Region — International. Neutral scientific reference — not offered for sale here.
Research reference — not for sale
Ipamorelin
Blead outcome
Selective GH release (no cortisol/prolactin)…
grades vary by outcome ↓
Peptide⚠ WADA-banned
also called — Ipamorelin · Novo Nordisk code NNC 26-0161 · CAS 170851-70-4 · sequence Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH₂. INCI: none
GH secretagogue / ghrelin-receptor agonistbody composition (research context)
Research / reference — not for sale. No dosing, reconstitution, or administration is published (intentional). Neutral scientific reference only.
In brief
Ipamorelin is a selective ghrelin-receptor agonist that raises GH in a clean pulse (without the cortisol/prolactin rise of older GHRPs) — a real and well-characterised pharmacology. But its only rigorously tested indication (postoperative ileus) failed its primary endpoint, it is not approved anywhere, and its popular anti-aging / fat-loss / muscle use has never been tested in humans. Banned in sport.
Legal standing, by region
European Union
Not approved
Not approved; not eligible for magistral/officinal compounding.
United States
Not FDA-approved (503A Cat. 2)
Placed in 503A Category 2 (2023); status in flux amid the 2026 reclassification, but not among the seven peptides in the specific July 23–24 2026 PCAC review; not FDA-approved.
International
Not approved
Not approved.
⚠ WADA-prohibited in sportSport: WADA-prohibited at all times — GH secretagogues / GHRPs fall under Section S2.2.
An honest grade per outcome — drawn from the evidence, not any catalogue. Hype and undemonstrated marketing claims grade low.
OutcomeEvidence base · effectGrade
Selective GH release (no cortisol/prolactin) in humans
Selectivity + GH release are genuine; this is not the same as clinical benefit
Raun 1998 + human PK studies · Clean, selective GH pulse
BClinical efficacy (postoperative ileus — the only tested indication)
The single rigorous human trial did not work
Phase 2 RCT (Beck 2014, n=87) · Failed primary endpoint
DAnti-aging / fat loss / muscle (the popular use)
Never tested in humans for these goals — "selectivity is real, efficacy for body composition is untested"
None in humans · Not demonstrated
FSafety
No long-term human data; GH/IGF-1 elevation carries theoretical risks; WADA-banned
Well tolerated in the POI trials; no long-term data · Generally tolerated
—Disclosure
Vallydia sells its own cosmetic serums, and some ingredients graded here belong to the same categories as those products. Grades are drawn from the published evidence by the method we publish, and applied to our own ingredients on the same terms — our copper-peptide serum is graded no more kindly than the peptides it competes with. We disclose the interest so you can weigh it.
Trade names shown here (for example Matrixyl, Argireline, Syn-Ake) are the property of their respective owners and are used only to identify the ingredient under discussion. Their appearance implies no affiliation with, or endorsement by, the proprietor.
Evidence changes
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Identity
a synthetic pentapeptide (5 amino acids, < 40 aa → peptide), a selective agonist of the ghrelin / growth-hormone-secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a). Derived from GHRP-1 by removing its central Ala-Trp dipeptide — the change that preserved GH-releasing potency while sharply improving selectivity. MW ≈ 712 Da.
Development & history
- Developed by Novo Nordisk A/S (Denmark), mid–late 1990s, out of a medicinal-chemistry programme seeking a GH secretagogue with fewer off-target effects.
- First characterised by Raun et al. 1998 (European Journal of Endocrinology) as "the first selective growth-hormone secretagogue" — releasing GH without the ACTH/cortisol/prolactin/FSH/LH/TSH elevations seen with older GHRPs (GHRP-6, GHRP-2, hexarelin), even far above the GH-release dose.
- Later licensed by Helsinn Therapeutics and developed for a specific medical use: postoperative ileus (gut-motility recovery after abdominal surgery).
- Phase 2 RCT (Beck et al. 2014, Int J Colorectal Dis, n=87) — the most rigorous published human study — did not meet its primary endpoint; not advanced to Phase 3.
- Never given a brand name, never approved for any indication; migrated to functional-medicine / gray-market use.
Mechanism (as proposed)
binds GHS-R1a (the ghrelin receptor) on pituitary somatotrophs → Gq/phospholipase-C → IP₃/calcium release → pulsatile GH secretion, mimicking ghrelin — but, distinctively, without meaningfully activating the ACTH/cortisol or prolactin axes.
Chemical identifiers
Cross-reference identifiers for the authoritative external databases — not a recipe, and nothing about how to use it.
InChIKeyNEHWBYHLYZGBNO-BVEPWEIPSA-N
SMILESCC(C)(C(=O)N[C@@H](CC1=CN=CN1)C(=O)N[C@H](CC2=CC3=CC=CC=C3C=C2)C(=O)N[C@H](CC4=CC=CC=C4)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCCCN)C(=O)N)N
UNIIY9M3S784Z6
via PubChem exact-name match (Ipamorelin) · high confidence
Sources — 3 cited
01Raun K, et al. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol. 1998. (PMID 9849822)
02Beck DE, et al. (Phase 2 RCT of ipamorelin for postoperative ileus.) Int J Colorectal Dis. 2014. (PMID 25331030)
03Ishida J, et al. Growth hormone secretagogues: history, mechanism of action, and clinical development. JCSM Rapid Commun. 2020.
Updated 2026-07-11
Grades reflect the published evidence, not our interest. No dosing, reconstitution, or administration is published for research compounds — that restraint is deliberate.
VallydiaA neutral reference and a lawful-lane shop. Information for those who seek it — never promotion.
Region — International
This site provides neutral scientific reference and sells only products lawful in your region. Nothing here is medical advice, a recommendation, or an offer to supply unapproved medicines. No dosing or administration is published for research compounds. Cosmetic peptides per Regulation (EC) 1223/2009. Unapproved injectable peptides are neither sold nor advertised in the EU (Directive 2001/83/EC, Title VIII). © 2026 Vallydia.