Hexarelin: clinical evidence record

Also known as: Examorelin

Evidence: Mixed evidence

Oliver Mackman · Editorial director · Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937)

Last updated 2026-05-22

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AI-friendly summary · Hexarelin

Early-phase clinical pharmacology work in humans. Stronger GH release than Ipamorelin in head-to-head preclinical comparisons, with higher cortisol and prolactin elevation. CD36-mediated cardioprotection in rodent ischaemia-reperfusion models.

Mechanism of action

How Hexarelin works

Synthetic hexapeptide ghrelin mimetic acting at the GHSR receptor with a stronger GH-release profile than Ipamorelin in published preclinical work. Additional reported activity at the CD36 cardiac receptor independent of GH release.

Top peer-reviewed citations

Selection of the most-cited peer-reviewed literature on Hexarelin. Where a verified PMID or DOI is shown, the citation links to the original record. Other citations list the title, authors, journal and year so the reader can locate the paper through the journal index or the PubMed search linked below. PeptideClear publishes editorial commentary, not clinical guidance.

Hexarelin and GH release in healthy adults

Ghigo E, Arvat E, Gianotti L, et al.. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 1994.

PMID: 8126144 DOI: 10.1210/jcem.78.3.8126144
Hexarelin and cardiac function via CD36

Bodart V, Febbraio M, Demers A, et al.. Circulation Research, 2002.

PMID: 11988484 DOI: 10.1161/01.res.0000016164.02525.b4
Receptor desensitisation with chronic Hexarelin administration

Rahim A, OToole A, Shalet SM. Clinical Endocrinology, 1998.

PMID: 10990150 DOI: 10.1016/s1096-6374(98)80039-7
Growth hormone-independent cardioprotective effects of hexarelin in the rat

Locatelli V, Rossoni G, Schweiger F, et al.. Endocrinology, 1999.

PMID: 10465272 DOI: 10.1210/endo.140.9.6948
The cardiovascular action of hexarelin

Mao Y, Tokudome T, Kishimoto I. Journal of geriatric cardiology : JGC, 2014.

PMID: 25278975 DOI: 10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2014.03.007
Effects of ghrelin and synthetic GH secretagogues on the cardiovascular system

Cao JM, Ong H, Chen C. Trends in endocrinology and metabolism: TEM, 2006.

PMID: 16309920 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2005.11.004
The Safety and Efficacy of Growth Hormone Secretagogues

Sigalos JT, Pastuszak AW. Sexual medicine reviews, 2018.

PMID: 28400207 DOI: 10.1016/j.sxmr.2017.02.004
Endocrine, metabolic and cardioprotective effects of hexarelin in obese Zucker rats

De Gennaro-Colonna V, Rossoni G, Cocchi D, et al.. The Journal of endocrinology, 2000.

PMID: 10974647 DOI: 10.1677/joe.0.1660529
Hexarelin attenuates atherosclerosis via inhibiting LOX-1-NF-κB signaling pathway-mediated macrophage ox-LDL uptake in ApoE(-/-) mice

Cheng XL, Ding F, Wang DP, et al.. Peptides, 2019.

PMID: 31386895 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2019.170122

Full PubMed search: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Hexarelin.

UK regulatory status

Plain-English summary of where Hexarelin sits under the four UK and international frameworks that govern peptide supply. Editorial commentary, not legal advice.

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971: Not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Psychoactive Substances Act 2016: Not scheduled under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.
MHRA medicines classification: No UK marketing authorisation as a medicine.
WADA Prohibited List: WADA Prohibited List S2 (peptide hormones, growth factors), prohibited at all times.

Risks and unknowns

What the literature does not yet show about Hexarelin

Known concerns

Most published efficacy claims for Hexarelin require careful interpretation. Read the cited papers in full before drawing conclusions.
Purity of UK research-peptide supply varies between retailers. Certificates of analysis and HPLC documentation differ.
Cold-chain handling between manufacture and delivery is not standardised across the research-peptide market.
Independent replication of single-group findings is the key check on any preclinical claim.

Open questions in the literature

Where human pharmacokinetics have not been formally characterised, dose translation from animal models is not reliable.
Long-term safety profile beyond the duration of published studies remains an open question.
Interactions with other prescribed or unlicensed substances are typically not studied.

Regulatory note

No UK marketing authorisation as a medicine. Prohibited at all times under WADA S2 (peptide hormones, growth factors). The moment a UK seller or commentator makes a therapeutic claim, MHRA can treat the product as an unlicensed medicinal product.

Important: PeptideClear publishes encyclopedia commentary only and does not recommend human use. Speak to a UK-registered prescriber before any medical decision.

Frequently asked questions

What is the evidence level for Hexarelin?

What is the UK regulatory status of Hexarelin?

No UK marketing authorisation as a medicine. Not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Not scheduled under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016. WADA Prohibited List S2 (peptide hormones, growth factors), prohibited at all times.

Has Hexarelin been tested in human clinical trials?

Hexarelin has some early-phase human work alongside a larger preclinical animal-model literature. No phase III randomised clinical trial has produced a UK marketing authorisation. See the cited peer-reviewed literature above.

Where can I read the source literature for Hexarelin?

The full PubMed search is linked above. Each cited paper has its title, author list and journal. Where we have a verified PMID or DOI the citation links directly. Other citations can be located by the reader through the journal index or the PubMed search.

Last verified 2026-05-22. Editorial commentary, not legal or clinical advice. Citations without a linked identifier can be located through the PubMed search and the journal index.