Ipamorelin: what it is, what the studies show and where it stands
Ipamorelin is a synthetic five amino acid peptide (a growth hormone secretagogue) that makes the pituitary release growth hormone through the GHRP (ghrelin) receptor, not the GHRH receptor.
At a glance
US Not approved
Canada Not authorized
Group Growth hormone
Sources 14
Checked 10 Oct 2026What is Ipamorelin?
Ipamorelin is a synthetic five amino acid peptide (a growth hormone secretagogue) that makes the pituitary release growth hormone through the GHRP (ghrelin) receptor, not the GHRH receptor. [1]
Other names: ipamorelin acetate, NNC 26-0161.
How it has been given to people: intravenous infusion in every published human dosing study; no published human study of injection under the skin was found.
Looking for doses? Ipamorelin dosage chart and vial math
Is Ipamorelin approved in the US and Canada?
United States: Not FDA approved; FDA keeps ipamorelin acetate in category 2 (significant safety risks) under its 503B compounding policy and also lists it among nominated substances withdrawn by their nominators. [10]
Canada: No ipamorelin product is in Health Canada's Drug Product Database, and Health Canada names ipamorelin among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs it has seized. [12]
Both were checked on 10 Oct 2026 against the regulators' own product databases.
Which approved products contain Ipamorelin?
No approved medicine containing Ipamorelin was found in the US or Canada. Anything sold under this name is not a regulated product, so there is no label to check a dose against.
What human studies of Ipamorelin exist?
The 9 findings listed here: 2 from randomized human trials, 2 from smaller or observational human studies and 5 from animal or lab work.
In the one efficacy trial with published results (postoperative ileus after bowel surgery), median time to the first tolerated meal was 25.3 hours on ipamorelin and 32.6 hours on placebo, a difference that was not statistically significant. [3]
The trial found no significant difference between ipamorelin and placebo on its key or secondary efficacy measures. [3]
In healthy men a single intravenous infusion produced one burst of growth hormone that peaked at about 0.67 hours and then fell away, at every dose tested. [2]
After a nasal dose given to a single volunteer for a doping-test study, ipamorelin was heavily metabolised and appeared in urine as parent compound plus metabolites. [5]
In swine, ipamorelin released growth hormone without raising ACTH or cortisol beyond what GHRH itself did. This selectivity finding is from an animal study. [1]
In mice, twice-daily ipamorelin under the skin raised fat pad weight relative to body weight, and growth hormone secretagogue treatment raised relative body fat, leptin and food intake. [6]
In rats given a glucocorticoid for 3 months, adding ipamorelin raised calf muscle tetanic tension and periosteal bone formation compared with the glucocorticoid alone. [7]
In a rat model of postoperative ileus, repeated intravenous dosing increased faecal output, food intake and body weight gain. [8]
In rats, about 20% of an intranasal dose of ipamorelin reached the circulation. [9]
What are the side effects of Ipamorelin?
Reported in human studies or on a label:
- In the Phase 2 trial, adverse events of any kind were recorded in 87.5% of the ipamorelin group and 94.8% of the placebo group. All patients had just had bowel surgery. [3]
- The trial authors described 0.03 mg/kg intravenously twice daily for up to 7 days as well tolerated. [3]
- FDA states that a published study identified serious adverse events, including death, when ipamorelin was given intravenously to improve gastric motility. [10]
- FDA says it has no safety information for other injectable routes. [10]
- FDA says compounded ipamorelin may trigger immune reactions by some routes because of possible aggregation or peptide impurities. [10]
What is the half-life of Ipamorelin?
Terminal half-life of about 2 hours after a 15-minute intravenous infusion in healthy men. No human figure after injection under the skin was found. [2]
How does Ipamorelin compare with others in its group?
These are the peptides filed under growth hormone. The last column says whether a randomized human trial is on record for each.
| Peptide | US | Canada | Half-life | Randomized human trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipamorelin | Not approved | Not authorized | Terminal half-life of about 2 hours after a 15-minute intravenous infusion in healthy men. No human figure after injection under the skin was found. | Yes |
| CJC-1295 without DAC | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| CJC-1295 with DAC | Not approved | Not authorized | Estimated at 5.8 to 8.1 days in healthy adults after injection under the skin. | Yes |
| Sermorelin | No longer sold | Not authorized | Disappearance half-time of about 4.3 minutes after a 90-minute intravenous infusion in 10 healthy men. No human half-life after injection under the skin was found in the abstracts read. | Yes |
| Tesamorelin | Approved for one use | No longer sold | About 8 minutes in healthy adults after one 1.4 mg dose of Egrifta SV under the skin. Other labels give other figures for other formulations and conditions (see also). | Yes |
| IGF-1 LR3 | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| GHRP-2 | Not approved | Not authorized | About 0.55 hours (33 minutes) for the slower phase after a single dose into a vein in 10 children. No human half-life after injection under the skin was found in the abstracts read. | Yes |
| GHRP-6 | Not approved | Not authorized | After a single dose into a vein in nine healthy men: distribution half-life about 7.6 minutes, elimination half-life about 2.5 hours. No human half-life after injection under the skin was found. | No |
| HGH | Approved, prescription | Authorized, prescription | About 3.8 hours after an injection under the skin in healthy subjects. The label says this long figure reflects slow absorption from the injection site. | Yes |
What could not be found
These were searched for and did not turn up. They are listed so a missing number is not mistaken for a hidden one.
