GHRP-2 (Pralmorelin): Dosage, Benefits and Side Effects

Compound Guide 8 min read Updated 31 October 2026

GHRP-2 (pralmorelin) is a synthetic ghrelin mimetic peptide that raises growth hormone and, in human studies, appetite. The human doses we could source are research doses, not a treatment label: a subcutaneous infusion of 1 mcg per kilogram per hour for 270 minutes in seven lean men raised growth hormone and made them eat 35.9% more at a buffet. A GHRP-2 stimulation test is used in Japan to diagnose growth hormone deficiency, while FDA puts injectable and nasal GHRP-2 in category 2 of its 503B bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks. The 30 October 2026 HHS enforcement discretion policy covers six other peptides and does not include GHRP-2.

Updated 31 October 2026. Every study, regulatory and date claim on this page is tied to a source in the list at the end, checked 31 October 2026; the syringe unit examples are plain arithmetic. Research use framing: this is a summary of what sources report, not advice.

What GHRP-2 Is

GHRP-2 is a synthetic growth hormone releasing peptide that acts as an agonist of ghrelin, the gut peptide that binds the growth hormone secretagogue receptor. It is catalogued as pralmorelin, GPA 748 and KP-102 D. The sequence listed by the German Sport University Cologne is D-Ala, D-β-Nal, Ala, Trp, D-Phe, Lys-NH2, six residues, and PubChem gives the formula C45H55N9O6 with a molecular weight of about 818. FDA notes that GHRP-2 contains an unnatural amino acid, which complicates characterisation of compounded product.

It is a releasing peptide, not a growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) analogue. A 2005 trial describes it as a synthetic agonist of ghrelin, which stimulates both growth hormone secretion and appetite.

The Japanese Diagnostic Test

A 2004 drug profile says the diagnostic use of pralmorelin rests on its ability to raise plasma growth hormone markedly in healthy subjects, with a significantly lower response in patients with growth hormone deficiency. A 2014 review says that in Japan the GHRP-2 test is available and recommended as a convenient and safe growth hormone stimulating test for adult growth hormone deficiency. The same 2004 profile says US development for growth hormone deficiency appeared to have been discontinued.

A single stimulation test is a different question from repeated dosing over weeks. None of the sources we opened tests repeated GHRP-2 use over months.

GHRP-2 Dosage: What the Human Studies Used

We found no label dose for GHRP-2 as a medicine in the sources we opened. The human doses we could trace are research doses:

Study	Who	Dose and route	What was reported
Laferrère et al., 2005	7 lean healthy men, GHRP-2 or saline	1 mcg per kg per hour, subcutaneous infusion, 270 minutes	Buffet intake 35.9% higher; serum growth hormone rose (AUC 5550 vs 412 mcg/L/240 min)
Bowers and Granda-Ayala, 1996	Healthy younger and older men and women	GHRP-2, GHRH or both, 7 to 30 days (doses not given in the abstract)	Chronic exposure could turn an additive GHRP-2 plus GHRH response into a synergistic one
Reverter-Branchat et al., 2021	Anti-doping administration study	Single 100 mcg intravenous dose	GHRP-2 detected in dried blood spots up to 4 hours after injection

We found no label, regulator document or registered trial in our sources that supports a per-injection protocol table, so this page publishes none and no escalation schedule. Dose charts you may see elsewhere are not derived from anything listed here.

Best vendor for GHRP-2 right now: PSPeptides

GHRP-2 single vials, 5 mg at $29.99 and 10 mg at $39.99, both in stock when the Bureau read the store on 31 October 2026 (list price before any code), with a batch certificate of analysis on the product page. Pantheon, named here before, shows its GHRP-2 as sold out in both sizes. Research use only.

Check price at PSPeptides Compare all vendors

GHRP-2 Benefits: What Is and Is Not Shown

The effects shown in the human studies we opened are a rise in growth hormone and an increase in appetite and food intake. In the 2005 trial every one of the seven men ate more with GHRP-2 than with saline, and serum growth hormone rose during the infusion. Its other documented use is as a stimulation test for growth hormone deficiency.

We did not find, in the sources we opened, a trial showing fat loss, muscle gain, better sleep or faster recovery from repeated GHRP-2 use. Reports of those effects online are reports, not trial results.

GHRP-2 vs GHRP-6 and Ipamorelin

We did not open a head-to-head trial of GHRP-2 against GHRP-6 or ipamorelin, so this page does not rank them. The GHRP-6 guide and the ipamorelin guide cover each compound on its own terms, and the hexarelin guide covers a third member of the same family.

