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GHRP-2 (Pralmorelin): What Lakeland Readers Should Know

Also known as: Pralmorelin, Pralmorelin hydrochloride, KP-102, Growth hormone releasing peptide-2

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Last updated

At a glance

Type
Growth hormone-releasing peptide (ghrelin-receptor agonist)
Human evidence
Some human trials Studied in people, but not FDA-approved for the uses it is marketed for.
FDA status
Not FDA-approved; on FDA's 503B safety-risk list and in 503A Category 3; approved in Japan only as a diagnostic test (as of May 14, 2026)
How it is given
Injection (Japan's diagnostic product is a single injection into a vein)

GHRP-2 is sometimes sold as a growth hormone booster. Its one approval, in Japan, is for a hospital test, not for treatment. This page explains what research shows and what FDA has said. It is general information, not advice for your situation.

What it is and how it works

GHRP-2, also called pralmorelin, is a lab-made peptide. It acts on the receptor for ghrelin, a hormone best known for signaling hunger. When this receptor in the brain and pituitary gland is switched on, the pituitary releases a pulse of the body’s own growth hormone.1

Unlike ipamorelin, GHRP-2 also raises other hormones: prolactin, ACTH and cortisol (a stress hormone).2 It is closely related to GHRP-6.

What the research shows (and where evidence is weak)

As a diagnostic test. In Japan, GHRP-2 is used once, by vein, to check whether a person’s pituitary can release growth hormone.3 In the study that validated this test, people with confirmed growth hormone deficiency had a much smaller growth hormone response than healthy people.4

As a treatment, it failed. In a double-blind trial, 126 young children with growth hormone deficiency used a GHRP-2 nasal spray or placebo for 48 weeks. Growth did not differ between the groups, and IGF-1 (a growth-related hormone) did not change. The authors concluded that growth cannot be promoted by a brief rise in the body’s own growth hormone.5 This is the longest controlled trial of any peptide in this group.

It makes people eat more. In 7 lean healthy men, GHRP-2 under the skin led them to eat about a third more at a buffet meal than with saline, and every man ate more.6 A follow-up study by the same group in lean and obese people found the effect grew with higher amounts and was not blunted by obesity.7

No trials for wellness goals. No human trial has tested GHRP-2 for muscle, fat loss, strength or aging.1 The human studies are small, mostly short, and focused on hormone responses.

FDA and regulatory status

Not approved in the U.S. There is no FDA-approved GHRP-2 product.8

Japan. GHRP-2 has been sold in Japan since 2005 under the generic name pralmorelin hydrochloride. Its only labeled use is the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency, given as a single injection into a vein.3

Compounding. As of FDA’s page dated April 22, 2026, GHRP-2 for injection or nasal use is on FDA’s significant-safety-risk list (Category 2) for outsourcing facilities (503B), added September 29, 2023.8 On FDA’s 503A list updated May 14, 2026, it is in Category 3, “nominated without adequate support.”9 Florida pharmacy and prescribing rules also apply; see are peptides legal in Florida?. See compounded vs. FDA-approved peptides.

“Research chemical” products. Products labeled “not for human use” are not made to drug-quality standards. See research-chemical peptide risks.

Sport. The World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2026 Prohibited List names GHRP-2 (pralmorelin) among growth hormone-releasing peptides that are banned at all times.10

Common side effects and safety

  • After a single diagnostic dose, the Japanese label lists a feeling of warmth (in 16% of people), sweating, dry mouth, hunger, dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, belly discomfort, low blood pressure and changes in some blood tests. It should not be used in pregnancy.3
  • Hormone effects. GHRP-2 raises cortisol, ACTH and prolactin. This can confuse hormone testing.2
  • More hunger, which works against a weight-loss goal.6
  • FDA’s concerns. FDA warns that compounded GHRP-2 may cause immune reactions from clumping and impurities. FDA says it is aware of reports of serious adverse events in people who received GHRP-2, including a higher need for insulin, deaths of critically ill study subjects, infection and pancreatitis, “though causality has not been established.”8

Repeated use in healthy adults has not been studied. Tell a licensed provider about any symptom that worries you.

