| Dimension | Scoring Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Study Design | Multiple human pharmacokinetic and endocrine studies spanning the 1990s–2010s. These are observational/Phase I designs characterizing GH secretion — not Phase II/III therapeutic RCTs. Observational score (15) is appropriate; study design quality within the observational tier is high for the period. |
15 / 25 |
| Sample Size | Individual human studies typically enrolled 8–24 subjects — standard for pharmacokinetic Phase I studies but small in absolute terms. Cumulative human sample across published studies is in the low hundreds. Score reflects 50–99 range when aggregated. |
8 / 20 |
| Replication | GH-stimulating effects of GHRP-2 in humans have been replicated across multiple independent research groups — Arvat, Ghigo, Bowers, and European endocrine labs produced convergent findings. Two independent groups with multiple studies score (15) is warranted given the 1990s–2010s replication record. |
15 / 20 |
| Journal Impact Factor | Key papers published in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (IF ~6.5) and European Journal of Endocrinology (IF ~5). High-quality specialty journals for the endocrine research field. IF 5–7 range score applies. |
8 / 15 |
| Funding Independence | Academic and government funding predominates in the published GHRP-2 literature — primarily European academic endocrine research groups with university and national science funding. Mixed score (7) reflects some pharmaceutical interest in the class without dominant industry funding of the core evidence base. |
7 / 10 |
| Population Diversity | Studies concentrated in European adult populations, predominantly male in early research. Some inclusion of female and elderly subjects in later endocrine studies. Moderate diversity by GHRP research standards. |
3 / 5 |
| Researcher h-Index | Ezio Ghigo (University of Turin), the most prominent GHRP-2 investigator, has an h-Index above 60. Cyril Bowers (Tulane), the foundational GHRP researcher, also has a strong academic profile. Top score warranted. |
5 / 5 |