Human studiesGhrelin-receptor agonist (GHRP)

Ipamorelin

Ipamorelin acetate

Common dose: 100–300 mcg, 1–3× daily
Cycle: 12 weeks on, 4 off
Vial sizes: 5, 10 mg
Typical draw: 10 units5 mg with 2.5 mL, 200 mcg

A five-amino-acid peptide that activates the ghrelin receptor, prompting a pulse of growth hormone. It was developed as a selective GH secretagogue.

Evidence. Human data are limited to IV studies, including a Phase 2 trial after bowel surgery that showed no benefit. No subcutaneous human data.

Status

Approval: Not approved as a drug in the US or EU.
US compounding: Still in FDA Category 2 for outsourcing facilities (503B) as of April 2026. In October 2024 FDA’s advisory committee voted 0 to 12, 1 abstaining, against adding it to the 503A bulks list. Not on the July 2026 agenda.
Sport (WADA 2026): Banned in sportS2.2.4 growth hormone releasing factors: growth hormone secretagogues, with ipamorelin named. Banned at all times.

Category 2 is FDA’s list of bulk substances that may present significant safety risks in compounding. The 503A bulks list adds substances that pharmacies may compound with. Advisory committee votes are advice; FDA makes the final decision. Sport status follows the WADA Prohibited List in force since January 1, 2026; athletes should confirm with their anti-doping organization. Checked October 5, 2026.

Protocol

Community

100–300 mcg per injection, 1–3× daily; 200–300 mcg is common when used alone.

Trial

Phase 2, 2014

IV only: 0.03 mg/kg twice daily for up to 7 days after bowel surgery.

Frequency: 1–3× daily (bedtime most common)
Route: Subcutaneous injection (community); IV in trials
Timing: Fasted: 2+ hours after food and about 30 minutes before eating.
Cycle: 8–12 weeks on, 4 weeks off.
12 weeks on, 4 off, shown over 26 weeks

Common protocols

The ways Ipamorelin is most often run, each tagged with where it comes from.

Solo nightly

Community

Dose: 200–300 mcg
How often: Once nightly
How long: 8–12 weeks, then about 4 off

Common solo dose, fasted before bed.

Draw 10–15 units5 mg + 2.5 mL

Split doses

Community

Dose: 100 mcg
How often: 2–3 times daily
How long: 8–12 weeks

Often in the same shot as 100 mcg of CJC-1295.

Draw 5 units5 mg + 2.5 mL

Hospital trial (IV)

Trial

Dose: 0.03 mg/kg
How often: IV twice daily
How long: Up to 7 days after surgery

Phase 2 bowel-surgery trial (114 patients). Well tolerated but no significant benefit.

Dosing by body weight

Trial

30 mcg/kg. 0.03 mg/kg by IV twice daily after bowel surgery (Beck 2014). Not a subcutaneous dose.

Body weight

At 70 kg, per dose2.1 mg1.05 mL at 5 mg + 2.5 mL

Taking it

Where it goes

Subcutaneous injection, rotating sites, usually fasted before bed. The only human trials gave it by IV drip.

If you miss a dose

No published guidance. Skip the missed dose and take the next one on schedule; don’t double up.

What to expect

Days 1–7 after surgery
Median time to a first solid meal was 25.3 hours vs 32.6 on placebo, not a significant difference.
Trial
Weeks to months
Marketed for sleep, recovery and body composition; no human data support these uses.
Community

Side effects and what to do

Headache, water retention, increased appetite

Commonly reported by users. Lower the dose or stop if it persists.

Low potassium (IV trial: 12.5% vs 3.4% on placebo)

Seen in post-surgery patients. Report muscle weakness, cramps or palpitations.

High blood sugar (IV trial: 14.3% vs 8.6% at discharge)

Check fasting glucose, especially with prediabetes or diabetes.

Insomnia (IV trial: 10.7% vs 5.2%)

Try an earlier dose time, or stop.

Stop and get medical help

Hives with face or throat swelling, trouble breathing, chest pain, or muscle weakness with palpitations: stop and get medical help.

Tracking and pairing

Worth tracking

IGF-1
Fasting glucose
Potassium (fell more often in the IV trial)

Often paired with

CJC-1295 (no DAC)
Most common pairing: adds a GHRH signal to ipamorelin’s ghrelin-receptor signal. Often premixed; never tested together.
Tesamorelin
Sold as a premixed blend. Also never tested together.

Human studies

2 key published human studies, with how many people took part. Animal studies aren’t listed here.

2014117 people

Median time to first tolerated meal was 25.3 hours vs 32.6 hours on placebo, not significant (p=0.15); well tolerated.

