| Dimension | Scoring Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Study Design | Multiple controlled human pharmacodynamic studies established GHRP-6 as a potent GH secretagogue (Bowers 1990, 18 normal men), plus extensive animal work including cardioprotection models. These are GH-response and mechanism studies, however, not outcome RCTs for any therapeutic indication. |
14 / 25 |
| Sample Size | Human studies are typically small (single to low double-digit volunteer cohorts). Cumulative human enrollment across the GHRP-6 literature is modest. |
8 / 20 |
| Replication | The GH-releasing effect and GHRH synergy are robustly replicated across independent endocrine groups internationally. Therapeutic-outcome replication is essentially absent because outcome trials were never run. |
9 / 20 |
| Journal Impact Factor | Primary literature appears in JCEM, Endocrinology, and European Journal of Endocrinology — solid specialty endocrine journals. |
7 / 15 |
| Funding Independence | Foundational human endocrine work (Bowers, Thorner, Veldhuis, Casanueva) is substantially academic. Marked down because the GHRP development lineage carried commercial interest and the prototype work is concentrated in a few originating groups. |
4 / 10 |
| Population Diversity | Cohorts are predominantly healthy young adult men, with some short-stature pediatric and disease-state studies. Limited age, sex, and population breadth. |
1 / 5 |
| Researcher h-Index | Primary investigators are high-citation clinical endocrinologists, which lifts this dimension despite the otherwise thin therapeutic base. |
4 / 5 |