule: don't just buy the cheapest — a price under $3/mg is a red flag. Pair price with COA and independent-test grade.

Estimated cost of research (10 mg)

Vial (best researched price)

$29

Bacteriostatic water (generic estimate)

$6

Syringes / supplies (generic estimate)

$12

What each test proves — general guidance, plus this compound's researched purity data

Purity on the current market (researched)

Vendor-claimed purity for GHRP-6 is typically ≥99% (HPLC/LC-MS). Independent aggregate testing of gray-market peptides by Janoshik Analytical has documented actual purities as low as 71–91% for lower-tier vendors despite 99%+ claims, while reputable-tier batches report ~98–99.9% HPLC purity. No single GHRP-6-specific multi-vendor purity distribution was located in a citable primary dataset.

Independent labs cited for this compound

No FDA recall or market withdrawal specifically naming GHRP-6 was found in the FDA Recalls/Safety Alerts database or in retrieved enforcement records. The compound-specific regulatory action located is a 2019 FDA Warning Letter (United Pharmacy) citing GHRP-6 compounding as ineligible for 503A exemptions; this is an enforcement action, not a recall.

Buyer red-flag checklist

• GHRP-6 is not FDA-approved for any human indication and is not on the FDA 503A bulks list (per 2019 FDA Warning Letter to United Pharmacy).
• Explicitly listed on the WADA Prohibited List (S2) — banned in- and out-of-competition for athletes.
• Sold predominantly through gray-market 'research use only' channels with vendor-claimed ≥99% purity that independent testing shows can fall to 71–91% for lower-tier vendors.
• Subject to FDA Import Alert 66-41 (DWPE of unapproved new drugs); imported finished GHRP-6 may be detained/refused/destroyed.
• Federal criminal exposure: distribution of HGH/GH-secretagogue peptides for non-approved uses (anti-aging, bodybuilding) can violate FD&C Act §303(e)(1) (up to 5 years imprisonment; up to 10 years if a minor is involved) per Import Alert 66-71.
• Compounded GHRP-6 has been associated with insanitary sterile-compounding conditions (actionable microbial contamination in ISO 5 area) in at least one FDA-cited pharmacy.
• Janoshik and similar third-party COAs typically verify identity/purity/amount only; endotoxin, sterility, and heavy-metal testing are not included by default and are frequently assumed-but-absent.

GMP vs research-grade: the chemistry (SPPS + HPLC + MS) is identical — the difference is the quality system.

Underdosing / mislabeling: No GHRP-6-specific underdosing prevalence figure from Janoshik/MZ Biolabs/Finnrick aggregates was located in retrieved sources. Aggregate (de-identified) gray-market peptide testing reviewed via Janoshik indicates lower-tier vendors have measured 71–91% purity vs. claimed 99%+, implying frequent content shortfall, but a compound-specific prevalence rate for GHRP-6 is not published.

• FDA Import Alert 66-41 — 'Detention Without Physical Examination of Unapproved New Drugs Promoted In The U.S.' Authorizes DWPE of unapproved new drug products from Red-List firms; unapproved peptides marketed with disease/structure-function claims fall within scope. GHRP-6 has no FDA-approved human drug application and is not on the 503A bulks list, so finished GHRP-6 products promoted for human use are subject to refusal/DWPE under this alert. (A related alert, 66-71, covers unapproved Human Growth Hormone specifically.)66-41
• An RUO label is not an import exemption — CBP judges actual intended use.
• Lyophilized powder is ambient-stable in transit; temperature control needed for > 7-day transit.
• US-warehouse vendors dodge import scrutiny — they cost more but ship more reliably.

Every item dated & sourced

Prohibited at all times (in-competition and out-of-competition) under Section S2.3 (Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics); GHRP-6 is explicitly named among GH-releasing peptides (GHRPs).

No granted patents identified in current seed. Composition-of-matter coverage is limited given the peptide's synthetic origin.

• IACUC / IRB research context
• RUO buyer responsibilities & documentation
• Veterinary / alternative-use where lawful
• Jurisdiction-aware "who may lawfully obtain"

What people discuss

Reported concerns — discussion, not established effects

Reading caveats

• Self-experimentation community; no clinical oversight
• Bodybuilding / physique bias skews discourse toward bulking use cases
• Appetite effect framed as positive by bulking users and negative by others — sentiment is use-case dependent
• Vendor-affiliated accounts and source subreddits may inflate positive sourcing chatter
• Ipamorelin increasingly displaces GHRP-6 in community preference, potentially skewing recent sentiment negative

Manually researched from reddit, youtube, x— theme weights are research estimates, not live counts; aggregated & de-identified. No individual posts, quotes, or usernames are ever shown.

Relative research / market volume — populated once the activity stream is wired

Inline tooltips for lyophilized, RUO, EU/mg, SPPS, 503A and more.

Toggle plain-language ↔ scientific in the header.

• How to read a COA
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• Understanding evidence grades

Synthetic hexapeptide GHS-R1a agonist that triggers pulsatile GH release from pituitary somatotrophs; widely used in preclinical secretagogue research. Approximately 659 articles are indexed (literature last scanned 2026-05-29). US regulatory status: Not FDA-approved; remains on Category 2 restricted compounding list. Research use only.

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