Growth hormone secretagogue
Growth hormone secretagogues or GH secretagogues are a class of drugs which act as secretagogues of growth hormone. They include agonists of the ghrelin/growth hormone secretagogue receptor, such as ghrelin, pralmorelin, GHRP-6, examorelin, ipamorelin, and ibutamoren, and agonists of the growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor, such as growth hormone-releasing hormone, CJC-1295, sermorelin, and tesamorelin.
Many of them also induce the secretion of insulin-like growth factor 1, 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.
GHRH receptor agonists
Peptide
- GHRH
- CJC-1295
- Modified GRF (1-29)
- Dumorelin
- Rismorelin
- Sermorelin
- Somatorelin
- Tesamorelin
Ghrelin (GHS) receptor agonists
Peptide
- Ghrelin
- GHRP-1
- GHRP-2
- GHRP-3
- GHRP-4
- GHRP-5
- GHRP-6
- Alexamorelin
- Examorelin
- Ipamorelin
- Relamorelin
- Tabimorelin
Non-peptide
Note that while ulimorelin is a ghrelin receptor agonist, it is not a GHS as it is peripherally selective and has little or no effect on GH secretion.Likewise, Adenosine is capable of eliciting hunger response as a ghrelin agonist but has little to no effect on GH secretion.