Peptide dossier, updated Nov 2, 2026
Hexarelin
Hexarelin, also called examorelin, a six-amino-acid synthetic growth hormone-releasing peptide. A synthetic peptide that triggers growth hormone release, studied since the 1990s. It has no FDA-approved use and ClinicalTrials.gov lists no study of it. Most recent papers are in mice and rats. WADA bans it. This page lays out what each source actually says.
See all 6 verified records for Hexarelin 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 lists no study of it.
What it is: A short synthetic peptide that mimics ghrelin and triggers the pituitary gland to release growth hormone.
What it is said to do, and by whom:
- Researchers, 1999: in 7 male volunteers an intravenous dose raised growth hormone as much as injected growth hormone did, raised cortisol (growth hormone did not), and raised the heart’s ejection fraction for up to an hour.
- Researchers, 2018 review: growth hormone secretagogues as a class have few long-term controlled studies and appear well tolerated, with some concern for raised blood glucose.
- We did not collect sellers’ claims for this compound.
How strong the evidence is: Weak. A few small acute human studies, a review of the class, and a large body of animal and cell research. We found no human trial showing a clinical benefit.
Regulatory status
What we looked for, and what we found.
What we found
- WADA, 2026. The Prohibited List names “examorelin (hexarelin)” among growth hormone-releasing peptides in S2.2.4. WADA 2026 list (PDF)
- FDA safety-risk page. We read the page on Nov 1, 2026 and did not find hexarelin among the listed substances. FDA page
What we did not find
- We found no FDA approval, briefing document, advisory committee review or press release specific to hexarelin.
- We found no FDA warning letter that names it. Absence is not proven; FDA’s letters cannot be searched by peptide.
- We did not check whether any non-US regulator has approved it.
Published research
PubMed returns 314 results for hexarelin as of Nov 2, 2026. Most recent ones are in mice, rats and cell lines.
What the papers show
- Heart and hormones, 1999. 7 male volunteers received an intravenous dose of recombinant growth hormone or hexarelin on separate occasions. Both raised growth hormone to the same extent; hexarelin, not growth hormone, raised cortisol. Hexarelin raised left ventricular ejection fraction (70.7% versus 64.0%, p < 0.03) without changing blood pressure or heart rate. J Endocrinol Invest PubMed
- Class review, 2018. Reviews human studies of growth hormone secretagogues, including growth hormone-releasing peptides. It says few long-term, rigorously controlled studies exist and that the agents appear well tolerated, with some concern for raised blood glucose. We read the abstract. Sex Med Rev PubMed
- Doping detection, 2015. After nasal administration to one volunteer each, hexarelin and ipamorelin were metabolized intensively; a hexarelin metabolite was detected after the parent compound had cleared. Drug Test Anal PubMed
- Animal and cell work, 2019 to 2026. Recent papers test hexarelin in mice, rats and cell lines, including tissue-injury models. These are not human studies. Example, pancreatic injury in mice: J Mol Histol PubMed
Read with care
- The one human study we read is a single-dose physiology study in seven men, not a trial of treatment.
- Animal results do not predict human effects.
- We read abstracts, not full text, funding or disclosures.
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; Hexarelin 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; Hexarelin is not among them
The committee recommended six of the seven, all nonbinding. FDA’s notice of the meeting does not list Hexarelin.
- Jan 1, 2026Anti-dopingWADA’s 2026 Prohibited List names examorelin (hexarelin) in S2.2.4
The list names it among GH-releasing peptides. We read WADA’s own file through a text extraction.
- 1999LiteratureSeven-volunteer study: hexarelin raises growth hormone, cortisol and ejection fraction
Published in J Endocrinol Invest.
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 hexarelin.
- FDA review: we found no FDA briefing document or advisory committee evaluation for hexarelin. FDA’s notice for the July meeting does not name it.
- Development history: we did not establish who developed it or why development stopped.
- Human treatment studies: we did not find any beyond small acute studies. We did not search non-indexed or non-English literature.
- Warning letters: we found none that name it.
- 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.