This area covers growth-hormone secretagogues and related peptides (ipamorelin, CJC-1295, sermorelin, tesamorelin, hexarelin) studied in endocrine research. Some, like tesamorelin, exist as approved medicines for specific conditions. Testosterone therapy itself is a separate prescription medical treatment.
These compounds mostly work by nudging the body's own growth-hormone system. CJC-1295, sermorelin, tesamorelin and hexarelin act on growth-hormone-releasing pathways; ipamorelin and hexarelin act on the ghrelin/GH-secretagogue receptor. Tesamorelin (brand Egrifta) is FDA-approved for one specific use — reducing excess abdominal (visceral) fat in people with HIV-associated lipodystrophy — and that approval rests on real phase 3 human trials. Sermorelin was FDA-approved years ago but the branded product was later withdrawn from the market.
The other growth-hormone secretagogues (CJC-1295, ipamorelin, hexarelin) are studied mainly in endocrine and pharmacology research — how they trigger GH pulses, their selectivity, their half-lives. That is legitimate science, but it is not the same as large trials proving safety and benefit for general 'anti-aging' or body-composition use in healthy people. They are not FDA-approved for those purposes.
IGF-1 LR3 is a different animal: it is essentially a lab reagent (a long-acting IGF-1 analogue) used to feed cell cultures in biotechnology, not an approved human therapy. It is banned in sport by WADA. So this category runs the full range — from one genuinely approved medicine for a defined condition, to compounds that are really research tools.
Sources: Clinical Review Report: Tesamorelin (Egrifta) (NCBI Bookshelf) · Growth hormone and tesamorelin in HIV-associated lipodystrophy — review (NCBI PMC) · IGF-1 and its monitoring in medicine and sport (NCBI PMC) · How we source this ›
Each links to a full profile — identity, what it is, regulatory status, storage, and cited sources. Everything is framed for research use only; none of this is a recommendation to take anything.
CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (a modified version of the GRF(1-29) fragment).
GHRP-2 (pralmorelin) is a synthetic growth-hormone secretagogue that acts on the ghrelin / growth-hormone-secretagogue receptor, described in the literature as stimulating pituitary growth-hormone release and increasing appetite.
GHRP-6 is a synthetic hexapeptide growth-hormone secretagogue that binds the ghrelin / growth-hormone-secretagogue receptor, described in the literature as promoting pituitary growth-hormone release and stimulating appetite.
Hexarelin (examorelin) is a synthetic hexapeptide growth-hormone secretagogue that acts at the ghrelin/GHS receptor.
IGF-1 LR3 is a laboratory-modified, longer-acting analog of insulin-like growth factor 1 produced by recombinant methods.
Ipamorelin is a synthetic five-amino-acid peptide studied as a growth-hormone secretagogue (a compound that acts on the ghrelin receptor).
Sermorelin is a 29-amino-acid analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone.
Tesamorelin is a stabilized 44-amino-acid analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone.
Blend — 5 mg CJC-1295 + 5 mg Ipamorelin
Blend — 5 mg Tesamorelin + 5 mg Ipamorelin
Our rankings are never for sale, and we make no health or dosing claims. Research compounds are for laboratory use only.