Peptide reference
Ipamorelin
Last reviewed · Written by the PepCycle team
Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide classed as a growth-hormone secretagogue — a molecule that acts on the ghrelin receptor to stimulate the pituitary's own release of growth hormone. It is supplied as a lyophilised powder, typically in 2 mg, 5 mg or 10 mg vials, and is not an approved medicine in the US, EU or UK.
What Ipamorelin is
Ipamorelin is a synthetic peptide of five amino acids, developed by a pharmaceutical research programme in the 1990s and studied as a growth-hormone secretagogue (GHS). Secretagogues act on the growth hormone secretagogue receptor — the same receptor the hormone ghrelin binds — prompting the pituitary gland to release growth hormone it produces itself.
The reason Ipamorelin attracted attention among the GHS family is selectivity: in preclinical work it stimulated growth-hormone release with comparatively little effect on cortisol and prolactin, unlike some earlier secretagogues. That is a pharmacology observation from animal and early human studies, not a safety claim.
- Secretagogue
- A substance that causes a gland to secrete something it already makes. The distinction from administering the hormone directly matters both pharmacologically and legally — but a secretagogue is not therefore 'safer' by default.
How it is supplied and stored
Ipamorelin arrives lyophilised in stoppered glass vials, most commonly labelled 2 mg, 5 mg or 10 mg. Handling matches other small research peptides: sealed vials stored cold and dark, reconstituted with bacteriostatic water, then refrigerated with a much shorter usable window.
| Vial label | In mcg | With 2 mL water | Per U-100 unit |
|---|---|---|---|
2mg | 2,000 mcg | 1,000 mcg/mL | 10 mcg |
5mg | 5,000 mcg | 2,500 mcg/mL | 25 mcg |
10mg | 10,000 mcg | 5,000 mcg/mL | 50 mcg |
Units and stack bookkeeping
Ipamorelin entries are recorded in micrograms. Because it is so often logged together with a GHRH analogue, the most common record-keeping failure is a combined entry — one line that says "CJC/Ipa" with a single number. That line cannot be decomposed later, and if you change one component's amount the history becomes actively misleading.
Research context and status
Ipamorelin was investigated in a pharmaceutical development programme, including early human studies, and was later explored for post-operative gastrointestinal motility. It did not reach approval for any indication, and there is no approved Ipamorelin medicine in the US, EU or UK today.
In the US, the FDA has moved growth-hormone secretagogues including Ipamorelin into the category of substances not eligible for use in compounded preparations, which changed availability through compounding pharmacies. Anti-doping bodies prohibit growth-hormone secretagogues in tested sport.
What to record
- Vial mg, water volume, reconstitution date, supplier and lot.
- Amount per entry in mcg, and the time of day — timing is a variable people commonly want to review later.
- Each stack component as its own entry, linked by date rather than merged into one line.
- Injection site and rotation, as with any subcutaneous entry.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ipamorelin a growth hormone?
No. It is a growth-hormone secretagogue: it acts on a receptor to prompt the pituitary to release growth hormone the body produces itself. Administering growth hormone directly is a different intervention with a different legal and clinical status.
Why is Ipamorelin logged in micrograms?
Because a vial holds 2–10 mg and a single entry is a small fraction of it. Recording in micrograms keeps entries as whole numbers instead of long decimals, which reduces transcription errors.
How should I log Ipamorelin used alongside CJC-1295?
As two separate compound entries on the same date, each with its own vial and amount — unless the two arrived pre-mixed in a single vial, in which case it is one blend compound with two recorded components. A merged 'CJC/Ipa' line with one number cannot be interpreted later.
Is Ipamorelin available from compounding pharmacies?
In the US, the FDA has placed growth-hormone secretagogues including Ipamorelin in a category not eligible for compounding, which closed that route. Availability differs by country, and status changes — verify against current regulator guidance rather than an older article.
Related pages
Track Ipamorelin without re-doing the maths
Enter the vial once — mass, diluent volume, lot, date — and every entry after that converts automatically between mcg, mL and syringe units, with the vial counting down as you log.
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