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RUO · Research Use Only⚠ IGF-1 Elevation+2 more

GHRP-6

The original ghrelin mimetic. We read all 60 studies. The protocol is below.

Updated 03 May 2026Read 11 minEvidence ●●○○○Citations 60
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The GHRP-6 Report · $19

Everything you need to start: dose, sourcing, safety, our verdict.

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Built from 60 cited studies.

Status
Research-only
Class
IGF-1 Elevation
Evidence
2/ 5●●○○○
Phase 2 / 3 trials
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1990s pilot studies
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Half-life
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⚠ Cancer Concern · WADA-banned
Read this if
  • you started peptides in 2012 and never updated your stack
  • you specifically want the dramatic-hunger-response peptide and ipamorelin's quiet profile is too quiet
  • you're on a medically supervised cachexia or wasting protocol
Skip this if
  • **you're already running CJC-1295, sermorelin, or another GHRH analog** — GHRP-6 + GHRH analog doubles the GH-pulse signal and the IGF-1 elevation; the chronic-elevation cancer-association concern compounds across the stack, not across either peptide alone
  • you're under 30 and starting from scratch — there are better options
  • you have active or recent cancer or a binge-eating history
  • you compete in a tested sport — WADA-banned
The 4 ways you can buy GHRP-6
Brand
✗
Not available
No FDA-approved GHRP-6.
Compounded 503A
✓
Rx
$100–$220/mo where sold
Few compounders carry GHRP-6; appetite mechanic deters clinic-facing programs.
RUO (research-only)
✓
Sold 'for research only'
$25–$70/mo
The dominant supply; older synthesis, well-established.
Gray market
✓
Unregulated overseas import
$3–$10/mo
Crypto/Wise pay; same price tier as GHRP-2. WADA-prohibited regardless of source.
Click any lane for the full Sourcing breakdown.
First 90 days · GHRP-6
Weeks 1–2
Sleep depth shifts within days for the GH-secretagogue class (CJC, ipamorelin, sermorelin, hexarelin). If sleep hasn't deepened by week 2, the rest of the protocol probably won't move either.
Weeks 4–8
Subjective recovery and energy improvements. Body composition shifts modestly — slight muscle gain, slight fat loss if diet allows.
Week 12 — decide
Bloodwork: IGF-1 is the objective check. If IGF-1 hasn't moved, the protocol isn't working at this dose. Side effect bookkeeping: water retention, joint stiffness, any glucose changes.
Quit if
  • IGF-1 climbs above ~300 ng/mL (cancer-risk territory at the upper end).
  • Significant water retention or new carpal-tunnel-style symptoms.
  • New or worsening insulin resistance (fasting glucose creep).
  • 12 weeks with no IGF-1 movement and no subjective change.
Identity

What it is.

GHRP-6 is a six-amino-acid growth hormone-releasing peptide — the original of the GHRP class, synthesized by Cyril Bowers' lab in the early 1980s. It was the molecule that first proved the existence of a separate GH-releasing pathway distinct from GHRH, which led directly to the discovery of ghrelin in 1999.

It's a ghrelin-receptor (-R1a) agonist. Same mechanism as GHRP-2 and ipamorelin, with two distinguishing features: it's the most potent appetite stimulant of the GHRP class, and it raises cortisol and prolactin more than ipamorelin does at comparable GH-releasing doses.

It has no FDA approval. It was investigated as a diagnostic tool and as a possible cachexia treatment, but the program never reached an approval. Sold strictly as a research chemical (RUO) in the US. WADA-banned in and out of competition.

TL;DR

TL;DR. 30-second version.

The compressed verdict — what GHRP-6 actually is, what the human evidence shows, and the watch-for in three bullets. Locked.

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Mechanism

Mechanism.

Mechanism · in the GHRP-6 report

How the molecule actually works — receptor profile, downstream signaling, what to expect mechanistically.

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Evidence

Evidence. What we actually know in humans.

