Peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances, and mimetics

1. Erythropoietin (EPO) and agents affecting erythropoiesis, including, but not limited to:

1.1 Erythropoietin receptor agonists, e.g., darbepoetins (dEPO); erythropoietins (EPO); EPO-based constructs [EPO-Fc, methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta (CERA)]; EPO-mimetic agents and their constructs (e.g., CNTO-530, peginesatide, pegmolesatide).

1.2 Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) activating agents, e.g., cobalt; daprodustat (GSK1278863); IOX2; molidustat (BAY 85-3934); roxadustat (FG-4592); vadadustat (AKB-6548); xenon.

1.3 GATA inhibitors, e.g., K-11706.

1.4 Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) inhibitors, e.g., luspatercept; sotatercept.

1.5 Innate repair receptor agonists, e.g., asialo EPO; carbamylated EPO (CEPO).

2. Peptide hormones and their releasing factors

2.1 Testosterone-stimulating peptides in males, including, but not limited to: 
• chorionic gonadotropin (CG)
• luteinizing hormone (LH)
• gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH, gonadorelin) and its agonist analogues (e.g., buserelin, deslorelin, goserelin, histrelin, leuprorelin, nafarelin, and triptorelin) 
• kisspeptin and its agonist analogues
2.2 Corticotropins and their releasing factors, e.g., corticorelin and tetracosactide
2.3 Growth hormone (GH), its analogues and fragments, including, but not limited to: 
• growth hormone analogues, e.g., lonapegsomatropin, somapacitan, and somatrogon
• growth hormone fragments, e.g., AOD-9604 and hGH 176-191
2.4 Growth hormone-releasing factors, including, but not limited to: 
• growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and its analogues (e.g., CJC-1293, CJC-1295, sermorelin, and tesamorelin)
• growth hormone secretagogues (GHS) and their mimetics [e.g., anamorelin, capromorelin, ibutamoren (MK-677), ipamorelin, lenomorelin (ghrelin), macimorelin, and tabimorelin] 
• GH-releasing peptides (GHRPs) [e.g., alexamorelin, examorelin (hexarelin), GHRP-1, GHRP-2 (pralmorelin), GHRP-3, GHRP-4, GHRP-5, and GHRP-6]

Detailed list of growth hormones 2.3

3. Growth Factors and Growth Factor Modulators 

Including, but not limited to:
• Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs)
• Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)
• Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1, mecasermin) and its analogues
• Mechano growth factors (MGFs) • Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)
• Thymosin-ß4 and its derivatives, e.g., TB-500
• Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
and other growth factors or growth factor modulators affecting muscle, tendon, or ligament protein synthesis/degradation, vascularization, energy utilization, regenerative capacity, or fiber type switching.

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History

Peptide hormones were first added to the list of banned substances in 1989, with chorionic gonadotropin (CG), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), erythropoietin (EPO), and human growth hormone (HGH) being the most important active substances in this group.

Some peptide hormones (e.g., growth hormone) are hormones that are also produced by the human body, which is why they are significantly more difficult to detect than exogenous substances, as a clear distinction must be made between endogenous production and external administration for the purpose of doping.

Peptide hormones are physiological substances composed of amino acids and therefore differ distinctly in structure from steroid hormones. They belong to the group of proteins, which are also referred to as protein molecules.   

Properties of Peptide Hormones