- Any human study of ipamorelin injected under the skin. PubMed lists two clinical trial publications for ipamorelin [2], [3], both intravenous; ClinicalTrials.gov lists two ipamorelin trials, both intravenous.
- Human half-life after injection under the skin.
- Results of the second Phase 2 trial, NCT01280344 (320 enrolled, completed May 2014): none posted on ClinicalTrials.gov and no publication linked in the record [4].
- Details of the deaths FDA mentions [10]: they are not described in the abstract of the published Phase 2 trial [3]; the full paper was not read.
- The dose used in the single-volunteer nasal study [5]: not given in the abstract.
- Human confirmation that ipamorelin leaves ACTH and cortisol unchanged: not in the abstracts read. The finding quoted is from swine [1].
- Any human study of ipamorelin combined with CJC-1295.
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07717866 mentions ipamorelin only as one of several supplements in an observational veterans study, with no dose; it is not a trial of ipamorelin.
- No approved label anywhere, so no official contraindications, interaction list, missed-dose rule or storage instructions.
Ipamorelin questions
Is Ipamorelin approved in the US?
Not FDA approved; FDA keeps ipamorelin acetate in category 2 (significant safety risks) under its 503B compounding policy and also lists it among nominated substances withdrawn by their nominators.
Is Ipamorelin authorized in Canada?
No ipamorelin product is in Health Canada's Drug Product Database, and Health Canada names ipamorelin among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs it has seized.
What is the half-life of Ipamorelin?
Terminal half-life of about 2 hours after a 15-minute intravenous infusion in healthy men. No human figure after injection under the skin was found.
Has Ipamorelin been tested in a randomized human trial?
Yes. At least one randomized human trial is listed on this page.
Sources
Each one was opened on 10 Oct 2026 and matched to the line it supports.
- Raun K et al. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol 1998. PubMed 9849822.
- Gobburu JV et al. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of ipamorelin, a growth hormone releasing peptide, in human volunteers. Pharm Res 1999. PubMed 10496658.
- Beck DE et al. Prospective, randomized, controlled, proof-of-concept study of the Ghrelin mimetic ipamorelin for the management of postoperative ileus in bowel resection patients. Int J Colorectal Dis 2014. PubMed 25331030. Trial NCT00672074.
- Safety and Efficacy of Ipamorelin Compared to Placebo for the Recovery of Gastrointestinal Function clinicaltrials.gov. Trial NCT01280344.
- Semenistaya E et al. Determination of growth hormone releasing peptides metabolites in human urine after nasal administration of GHRP-1, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Hexarelin, and Ipamorelin. Drug Test Anal 2015. PubMed 25869809.
- Lall S et al. Growth hormone (GH)-independent stimulation of adiposity by GH secretagogues. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2001. PubMed 11162489.
- Andersen NB et al. The growth hormone secretagogue ipamorelin counteracts glucocorticoid-induced decrease in bone formation of adult rats. Growth Horm IGF Res 2001. PubMed 11735244.
- Venkova K et al. Efficacy of ipamorelin, a novel ghrelin mimetic, in a rodent model of postoperative ileus. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2009. PubMed 19289567.
- Johansen PB et al. Pharmacokinetic evaluation of ipamorelin and other peptidyl growth hormone secretagogues with emphasis on nasal absorption. Xenobiotica 1998. PubMed 9879640.
- Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks US Food and Drug Administration 2026-04-22. fda.gov.
- Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act US Food and Drug Administration 2026-05-14. fda.gov.
- Think twice before injecting peptides bought online: unauthorized products can seriously harm you Health Canada 2026-04-09. recalls-rappels.canada.ca.
- Health Canada Drug Product Database: active ingredient search for ipamorelin (0 records) Health Canada. health-products.canada.ca.
- The Prohibited List (2026 list as shown on the WADA website) World Anti-Doping Agency. wada-ama.org.
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