Hormones research
GH secretagogues and recombinant HGH. Below is the published literature for each compound in this area — 108 studies in total, 70 of them published since 2023, every one linked to its source record.
- HormonesEarly clinical
CJC-1295
CJC-1295 refers to two related growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) receptor agonists derived from the N-terminal 29-amino-acid fragment of human GHRH. The DAC form carries a maleimidopropionyl linker that forms a covalent drug affinity complex with circulating albumin, extending the plasma half-life to roughly one to two weeks and producing sustained elevation of GH and IGF-1; the non-DAC form, more accurately termed modified GRF(1-29), lacks the linker and retains only the tetrasubstituted backbone modifications that resist dipeptidyl peptidase-IV cleavage, giving a short duration of action comparable to sermorelin. Human data are confined to a small number of phase I and phase II studies of the DAC form conducted in 2005-2009, which established dose-dependent, prolonged GH and IGF-1 elevation with preserved GH pulsatility. No peer-reviewed randomised controlled trial of the non-DAC modified GRF(1-29) form was located, and most literature published since 2019 concerns anti-doping detection methodology or narrative reviews of unapproved peptide use rather than new clinical data.
- Studies
- 16
- Since 2023
- 8
- Newest
- 2026
- HormonesEarly clinical
CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin
No peer-reviewed clinical trial administering CJC-1295 together with ipamorelin was identified; a PubMed query intersecting both peptide names returned only narrative reviews, doping-control analytical methods and product-quality analyses, with no interventional study of the pair. The available evidence is therefore component-level, comprising randomised human studies of CJC-1295 (a long-acting GHRH analogue) and of ipamorelin (a selective GHS-R1a agonist) evaluated separately, together with an older body of human work on co-administration of GHRH with growth hormone-releasing peptides or ghrelin, which established that the two receptor pathways interact more than additively. Recent 2024-2026 literature addressed this combination almost exclusively as an unapproved, compounded product used outside regulated medicine, and characterised its clinical evidence base as absent rather than negative.
- Studies
- 15
- Since 2023
- 5
- Newest
- 2026
- HormonesApproved drug
HCG
Human chorionic gonadotropin is a heterodimeric placental glycoprotein hormone that shares an alpha subunit with LH, FSH and TSH and signals through the luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor (LHCGR), reproducing LH activity with a substantially longer circulating half-life. Urinary-derived hCG and recombinant choriogonadotropin alfa are approved agents used to trigger final oocyte maturation and ovulation in assisted reproduction, to support Leydig-cell testosterone production and induce or maintain spermatogenesis in male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and historically as hormonal therapy for undescended testis. Serum hCG measurement is also a core diagnostic assay in pregnancy monitoring and in gestational trophoblastic disease. The evidence base is large and dominated by randomised trials and their syntheses, so recent systematic reviews, network meta-analyses and Cochrane reviews carry most of the weight; controlled evidence does not support hCG as a weight-loss agent.
- Studies
- 15
- Since 2023
- 12
- Newest
- 2026
- HormonesApproved drug
HMG
Human menopausal gonadotropin (menotropins) is a urinary-derived gonadotropin preparation containing both follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone activity, the latter contributed substantially by chorionic gonadotropin retained during purification. Highly purified formulations (hp-hMG) have been evaluated against recombinant FSH and against rFSH plus recombinant LH in a large randomised-controlled-trial literature covering ovarian stimulation for IVF/ICSI, ovulation induction, and combined gonadotropin therapy for spermatogenesis induction in male hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. A 2026 Cochrane update reported probable advantages for hMG/hp-hMG over rFSH in live birth and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, while other recent systematic reviews found comparable live birth with differing oocyte yields, and the field remains characterised by heterogeneity in dosing, protocol and endpoint definition.