Typical cost range

There is no FDA-approved product in the U.S., so there is no official price. Insurance does not usually cover unapproved drugs. Ask any provider for a written price breakdown before you start. See our cost guide.

Questions to ask a provider

  • GHRP-2 is not FDA-approved. Where does your product come from, and how is that allowed?
  • What human evidence supports it for my goal, given that the long-term treatment trial in children failed?
  • How will you account for its effects on cortisol, prolactin and appetite?
  • What lab work will you check before and during use?
  • Are there FDA-approved or better-studied options? See how to vet a peptide clinic.

Footnotes

  1. Dominikowski A, Rękoś Z, Olejarz M, et al. The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis: bridging the gap between clinical evidence and patient self-administration. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2026;17:1822475. doi:10.3389/fendo.2026.1822475. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2026.1822475 ↩ ↩2

  2. Arvat E, di Vito L, Maccagno B, et al. Effects of GHRP-2 and hexarelin, two synthetic GH-releasing peptides, on GH, prolactin, ACTH and cortisol levels in man. Peptides. 1997;18(6):885-891. doi:10.1016/s0196-9781(97)00016-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0196-9781(97)00016-8 ↩ ↩2

  3. Kaken Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. GHRP Kaken 100 for injection (pralmorelin hydrochloride). Package insert, 3rd revision, July 2025. Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (Japan). Accessed November 2026. https://www.pmda.go.jp/PmdaSearch/iyakuDetail/200022_7223407D2023_1_01 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. Chihara K, Shimatsu A, Hizuka N, et al. A simple diagnostic test using GH-releasing peptide-2 in adult GH deficiency. Eur J Endocrinol. 2007;157(1):19-27. doi:10.1530/EJE-07-0066. https://doi.org/10.1530/EJE-07-0066 ↩

  5. Tanaka T, Hasegawa Y, Yokoya S, Nishi Y. Increased secretion of endogenous GH after treatment with an intranasal GH-releasing peptide-2 spray does not promote growth in short children with GH deficiency. Clin Pediatr Endocrinol. 2014;23(4):107-114. doi:10.1297/cpe.23.107. https://doi.org/10.1297/cpe.23.107 ↩

  6. Laferrère B, Abraham C, Russell CD, Bowers CY. Growth hormone releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2), like ghrelin, increases food intake in healthy men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005;90(2):611-614. doi:10.1210/jc.2004-1719. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2004-1719 ↩ ↩2

  7. Laferrère B, Hart AB, Bowers CY. Obese subjects respond to the stimulatory effect of the ghrelin agonist growth hormone-releasing peptide-2 on food intake. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2006;14(6):1056-1063. doi:10.1038/oby.2006.121. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2006.121 ↩

  8. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks. Content current April 22, 2026. Accessed November 2026. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  9. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bulk drug substances nominated for use in compounding under section 503A of the FD&C Act. Updated May 14, 2026. Accessed November 2026. https://www.fda.gov/media/94155/download ↩

  10. World Anti-Doping Agency. The Prohibited List (2026). Accessed November 2026. https://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list ↩

Frequently asked questions

Is GHRP-2 FDA-approved?

No. There is no FDA-approved GHRP-2 product in the United States. Japan approved it, but only as a one-time test to check for growth hormone deficiency, not as a treatment.

Does GHRP-2 build muscle or burn fat?

No human trial has tested it for muscle, fat loss, strength or aging. When it was tested as a long-term treatment in children with growth hormone deficiency, it did not improve growth or change IGF-1.

What side effects does GHRP-2 have?

It raises the stress hormone cortisol and the hormone prolactin, not just growth hormone, and it makes people hungrier. FDA lists serious safety concerns about compounded GHRP-2.

Can athletes use GHRP-2?

No. The World Anti-Doping Agency names GHRP-2 on its 2026 Prohibited List, banned at all times.

Questions? Talk to a licensed provider

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