GHRP-2 — wholesale 10-vial kits

Research context

GHRP-2 is one of the second-generation growth hormone-releasing peptides from Cyril Bowers' secretagogue program at Tulane University, the line of work that began with unnatural GH-releasing peptides in the 1970s, produced GHRP-6 in 1984, and ended with the identification of the natural ligand ghrelin in 1999. Its D-amino acids and the bulky D-2-naphthylalanine residue make it resistant to proteolysis and give it high potency at GHS-R1a, the receptor later found to be the target of ghrelin.

Molecular design. GHRP-2 is a hexapeptide amide, D-Ala-D-2-Nal-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH₂. Three of its six residues are non-coded (D-Ala, D-2-naphthylalanine and D-Phe), which is what blocks ordinary peptidase cleavage, and the C-terminal amide removes the free carboxylate. The naphthyl group at position 2 is the main difference from GHRP-6, which carries His-D-Trp there; the bulkier aromatic side chain is associated with its higher potency. FDA's own compounding review notes that the unnatural amino acid adds to the complexity of characterizing the peptide, which is a practical point for any lab qualifying an analytical method against it.

Researchers use GHRP-2 as a potent, well-documented ghrelin-receptor agonist. In the conscious-swine comparison that defined ipamorelin's selectivity, GHRP-2 was the more potent GH releaser but had lower maximal efficacy, and, unlike ipamorelin, it raised ACTH and cortisol. It is therefore used to study how GHS-R1a activation affects the wider hypothalamic–pituitary axis, appetite signaling (published human pharmacology reports increased food intake, as with ghrelin), and pituitary reserve. It is also used as an analytical reference in anti-doping method development.

Regulatory status: GHRP-2 is not an FDA-approved drug. In FDA's compounding records it was placed in Category 2 under the 503B interim policy in September 2023 for specified routes, with FDA citing immunogenicity risk from aggregation and peptide-related impurities. Outside the United States, a standardized GHRP-2 stimulation test of pituitary GH reserve is in established use in Japan, and much of the published human literature on pralmorelin concerns that diagnostic application rather than any ongoing development program. WholesalePeptide.us supplies it only for in-vitro, analytical and preclinical laboratory research.

Analytically, GHRP-2 contains both D-2-naphthylalanine and tryptophan, so it is strongly UV-absorbing and easy to follow on RP-HPLC; tryptophan oxidation is the degradation route to watch in stored solutions, and the COA's LC-MS mass confirms the hexapeptide amide rather than a deletion sequence.

GHRP-2 is usually studied as part of a panel. Comparing it with ipamorelin isolates the effect of GHS-R1a selectivity, comparing it with GHRP-6 and hexarelin shows the effect of the backbone modifications, and pairing it with a GHRH-receptor agonist such as sermorelin or Mod GRF 1-29 shows receptor synergy. For those panels, lot-specific COAs with LC-MS identity for each peptide keep the comparison clean. All of these compounds can be combined in a single wholesale order and count toward the same tier.

Research areas

• Ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) agonism
• Hypothalamic–pituitary axis pharmacology (GH, ACTH, cortisol)
• Appetite and feeding-behavior signaling
• Pituitary GH-reserve stimulation models
• Anti-doping analytical reference methods

U.S. regulatory status of the compound (as an active ingredient): Not approved by the FDA. The material sold here is a research reference chemical, not a drug product.

Handling and storage

• Store lyophilized vials at −20 °C, sealed, protected from light and moisture.
• Let the vial reach room temperature before opening to limit condensation on the powder.
• Reconstitute in a sterile buffer appropriate to the assay, following your lab's SOP.
• Aliquot reconstituted material and freeze once; avoid repeated freeze–thaw.