| Dimension | Scoring Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Study Design | Multiple human studies demonstrating GH release and some cardiac effects (unique to hexarelin vs other GHRPs). Mostly small Phase I/II observational designs. No Phase III. |
15 / 25 |
| Sample Size | Individual studies typically 8-20 subjects. Cumulative human exposure is small. Hexarelin was largely an academic compound, not developed commercially. |
8 / 20 |
| Replication | GH-stimulating effect replicated across several European groups (Italian, Belgian, French). Cardiac receptor findings (CD36) replicated in separate labs. More independent work than most GHRPs. |
8 / 20 |
| Journal Impact Factor | Published in JCEM (IF ~6.5), European Journal of Endocrinology (IF ~5+), and Journal of Endocrinology. Reasonable journal quality. |
4 / 15 |
| Funding Independence | Mix of academic Italian/EU research groups and some Europeptides/Mediolanum Farmaceutici funding. Mostly academic. |
4 / 10 |
| Population Diversity | Almost exclusively small European cohorts — narrow ethnic and geographic range. Minimal diversity score. |
1 / 5 |
| Researcher h-Index | Primary researchers (Romano Deghenghi, Ezio Ghigo) are European academic endocrinologists with moderate profiles but not globally prominent h-Indexes in current databases. |
3 / 5 |