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Ipamorelin

Ghrelin mimic · 5 amino acids
What it is

Ipamorelin is a lab-made pentapeptide that triggers growth hormone release through the ghrelin receptor, with a more selective GH signal than older GHRP peptides in animal tests.[1]

Pathway: Ghrelin receptor (GHS-R). It works on the same switch as ghrelin, like the older GHRP peptides.[1][2][3]

Origin: First described in 1998 by Raun and colleagues at Novo Nordisk in Måløv, Denmark, as a selective growth hormone secretagogue.[1]

What researchers study it for

Research areas

Animal pharmacology and one human trial frame the research so far.

  • Selective GH release in rats and swine, without the ACTH and cortisol rises seen with GHRP-6 and GHRP-2 in those models[1]
  • Postoperative ileus after bowel surgery, in a phase 2 randomized trial that did not meet its key efficacy endpoint[2]
  • GH release through a GHRP-like (ghrelin) receptor pathway, distinct from GHRH[1][3]

Evidence level

Level 3 of 4: Small human trialsA phase 2 randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 117 bowel-resection patients tested intravenous ipamorelin for postoperative ileus.[2]

Why so few human trials?

Cautions

Studies and regulators point to several reasons for care.

  • FDA notes a published study that identified serious adverse events, including death, when ipamorelin was given intravenously for gastric motility, and says it lacks enough safety information for certain other injectable routes[4]
  • The phase 2 postoperative ileus trial did not show a significant benefit over placebo on its key efficacy endpoint[2]

Ipamorelin is not FDA approved.[4]

Also called

Ipamorelin goes by several names.

  • Ghrelin-receptor agonist, or ghrelin mimetic[2]
  • Growth hormone secretagogue[1]
  • Ipamorelin acetate, its salt form[4]

Often stacked with

CJC-1295. CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are paired because they flip two different switches for GH release, so one doesn’t just repeat the other.[1][5]

CJC-1295Together:StackCJC-1295 →

Good to know

In swine tests, ipamorelin raised GH without significantly raising ACTH or cortisol, unlike GHRP-6 and GHRP-2 in the same models.[1]

Handling

Storage basics General

These general basics apply to most freeze-dried research peptides.

Most research peptides come as a freeze-dried powder in a sealed vial
Unmixed vials are generally kept cold, dry, and away from light
Mixed solutions are generally refrigerated, since they are less stable than the dry powder
Peptides 101For mixing basicsNPL Dose CalculatorTo work out concentration after mixing
Go deeper

Sources and studies

These studies and official pages are the research behind this profile.