Evidence · in the GHRP-6 report

The trial breakdown — phase, n, primary endpoint, who funded, what hit, what didn't.

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Human-Evidence Factbox
Phase 2 / 3 trials
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1990s pilot studies
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Half-life
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Appetite spike
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Stack with CJC-1295 / sermorelin (a GHRH analog)
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vs GHRP-2
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vs Ipamorelin
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WADA status
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Long-term safety data
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Dose

Dose. The actual protocol.

Dose · in the GHRP-6 report

The specific protocol — dose, titration schedule, cycle pattern, frequency, route.

We read 60 studies to write this report.
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Sourcing

Sourcing. Where the cohort actually buys.

Sourcing · in the GHRP-6 report

Sourcing breakdown — vendor methodology, red flags, our published test results, COA checklist.

We read 60 studies to write this report.
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Safety

Safety. Side effects.

Safety · in the GHRP-6 report

The watch-for list — contraindications, drug interactions, monitoring labs, when to stop.

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Editorial Position

Editorial position.

Editorial Position · in the GHRP-6 report

Our editorial position — explicit yes / no / depends, with the reasoning behind it.

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Citations

Citations.

  1. 01Pombo M, et al. Growth hormone releasing hexapeptide-6 (GHRP-6) test in the diagnosis of GH-deficiency. Journal of pediatric endocrinology & metabolism : JPEM. 1996;9 Suppl 3:333-8. PMID: 8887178.
  2. 02Berlanga-Acosta J, et al. Growth hormone releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) prevents doxorubicin-induced myocardial and extra-myocardial damages by activating prosurvival mechanisms. Frontiers in pharmacology. 2024;15:1402138. PMID: 38873418.
  3. 03Zhao X, et al. Growth hormone-releasing peptide 6 (GHRP-6) hydrogel for acute kidney injury therapy via metabolic regulation. Journal of nanobiotechnology. 2025;24(1):15. PMID: 41327290.
  4. 04Yu AP, et al. [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 exhibits pro-autophagic effects on skeletal muscle. Molecular and cellular endocrinology. 2015;401:155-64. PMID: 25450862.
  5. 05Tian C, et al. GHRP-6 induces CREB phosphorylation and growth hormone secretion via a protein kinase Csigma-dependent pathway in GH3 cells. Journal of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Medical sciences = Hua zhong ke ji da xue xue bao. Yi xue Ying De wen ban = Huazhong keji daxue xuebao. Yixue Yingdewen ban. 2010;30(2):183-7. PMID: 20407870.
+Show all 60 citations
  1. 06Popovic V, et al. Evaluation of pituitary GH reserve with GHRP-6. Journal of pediatric endocrinology & metabolism : JPEM. 1996;9 Suppl 3:289-98. PMID: 8887173.
  2. 07Carranza-Martín AC, et al. Ghrelin antagonist D-Lys3-GHRP-6 counteract ghrelin effects in bovine cumulus-oocytes complexes matured in vitro. Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene. 2021;56(9):1235-1242. PMID: 34173284.
  3. 08Doan ND, et al. N-aminoimidazolidin-2-one peptidomimetics. Organic letters. 2014;16(8):2232-5. PMID: 24697286.
  4. 09Wang L, et al. Growth hormone releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) ameliorates acute lung injury and its subsequent evolvement to interstitial fibrosis. International immunopharmacology. 2026;172:116204. PMID: 41534456.