Design
Phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial after bowel resection (114 analyzed)
Dose
0.03 mg/kg IV twice daily
Length
Up to 7 days

Beck et al., Int J Colorectal Dis 2014, PMID 25331030
199940 people

Half-life was about 2 hours; each dose caused a single GH pulse peaking at about 40 minutes.

Design
Dose-escalation PK/PD study in healthy men, 8 men at each of 5 dose levels
Dose
4.21 to 140.45 nmol/kg IV over 15 minutes
Length
Single dose

Gobburu et al., Pharm Res 1999, PMID 10496658

Mixing your vial

Vial	Water	Common dose	Draw	Strength	Action
5 mg	2.5 mL	200 mcg	10 units (0.10 mL)	2 mg/mL
10 mg	3 mL	200 mcg	6 units (0.06 mL)	3.333 mg/mL

Dose chart

Syringe units for common doses at different water volumes. Select a cell to open it in the calculator.

Dose	Water added
Dose	1 mL	2 mL	2.5 mL	3 mL
100 mcg
150 mcg
200 mcg
250 mcg
300 mcg

U-100 insulin syringe: 100 units is 1 mL. Draws over 100 units show in mL. Faded values are under 2 units, which is hard to measure. Check that your vial holds the larger volumes.

Datasheet

Half-life: about 2 hours TrialTerminal half-life after a 15-minute IV infusion in healthy men. FDA found no subcutaneous human data.
Type: Peptide, 5 amino acids
Molecular weight: 711.9 g/mol
Formula: C₃₈H₄₉N₉O₅
Sequence: Aib-H-(D-2Nal)-(D-Phe)-K-NH2
Storage before use: Freezer (−20 °C) for long-term storage; fridge for short periods.
After mixing or opening: Fridge (2–8 °C); use within about 4 weeks.

Half-life: Gobburu et al., Pharm Res 1999, PMID 10496658; FDA PCAC briefing 2024
Molecule: PubChem CID 9831659; FDA PCAC briefing 2024 (UNII Y9M3S784Z6)
Storage: Community Common practice; no approved label exists for this peptide

Cautions

Headache, water retention and increased appetite are reported.
FDA cited immunogenicity concerns and limited toxicology data (2024).

Questions

What is ipamorelin?

A five-amino-acid peptide that activates the ghrelin receptor, prompting a pulse of growth hormone. It was developed as a selective GH secretagogue.

Is ipamorelin FDA-approved?

Not approved as a drug in the US or EU. Still in FDA Category 2 for outsourcing facilities (503B) as of April 2026. In October 2024 FDA’s advisory committee voted 0 to 12, 1 abstaining, against adding it to the 503A bulks list. Not on the July 2026 agenda.

What is the usual ipamorelin dose?

From community reports, not established: 100–300 mcg per injection, 1–3× daily; 200–300 mcg is common when used alone. From human studies (Phase 2, 2014): IV only: 0.03 mg/kg twice daily for up to 7 days after bowel surgery. These are the amounts sources reference, not recommendations.

How much water do I mix ipamorelin with?

There’s no single right amount, because the water only sets the strength. With 2.5 mL of bacteriostatic water in a 5 mg vial, the strength is 2 mg/mL, so 200 mcg is 10 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. More water makes small doses easier to measure. The dose chart above shows other volumes.

What is the half-life of ipamorelin?

About 2 hours, measured in human studies. Terminal half-life after a 15-minute IV infusion in healthy men. FDA found no subcutaneous human data.

How should ipamorelin be stored?

Before mixing: Freezer (−20 °C) for long-term storage; fridge for short periods. After mixing: Fridge (2–8 °C); use within about 4 weeks. This is common practice; no product label covers it.

Is ipamorelin banned in sport?

Yes. S2.2.4 growth hormone releasing factors: growth hormone secretagogues, with ipamorelin named. Banned at all times.

Has ipamorelin been studied in people?

Yes. The human studies section lists 2 published studies. The largest, from 2014, included 117 people. Median time to first tolerated meal was 25.3 hours vs 32.6 hours on placebo, not significant (p=0.15); well tolerated.

Sources

FDA advisory committee briefing: ipamorelin (2024)
Beck et al., ipamorelin for postoperative ileus (2014) doi:10.1007/s00384-014-2030-8

For the protocol details

Beck et al., ipamorelin for postoperative ileus (Int J Colorectal Dis 2014, PubMed) PMID 25331030

Doses tagged Community come from public dosing guides and user reports, checked against at least two of them. Those sites aren’t named here because many of them sell peptides or earn commissions on them.

By Vial Guide editorsLast reviewed October 5, 2026

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