Peptide dossier, updated Nov 1, 2026

GHRP-6

Growth hormone-releasing peptide-6, a six-amino-acid synthetic peptide. A synthetic peptide that triggers growth hormone release. It has no FDA-approved use. In published clinical studies it appears mainly as a stimulation test for pituitary and adrenal function. FDA lists it as a compounding substance that may pose safety risks. This page lays out what each source actually says.

See all 9 verified records for GHRP-6 on the Records page

In plain terms

Approved for: Nothing from FDA that we found. It is not an FDA-approved drug, and ClinicalTrials.gov has no study that lists it.

What it is: A short synthetic peptide that mimics ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and triggers a release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland.

What it is said to do, and by whom:

Researchers: published clinical papers use a GHRP-6 test to assess growth hormone reserve in children and adults, and, in one 2010 study, adrenal function.
FDA: says compounded drugs containing it may pose immunogenicity risk and that available data show effects on cortisol and blood glucose.
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 no human trial showing a clinical benefit. FDA says the limited data it has show safety concerns, including an effect on cortisol and higher blood glucose from reduced insulin sensitivity.

FDA safety-risk page

Listed (503B)

FDA says compounded drugs containing GHRP-6 may pose immunogenicity risk, and that the limited data available show safety concerns including a potential effect on cortisol and increased blood glucose from decreased insulin sensitivity. Added Sep 29, 2023.

HHS enforcement, Oct 30

Not covered

The draft policy’s covered list names six peptides: BPC-157, epitalon, KPV, MOTS-c, Semax and TB-500. GHRP-6 is not one of them. Draft policy. Not binding.

FDA advisory panel, July

Not reviewed

FDA’s Federal Register notice for the July 23–24 meeting lists seven peptides. GHRP-6 is not among them.

WADA prohibited list

Named

The 2026 list names GHRP-6 in section S2.2.4, GH-releasing peptides. We read WADA’s own file through a text extraction and cross-checked a copy hosted by an athletics federation.

Human evidence

Diagnostic tests only

The clinical papers we found use it as a one-dose stimulation test. ClinicalTrials.gov has no GHRP-6 study.

FDA review

FDA’s safety-risk page (content current Apr 22, 2026) is the one FDA document on GHRP-6 that we read.

What the page says

It lists “Growth hormone releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6)” in category 2 under the 503B interim policy, added Sep 29, 2023.
It says compounded drugs containing GHRP-6 may pose risk for immunogenicity for certain routes of administration, due to the potential for aggregation and peptide-related impurities.
It says FDA has identified limited safety-related information, but that the available data reveal safety concerns including a potential effect on cortisol and an increase in blood glucose due to decreases in insulin sensitivity.

What we did not find

The page does not cite the data it refers to.
We found no FDA briefing document, advisory committee review or press release specific to GHRP-6.

Sources: FDA: bulk substances that may present significant safety risks

Published research

PubMed returns 639 results for GHRP-6 in the title or abstract as of Nov 1, 2026. Many concern a related blocker, D-Lys3-GHRP-6, ghrelin receptor biology and doping detection.

What the papers show

Review, 1997. Describes GHRPs as synthetic, non-natural peptides that stimulate growth hormone secretion in animals and humans through their own receptor. Eur J Endocrinol PubMed
Diagnostic test, 1996. GHRP-6 given intravenously to short-statured children and to adults with growth hormone deficiency. Responses overlapped between deficient and normal children, and were almost absent in patients with pituitary stalk transection. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab PubMed
Adrenal test, 2010. 49 patients with suspected adrenal axis dysfunction and 20 healthy controls received GHRP-6 1 microgram/kg; the study compared the cortisol response with the insulin tolerance test. Horm Metab Res PubMed
Cells and rats, 2006. GHRP-6 sped cell migration in gut cell lines and reduced liver and intestinal damage markers in a rat ischaemia model. This is not a human study. Clin Sci (Lond) PubMed
Doping control, 2015. Detection of GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 in urine samples from athletes. 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 abstracts, not full text, funding or disclosures.
We did not verify whether the diagnostic is approved or used outside the United States.

FDA warning letters

We found one FDA warning letter that names GHRP-6. It is addressed to a compounding pharmacy and is not a finding about GHRP-6’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 substances that includes GHRP-6, and that drugs made from them were not eligible for the section 503A exemptions. 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, 2026Regulatory
HHS publishes draft policy pausing enforcement on six peptides; GHRP-6 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.
Federal Register Docket HHS policy appendix BakerHostetler summary
July 23–24, 2026Regulatory
FDA advisory committee meets on seven peptides; GHRP-6 is not among them
The committee recommended six of the seven, all nonbinding. FDA’s notice of the meeting does not list GHRP-6.
Federal Register notice Holland & Knight summary
Apr 22, 2026Regulatory
FDA’s safety-risk page lists GHRP-6
FDA lists GHRP-6 and says limited data show a potential effect on cortisol and increased blood glucose.
FDA page
Jan 1, 2026Anti-doping
WADA’s 2026 Prohibited List names GHRP-6 in S2.2.4
The list names it among GH-releasing peptides. We read WADA’s own file through a text extraction.
WADA 2026 list (PDF)
Sep 29, 2023Regulatory
FDA places GHRP-6 in category 2 under the 503B interim policy
Date added, per FDA’s safety-risk page.
FDA page
Apr 1, 2020Enforcement
FDA warning letter to a compounding pharmacy names GHRP-6 among its compounded substances
The letter says drugs the firm compounded from these bulk substances were not eligible for the 503A exemptions.
Warning letter 594743

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-6.
FDA review: we found no FDA briefing document or advisory committee evaluation for GHRP-6. FDA’s notice for the July meeting does not name it.
The data FDA cites: the page names effects on cortisol and blood glucose but gives no citation. We did not identify the source.
Human treatment studies: we did not find any. We did not search for non-English or non-indexed literature.
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.