  5. 10Cox HD, et al. Detection of GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 in urine samples from athletes. Drug testing and analysis. 2015;7(5):439-44. PMID: 25809000.
  6. 11Micic D, et al. Regulation of growth hormone secretion by the growth hormone releasing hexapeptide (GHRP-6). The Journal of pediatric endocrinology. 1993;6(3-4):283-9. PMID: 7920995.
  7. 12Yahashi S, et al. GHRP-6 mimics ghrelin-induced stimulation of food intake and suppression of locomotor activity in goldfish. Peptides. 2012;34(2):324-8. PMID: 22349352.
  8. 13Cibrián D, et al. Use of growth-hormone-releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) for the prevention of multiple organ failure. Clinical science (London, England : 1979). 2006;110(5):563-73. PMID: 16417467.
  9. 14Rico M, et al. GHRP-6 in heifer and cow adenohypophisial cells separated by elutriation. Journal of physiology and biochemistry. 1999;55(1):33-9. PMID: 10494658.
  10. 15Bresson-Bépoldin L, et al. GHRP-6 induces a biphasic calcium response in rat pituitary somatotrophs. Cell calcium. 1994;15(3):247-58. PMID: 8194104.
  11. 16Beheshti S, et al. D-Lys-3-GHRP-6 impairs memory consolidation and downregulates the hippocampal serotonin HT1A, HT7 receptors and glutamate GluA1 subunit of AMPA receptors. Physiology & behavior. 2020;223:112969. PMID: 32454141.
  12. 17Micić D, et al. Growth hormone response to GHRH, GHRP-6 and GHRH + GHRP-6 in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Clinical endocrinology. 1996;45(4):385-90. PMID: 8959075.
  13. 18Zhang H, et al. Inhibition of ghrelin activity by the receptor antagonist [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 enhances hepatic fatty acid oxidation and gluconeogenesis in a growing pig model. Peptides. 2023;166:171041. PMID: 37301480.
  14. 19Micic D, et al. Growth hormone secretion after the administration of GHRP-6 or GHRH combined with GHRP-6 does not decline in late adulthood. Clinical endocrinology. 1995;42(2):191-4. PMID: 7734029.
  15. 20Semenistaya E, et al. Determination of growth hormone releasing peptides metabolites in human urine after nasal administration of GHRP-1, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Hexarelin, and Ipamorelin. Drug testing and analysis. 2015;7(10):919-25. PMID: 25869809.
  16. 21Rodríguez-Viera L, et al. The Ghrelin Analog GHRP-6, Delivered Through Aquafeeds, Modulates the Endocrine and Immune Responses of Sparus aurata Following IFA Treatment. Biology. 2025;14(8). PMID: 40906090.
  17. 22Oliveira JH, et al. GHRP-6 is able to stimulate cortisol and ACTH release in patients with Cushing's disease: comparison with DDAVP. Journal of endocrinological investigation. 2003;26(3):230-5. PMID: 12809173.
  18. 23Pombo M, et al. Absence of growth hormone (GH) secretion after the administration of either GH-releasing hormone (GHRH), GH-releasing peptide (GHRP-6), or GHRH plus GHRP-6 in children with neonatal pituitary stalk transection. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 1995;80(11):3180-4. PMID: 7593423.
  19. 24Benso A, et al. d-Lys-GHRP-6 does not modify the endocrine response to acylated ghrelin or hexarelin in humans. Neuropeptides. 2007;41(1):45-9. PMID: 17112585.
  20. 25Popovic V, et al. Blocked growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP-6)-induced GH secretion and absence of the synergic action of GHRP-6 plus GH-releasing hormone in patients with hypothalamopituitary disconnection: evidence that GHRP-6 main action is exerted at the hypothalamic level. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 1995;80(3):942-7. PMID: 7883854.
  21. 26Hewson AK, et al. GHRP-6-induced changes in electrical activity of single cells in the arcuate, ventromedial and periventricular nucleus neurones [correction of nuclei] of a hypothalamic slice preparation in vitro. Journal of neuroendocrinology. 1999;11(12):919-23. PMID: 10583726.