Combining a GHRP With a GHRH Analogue

The one human result we opened on combinations is from 1996: in healthy men and women given GHRP-2, GHRH or both for 7 to 30 days, chronic exposure to either could convert an additive GHRP-2 plus GHRH growth hormone response into a synergistic one. The CJC-1295 and ipamorelin stack page covers the pairing logic with a different GHRP.

CJC-1295 at Pantheon

Reconstitution and Syringe Units

The arithmetic is the same for any peptide. Units on a 100 unit insulin syringe equal the dose in micrograms divided by the concentration in micrograms per millilitre, times 100, because one unit is 0.01 ml. Two worked examples, arithmetic only and not doses: a 10 mg vial with 5 ml of water is 2000 mcg per ml, so 100 mcg is 0.05 ml or 5 units. The same vial with 2 ml is 5000 mcg per ml, so 100 mcg is 0.02 ml or 2 units, a draw where small errors are a large share of the amount. The free Peptulator calculator does this for any vial and volume.

How to reconstitute peptides covers the procedure, the bacteriostatic water guide covers the diluent, and peptide storage covers keeping an opened vial intact.

Bacteriostatic water at Amino Club

GHRP-2 Side Effects and Safety Signals

The one effect measured directly in the human trial we opened is appetite: all seven men ate more during the GHRP-2 infusion. FDA's safety page cites reports of serious adverse events in patients who received GHRP-2, including increased insulin requirement to maintain blood glucose, death of critically ill study subjects, infection and pancreatitis, and states that causality has not been established. FDA also flags an immunogenicity risk for compounded injectable and nasal GHRP-2 because of possible aggregation and peptide-related impurities.

A 2026 review of peptides acting on the GH-IGF-1 axis lists prolactin and cortisol elevations, appetite changes, dysglycaemia, fluid retention, muscle and joint pain and injection-site reactions as reported effects across the class. Those are class-level reports, not GHRP-2 rates. A 1996 study found that whether the growth hormone response desensitises during chronic administration depends in part on dosage and frequency.

Legal and Regulatory Status on 31 October 2026

FDA's page on bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks lists GHRP-2 (for injectable and nasal routes) in the 503B column, category 2, added 29 September 2023. The page was current as of 22 April 2026 when we read it.

On 30 October 2026 HHS published notice 2026-22192 in the Federal Register (91 FR 68526), an interim enforcement discretion policy for 503A compounding of six peptide bulk drug substances: BPC-157, epitalon, KPV, MOTS-c, semax and TB-500. GHRP-2 is not one of the six, and the notice itself states that compounded drugs are not FDA-approved. Our explainer is here. The German Sport University Cologne states that the WADA Prohibited List as of 1 January 2026 includes GHRP-2 (pralmorelin) among the growth hormone releasing peptides.

Sourcing Notes

The Bureau's Vendor Watch price tracker had no GHRP-2 price rows on 31 October 2026, so this page quotes no research-market price. The Pantheon review sets out how the scorecard treats that vendor, and how to spot a fake peptide vendor covers what a real certificate of analysis looks like. Readers comparing injectable and oral growth hormone secretagogues can start with the MK-677 guide.

Key Takeaways

GHRP-2 (pralmorelin) is a ghrelin-mimetic peptide that raises growth hormone and appetite in human studies
No label dose turned up in our sources; the human doses we could trace are research doses
In Japan a GHRP-2 stimulation test is used to diagnose growth hormone deficiency
FDA lists injectable and nasal GHRP-2 in 503B category 2 (significant safety risks)
The 30 October 2026 HHS policy covers six other peptides, not GHRP-2
Syringe units equal dose in mcg divided by mcg per ml, times 100

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GHRP-2?

GHRP-2, also called pralmorelin, is a synthetic peptide that mimics ghrelin and binds the growth hormone secretagogue receptor. It raises growth hormone, and in a 2005 study in seven lean men it also raised food intake. Its listed formula is C45H55N9O6, with a molecular weight of about 818.

What is the GHRP-2 dosage?

No label dose for GHRP-2 as a medicine turned up in the sources we opened. Published human work used research doses: a subcutaneous infusion of 1 mcg per kilogram per hour for 270 minutes in seven lean men, and a single 100 mcg intravenous dose in an anti-doping detection study. The Bureau publishes no per-injection protocol because we could not trace one to a label or a trial.

