| Pack Size | Single Vial, 10-Pack |
|---|
Ipamorelin is a synthetic five-residue pentapeptide growth-hormone secretagogue developed in the late 1990s by Novo Nordisk as the first selective GHSR-1a (ghrelin receptor) agonist that induced GH release without elevating prolactin, ACTH, cortisol, or aldosterone. Research has investigated the compound across GH-axis pharmacology, ghrelin-mimetic gut motility, and comparative GHRP studies. Every Ronin batch is independently verified by Janoshik Analytical using HPLC for purity and mass spectrometry for identity, with the minimum acceptance threshold set at 99 percent purity by HPLC. The compound is supplied as a lyophilized powder in a sealed glass vial, 10 mg per vial. For laboratory research use only — not for human or veterinary use.
Description
Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide that runs five residues end-to-end, two of which are non-standard amino acids: α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) at position one and the D-amino-acid forms of 2-naphthylalanine and phenylalanine at positions three and four. The C-terminal lysine carries an amide cap, conferring resistance to carboxypeptidase degradation. The full sequence reads Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2. The non-standard residues distinguish ipamorelin from natural-amino-acid peptides and contribute to its proteolytic stability and receptor selectivity.
The molecule was developed in the late 1990s by Novo Nordisk's growth-hormone-secretagogue research programme; researchers in that programme published the foundational characterisation in 1998. A 1998 paper in the European Journal of Endocrinology characterised ipamorelin as the first selective growth-hormone secretagogue — selective in the sense that it stimulated GH release from the anterior pituitary without elevating prolactin, ACTH, cortisol, or aldosterone (PMID 9849822). The selectivity profile distinguished ipamorelin from earlier GHRPs (GHRP-2, GHRP-6, hexarelin) which had documented effects on the broader hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis alongside their GH-release activity.
The molecule is supplied as a lyophilized white-to-off-white powder in a sealed amber-glass vial under inert gas. Each vial contains 10 mg of peptide. Reconstitution with bacteriostatic water is required before the peptide can be drawn into an insulin syringe. Researchers planning bench preparations should review the Reconstitution accordion below for mechanics.
Ipamorelin has been the subject of an extensive preclinical and translational research literature spanning GH-release pharmacology, ghrelin-receptor structure-activity relationships, postoperative-ileus gastric-prokinetic research, and comparative growth-hormone-secretagogue analyses. A 2014 paper in the International Journal of Colorectal Disease reported a Phase 2 randomized controlled trial of ipamorelin for the management of postoperative ileus in bowel-resection patients, providing one of the few human-clinical-trial datasets for this class of molecule (PMID 25331030). Researchers planning translational protocols often consult that trial as a reference point. A 2017 paper in Drug Testing and Analysis compiled the structure-activity relationship for peptidic growth-hormone secretagogues including ipamorelin, NN703, and related analogues (PMID 26811125).
Across the literature the compound appears under several alternate identifiers. Ipamorelin acetate is the salt form most commonly reported on Certificates of Analysis. NNC 26-0161 was the development designation used during Novo Nordisk pharmaceutical work. The CAS registry number 170851-70-4 and PubChem CID 11338010 anchor the canonical chemical identifiers.
No regulatory authority — Health Canada, the FDA, the EMA, the TGA, or any equivalent — has cleared ipamorelin for therapeutic use in humans or animals. The compound progressed through Phase 2 trials under multiple sponsors for postoperative ileus and related gastric-motility indications but did not advance to a marketed therapeutic. Ronin Peptides ships the compound exclusively as a research-grade reagent for benchwork. Dosing protocols, treatment regimens, and administration instructions are out of scope and not provided in any form.
Mechanism in research literature
The mechanistic anchor for ipamorelin is selective agonism at the growth-hormone-secretagogue receptor type 1a (GHSR-1a), the same receptor through which the endogenous hormone ghrelin signals. GHSR-1a is a Gq-coupled G-protein-coupled receptor expressed predominantly in the anterior pituitary somatotrophs and in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, with secondary expression in gastric and intestinal tissues. Receptor activation triggers a phospholipase C cascade, intracellular calcium mobilisation, and downstream stimulation of growth hormone secretion from somatotroph cells.
Selectivity is the defining mechanism feature. The 1998 Raun characterisation paper documented that ipamorelin stimulated GH release in pigs and rats with potency comparable to GHRP-6 but without the prolactin, ACTH, cortisol, or aldosterone elevations characteristic of earlier GHRPs (PMID 9849822). The selectivity profile is attributed to the specific binding-pocket interactions of the non-standard amino acid residues — particularly the Aib at position one and the two D-amino-acid residues — which differ from the natural-amino-acid pharmacophores of earlier GHRPs.
