List_of_growth_hormone_secretagogues
Growth hormone secretagogue
Class of drugs
Growth hormone secretagogues or GH secretagogues (GHSs) are a class of drugs which act as secretagogues (i.e., induce the secretion) of growth hormone (GH).[1] They include agonists of the ghrelin/growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), such as ghrelin (lenomorelin), pralmorelin (GHRP-2), GHRP-6, examorelin (hexarelin), ipamorelin,[2] and ibutamoren (MK-677),[1][3] and agonists of the growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRHR), such as growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH, somatorelin), CJC-1295,[4] sermorelin,[5] and tesamorelin.[6]
Many of them also induce the secretion of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1),[7] as well as of other hypothalamic-pituitary hormones such as prolactin and cortisol. The main clinical application of these agents is the treatment of growth hormone deficiency.[8] They also see black market use, similarly to anabolic steroids, for bodybuilding purposes.