peptides for growth hormone

the actual hormone, an approved IGF-1 replacement, then secretagogues with different evidence and regulatory records.

the growth-hormone conversation has a simple top of stack. recombinant hGH (somatropin) is the hormone itself. somatropin landed FDA approval in 1985 as Protropin, now ships under 11 brand names, and carries the deepest human trial record on this page. read what that record documents: liu 2008 (annals of internal medicine) pooled 27 randomised samples in young fit adults and found lean body mass up 2.1 kg (95% CI 1.3 to 2.9) with strength and exercise capacity unimproved. tesamorelin (falutz NEJM 2007, FDA november 2010, n>800 trial program, 15-18 percent VAT reduction) is the only approval-grade peptide GH-axis secretagogue. sermorelin held two FDA approvals (Geref diagnostic 1990, Geref pediatric GHD therapy 1997) until EMD Serono discontinued the product in december 2008 for commercial reasons.

ibutamoren, cjc-1295, ipamorelin, ghrp-2, and ghrp-6 are distinct secretagogue or ghrelin-mimetic records. approval, route, endpoint, and safety data do not transfer between them.

the fixed blends have component or acute hormone-response evidence, not a shared formulation, ratio, approval, or demonstrated clinical outcome.

recombinant growth hormone and indication-specific IGF-1 replacement lead the category.

somatropin is growth hormone; mecasermin is recombinant human IGF-1 for severe primary IGF-1 deficiency. mecasermin is not IGF-1 LR3, and neither record establishes a general height, muscle, or anti-aging use.

hgh (somatropin) (tier S) · recombinant human growth hormone. FDA-approved 1985 (Protropin), 11 brand names by 2026. the actual hormone.
tesamorelin (tier S) · GHRH analog, FDA-approved november 2010 as Egrifta for HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
sermorelin (tier A) · GHRH(1-29) analog. FDA-approved twice: Geref diagnostic (1990, NDA 19-863) and Geref pediatric GHD therapy (1997, NDA 20-443). EMD Serono discontinued the product december 2, 2008 for commercial reasons.
Mecasermin (tier S) · Mecasermin is recombinant human IGF-1 approved as subcutaneous Increlex for a narrow pediatric severe-primary-IGF-1-deficiency indication. It is not a general height, adult-wellness, or muscle drug.

after sermorelin, the rest sits outside approval.

the october 2024 PCAC vote pulled ipamorelin and CJC-1295 out of routine 503A compounding. older GHRPs (GHRP-2, GHRP-6) are pharmacologically messier than ipamorelin, which is why the field moved past them.

ipamorelin (tier A) · selective ghrelin-receptor agonist, lars hansen et al at novo nordisk, 1998.
cjc-1295 (tier A) · long-acting GHRH analog from conjuchem montreal, MPA albumin handle, ~8-day half-life with DAC.
cjc-1295 + ipamorelin (tier A) · GHRH analog plus ghrelin-receptor agonist, dual-receptor stack.
ghrp-2 (tier D) · older ghrelin-receptor agonist, cyril bowers lab, 1980s. approved in japan as pralmorelin (PMDA october 2004) for GH stim testing.
ghrp-6 (tier D) · older GHRP from bowers at tulane, 1984. notable for accidental appetite stimulation via NPY-Y1 in rats.
Ibutamoren (tier D) · Ibutamoren is an unapproved oral ghrelin-receptor agonist that raises endogenous GH and IGF-1. Older-adult trials found a lean-mass signal without a reliable strength or function benefit.
tesa+ipa blend (tier A) · the GH-axis pairing built on the one GHRH leg that carries an FDA approval, tesamorelin, run alongside ipamorelin. the components are strong, the use is off-label, and the blend itself has no trial.
sermorelin + GHRP-2 (tier D) · This is a two-peptide combination of sermorelin and GHRP-2. One acute IV crossover found an additive GH response, not demonstrated synergy.
tesamorelin + CJC-1295 + ipamorelin (tier F) · a three-peptide GH-axis blend with no located direct study, whose CJC variant, component forms, and ratio must be known before even its duration can be described.

specific-question reference.

which growth-hormone peptide has the strongest approval-grade dataset?

for the peptide secretagogues specifically, tesamorelin. falutz NEJM 2007, lipo phase-3 program (n>800), 15-18 percent visceral fat reduction, FDA approval november 2010. for the broader growth-hormone category, recombinant hGH (somatropin) holds the deepest evidence base. 40 years of FDA approval across pediatric GHD, adult GHD, Turner, Prader-Willi, and HIV wasting. sermorelin had FDA approval as a diagnostic in 1990 and for pediatric GHD from 1997 to 2008 but the trial record was much smaller. none of those indications transfers to general adult anti-aging.

what is the difference between ghrh analogs and ghrps?

ghrh analogs (tesamorelin, sermorelin, cjc-1295) act through the ghrh receptor. ghrps and ghrelin mimetics (ipamorelin, ghrp-2, ghrp-6) act through ghs-r 1a. the receptor difference explains the different half-lives, pulse patterns, and off-target profiles.

why does ipamorelin usually rank above ghrp-2 and ghrp-6?

novo nordisk designed it that way. lars hansen's 1998 screen selected for gh release with no measurable acth, cortisol, or prolactin spike. ghrp-2 raises prolactin and acth. ghrp-6 raises everything plus hunger. ipamorelin keeps the signal clean.

is direct hGH the same category?

same axis, different pharmacology. recombinant hGH IS growth hormone. the peptide secretagogues on the rest of this page trigger natural pulse via GHRH-R or GHS-R 1a, which is a different mechanism entirely. hGH carries decades of FDA-approved use across documented endocrine indications. the secretagogues sit upstream and produce smaller, more pulsatile effects.

what the safety literature reports.

what safety issues show up across gh-axis compounds?

water retention, edema, joint discomfort, sleep changes, insulin-sensitivity effects, and igf-1 elevation. magnitude depends on compound, dose, duration, and baseline endocrine status. tesamorelin trials documented all of these at lipo-treatment doses.

why does igf-1 matter?

igf-1 is part of normal growth signaling. sustained elevation correlates with cancer-risk biology in epidemiology. direct igf-1 analogs (igf-1-lr3, gropep adelaide 1992) carry a different concern level than upstream secretagogues because they bypass the pulse and the normal igf-binding-protein buffer.

what happened with cjc-1295 in argentina?

the conjuchem-sponsored phase-2 program in argentina was halted in 2006 after a participant fatality. the relationship to study drug was not established, but the program did not resume. this is the gap in the regulated cjc-1295 record.

what is the biggest evidence gap?

long-term healthy-adult use outside approved indications. the published record does not characterize that population.

claim checks

related comparisons

reptides grades the research record and cites the literature behind every call. research reference only; not medical advice.