- Studies
- 15
- Since 2023
- 11
- Newest
- 2026
- HormonesEarly clinical
Ipamorelin
Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide growth hormone secretagogue that acts as a selective agonist at the growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHS-R1a, the ghrelin receptor). It was first characterised in 1998 as the first secretagogue in its class to release growth hormone with potency comparable to GHRP-6 while not significantly elevating ACTH or cortisol above levels seen after GHRH stimulation. Preclinical work has examined longitudinal bone growth, bone mineral content, gastrointestinal motility, nociception and cisplatin-induced weight loss, and human pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling has been published. Clinical development advanced to a randomised placebo-controlled phase 2 trial in postoperative ileus after bowel resection, which did not meet its primary endpoint; recent literature consists largely of narrative reviews on unapproved performance-enhancing and therapeutic peptides.
- Studies
- 15
- Since 2023
- 9
- Newest
- 2026
- HormonesEarly clinical
Kisspeptin-10
Kisspeptin-10 (KP-10) is the C-terminal decapeptide fragment of the KISS1 gene product and an agonist at the kisspeptin receptor KISS1R (GPR54). Loss-of-function mutations in KISS1R were shown in 2003 to cause normosmic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, establishing kisspeptin signalling as an upstream regulator of gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion. Human administration studies, largely conducted at Imperial College London, have examined intravenous, subcutaneous and intranasal kisspeptin and its longer isoform kisspeptin-54 in healthy volunteers and in reproductive disorders. Kisspeptin is an investigational agent; no kisspeptin peptide is approved as a medicine in any major jurisdiction.
- Studies
- 16
- Since 2023
- 12
- Newest
- 2026
- HormonesApproved drug
Somatropin
Somatropin is a 191-amino-acid recombinant form of human growth hormone that acts through the growth hormone receptor and the downstream JAK/STAT pathway, largely via hepatic and local induction of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). It has been an approved therapeutic since the mid-1980s and carries one of the larger clinical evidence bases in endocrinology, spanning childhood and adult growth hormone deficiency, Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, small-for-gestational-age short stature and idiopathic short stature. The contemporary literature is dominated by systematic reviews, network meta-analyses and consensus statements, with a recent centre of gravity on long-acting weekly analogues (somapacitan, somatrogon, lonapegsomatropin, pegylated formulations) benchmarked against daily somatropin. Long-term registry and cohort surveillance has focused on mortality, malignancy incidence and metabolic outcomes.
- Studies
- 16
- Since 2023
- 13
- Newest
- 2026
Latest published research
Analysis of growth hormone releasing hormone and its analogs in urine using nano liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole/orbitrap mass spectrometry
Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis · CJC-1295 as analyte; human urine, analytical method development
PubMed · 41138283Injectable Peptides in Sports Medicine: A Structured Narrative Review of Evidence, Safety, and Antidoping Implications
JBJS Reviews · CJC-1295 within GH-secretagogue class; structured narrative review of 2020-2025 literature
PubMed · 42160466Peptide Supplements and Their Therapeutic Applications in Sports Medicine
The American Journal of Sports Medicine · CJC-1295 (form not consistently distinguished); scoping review of six peptides
PubMed · 42578445Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic Performance
Sports Medicine · CJC-1295 among unapproved peptides; narrative review
PubMed · 41966639The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis: bridging the gap between clinical evidence and patient self-administration
Frontiers in Endocrinology · CJC-1295 with and without DAC; narrative review of GH-IGF1 axis peptides
PubMed · 42395176Therapeutic Peptides in Aesthetic, Metabolic and Endocrine Conditions: Effects, Safety, Clinical Applications, and Future Perspectives
International Journal of Molecular Sciences · CJC-1295 among endocrine-active peptides; literature review of 106 articles
PubMed · 42123471Injectable Peptides in Sports Medicine: A Structured Narrative Review of Evidence, Safety, and Antidoping Implications.
JBJS Rev · Structured narrative review of injectable peptides
PubMed · 42160466Real-world diagnostic performance of the macimorelin stimulation test in the diagnosis of adult growth hormone deficiency.
Pituitary · Real-world clinical cohort undergoing GH stimulation testing
PubMed · 41793495
For research purposes only. Not for human consumption, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of any condition. Nothing on this page is medical advice.