Class
Growth hormone secretagogues stimulate the body's own growth hormone release, either by mimicking growth hormone-releasing hormone at the pituitary or by mimicking ghrelin at its receptor. The class is pharmacologically coherent and legally scattered, which makes it the index's best illustration that biology does not decide regulatory position.
One member is an approved drug with phase 3 evidence; one is compounded lawfully on the strength of a withdrawn commercial approval; two have real early-phase human data and no lawful route at all; and two more, GHRP-2 and GHRP-6, were nominated without adequate support and are also named under FDA's separate 503B policy. The monographs carry the particulars.
Molecules in this class
| Molecule | Class | US status | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| TesamorelinEGRIFTA; GHRH(1–44) analogue | GH secretagogues | FDA-approved | Approved since 2010; EGRIFTA WR (weekly reconstitution) approved March 2025. Verified August 2026. |
| SermorelinGHRH(1–29); formerly Geref | GH secretagogues | Compoundable (503A) | Previously approved (Geref), discontinued in 2008 for business reasons; compounded today under 503A. Verified August 2026. |
| CJC-1295 | GH secretagogues | Nomination withdrawn | Removed from Category 2 in September 2024 after its nominators withdrew; on no list; no lawful compounding route. Verified August 2026. |
| Ipamorelin | GH secretagogues | Nomination withdrawn | 503A nominations withdrawn September 2024 and in no 503A category; named in Category 2 under FDA's separate 503B policy; no lawful compounding route. |
| GHRP-2Growth hormone releasing peptide-2; pralmorelin | GH secretagogues | No lawful route | Category 3 of the 503A bulks list — nominated without adequate support — and Category 2 under the separate 503B policy for injectable and nasal routes; no lawful route. |
| GHRP-6Growth hormone releasing peptide-6; growth hormone releasing hexapeptide | GH secretagogues | No lawful route | Category 3 of the 503A bulks list — nominated without adequate support — and Category 2 under the separate 503B policy; no lawful route. |
EGRIFTA; GHRH(1–44) analogue
Approved since 2010; EGRIFTA WR (weekly reconstitution) approved March 2025. Verified August 2026.
GHRH(1–29); formerly Geref
Previously approved (Geref), discontinued in 2008 for business reasons; compounded today under 503A. Verified August 2026.
Removed from Category 2 in September 2024 after its nominators withdrew; on no list; no lawful compounding route. Verified August 2026.
503A nominations withdrawn September 2024 and in no 503A category; named in Category 2 under FDA's separate 503B policy; no lawful compounding route.
Growth hormone releasing peptide-2; pralmorelin
Category 3 of the 503A bulks list — nominated without adequate support — and Category 2 under the separate 503B policy for injectable and nasal routes; no lawful route.
Growth hormone releasing peptide-6; growth hormone releasing hexapeptide
Category 3 of the 503A bulks list — nominated without adequate support — and Category 2 under the separate 503B policy; no lawful route.
The approved member's record is at tesamorelin; the lawful compounded position at sermorelin; the withdrawn pair at CJC-1295 and ipamorelin; and the Category 3 pair at GHRP-2 and GHRP-6, whose large trial counts are mostly provocation studies that measure a hormone response rather than treat anything.
The 2026 WADA Prohibited List names Tesamorelin (section S2.2.4), Sermorelin (section S2.2.4), CJC-1295 (section S2.2.4), Ipamorelin (section S2.2.4), GHRP-2 (section S2.2.4) and GHRP-6 (section S2.2.4).
The vote ledger and the WADA table carry the sources.
Evidence reviews
Reference tables
Definitions