Ipamorelin

Ipamorelin is a selective growth hormone secretagogue studied for its ability to stimulate growth hormone release in laboratory models. Research explores its interaction with ghrelin receptors (GHS-R1a) and its potential influence on metabolism and recovery processes in controlled settings. As a synthetic pentapeptide with a well-characterized receptor selectivity profile, it is frequently used as a reference compound in growth hormone axis research.

Available Options

Research Context

Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide (Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2) in the growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) class — compounds that act as agonists at the growth hormone secretagogue receptor GHS-R1a, the same receptor activated by the endogenous peptide ghrelin. It emerged from medicinal chemistry programs at Novo Nordisk (development code NNC 26-0161) and is described in the literature as the first GHS reported to stimulate growth hormone release with high selectivity, showing minimal effect on adrenocorticotropic hormone or cortisol release at the concentrations examined.

The original characterization (Raun and colleagues, 1998) combined in vitro receptor and pituitary-cell assays with animal pharmacology in swine, establishing the compound's selectivity profile. Subsequent research has been predominantly preclinical. In animal models, ipamorelin has been examined in the context of gastrointestinal motility, including a rodent model of postoperative ileus (Venkova and colleagues, 2009), and in a ferret model of chemotherapy-associated weight loss (Lu and colleagues, 2024). In vitro, it serves as a pharmacological tool for probing GHS-R1a signaling, and peptidomimetic derivatives built on its scaffold have been developed as imaging probes for the ghrelin receptor (Fowkes and colleagues, 2018).

Published human data on ipamorelin remain limited, and the compound was never advanced to approved therapeutic use. Open questions in the research landscape include how its receptor pharmacology compares with other GHS-R1a agonists across species, the extent of receptor desensitization with repeated exposure in model systems, and whether the gastrointestinal findings from animal models generalize across experimental contexts.

This material is supplied as a lyophilized powder with purity verified by HPLC and a published certificate of analysis. It is intended strictly for laboratory research use and is not for human or veterinary use.

Specifications

Storage & Handling

Store the lyophilized powder at -20C, protected from light and moisture. After reconstitution, refrigerate at 2-8C and use the solution promptly.

For handling guidance, see our peptide reconstitution and storage guide, and use the reconstitution calculator to plan solution volumes for laboratory work.

Certificate of Analysis

Related Compounds

• CJC/Ipamorelin Blend
• MOTS-C
• NAD+

References

1. Raun K et al. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol. 1998. PMID 9849822
2. Venkova K et al. Efficacy of ipamorelin, a novel ghrelin mimetic, in a rodent model of postoperative ileus. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2009. PMID 19289567
3. Fowkes MM et al. Peptidomimetic growth hormone secretagogue derivatives for positron emission tomography imaging of the ghrelin receptor. Eur J Med Chem. 2018. PMID 30282322
4. Lu Z et al. 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. PMID 39043357