Hexarelin (examorelin) is a synthetic hexapeptide analogue of GHRP-6 that releases growth hormone strongly but also raises prolactin, ACTH and cortisol.
Its sequence, His-D-2-methyl-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH2, differs from GHRP-6 by one methyl group (Arvat et al., 1997). A University of Turin team published the first human study in 1994: in 12 healthy volunteers, intravenous hexarelin released about twice as much growth hormone as an equal dose of GHRH (Ghigo et al., 1994). A follow-up the same year found GHRH amplified the hexarelin response in both young and elderly men (Arvat et al., 1994).
The evidence base is short endocrine studies, not treatment trials. A 1997 comparison in healthy young adults found hexarelin and GHRP-2 produced similar growth hormone responses and similar rises in prolactin, ACTH and cortisol, with the ACTH and cortisol effect comparable to corticotropin-releasing hormone (Arvat et al., 1997). A second 1997 study across age groups found the growth hormone response weaker in elderly subjects while the cortisol response did not change with age (Arvat et al., 1997).
Hexarelin is not an FDA-approved drug, and WADA’s 2026 Prohibited List bans it, under the name examorelin, at all times under section S2.2.4.
Drugs@FDA holds no application for hexarelin or examorelin. WADA lists examorelin (hexarelin) among the GH-releasing peptides alongside GHRP-1 through GHRP-6, in a non-Specified class prohibited in and out of competition (WADA).
Hexarelin and GHRP-6 differ by one methyl group, a mass difference of 14 daltons, so the label is the weakest evidence of which peptide a vial holds. A mass spectrometry identity check separates them; the look of the powder does not. Quantity matters too. The studies above show hexarelin moves cortisol and prolactin as well as growth hormone, so a vial holding more or less peptide than stated is a different research material than the one described.
Check a batch’s published result before trusting its label. Recent certificates are on our latest tests page, and Janoshik’s public results database lets you look up a specific test. No results are published for hexarelin in our index yet. When the first published result arrives, a vendor leaderboard appears above.