Ipamorelin

Growth hormone In trials Human trials

A five-amino-acid peptide that activates the ghrelin receptor to release growth hormone. It is known for selectivity: in studies it raised growth hormone without meaningfully changing cortisol, prolactin or ACTH, and with little effect on appetite.

Evidence at a glance

Evidence: Human trials — Studied in people
Status: Reached clinical trials
Dosing: A dose has been tested in humans

The phase 2 bowel trials did not meet their endpoint and development stopped.

What studies report

Clean growth hormone release without raising cortisol, prolactin or ACTH in human studies
Studied for restarting bowel movement after abdominal surgery

How it works

Binds the pituitary ghrelin receptor to trigger pulsatile growth hormone release, with notably little effect on cortisol, prolactin or appetite.

Binds a receptor on the cell surface and signals inward

Where it acts

Pituitary gland

The library groups this compound under Growth hormone. The diagram shows that target, not every tissue it reaches.

Illustrated

Pituitary secretory cell with granular cytoplasm, a large nucleus and tiny secretory vesicles, macro cellular view.

AI-generated subject illustration; not a depiction of the compound or evidence of its effects.

Why people take it

Lean muscle preservationFat lossTissue repairRecoveryGrowth hormone release without appetite or cortisol effectsBody composition

Reasons people seek it out — not a list of proven effects.

In practice Unapproved use

Typically taken at night to mimic the body's natural growth hormone pulse
Very commonly stacked with CJC-1295 — the pairing is close to a default
Preferred over GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 by people who dislike hunger and cortisol effects
Sold pre-blended with tesamorelin in a single vial, pairing a secretagogue with a growth hormone releasing factor

Reported real-world use, not evidence and not a recommendation.

Dosing

What was tested Evidence

0.1–2 mg, intravenous, single doseHuman pharmacology studies of growth hormone response→ Dose-dependent GH release without raising cortisol or prolactin

What people report using Not evidence

200–300 mcg, usually before bed to match the natural GH pulse
Commonly 5 days on, 2 off
Almost always paired with CJC-1295 without DAC

Reported for reference, not as instruction. Nothing here is a recommendation to take anything, and most of these compounds are not approved for human use.

Status: Reached phase 2 trials for post-surgery bowel recovery, then was dropped. Not approved.

Route: Subcutaneous injection, from reconstituted lyophilised powder
Sequence: Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2
Formula: C38H49N9O5
Molecular weight: 711.9 g/mol
CAS: 170851-70-4
Available as: 5 mg

View on PubChem →

Search PubMed for Ipamorelin → We link a live search rather than a fixed citation list, so it stays current and nothing here is a reference we have not checked.

Compared with

vs GHRP-2 →

Side-by-side pages for the compounds this one is most often confused with or taken alongside.

Educational information only. Nothing here is medical advice, a dosing protocol, or a recommendation to use any compound. Most entries describe substances not approved for human use. Talk to a licensed clinician before acting on anything you read here. How to read these entries.