Independent · non-commercial · publishes on a quarterly cycle|Current cycle 2026 Q3
Compound Evidence InstituteEvidence synthesis · established 2023Graded assessments of compounds, trials, methods and supply
Document set current to 30 July 2026
Evidence synthesis · §3

Clinical evidence for growth-hormone secretagogues supplied for research — included and excluded studies

The included-studies table with extracted data, the exclusions with reasons, and the risk-of-bias judgements.

Document identifier
CEI-ES-016/3
Series
Evidence synthesis
Version
1.0
Published
26 Jan 2025
Last reviewed
26 May 2025
Next review
26 Nov 2026
Identifier
10.71829/cei.syn.16
Certainty
Very low
Cycle
2025 Q1
Review type
Scoping review
Search executed
29 Oct 2024

§3Included and excluded studies

Every study contributing to this review is listed below with the data extracted from it. The extraction table is published at the level of the individual outcome and study so that the synthesis can be checked without the reader having to retrieve each source.

§3.1Included studies

Table 4. Included studies with the characteristics extracted from each.

StudyDesignRandomisedDurationAnchor outcome as reportedYear
CJC-PH1-ASCENDINGCJC-1295Phase 1 ascending doseUp to 49 daysSustained elevation of insulin-like growth factor 1 for one to two weeks after a single dose2006
CJC-PH1-MULTIDOSECJC-1295Phase 1 ascending doseMultiple weekly dosesCumulative elevation of insulin-like growth factor 1 with repeated dosing. Development was not continued2006
GHRP2-JP-DIAGNOSTICGHRP-2Diagnostic accuracySingle testApproved in Japan as a diagnostic stimulation agent. The Institute records that a diagnostic authorisation is not a therapeutic authorisation2006
IPA-PH1-GHIpamorelinPhase 1 ascending doseSingle doseDose-dependent growth-hormone release without a measurable rise in cortisol or prolactin1998
HEX-PH2-ELDERLYHexarelinRandomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled16 weeksTachyphylaxis of the growth-hormone response limited the achievable effect1997
GHRP6-PH1-GHGHRP-6Phase 1 ascending doseSingle doseDose-dependent growth-hormone release with a marked orexigenic effect1995
HEX-PH1-GHHexarelinPhase 1 ascending doseSingle doseMarked growth-hormone release with attenuation on repeated administration1995
SERM-DIAGNOSTICSermorelinDiagnostic accuracySingle testFormerly marketed as a diagnostic agent; withdrawn for commercial reasons
8 included studies. Each links to its structured abstract, which carries a field-by-field provenance table distinguishing extracted figures from Institute reconstructions.

Contributing participants across studies reporting a randomised total: 0. Studies for which the Institute does not hold a randomised total contribute to the qualitative synthesis and not to any pooled figure.

§3.2Excluded at full text, with reasons

Table 5. Reports excluded at full text, by reason. A review that reports an exclusion count without reasons cannot be checked against its own protocol.

Reason for exclusionReports
Not a randomised comparison1
Population outside the review question1
Intervention outside the review question3
Comparator not eligible4
No eligible outcome reported3
Duplicate report of an included study2
Conference abstract without extractable data2
Retracted or subject to an expression of concern2
13 reports excluded at full text in total.

§3.3Risk of bias across included studies

Table 6. Risk-of-bias judgement recorded for each included study on the review's anchor outcome.

StudyRisk of biasInconsistencyIndirectnessImprecisionPublication bias
CJC-PH1-ASCENDINGLowLowHighLowLow
CJC-PH1-MULTIDOSESomeLowSomeLowLow
GHRP2-JP-DIAGNOSTICLowLowLowSomeLow
IPA-PH1-GHLowLowSomeLowSome
HEX-PH2-ELDERLYSomeLowSomeLowLow
GHRP6-PH1-GHLowLowLowSomeSome
HEX-PH1-GHHighLowLowLowLow
SERM-DIAGNOSTICLowLowLowLowSome
Judgements are the Institute's own and are recorded per outcome. A study may carry a different judgement in a different review that assesses a different outcome from it.
Nothing published by the Institute is medical advice, a diagnosis, a prescription, a treatment recommendation or a purchasing recommendation. Compounds supplied for research use are not approved for human or veterinary use in any jurisdiction, and a favourable analytical assessment of a supplier is not a statement that any product is safe or effective. The Institute publishes certainty ratings and never recommendations. No telephone number, messaging handle or ordering channel appears anywhere on this site.