Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Head-to-head comparison of Hexarelin and IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1) — mechanism, dosing, side effects, legal status, and pricing.
Hexarelin (His-D-2MeTrp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH2) is a synthetic hexapeptide growth hormone secretagogue developed by Mediolanum (Italy) in the 1990s. It is a potent ghrelin-receptor (GHSR-1a) agonist that also binds the CD36 scavenger receptor, giving it a cardioprotective signal distinct from other GHRPs. It is not FDA-approved for any indication and remains a research-only compound; its clinical development for GH deficiency and cardiac indications did not reach approval. A defining feature versus other GHRPs is rapid, pronounced tachyphylaxis with chronic daily dosing.
Insulin-like Growth Factor 1, a 70-amino-acid peptide hormone that mediates many of growth hormone's anabolic effects. Recombinant IGF-1 (mecasermin) is FDA-approved for severe primary IGF-1 deficiency; non-prescription 'research' use for muscle growth is off-label and unproven.
Hexarelin
IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1)
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Dose Range
Route
Frequency
COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
Hexarelin
IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1)
No pricing data yet.
Check IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1) prices →COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
Hexarelin
10
COAs
99.4%
Avg purity
4
Labs
IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1)
1
COAs
—
Avg purity
1
Labs
Ghigo et al. (1994, PMID 8126144, JCEM) characterized hexarelin's GH-releasing activity across IV, SubQ, intranasal, and oral routes in healthy men, establishing it as a potent GH secretagogue. Rahim & Shalet (1998, PMID 10990150, Growth Horm IGF Res) demonstrated that twice-daily SubQ hexarelin in healthy elderly subjects caused ~45% attenuation of the GH AUC over 16 weeks, with partial recovery 4 weeks after discontinuation — the canonical human tachyphylaxis study. Bodart et al. (2002, PMID 11988484, Circulation Research) showed that hexarelin's cardiovascular action in perfused hearts is mediated by CD36 rather than GHSR-1a and is absent in CD36-null animals. Hexarelin has never been FDA-approved; grey-market use for body composition, recovery, or cardiac benefit is not clinically validated.
Key references
Strong endocrinology literature for deficiency states; performance/anti-aging use in healthy adults is not supported by controlled human trials and carries growth-signaling risk.
Hexarelin (Hormone) and IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1) (Performance) are in different categories and target different biological pathways. This is a common pattern in multi-compound research protocols. Researchers should monitor the biomarkers from both profiles and watch for interactions listed in each compound’s contraindications. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before combining any research compounds.
This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.
Dosing Notes
Side Effects
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Disclosed Labs