Is GHRP-2 approved as a medicine?

It is approved in Japan only as a diagnostic GH-provocative agent, not as a therapeutic drug. Elsewhere it is research-use-only and not approved for human treatment.

How does GHRP-2 differ from GHRH?

GHRP-2 works through the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a), a separate pathway from the GHRH receptor, which is why the two can act synergistically in diagnostic testing.

Does GHRP-2 have proven anti-aging or muscle-building benefits?

No. The human evidence concerns acute GH stimulation and diagnosis; there are no rigorous human trials establishing body-composition or anti-aging benefits.

Is GHRP-2 safe to self-administer?

Published data cover supervised single-dose diagnostic use only. Long-term or self-directed use has not been evaluated for safety in the peer-reviewed literature, and this content is informational, not medical advice.

Prescription (some regions)aka Pralmorelin, KP-102

GHRP-2 — Complete Research Guide (2026)

Last updated 2026-06-25

TL;DR

A growth-hormone-releasing peptide and ghrelin-receptor agonist used as a diagnostic agent for growth-hormone deficiency in some countries.

What is GHRP-2?

GHRP-2 (pralmorelin) is a synthetic growth-hormone-releasing hexapeptide that acts as a ghrelin-receptor agonist to provoke pituitary growth-hormone (GH) release.

It is best characterized as a diagnostic GH-stimulation agent and is approved in Japan (marketed as a GH-provocative test reagent) for evaluating GH deficiency.

Evidence level is moderate for its diagnostic use: multiple human GH-stimulation studies exist, but it is not approved as a therapeutic agent and remains research-use-only outside its diagnostic indication.

How does GHRP-2 work?

GHRP-2 binds the growth-hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a, the ghrelin receptor) on the pituitary and hypothalamus, a pathway distinct from the GHRH receptor, amplifying pulsatile GH secretion.

This receptor action underlies its use as a short-acting provocative stimulus in GH-stimulation testing. [INFOGRAPHIC: GHRP-2 ghrelin-receptor GH provocation]

What does the research say about GHRP-2?

GHRP-2 reliably provokes a measurable growth-hormone surge, which is the basis for its use as a provocative agent in GH-stimulation testing, including in children. ^[2]
In Japanese clinical practice the GHRP-2 test performs comparably to the insulin tolerance test for diagnosing adult GH deficiency (reported sensitivity ~85%, specificity ~95%). ^[1]
The GH response to GHRP-2 is blunted in obesity and can improve after major weight loss, illustrating that the test result is sensitive to metabolic state. ^[3]

Clinical research & studies

The references below are the primary sources cited throughout this guide. Each links directly to PubMed or the regulator. Where evidence is preclinical (animal or in-vitro), that is stated rather than implied.

[1] The arginine and GHRP-2 tests as alternatives to the insulin tolerance test for the diagnosis of adult GH deficiency in Japanese patients: a comparison — Kinoshita Y et al., Endocr J 2013. (human diagnostic comparison, n=71)
[2] Growth hormone response to GH-releasing peptide-2 in children — Asakura Y et al., J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 2010. (human GH-stimulation (children))
[3] Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Resolves Low GHRP-2-Stimulated Growth Hormone Levels in Obese Patients — Ohara E et al., Obes Surg 2017. (human GH-stimulation)
[4] Pralmorelin: GHRP 2, GPA 748, growth hormone-releasing peptide 2, KP-102 D, KP-102 LN — Adis Drugs R&D profile, Drugs R D 2004. (drug-development monograph)
[5] Adult growth hormone deficiency: current concepts — Fukuda I et al., Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 2014. (clinical review)
[6] Growth hormone-releasing peptides — Ghigo E et al., Eur J Endocrinol 1997. (review)

Dosing context

This is not medical advice or a usage recommendation. Dosing figures are reported research context only, cited from the published literature.

In the diagnostic research literature GHRP-2 is given as a single weight-based intravenous bolus under clinical supervision purely to measure the GH response.

Any dosing figures appear only in a controlled research or diagnostic-testing context and are not treatment guidance for individuals.

Side effects & safety profile

In the human diagnostic studies reviewed, GHRP-2 was generally well tolerated as a single provocative dose, but published data focus on acute testing rather than chronic administration.

Long-term safety of repeated or self-directed use is not established in the peer-reviewed literature, and no validated therapeutic safety profile exists.

No reliable human half-life is asserted here; pharmacokinetic parameters vary by route and are not consistently reported for non-diagnostic use.

Stacking & combinations

In research settings GHRP-2 has been combined with GHRH to produce a synergistic, more robust GH-stimulation response for diagnostic purposes.

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Frequently asked questions

In the peer-reviewed literature it is primarily a diagnostic GH-stimulation agent; in Japan pralmorelin is approved as a test reagent for evaluating growth-hormone deficiency.

References

[1] The arginine and GHRP-2 tests as alternatives to the insulin tolerance test for the diagnosis of adult GH deficiency in Japanese patients: a comparison — Kinoshita Y et al., Endocr J 2013. PMID: 23079545. View sourceStudy: human diagnostic comparison, n=71The GHRP-2 test showed ~85% sensitivity and ~95% specificity versus the insulin tolerance test for diagnosing adult GH deficiency.
[2] Growth hormone response to GH-releasing peptide-2 in children — Asakura Y et al., J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 2010. PMID: 20662346. View sourceStudy: human GH-stimulation (children)GHRP-2 provoked a robust GH response in children, supporting its use as a GH-provocative agent.
[3] Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Resolves Low GHRP-2-Stimulated Growth Hormone Levels in Obese Patients — Ohara E et al., Obes Surg 2017. PMID: 28623445. View sourceStudy: human GH-stimulationBlunted GHRP-2-stimulated GH levels in obese patients improved after weight-loss surgery.
[4] Pralmorelin: GHRP 2, GPA 748, growth hormone-releasing peptide 2, KP-102 D, KP-102 LN — Adis Drugs R&D profile, Drugs R D 2004. PMID: 15230633. View sourceStudy: drug-development monographDocuments pralmorelin's development and approval in Japan as a diagnostic GH secretagogue.
[5] Adult growth hormone deficiency: current concepts — Fukuda I et al., Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 2014. PMID: 25070016. View sourceStudy: clinical reviewDescribes the role of the GHRP-2 test in diagnosing adult GH deficiency in Japanese practice.
[6] Growth hormone-releasing peptides — Ghigo E et al., Eur J Endocrinol 1997. PMID: 9186261. View sourceStudy: reviewReviews GHRPs as potent GH secretagogues acting through a receptor distinct from the GHRH receptor.

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This article is for educational and research purposes only. Peptides discussed here are not approved for human consumption by the FDA, EMA, or equivalent regulators outside of specific clinical contexts. Always consult a licensed medical professional before any therapeutic use.