Ipamorelin
Also called Ipamorelin acetate
Educational only, not medical advice. Dosaly reports what has been studied; it isn't a recommendation to use Ipamorelin or any amount of it. Talk to a clinician.
Not approved as a medicine by the FDA or EMA (as of October 2026).
Research applications
- Growth hormone release through the ghrelin receptor (animal and cell studies)
- Growth hormone rise without large cortisol or prolactin changes (animal studies)
- How the body handles it (study in healthy men)
- Bowel recovery after surgery (phase 2 trial, no difference from placebo)
What studies have looked at, not proven uses.
What it is
Ipamorelin is a lab-made peptide that signals the body to release growth hormone. It was tested in a few small human studies but never became an approved medicine.
More detail
Ipamorelin is a synthetic five-amino-acid peptide developed by Novo Nordisk in the 1990s as a growth hormone secretagogue: it activates the ghrelin receptor to trigger growth hormone release from the pituitary. Early animal and cell studies described it as selective, raising growth hormone without the large rises in cortisol and prolactin seen with older compounds in its class. Human data come from a pharmacokinetic study in healthy male volunteers and a small phase 2 trial in people after bowel surgery, where it was studied for postoperative ileus and showed no significant difference from placebo. It did not go on to become an approved medicine.
Evidence listed here
- 2 human studies
- 1 animal study
Results from cells and animals often don't carry over to people. How to read peptide research
Molecular info
- Class
- Synthetic peptide (growth hormone secretagogue)
- Length
- 5 amino acids
- Sequence
- H-Aib-His-D-2Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2
- Research areas
- Growth hormone
Uses non-standard amino acids (Aib, D-2-naphthylalanine, D-phenylalanine) and ends in an amide.
Research
- Human studyInt J Colorectal Dis · 2014Prospective, randomized, controlled, proof-of-concept study of the Ghrelin mimetic ipamorelin for the management of postoperative ileus in bowel resection patients.
Phase 2 randomized trial in postoperative ileus after bowel resection.
- Human studyPharm Res · 1999Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of ipamorelin, a growth hormone releasing peptide, in human volunteers.
Pharmacokinetic and growth hormone response study in healthy male volunteers.
- Animal studyEur J Endocrinol · 1998Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue.
Pharmacology in rat pituitary cells and in live rats.