Ghrelin-receptor agonist / growth-hormone secretagogue
Ipamorelin activates the ghrelin receptor and can trigger short-term GH release. Human evidence is limited to intravenous studies, and the published Phase 2 postoperative trial did not show significant efficacy. The fat-loss, muscle, sleep, recovery, and anti-aging claims commonly promoted online have not been demonstrated in controlled human trials.
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Depth and confidence summarize the research record—not effectiveness, safety, or a recommendation.
Human evidence consists mainly of one IV pharmacology study and a negative condition-specific Phase 2 trial.
Research depth describes how large and mature the overall record is. It does not tell you whether the results were positive.
IV GH release is demonstrated, but body-composition, sleep, recovery, anti-aging, and SubQ claims are not.
Confidence describes how reliable and consistent the conclusions are. It can be high for one outcome and low for another.
The strongest evidence type shows what the best-supported conclusions are actually based on.
Human findings are more directly relevant than animal or laboratory results, but they still apply only to the populations and outcomes studied.
Route-specific record
These are exposures used in cited research for a specific route and population—not a suggested amount.
Half-life describes how long it takes the measured amount in the body to fall by half. It is not a dosing recommendation.
Evidence can change by administration method. Findings from one route should not automatically be applied to another.
Evidence boundary: The Phase 2 trial did not significantly improve its primary or key secondary outcomes. Hospital IV protocols do not establish outpatient or SubQ use. Amounts shown describe cited research exposure—not a dosage recommendation.
Practical starting point
Common goals and questions—not recommendations or promises of benefit.
The overview, studies, and source ledger below explain what supports each label—and where the evidence stops.
The short version
Ipamorelin activates the ghrelin receptor and can trigger short-term GH release. Human evidence is limited to intravenous studies, and the published Phase 2 postoperative trial did not show significant efficacy. The fat-loss, muscle, sleep, recovery, and anti-aging claims commonly promoted online have not been demonstrated in controlled human trials.
Includes the 48-person IV PK/PD study, the 117-person postoperative Phase 2 trial, an additional completed registration without posted results, FDA's September 2024 evidence review, October 2024 advisory votes, and the 2026 WADA list.
What the evidence says
A randomized 48-person IV pharmacology study demonstrated concentration-dependent GH release, while a 117-person randomized Phase 2 postoperative study did not demonstrate significant efficacy.
This is the strongest supported conclusion in the current human evidence—not a summary of every claim made about the compound.
Meaningful human benefits, subcutaneous pharmacokinetics and safety, long-term repeated-exposure risk, and effects when combined with another GH-axis compound.
Keeping the main uncertainty visible prevents an early or promising finding from looking more settled than it is.
The evidence story
Importance shows how much an item changes the evidence story. Quality shows how much confidence the design deserves. A strong negative study can score highly on both.
Importance and quality answer different questions. A rigorous study can be highly important even when it challenges a popular claim.
The primary food-tolerance endpoint was not significantly shorter with ipamorelin, and the study did not demonstrate significant efficacy on key secondary outcomes.
The registry lists the study as completed but does not post results.
Ipamorelin produced a concentration-dependent GH response that peaked rapidly and fell to low concentrations by six hours. The estimated terminal half-life was about two hours.
Administration and handling
The human PK/PD and published Phase 2 studies used protocol-defined intravenous administration. FDA did not identify human subcutaneous PK/PD evidence. These research arms are not approved dosing instructions, and no FDA-approved consumer dose, route, schedule, injection site, or reconstitution procedure exists.
No FDA-approved ipamorelin product, reconstitution procedure, or product-specific storage instructions were located. FDA highlighted uncertainty around free-base versus acetate identity, chirality, peptide impurities, aggregation, formulation, sterility, endotoxins, and immunogenicity. Supplier instructions should not be treated as universal stability guidance.
Primary-source ledger
2026-01-01
2024-10-29
2024-09-27
2014-10-21 · PMID 25331030 · NCT00672074 · DOI 10.1007/s00384-014-2030-8
2011-01-21 · NCT01280344
1999-09-01 · PMID 10496658 · DOI 10.1023/A:1018955126402