What are GH secretagogues?
GH secretagogues are peptides that stimulate the pituitary to release growth hormone. They fall into two families: GHRH-analogues (Sermorelin, CJC-1295, Tesamorelin) and ghrelin-mimetics (Ipamorelin, older GHRPs).
Last reviewed 2026-07-13
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A GH secretagogue is a compound that increases the pituitary's release of growth hormone. Unlike exogenous recombinant GH (which delivers the hormone directly), GH secretagogues work upstream — they signal the somatotroph cells of the anterior pituitary to release their own GH stores. This preserves the natural pulsatile pattern of GH release and (importantly) preserves the negative feedback of IGF-1 on the axis.
GH secretagogues come in two main families, each engaging a different pituitary receptor. GHRH-analogues (Sermorelin, CJC-1295 in its two variants, Tesamorelin) engage the growth-hormone-releasing-hormone receptor. They are structural analogues of native hypothalamic GHRH, engineered for longer half-life while preserving pulsatile pharmacology. Tesamorelin has documented visceral-fat-reduction pharmacology in the peer-reviewed GHRH-analogue literature. Ghrelin-mimetics (Ipamorelin and the older GHRPs — GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Hexarelin) engage the growth-hormone-secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a), the same receptor that native ghrelin engages. Ipamorelin is the modern representative of this family because it is selective for GH release without triggering the cortisol and prolactin elevations that older GHRPs produce.
The two families are commonly combined because they engage distinct receptors and produce synergistic rather than additive effects. CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin is the archetypal combination — a GHRH-analogue plus a ghrelin-mimetic delivering greater total GH release than either component alone at the same doses.
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References
- Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone· Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, Gagnon C, Castaigne JP, Frohman LA · 2006
- Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue· Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, et al. · 1998
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