Ipamorelin is a synthetic peptide growth hormone secretagogue that stimulates the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) in the pituitary gland, leading to increased growth hormone (GH) release and subsequent increases in IGF-1.
Ipamorelin is considered one of the more selective GH-releasing peptides, meaning it stimulates GH with minimal effect on other hormones such as cortisol or prolactin compared with earlier peptides like GHRP-2 or GHRP-6.
Ipamorelin is not FDA-approved for medical use. It has primarily been studied in preclinical and early human trials evaluating growth hormone secretion and metabolic effects. Today it is typically available only through research or compounding contexts and is commonly used off-label in peptide therapy clinics.
Clinical evidence supporting these uses in healthy adults remains limited.
Ipamorelin works by activating the ghrelin receptor, which stimulates the pituitary to release pulsatile growth hormone.
Effects include:
Because of its selectivity, ipamorelin is sometimes described as a "cleaner" GH secretagogue compared with older compounds.
This study evaluated ipamorelin as a selective growth hormone secretagogue, demonstrating GH release with minimal stimulation of ACTH or cortisol.
Researchers examined the pharmacologic properties of ipamorelin, confirming selective GH release through ghrelin receptor activation.
This research compared ipamorelin with other growth hormone-releasing peptides, demonstrating its high specificity for GH stimulation.
If you're using a browser with advanced ad blocking security measures, the above study links may not work. You can copy the link and paste it into a new window.
Disclaimer: The information on this page was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence and compiled from publicly available sources. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, information may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect and should not be relied upon as medical advice.
R2 Medical Clinic uses medications sourced from compounding pharmacies. Compounded drugs have not been approved by the FDA; have not been reviewed by the FDA for safety, efficacy, or quality; and have not been demonstrated to the FDA to be safe or effective for their intended use. The processes by which the compounded drugs are manufactured have not been reviewed by the FDA. FDA approved products containing semaglutide and tirzepatide are available.