Hexarelin
Also known as: HEX · Examorelin · MF-6003
Phase 1/2 clinical research published; documented AE profile (cortisol/prolactin spike, tachyphylaxis); WADA S2 listed; preclinical cardiac signal not human-validated.
Rating per Panya's data-first method, not regulator endorsement. The mechanism, dose, and risk sections below carry the underlying data.
Hexarelin is a synthetic hexapeptide that stimulates growth hormone release through the ghrelin receptor. Stronger GH pulse than Ipamorelin; also higher cortisol and prolactin spike, and faster tachyphylaxis with chronic use. Animal studies suggest a non-GH cardioprotective effect; human evidence is limited.
Last reviewed · Panya.health editorial
Panya scores vendors against an 11-signal rubric. Vendors at or above 70 out of 100 are routable; below 70 are documented but get no Panya affiliate link. For prescription peptides like Mounjaro and Wegovy, Panya routes today through licensed clinicians. For research peptides like Hexarelin, vendor scorecards land in a follow-up sprint after legal review and payment processor selection. Until then, the page surfaces commonly-mentioned vendor names so adults can do their own diligence. We do not yet earn commission on any Hexarelin vendor.
Not medical advice. Hexarelin is not approved for human medical use in most jurisdictions. The data below is what users do; it is not what regulators have validated. You decide your risk profile.
What it does, and how
Hexarelin is a member of the GHRP (growth hormone-releasing peptide) family, alongside Ipamorelin, GHRP-2, and GHRP-6. Like the others, it agonises the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) on pituitary somatotrophs, triggering pulsatile GH release. The His-D-2-methyl-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH2 hexapeptide structure makes it more potent per dose than Ipamorelin but less selective: Hexarelin also drives meaningful cortisol and prolactin spikes that Ipamorelin avoids, which is why most community practice now favours Ipamorelin for clean GH pulses. A separate mechanistic claim, supported by rodent and ex-vivo cardiac studies from the Locatelli and Imbimbo groups, is that Hexarelin binds CD36 receptors on cardiomyocytes and provides a cardioprotective effect after ischaemic injury independent of the GH axis. Human cardiac trials have not validated this; the evidence is preclinical.
Typical practice
Community practice runs 100 to 200 mcg subcutaneous, 1 to 3 times daily (typically pre-workout, pre-bed, and a third dose if cycling for body composition). Cycles are short, 4 to 12 weeks, with mandatory breaks of equal length to reset the receptor before tachyphylaxis kicks in. Reconstitution is typically a 5 mg vial in 2 to 5 mL bacteriostatic water. Stacking with CJC-1295 (no DAC) is common to combine GHRP pulse with GHRH amplification, taking the same approach as Ipamorelin+CJC stacks, with the tradeoff that Hexarelin's cortisol and prolactin spike makes the stack less clean. Trial-validated dosing for healthy adults does not exist; the doses above reflect what users do, calibrated against the original Ghigo lab clinical-research doses.
The dosing above is community practice, not a regulator-validated protocol. Trial-validated dosing for Hexarelin in humans does not exist for most use cases listed.
Risks and contraindications
Reported side effects in clinical trials and community use match the GHRP family signature: water retention, transient hand-tingling, increased hunger (the ghrelin-receptor effect is intentional), occasional flushing. Hexarelin-specific data: the cortisol and prolactin spike is documented at meaningfully higher levels than Ipamorelin produces; chronic daily use elevates baseline cortisol with the metabolic and mood implications that follow. Tachyphylaxis is fast: most users see meaningful GH pulse decay by week 4 to 6 of daily use. The cardioprotective effects observed in rat ischaemia models (Locatelli 1999) and small hypopituitary cardiac studies (Bisi 1999) have not been validated in larger human cardiac trials. No trial data exists in pregnancy or lactation cohorts. WADA listed Hexarelin in the S2 category (GH-releasing factors) of the prohibited substances list. Drug interactions have not been formally characterised.
Where this stands legally
Not FDA-approved for any indication. Sold legally as a research chemical 'not for human consumption.' Customs scrutiny on personal-import peptides has tightened.
Not on the MHRA approved list. MHRA does not regulate research peptides; sale is technically lawful, human use is medically unsupervised. WADA-prohibited in competitive sport.
Not approved by EMA. Research peptide market is unregulated. WADA-prohibited.
TGA Schedule 4 (prescription-only) for injectable peptides not on the approved list. Personal-use peptide imports actively investigated. WADA-prohibited and ASADA-tested.
Not approved by Thai FDA. Available through research-peptide vendors and some BKK longevity / body-composition clinics. No formal enforcement against personal use.
HSA classifies injectable peptides without product registration as prescription-controlled. Sold legally only through licensed clinics under physician supervision.
Sold through wellness clinics and research-peptide channels. Vietnam Drug Administration enforcement is light on research peptides.
Available through wellness clinics serving the expat and athlete market. Indonesian BPOM has not issued specific guidance on research peptides.
Where users say they source it
Names below are sourced from community discussion. None are currently scored against the Panya 11-signal rubric. Panya does not earn commission on any of these. You can search them yourself; treat the list as a starting point for your own diligence, not an endorsement.
- International research-peptide suppliers with COA per lot (audit the COA, not the marketing)Pending Panya 11-signal audit
- Research-chem vendors selling as 'not for human consumption' (US, UK, EU primarily)Pending Panya 11-signal audit
- Body-composition clinics in TH and Bali (variable physician oversight)Pending Panya 11-signal audit
- Stack vendors marketing Hexarelin+CJC-1295 combinations (verify pre-mixed concentrations)Pending Panya 11-signal audit
Full vendor scorecards for Hexarelin land in a follow-up sprint after lawyer review and payment processor selection. We will not route users to any vendor that scores below 70 on the rubric.
Papers worth reading directly
- Ghigo E, Boghen M, Casanueva FF, Dieguez C eds. (1998) Growth Hormone Secretagogues →
- Imbimbo BP, Mant T, Edwards M, Amin D et al. (1994) Growth hormone-releasing activity of hexarelin in humans. Eur J Clin Pharmacol →
- Locatelli V, Rossoni G, Schweiger F et al. (1999) Growth hormone-independent cardioprotective effects of hexarelin in the rat. Endocrinology →
- Bisi G, Podio V, Valetto MR et al. (1999) Cardiac effects of hexarelin in hypopituitary adults. Eur J Pharmacol →
Adjacent reading
Track Hexarelin in your peptide journal.
Panya users log their full stack at panya.health/journey. Public-by-default with per-entry privacy controls. Vote-validated by the community.