Patent ID: 6967237

Claim:
A truncated ghrelin analog consisting of a structure selected from the group consisting of: a) Z 1 -GSXF(Z) n Z 2 ; and b) Z 1 -GXSF(Z) n Z 2 ; wherein X is a modified amino acid containing a bulky hydrophobic R group; each Z is independently an amino acid selected from the group consisting of alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, proline, tryptophan, phenylalanine, methionine, glycine, serine, threonine, tyrosine, cysteine, asparagine, glutamine, lysine, arginine, histidine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid, or said amino acid labeled with a detectable label selected from the group consisting of a luminescent, enzymatic and radioactive label; Z 1 is an optionally present protecting group that, if present is covalently joined to the N-terminal amino group; Z 2 is an optionally present protecting group that, if present is covalently joined to the C-terminal carboxy group; and n is 0 to 19; or a pharmaceutically accepted salt thereof.