PeptideInjectablePeptideSecretagogueGHRPGhrelin receptor agonist

Ipamorelin

Also known as Ipamorelin · NNC 26-0161

Written by enwyReviewed 4 Aug 20262 sources0 comments

Ipamorelin is a selective pentapeptide growth-hormone secretagogue (a ghrelin/GHS-R agonist) that triggers a clean GH pulse with little effect on cortisol, prolactin or appetite. This selectivity makes it the most commonly used GHRP for body-composition purposes, usually stacked with a GHRH analogue. Human evidence is limited to early pharmacology; physique use is anecdotal.

01 Overview

Ipamorelin mimics ghrelin at the GHS-R1a receptor to release growth hormone, but unlike older GHRPs it does not meaningfully raise cortisol or prolactin and causes far less hunger than GHRP-6. It is short-acting and dosed one to three times daily.

It is frequently combined with modified GRF(1-29) or CJC-1295 so that GHRH-receptor and ghrelin-receptor pathways reinforce each other. Clinical development for indications such as post-operative ileus did not yield an approved product, and there is no controlled human efficacy data for physique use.

02 Mechanism

Selective agonist of the growth-hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a, the ghrelin receptor) on pituitary somatotrophs, evoking a pulse of GH release with minimal cortisol, prolactin or appetite effect.

03 Dosing

Tier	Dose	Route	Notes
Anecdotal (non-medical)	100–300 mcg	SubQ	~100-300 mcg per injection, often 1-3x/day; commonly paired with a GHRH analogue.

04 Effects

Effect	Magnitude	Evidence
Raised GH (clean pulse)Selective GH release without notable cortisol/prolactin rise; human physique magnitudes not well quantified.		Preclinical
Fat loss and recoveryReported modest fat loss and improved recovery; not established in controlled trials.		Anecdotal
Improved sleepUsers report deeper sleep, consistent with GH-axis stimulation.		Anecdotal

05 Side effects

Effect	Severity	Frequency	Evidence
Injection-site reactionsLocal redness or swelling.	Mild	Common	Anecdotal
Mild water retentionSlight puffiness or wrist tingling from GH elevation.	Mild	Uncommon at typical doses	Anecdotal
Transient head rush / light-headednessBrief dizziness shortly after injection.	Mild	Uncommon	Anecdotal

06 Legal status

United States

Research chemical; not FDA-approved for human use

WADA-prohibited; not lawfully marketed for human consumption. · as of Jan 2026

United Kingdom

Not licensed as a medicine

as of Jan 2026

07 References

Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogueEur J Endocrinol, 1998

Growth hormone secretagogues: pharmacology overviewPubMed search

08 Discussion0 comments

Create account

Discussion is moderated. No sourcing, vendor names or price talk — those comments are removed, and repeat posts are banned.

This page is reference information, not medical advice. Doses and protocols are documented as they appear in the clinical literature and in practice — describing them is not a recommendation to use them. Countermeasures listed here are not a substitute for a physician. Legal status varies by jurisdiction and changes.