Ipamorelin
Ipamorelin is the most popular of the "growth hormone secretagogue" peptides, usually sold paired with CJC-1295. It reliably raises growth hormone for a short time. None of the reasons people buy it have been tested in human trials.
- Legal lane: not FDA-approved. Not eligible for routine pharmacy compounding, according to the sources we trust most.
- Evidence grade: C
- Form: injection under the skin
- Sport: prohibited at all times
What it is
Ipamorelin imitates ghrelin, a gut hormone, at the receptor that triggers a pulse of growth hormone from the pituitary. It is described as more selective than older compounds in its class, meaning it raises growth hormone with less effect on cortisol, prolactin and appetite.
What the evidence shows
Human data is limited to short pharmacology studies showing that it produces a brief growth hormone pulse, plus one Phase 2 trial. That trial tested ipamorelin for bowel recovery after surgery, not for anything it is marketed for today, and reviewers report it did not meet its main goal. Development stopped.
No human trial has measured fat loss, muscle gain, sleep or recovery with ipamorelin, and none has tested the CJC-1295 combination.
Legal status
This one is contested, so check anything you are told. Ipamorelin was restricted from compounding in 2023 and taken off that restricted list in 2024 when its nomination was withdrawn. In October 2024 an FDA advisory committee voted 0 to 12, with one abstention, against adding it to the list of substances pharmacies may compound. It was not part of the October 2026 policy.
Some clinics and websites say ipamorelin was "reinstated" for compounding in 2026. We could not confirm that from FDA records or from the independent summaries we read.
Reported dosing
No approved dose exists. Clinical development was discontinued before one was set.
The figures repeated across clinics and community sources are 100 to 300 micrograms per injection, one to three times a day, often before sleep, in cycles of 8 to 12 weeks. The source that catalogs these labels them anecdotal. They do not come from a trial of any outcome.
Safety
- The FDA has flagged possible immune reactions, impurities and limited safety information for compounded ipamorelin.
- Raising growth hormone and IGF-1 over long periods carries theoretical concerns that short studies cannot rule out.