Peptide dossier, updated Nov 1, 2026
GHRP-2
Growth hormone-releasing peptide-2, also called pralmorelin. A synthetic peptide that mimics ghrelin and triggers growth hormone release. It has no FDA-approved use. In published clinical studies it appears mainly as a diagnostic stimulation test for pituitary disorders. FDA lists it as a compounding substance that may pose safety risks. This page lays out what each source actually says.
See all 10 verified records for GHRP-2 on the Records page
In plain terms
Approved for: Nothing from FDA, and we found no approved drug containing it in openFDA’s data. A 2004 review describes a development programme for it as a diagnostic agent for growth hormone deficiency.
What it is: A synthetic peptide that mimics ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and triggers a large release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland.
What it is said to do, and by whom:
- The developers, per a 2004 review: it was developed to be orally active, and its use as a diagnostic agent is based on how strongly it raises growth hormone in healthy people, with a lower response in people who are deficient.
- Researchers: clinical papers from 2018 to 2023 use a “GHRP-2 test” to assess pituitary and adrenal function.
- We did not collect sellers’ claims for this compound.
How strong the evidence is: As a test: published clinical use. As a treatment: we found two small critical-illness infusion studies that report hormone and metabolic markers, and no human study showing a clinical benefit. FDA cites reports of serious adverse events in patients given it, including death of critically ill study subjects, though it says causality is not established.
FDA review
FDA’s safety-risk page (content current Apr 22, 2026) is the one FDA document on GHRP-2 that we read.
What the page says
- It lists “Growth hormone releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2) (for injectable and nasal routes of administration)” in category 2 under the 503B interim policy, added Sep 29, 2023.
- It says compounded drugs containing GHRP-2 for injectable and nasal use may pose immunogenicity risk, because of aggregation and peptide-related impurities, and that it contains an unnatural amino acid, which adds to the complexity of characterization.
- It says FDA is aware of reports of serious adverse events in patients who received GHRP-2, including increased insulin requirement to maintain blood glucose, death of critically ill study subjects, infection and pancreatitis, though causality has not been established.
What we did not find
- The page does not cite the reports. We did not identify them. The critical-illness infusion studies in the next section are human studies in that setting, but the page does not say they are the source, and their abstracts do not report deaths attributed to GHRP-2.
- We found no FDA briefing document, advisory committee review or press release specific to GHRP-2.
Published research
PubMed returns 206 results for GHRP-2 and 15 for pralmorelin in the title or abstract as of Nov 1, 2026. Many are endocrine test studies, doping-detection papers and reviews.
What the papers show
- Drug profile, 2004. Describes pralmorelin as an orally active synthetic growth hormone-releasing peptide from Polygen and Tulane University, and its use as a diagnostic agent for growth hormone deficiency. Drugs R D PubMed
- Pituitary test, 2022. A paper on the clinical usefulness of the GHRP-2 test for hypothalamic-pituitary disorder. J Endocr Soc PubMed
- Pituitary test, 2023. A paper assessing anterior pituitary reserve in the elderly with the GHRP-2 test. Growth Horm IGF Res PubMed
- Critical illness, 1999 and 2002. Two small randomized infusion studies of GHRP-2 with TRH in patients with prolonged critical illness: 14 patients in 1999 and 33 men in 2002. Both abstracts report hormone and metabolic markers. Neither abstract attributes a death to GHRP-2. J Clin Endocrinol Metab PubMed Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) PubMed
- Doping control, 2019-2021. Papers on a glycine analogue of GHRP-2 found in a seized vial, and on detecting GHRP-2 abuse in dried blood spots. Drug Test Anal PubMed
Read with care
- A diagnostic test gives a single dose to measure the body’s response. It is not a study of repeated use as a treatment.
- We read titles and one abstract, not full text, funding or disclosures.
- We did not verify where or whether the diagnostic is approved outside the United States.
FDA warning letters
We found one FDA warning letter that names GHRP-2. It is addressed to a compounding pharmacy and is not a finding about GHRP-2’s safety. This rests on web searches.
| Recipient | Date | Letter | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tailor Made Compounding LLC, a compounding pharmacy | Apr 1, 2020 | Warning letter 594743 | FDA says an inspection found the firm compounding with a list of 22 bulk substances that includes GHRP-2, and that drugs made from them were not eligible for the section 503A exemptions because none is covered by a USP or NF monograph, is a component of an FDA-approved drug, or appears on the 503A bulks list. We read the letter text. |
A warning letter is FDA’s statement about one firm’s conduct on one date. It is not a finding about the substance. FDA’s list of letters cannot be searched by peptide, so other letters could exist that we did not find.
Timeline
Newest first. Every entry links to the document it comes from.
- Government or registry record
- Journal
- Oct 30, 2026RegulatoryHHS publishes draft policy pausing enforcement on six peptides; GHRP-2 is not one of them
The draft policy’s appendix names six peptides: BPC-157, epitalon, KPV, MOTS-c, Semax and TB-500. The policy is a draft and not FDA approval. We read the appendix through a text extraction.
- July 23–24, 2026RegulatoryFDA advisory committee meets on seven peptides; GHRP-2 is not among them
The committee recommended six of the seven, all nonbinding. FDA’s notice of the meeting does not list GHRP-2.
- Apr 22, 2026RegulatoryFDA’s safety-risk page lists GHRP-2
FDA lists GHRP-2 for injectable and nasal routes and cites serious adverse events reported in patients, though it says causality has not been established.
- Jan 1, 2026Anti-dopingWADA’s 2026 Prohibited List names GHRP-2 (pralmorelin) in S2.2.4
The list names it among GH-releasing peptides. We read a copy hosted by an athletics federation, not WADA’s own file.
- Sep 29, 2023RegulatoryFDA places GHRP-2 (injectable and nasal) in category 2 under the 503B interim policy
Date added, per FDA’s safety-risk page.
- Apr 1, 2020EnforcementFDA warning letter to a compounding pharmacy names GHRP-2 among 22 substances
The letter says drugs the firm compounded from these bulk substances were not eligible for the 503A exemptions.
Still not covered
Left off rather than guessed:
- HHS policy: we read the draft policy appendix through a text extraction, not as the original PDF layout. It names six covered peptides and not GHRP-2.
- FDA review: we found no FDA briefing document or advisory committee evaluation for GHRP-2. FDA’s notice for the July meeting does not name it, so the safety-risk page entry is the only FDA statement on it that we read.
- Approval as a diagnostic: a 2004 review describes the diagnostic programme. KEGG DRUG, a secondary database, lists pralmorelin hydrochloride under Japan’s drug classification as a diagnostic reagent for endocrine function. We could not retrieve a Japanese regulator (PMDA) document, so we have not confirmed approval or its date.
- The adverse event reports FDA cites: not identified on the page.
- Critical-illness studies: abstracts only; we did not read how many patients died or whether any deaths were linked to GHRP-2.
- Drugs@FDA: we searched openFDA’s copy of the Drugs@FDA data by active ingredient and found no application. FDA’s own Drugs@FDA site could not be searched from our tools.
- Patents and SEC filings: not researched for this dossier.
- Seller claims and independent lab reports: how gray-market product is marketed versus what testing finds. We have not collected testing data.
- Unread items: full text of most papers; EU and other non-US regulators and registries; WADA lists for years other than 2026; FDA warning letters beyond those listed, which rest on web searches.