GHRP-4
A small growth hormone-releasing peptide known today almost only from anti-doping papers: WADA names it, and no study found gave it to people.
GHRP-4 is a synthetic tetrapeptide amide of the growth hormone-releasing peptide family; PubChem records it as Trp-Ala-Trp-Phe-NH2 without stating its D-residues. The papers found on PubMed are doping-control methods that detect it in urine with the other GHRPs and studies of how these peptides break down. WADA names it among the prohibited growth hormone-releasing peptides. It was never approved, and no study found gave it to people.
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Recommended Dosing
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Mechanism of action
Classed with the growth hormone-releasing peptides, which act on the growth hormone secretagogue receptor; no study found measured GHRP-4's own receptor activity.
Primary uses
- Anti-doping: detection methods and stability work
Typical dosing
No human dose: no study found gave GHRP-4 to people; the papers read are analytical.
Regulatory status
Never approved: Drugs@FDA and the EMA medicines list hold no record (searched October 28, 2026). Named on the WADA 2026 and 2027 Prohibited Lists under S2.2.4 (growth hormone-releasing peptides).
Status as of this entry's last review, October 28, 2026. Approvals, compounding rules and sport rules change; the regulatory tracker is checked more often.
What we checked
GHRP-4 is a growth hormone-releasing peptide whose literature is anti-doping chemistry; this section records what can be checked.
Identity, computed
| Sequence | Trp-Ala-Trp-Phe-NH2 (PubChem CID 45157721; the record gives no stereochemistry) |
| Formula | C34H37N7O4 (PubChem) |
| Molecular weight | 607.7 g/mol (PubChem) |
PubChem's record does not say which residues are D-amino acids, so no sequence with stereochemistry is given; formula and weight are PubChem's.
Regulatory status, read October 28, 2026
Drugs@FDA: 0 records for “GHRP-4”. EMA medicines list: 0 records for “GHRP-4”. Run for semaglutide, the same queries return 6 and 5 records (and the registry search 80 trials), so a zero here is an absence, not a broken search. WADA 2026: section S2.2.4; WADA 2027: section S2.2.4.
What the studies show
A 2011 doping-control method extracts and detects GHRP-1, -2, -4, -5 and -6, alexamorelin, ipamorelin and hexarelin in human urine (Thomas et al., 2011).
Its metabolism (Thomas et al., 2012) and its enzymatic and serum stability (González-López et al., 2023) were studied with other GHRPs for doping control.
What we looked for and did not find
No study giving it to people or animals for an effect, no registry record and no drug approval.
| Source | Query | Results, October 28, 2026 | What it was |
|---|---|---|---|
| PubMed | "GHRP-4"[tiab] OR "GHRP 4"[tiab] | 6 | doping-control and metabolism papers |
| ClinicalTrials.gov | GHRP-4 | 0 | |
| Drugs@FDA (openFDA) | GHRP-4 | 0 | |
| EMA medicines list | GHRP-4 | 0 |
References
- [other] PubChem CID 45157721, Tryptophylalanyltryptophylphenylalaninamide (GHRP-4): formula C34H37N7O4, molecular weight 607.7. Read October 28, 2026. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/45157721
- [pubmed] Thomas A, et al. "Determination of growth hormone releasing peptides (GHRP) and their major metabolites in human urine for doping controls by means of liquid chromatography mass spectrometry." Anal Bioanal Chem, 2011;401(2):507-16. PMID: 21298258.
- [pubmed] Thomas A, et al. "Metabolism of growth hormone releasing peptides." Anal Chem, 2012;84(23):10252-9. PMID: 23101768.
- [pubmed] González-López NM, et al. "In-house standards derived from doping peptides: Enzymatic and serum stability and degradation profile of GHRP and GHRH-related peptides." Biomed Chromatogr, 2023;37(12):e5741. PMID: 37688464.
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This entry is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Dosing information reflects published regulatory or research data and is not a recommendation. Many compounds described here are not approved for human use in the United States. Consult a licensed medical professional before considering any peptide therapy.