Delivered in pulses, not a stream — the timing carries as much information as the molecule, which is what makes it so hard to copy.
Identity
- Class
- Single-chain protein hormone (191 aa)
- Source
- Anterior pituitary somatotrophs
- Receptor
- Growth hormone receptor (GHR, JAK2/STAT signaling)
Key properties
Evidence floorClinicalREF1CLIN1Approximate values for the native hormone; engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting. Each figure carries its own provenance tier, and the floor is the weakest of them - the Standard.
Mechanism
GH is released in pulses set by the balance of hypothalamic GHRH (stimulatory) and somatostatin (inhibitory). Much of its anabolic effect is indirect, mediated by IGF-1 produced in the liver, while it also exerts direct metabolic actions such as lipolysis.
Reference notes
- The axis is pulsatile and feedback-regulated — timing matters as much as amount.
- Releasing-peptide approaches (GHRH analogs, secretagogues) work with the body's own pulse; exogenous GH overrides it.
- IGF-1 provides negative feedback that limits unbounded GH output.
Regulatory status
United States · reviewed September 2026- Basis
- Recombinant somatropin approved since 1985 for growth-hormone deficiency and related indications.
Status describes the molecule as a drug substance under US law and is an editorial reading of the public record — approvals, trial registrations, and the FDA 503A bulk-substances list. It is not legal advice and it changes; the review date above is the last time the table was checked. Other jurisdictions are noted only where they differ materially.
Common questions
- What is Growth hormone (GH)?
- The pulsatile pituitary driver of growth and metabolism. Structurally it is Single-chain protein hormone (191 aa).
- How does GH work?
- GH is released in pulses set by the balance of hypothalamic GHRH (stimulatory) and somatostatin (inhibitory). Much of its anabolic effect is indirect, mediated by IGF-1 produced in the liver, while it also exerts direct metabolic actions such as lipolysis.
- How strong is the evidence for GH?
- PeptideHormone grades GH at the "Established" evidence tier — its mechanism and core effects are settled across the peer-reviewed literature. It is catalogued as an endogenous signal the body produces itself, and the tier is an editorial judgment about the public literature that can change as the science does.
- What is the half-life of GH?
- The reported circulating half-life of GH is ~10–20 min.
- Is GH FDA-approved?
- Yes — as of September 2026, GH is an approved prescription medicine in the United States. Recombinant somatropin approved since 1985 for growth-hormone deficiency and related indications. Status is US-centric and can change; check the FDA record for the current position.
In the literature
Live registry counts · retrieved- Ph 122
- Ph 257
- Ph 374
- Ph 448
Searched as Growth hormone, somatropin. Counts are search hits from the primary registries, not a curated set and not a grade – a measure of how much work exists on GH, not how it turned out.
Selected literature
Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.
- 1.Growth hormone deficiency and replacement in children · Reviews in endocrine & metabolic disorders, 2021 · PMID 33029711
- 2.Growth Hormone and Aging · Endocrinology and metabolism clinics of North America, 2023 · PMID 36948778
External references
GH in the public knowledge graph — the same entity resolved across the authoritative chemistry and protein databases.