  22. 27Wu D, et al. The effects of GH-releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) and GHRP-2 on intracellular adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) levels and GH secretion in ovine and rat somatotrophs. The Journal of endocrinology. 1996;148(2):197-205. PMID: 8699133.
  23. 28Pinto AC, et al. Acute dexamethasone administration enhances GH responsiveness to GH releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) in man. Clinical endocrinology. 1999;51(4):409-14. PMID: 10583306.
  24. 29Sabatino D, et al. Structure-activity relationships of GHRP-6 azapeptide ligands of the CD36 scavenger receptor by solid-phase submonomer azapeptide synthesis. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2011;133(32):12493-506. PMID: 21692501.
  25. 30Diz Chaves Y, et al. GH responses to GHRH and GHRP-6 in Streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. Life sciences. 2003;73(26):3375-85. PMID: 14572879.
  26. 31Pimentel-Filho FR, et al. Growth hormone responses to GH-releasing peptide (GHRP-6) in hypothyroidism. Clinical endocrinology. 1997;46(3):295-300. PMID: 9156038.
  27. 32DeVita RJ. Small molecule mimetics of GHRP-6. Expert opinion on investigational drugs. 1997;6(12):1839-43. PMID: 15989584.
  28. 33Molica P, et al. Effects of ghrelin, GH-releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) and GHRH on GH, ACTH and cortisol release in hyperthyroidism before and after treatment. Pituitary. 2010;13(4):315-23. PMID: 20602173.
  29. 34Petersenn S, et al. Diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency in adults by testing with GHRP-6 alone or in combination with GHRH: comparison with the insulin tolerance test. European journal of endocrinology. 2002;146(5):667-72. PMID: 11980622.
  30. 35Mau SE, et al. Growth hormone releasing hexapeptide (GHRP-6) activates the inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate/diacylglycerol pathway in rat anterior pituitary cells. Journal of receptor and signal transduction research. 1995;15(1-4):311-23. PMID: 8903947.
  31. 36Popovic V, et al. Growth hormone secretion elicited by GHRH, GHRP-6 or GHRH plus GHRP-6 in patients with microprolactinoma and macroprolactinoma before and after bromocriptine therapy. Clinical endocrinology. 1998;48(1):103-8. PMID: 9509075.
  32. 37Cabrales A, et al. Pharmacokinetic study of Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptide 6 (GHRP-6) in nine male healthy volunteers. European journal of pharmaceutical sciences : official journal of the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2013;48(1-2):40-6. PMID: 23099431.
  33. 38Damjanović S, et al. Pituitary enlargement due to primary hypothyroidism: growth hormone response to GHRH, GHRP-6 and GHRH plus GHRP-6. Journal of pediatric endocrinology & metabolism : JPEM. 1996;9(5):549-53. PMID: 8961133.
  34. 39Nascif SO, et al. Decreased ghrelin-induced GH release in thyrotoxicosis: comparison with GH-releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) and GHRH. Pituitary. 2007;10(1):27-33. PMID: 17410412.
  35. 40Frégeau G, et al. Atheroprotective and atheroregressive potential of azapeptide derivatives of GHRP-6 as selective CD36 ligands in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Atherosclerosis. 2020;307:52-62. PMID: 32721647.
  36. 41Maugham ML, et al. Limited short-term effects on human prostate cancer xenograft growth and epidermal growth factor receptor gene expression by the ghrelin receptor antagonist [D-Lys(3)]-GHRP-6. Endocrine. 2019;64(2):393-405. PMID: 30390209.
  37. 42Mallo F, et al. Regulation of His-dTrp-Ala-Trp-dPhe-Lys-NH2 (GHRP-6)-induced GH secretion in the rat. Neuroendocrinology. 1993;57(2):247-56. PMID: 8510800.
  38. 43Bowers CY. Growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP). Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS. 1998;54(12):1316-29. PMID: 9893708.
