Independent research summaries on ipamorelin, the selective growth hormone secretagogue.
Ipamorelin MD

Sources

Ipamorelin references and citations

Every quantitative claim on this site maps to one of these sources. Peer-reviewed studies, with DOIs and PubMed identifiers.

Back to the researchAbout this digest

How to read these Ipamorelin references

Every numbered citation below corresponds to the bracketed markers used throughout this site. The list spans the founding 1998 selectivity characterization through the rodent bone and pharmacokinetic studies, the lone human Phase 2 trial, the most recent 2024 in-vivo study, and a 2026 narrative review. Where a finding involves a related compound rather than ipamorelin itself — notably the cardiovascular safety study [6] — that distinction is stated in the text. Full citation details, including DOIs and PubMed links, are listed in the references panel.

  1. Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, Thogersen H, Madsen K, Ankersen M, Andersen PH. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol. 1998;139(5):552-561. ↗
  2. Gobburu JV, Agerso H, Jusko WJ, Ynddal L. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of ipamorelin, a growth hormone releasing peptide, in human volunteers. Pharm Res. 1999;16(9):1412-1416. ↗
  3. Beck DE, Sweeney WB, McCarter MD; Ipamorelin 201 Study Group. Prospective, randomized, controlled, proof-of-concept study of the ghrelin mimetic ipamorelin for the management of postoperative ileus in bowel resection patients. Int J Colorectal Dis. 2014;29(12):1527-1534. ↗
  4. Johansen PB, Nowak J, Skjaerbaek C, Flyvbjerg A, Andreassen TT, Wilken M, Orskov H. Ipamorelin, a new growth-hormone-releasing peptide, induces longitudinal bone growth in rats. Growth Horm IGF Res. 1999;9(2):106-113. ↗
  5. Johansen PB, Hansen KT, Andersen JV, Johansen NL. Pharmacokinetic evaluation of ipamorelin and other peptidyl growth hormone secretagogues with emphasis on nasal absorption. Xenobiotica. 1998;28(11):1083-1091. ↗
  6. Stokes AH, Falls JG, Yoon L, Cariello N, Faiola B, Colton HM, Jordan HL, Berridge BR. Integrated approach to early detection of cardiovascular toxicity induced by a ghrelin receptor agonist. Int J Toxicol. 2015;34(2):151-161. ↗
  7. Andersen NB, Malmlof K, Johansen PB, Andreassen TT, Ortoft G, Oxlund H. The growth hormone secretagogue ipamorelin counteracts glucocorticoid-induced decrease in bone formation of adult rats. Growth Horm IGF Res. 2001;11(5):266-272. ↗
  8. Svensson J, Lall S, Dickson SL, Bengtsson BA, Romer J, Ahnfelt-Ronne I, Ohlsson C, Jansson JO. The GH secretagogues ipamorelin and GH-releasing peptide-6 increase bone mineral content in adult female rats. J Endocrinol. 2000;165(3):569-577. ↗
  9. Adeghate E, Ponery AS. Mechanism of ipamorelin-evoked insulin release from the pancreas of normal and diabetic rats. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2004;25(6):403-406. ↗
  10. Lall S, Tung LY, Ohlsson C, Jansson JO, Dickson SL. Growth hormone (GH)-independent stimulation of adiposity by GH secretagogues. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2001;280(1):132-138. ↗
  11. Johansen PB, Nowak J, Skjaerbaek C, Flyvbjerg A, Andreassen TT, Wilken M, Orskov H. Ipamorelin, a new growth-hormone-releasing peptide, induces longitudinal bone growth in rats. Growth Horm IGF Res. 1999;9(2):106-113. (GH/IGF-1 axis context.) ↗
  12. Lawrence CB, Snape AC, Baudoin FM, Luckman SM. Acute central ghrelin and GH secretagogues induce feeding and activate brain appetite centers. Endocrinology. 2002;143(1):155-162. ↗
  13. Malmlof K, Johansen PB, Haahr PM, Wilken M, Oxlund H. Methylprednisolone does not inhibit the release of growth hormone after intravenous injection of a novel growth hormone secretagogue in rats. Growth Horm IGF Res. 1999;9(6):396-403. ↗
  14. Ankersen M, Johansen NL, Madsen K, Hansen BS, Raun K, Nielsen KK, Thogersen H, Hansen TK, Peschke B, Lau J, Lundt BF, Andersen PH. A new series of highly potent growth hormone-releasing peptides derived from ipamorelin. J Med Chem. 1998;41(19):3699-3704. ↗
  15. Mayfield CK, et al. Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Physicians. Am J Sports Med. 2026. (Narrative review; CJC-1295 + ipamorelin improved maximal tetanic tension in a murine glucocorticoid-induced muscle-loss model.) ↗
  16. Lu Z, Ngan MP, Liu JYH, Yang L, Tu L, Chan SW, Giuliano C, Lovati E, Pietra C, Rudd JA. The growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a agonists, anamorelin and ipamorelin, inhibit cisplatin-induced weight loss in ferrets: Anamorelin also exhibits anti-emetic effects via a central mechanism. Physiol Behav. 2024;284:114644. ↗