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
Indication assessment · §4

Growth hormone deficiency and growth-hormone secretagogue pharmacology — compounds assessed

The 10 compounds the Institute assesses in growth hormone deficiency and growth-hormone secretagogue pharmacology.

Document identifier
CEI-IN-21/4
Series
Indication assessment
Version
2.0
Published
29 Jul 2025
Last reviewed
29 Jul 2025
Next review
29 Jul 2027
Identifier
10.71829/cei.ind.21
Certainty
Not rated
Cycle
2025 Q3
ICD-11
5A60
Category
Endocrine

§4Compounds assessed

Compounds the Institute assesses in this indication, with the class of each and its overall certainty. A compound appears here whether or not the evidence supports its use, because recording that a compound has been studied and found wanting is as much part of the assessment as recording that one has not.

  • Growth-hormone secretagogue, ghrelin receptor agonist (hexapeptide)1 contributing trialfull monograph

    A peak growth hormone below 16 ng/mL after 100 µg intravenously supports severe adult growth-hormone deficiency in the approved Japanese diagnostic criteria — The diagnostic evidence base is adequate and the compound holds a marketing authorisation for it…

    Moderate
  • Endogenous decapeptide, gonadotropin-releasing hormone1 contributing trialfull monograph

    A luteinising hormone rise after gonadorelin distinguishes pituitary from hypothalamic causes of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism — The diagnostic evidence base is established and underpins the marketing authorisations.

    Moderate
  • Endogenous decapeptide, KISS1 receptor agonist0 contributing trialsfull monograph

    Diagnostic use as a probe of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal function — The diagnostic application is the best-established use.

    Moderate
  • Growth-hormone-releasing hormone fragment analogue1 contributing trialfull monograph

    Peak stimulated growth hormone response used diagnostically; a peak below 5 µg/L after sermorelin supports pituitary rather than hypothalamic origin of deficiency — The evidence base supports a diagnostic application. The Institute found no adequately powered…

    Moderate
  • Growth-hormone-releasing hormone analogue1 contributing trialfull monograph

    IGF-1 rose by a mean of 81 ng/mL, with 34 % of participants exceeding the upper limit of normal at some point — IGF-1 monitoring is required; the proportion exceeding the reference range is the reason.

    Moderate
  • Growth-hormone-releasing hormone analogue with albumin-binding drug affinity complex2 contributing trialsfull monograph

    Mean IGF-1 increased 1.5- to 3.0-fold above baseline and remained elevated for 6 to 11 days after a single dose in a phase 1 study of 11 participants — A genuine phase 1 pharmacodynamic result exists and the Institute reports it. It establishes that the…

    Low
  • Growth-hormone secretagogue, non-selective ghrelin receptor agonist (hexapeptide)1 contributing trialfull monograph

    Dose-dependent acute growth-hormone release with attenuation on repeated administration — Historical human pharmacodynamic data exist. No therapeutic outcome trial does.

    Low
  • Growth-hormone secretagogue, non-selective ghrelin receptor agonist (hexapeptide)2 contributing trialsfull monograph

    Marked acute growth-hormone release; the response attenuates substantially over 8 to 16 weeks of continuous administration — Tachyphylaxis is the defining clinical limitation and is documented in the historical literature.

    Low
  • Growth-hormone secretagogue, selective ghrelin receptor agonist (pentapeptide)2 contributing trialsfull monograph

    Dose-dependent growth-hormone release demonstrated in preclinical models and in early human study — The preclinical pharmacology is well characterised. Human data are limited to early-phase work.

    Low
  • Recombinant insulin-like growth factor 1 analogue0 contributing trialsfull monograph

    No randomised human evidence identified for this analogue — No trial of LR3 IGF-1 in any human population was located.

    Very low

References cited on this page

References are numbered in order of first citation in this document. Each superscript in the text links to its entry below.

  1. Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, Thøgersen H, Madsen K, Ankersen M, Andersen PH. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. European Journal of Endocrinology 1998;139(5):552–561. doi:10.1530/eje.0.1390552 · PMID 9849822

Identifiers are reproduced only where the Institute holds them. Where a digital object identifier or PubMed identifier is not shown, the Institute has recorded the journal and year and has not constructed an identifier.

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.