  39. 44Brockway ET, et al. Impact of [d-Lys(3)]-GHRP-6 and feeding status on hypothalamic ghrelin-induced stress activation. Peptides. 2016;79:95-102. PMID: 27020248.
  40. 45Correa-Silva SR, et al. Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) responsiveness to ghrelin increases after 6 months of ketoconazole use in patients with Cushing's disease: comparison with GH-releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6). Clinical endocrinology. 2010;72(1):70-5. PMID: 19453623.
  41. 46Depoortere I, et al. Comparison of the gastroprokinetic effects of ghrelin, GHRP-6 and motilin in rats in vivo and in vitro. European journal of pharmacology. 2005;515(1-3):160-8. PMID: 15890336.
  42. 47Zheng Q, et al. Prokinetic effects of a ghrelin receptor agonist GHRP-6 in diabetic mice. World journal of gastroenterology. 2008;14(30):4795-9. PMID: 18720542.
  43. 48Conley LK, et al. Mechanism of action of hexarelin and GHRP-6: analysis of the involvement of GHRH and somatostatin in the rat. Neuroendocrinology. 1995;61(1):44-50. PMID: 7731497.
  44. 49Wang L, et al. Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptide-6 (GHRP-6) Ameliorates Post-Infarct Ventricular Remodeling and Systolic Dysfunction in a Model of Permanent Coronary Ligation. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland). 2026;19(3). PMID: 41901314.
  45. 50Cheng J, et al. Growth hormone releasing peptides: a comparison of the growth hormone releasing activities of GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 in rat primary pituitary cells. Life sciences. 1997;60(16):1385-92. PMID: 9096259.
  46. 51Martins MR, et al. GH-releasing peptide (GHRP-6)-induced ACTH release in patients with addison's disease: effect of glucocorticoid withdrawal. Journal of endocrinological investigation. 2003;26(2):143-7. PMID: 12739742.
  47. 52Ayman J, et al. Changes in Locomotor Activity Observed During Acute Nicotine Withdrawal Can Be Attenuated by Ghrelin and GHRP-6 in Rats. Biomedicines. 2025;13(1). PMID: 39857727.
  48. 53Peñalva A, et al. Influence of sex, age and adrenergic pathways on the growth hormone response to GHRP-6. Clinical endocrinology. 1993;38(1):87-91. PMID: 8435889.
  49. 54Correa-Silva SR, et al. Partial restoration of GH responsiveness to ghrelin in Cushing's disease after 6 months of ketoconazole treatment: comparison with GHRP-6 and GHRH. European journal of endocrinology. 2009;161(5):681-6. PMID: 19696160.
  50. 55Haijma SV, et al. The GHRH/GHRP-6 test for the diagnosis of GH deficiency in elderly or severely obese men. European journal of endocrinology. 2005;152(4):575-80. PMID: 15817913.
  51. 56Micic D, et al. Growth hormone response to GHRH + GHRP-6 in type 2 diabetes during euglycemic and hyperglycemic clamp. Diabetes research and clinical practice. 2004;63(1):37-45. PMID: 14693411.
  52. 57Nascif SO, et al. Ghrelin and GHRP-6-induced ACTH and cortisol release in thyrotoxicosis. Pituitary. 2009;12(4):315-21. PMID: 19396632.
  53. 58Voltz DM, et al. Effect of GHRP-6 and GHRH on GH secretion in rats following chronic glucocorticoid treatment. Life sciences. 1995;56(7):491-7. PMID: 7869829.
  54. 59Granado M, et al. Insulin and growth hormone-releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) have differential beneficial effects on cell turnover in the pituitary, hypothalamus and cerebellum of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Molecular and cellular endocrinology. 2011;337(1-2):101-13. PMID: 21352888.
  55. 60Borges MH, et al. Different effects of growth hormone releasing peptide (GHRP-6) and GH-releasing hormone on GH release in endogenous and exogenous hypercortisolism. Clinical endocrinology. 1997;46(6):713-8. PMID: 9274702.
The GHRP-6 Report · $19

Everything you need to start.

Dose, sourcing, safety, our verdict. One purchase. Yours forever.

Built from 60 cited studies.

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