GHRP-2

Where GHRP-2 comes from.

GHRP-2 is a synthetic six-amino-acid peptide first described in the published literature in 1991 by a research group at Tulane University investigating synthetic compounds that release growth hormone of the native GHRH pathway. The compound was developed under the research designation KP-102, also called pralmorelin in pharmacological literature. GHRP-2 was one of two foundational compounds in the growth-hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP) class, alongside GHRP-6, that established the existence of a separate growth-hormone-secretagogue receptor distinct from the native GHRH receptor.

The peptide is built by Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis with three D-amino-acid substitutions (positions 1, 2, and 5) that improve resistance to proteolytic degradation. After purification by reversed-phase HPLC the peptide is freeze-dried and sealed in vials. The freeze-dried form is stable at room temperature, with reconstitution at the bench when ready for use. The published literature uses GHRP-2 and pralmorelin interchangeably, with the KP-102 designation appearing in early development-stage publications.

PubMed lists more than 450 papers mentioning GHRP-2 or pralmorelin as of 2026, reflecting the compound’s long-established role as a foundational reference in growth-hormone-secretagogue research. The published literature spans receptor identification work in the 1990s, animal pharmacology studies, and a substantial body of human pilot and clinical research in pediatric and adult growth-hormone-deficiency contexts. The compound has been used in clinical practice in some jurisdictions; the research-supply form is supplied for laboratory research only.

What the research looks at.

GHRP-2 mechanism research is foundational to the broader GHRP-class literature. The peptide acts at the growth-hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR1a), a class A G-protein-coupled receptor on anterior pituitary somatotrophs. Cell-culture binding studies established GHRP-2 as a high-potency agonist at this receptor in the 1990s, work that contributed to the identification of GHSR1a as the receptor for the natural ligand ghrelin (later identified in 1999). The downstream signalling proceeds through Gq-IP3-calcium and additional pathways distinct from the GHRH receptor.

A second strand of research has measured the broader pharmacological profile of GHRP-2. Animal studies report concomitant elevation of cortisol, prolactin, and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) alongside the growth-hormone response, distinguishing GHRP-2 from the later selective compound Ipamorelin which produces growth-hormone release with a more selective profile. This broad-spectrum endocrine activity is the basis on which GHRP-2 is used in research as a high-potency reference compound for ghrelin-receptor pharmacology generally.

"GHRP-2 produces a broad-spectrum endocrine response at the growth-hormone secretagogue receptor, distinguishing it from the later selective agonists in the same receptor class."

A third line of research uses GHRP-2 in combination-research designs. Published animal and clinical studies pair GHRP-2 with GHRH or GHRH analogues such as CJC-1295 No DAC, measuring additive or synergistic effects on growth-hormone secretion. The published literature describes the combined activation of both the GHSR1a receptor and the GHRH receptor as producing pulsatile-secretion patterns that exceed those obtained with either receptor activated alone.

Where the published research does not go in the research-supply context: laboratory research does not extend to administration to humans, off-label clinical use, or any therapeutic application. Pharmaceutical formulations of GHRP-2 have been used in some jurisdictions historically; the research-supply form is supplied for laboratory research only.