Compounds with growth hormone releasing properties

A compound of general formula I

• A--B--C--D--E (--F).sub.p
• wherein
• p is 0 or 1;
• A is imidazolyl-C.sub.1-6 alkanoic acid, imidazolyl-C.sub.1-6 alkenoic acid, amino-C.sub.1-6 alkanoic acid or amino-C.sub.1-6 alkenoic acid or a L- or D- .alpha.-amino acid selected from the group consisting of H-His, H-Ala, H-D-Ala, H-.beta.-alanine, H-amino-isobutyric acid, sarcosine and Gly;
• B is D-Trp, D-2Nal or D-Phe;
• C is Ala, Ser or Gly;
• D is Trp, Phe, .beta.-(2-Thienyl)-alanine or N-aralkyl glycine;
• E, when p is 1, is D-Phe, or, when p is 0, E is --NH--CH(CH.sub.2 --R.sup.3)--CO--R.sup.4 or --NH--CH(CH.sub.2 --R.sup.3)--CH.sub.2 --R.sup.4, wherein
• R.sup.3 is phenyl,
• and R.sup.4 is piperazino, morpholino, piperidino, --OH or --N(R.sup.5)R.sup.6, wherein each of R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 is independently hydrogen or lower alkyl;
• F, when p is 1, is --NH--CH(R.sup.10)--(CH.sub.2)R.sup.7, wherein
• v is 0 or an integer between 1 and 8, and
• R.sup.7 is imidazolyl, piperazino, morpholino, piperidino or --N(R.sup.8)--R.sup.9, wherein each of R.sup.8 and R.sup.9 is independently hydrogen or lower alkyl, or the Amadori rearrangement product from an amino group and a hexapyranose or a hexapyranosyl-hexapyranose, ##STR7## and R.sup.10 is --H, --COOH, --CO--R.sup.11, CH.sub.2 --R.sup.11 or --CH.sub.2 --OH, wherein R.sup.11 is piperazino, morpholino, piperidino or --N(R.sup.12)--R.sup.13, wherein each of R.sup.12 and R.sup.13 is independently hydrogen or lower alkyl;
• with the proviso that at least one amide bond between A and B, B and C, C and D, D and E or, when p is 1, E and F, is substituted by aminomethylene or that, when p is 0, E is --NH--CH(CH.sub.2 --R.sup.3)--CH--R.sup.4 or that, when p is 1, R.sup.10 is CH.sub.2 --R.sup.11 ;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.