What are the benefits of GHRP-2?

The effects shown in human studies are a rise in growth hormone and an increase in appetite and food intake. It is also used as a stimulation test: a 2014 review says the GHRP-2 test is available in Japan for diagnosing adult growth hormone deficiency. We did not find a trial in our sources showing fat loss, muscle gain or better sleep from repeated GHRP-2 use.

What are the side effects of GHRP-2?

Food intake rose in all seven men in the 2005 infusion study. FDA's safety page cites reports of serious adverse events in patients who received GHRP-2, including increased insulin requirement, death of critically ill study subjects, infection and pancreatitis, and says causality has not been established. A 2026 review of peptides acting on the GH-IGF-1 axis lists prolactin and cortisol elevations, appetite changes, dysglycaemia, fluid retention, muscle and joint pain and injection-site reactions as reported effects across the class.

Does GHRP-2 raise cortisol and prolactin?

A 2026 review of peptides acting on the GH-IGF-1 axis lists prolactin and cortisol elevations among reported adverse effects of the class. We did not open a GHRP-2 dose-response study, so we cannot give the size of the rise or a dose at which it starts.

Is GHRP-2 legal or approved?

FDA lists injectable and nasal GHRP-2 in category 2 of its 503B bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks, added 29 September 2023 (page current as of 22 April 2026). The HHS enforcement discretion policy published on 30 October 2026 covers six other peptides, not GHRP-2, and the notice states that compounded drugs are not FDA-approved. The German Sport University Cologne states that GHRP-2 is on the WADA Prohibited List as of 1 January 2026.

How do you work out syringe units for GHRP-2?

Units on a 100 unit insulin syringe equal the dose in micrograms divided by the concentration in micrograms per millilitre, times 100. As arithmetic only, not a dose: a 10 mg vial with 5 ml of water is 2000 mcg per ml, so 100 mcg is 0.05 ml or 5 units. The same vial with 2 ml is 5000 mcg per ml, so 100 mcg is 0.02 ml or 2 units.

Sources (checked 31 October 2026)

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. PMID 15699539. Abstract read on Europe PMC, checked 31 October 2026.
Pralmorelin: GHRP 2, GPA 748, growth hormone-releasing peptide 2, KP-102 D, KP-102 LN. Drugs R D, 2004. PMID 15230633. Checked 31 October 2026.
Fukuda I, Hizuka N, Muraoka T, Ichihara A. Adult growth hormone deficiency: current concepts. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo), 2014. PMID 25070016. Checked 31 October 2026.
Bowers CY, Granda-Ayala R. GHRP-2, GHRH and SRIF interrelationships during chronic administration of GHRP-2 to humans. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab, 1996. PMID 8887169. Checked 31 October 2026.
Reverter-Branchat G, Segura J, Pozo OJ. On the road of dried blood spot sampling for antidoping tests: Detection of GHRP-2 abuse. Drug Test Anal, 2021. PMID 33197153. Checked 31 October 2026.
The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis: bridging the gap between clinical evidence and patient self-administration. Front Endocrinol, 2026. Europe PMC, PMID 42395176. Checked 31 October 2026.
FDA, Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks (content current as of 22 April 2026). fda.gov. Checked 31 October 2026.
HHS, Enforcement Discretion Policy Regarding 503A Compounding Using Certain Peptide Bulk Drug Substances, Federal Register notice 2026-22192, 91 FR 68526, 30 October 2026. federalregister.gov. Text read 31 October 2026.
German Sport University Cologne, doping glossary: GHRP (growth hormone-releasing peptides), citing the WADA Prohibited List as of 1 January 2026. dshs-koeln.de. Checked 31 October 2026.
PubChem, pralmorelin (CID 6918245): formula and molecular weight. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Checked 31 October 2026.
Peptide Bureau Vendor Watch price data, read 31 October 2026: no GHRP-2 rows.

Medical disclaimer

This article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. GHRP-2 is not approved for human therapeutic use in the United States, and material sold under that name is supplied for laboratory research only. Nothing here is a recommendation to obtain or administer any compound. Dose figures described are drawn from published human studies and do not describe supervised clinical use. Consult a qualified clinician before making any decision about your health.

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The Peptide Bureau editorial desk. Peptide Bureau is a small independent research team covering peptide dosing, safety and vendors. We are not clinicians; nothing here is medical advice. How the Bureau works.