Pharmacokinetic characterisation has been documented across rodent, porcine, and primate models. A 1998 paper in Xenobiotica characterised the pharmacokinetic profile of ipamorelin and other peptidyl GH secretagogues, with attention to the nasal-absorption route as a candidate non-injection delivery method (PMID 9879640). Plasma half-life after parenteral administration in animal models is short — under thirty minutes — though the GH pulse triggered by a single dose persists well beyond the plasma residence of the compound itself.
Beyond GH release, the GHSR-1a is expressed in gastric and intestinal smooth muscle and on enteric neurons. Ghrelin and ghrelin mimetics including ipamorelin have demonstrated prokinetic effects on gastric and small-intestinal motility in animal models. A 2009 paper in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics characterised that ipamorelin restored gastric motility in a rodent postoperative-ileus model (PMID 19289567). A 2012 paper extended these findings into more detailed gastric-dysmotility investigations (PMID 27186127).
Structure-activity relationship work has produced a series of analogues built around the ipamorelin scaffold. A 1998 J Med Chem paper described a series of highly potent GH-releasing peptides derived from ipamorelin (PMID 9733495). A 2001 Bioorg Med Chem Lett paper documented hybrid analogues combining structural features of ipamorelin and NN703 (PMID 11459660). More recent work has examined boron-rich derivatives (PMID 30168238) and PET-imaging-relevant peptidomimetic derivatives (PMID 30282322), broadening the SAR landscape around the original compound.
Studied properties
GH-release pharmacology forms the foundational body of preclinical research on ipamorelin. The 1998 Raun discovery paper (PMID 9849822) anchors this stream, with potency comparable to GHRP-6 and selectivity against ACTH/cortisol elevation. A 2009 paper in Growth Hormone & IGF Research characterised that ipamorelin and other GH secretagogues counteracted the catabolic nitrogen-balance effects of dexamethasone administration in rats, framing one route by which the compound engages anabolic-versus-catabolic metabolic balance (PMID 19231263).
Postoperative-ileus and gastric-motility research forms the second major stream and represents the compound's furthest progress through clinical-trial development. The 2009 Venkova paper anchored the rodent-model postoperative-ileus framing (PMID 19289567); the 2012 Greenwood-Van Meerveld paper extended into gastric-dysmotility characterisation (PMID 27186127). A 2014 paper in the International Journal of Colorectal Disease reported a Phase 2 prospective randomized controlled trial of ipamorelin in bowel-resection patients (PMID 25331030), with the compound advancing through the development programme but not progressing to a marketed therapeutic.
Comparative GHRP and structure-activity research forms the third major stream. A 2017 review in Drug Testing and Analysis compiled the structure-activity relationships across the broader peptidic growth-hormone-secretagogue class (PMID 26811125). The hybrid analogue work documented in the 2001 Hansen paper combined ipamorelin's structural features with the related compound NN703 (PMID 11459660). Engineered analogue research has continued into recent years with boron-rich peptide-receptor-targeted derivatives (PMID 30168238) and peptidomimetic PET-imaging derivatives (PMID 30282322).
Recent literature has expanded the application bracket. A 2024 paper in Animal Reproduction Science characterised the influence of ipamorelin on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis in a fish-model context, broadening the comparative-species research agenda (PMID 38996787). A 2024 paper in Physiology & Behavior characterised that ipamorelin and the related GHSR-1a agonist anamorelin inhibited cisplatin-induced weight loss in ferrets, framing one route by which the GHSR-1a agonist class engages cachexia research (PMID 39043357).
The compound features prominently in recent reviews of peptide therapeutics in orthopaedic and sports-medicine research contexts. A 2026 review in JAAOS Global Research and Reviews covered therapeutic peptides in orthopaedics (PMID 41490200). A 2026 primer in the American Journal of Sports Medicine compiled injectable peptide-therapy framings for orthopaedic and sports-medicine physicians (PMID 41476424). Researchers consulting these reviews should attend to the regulatory framing — ipamorelin is unapproved as a drug therapeutic in any major jurisdiction.
Compound specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Common name | Ipamorelin |
| Alternate names | Ipamorelin acetate; NNC 26-0161 |
| Molecular formula | C38H49N9O5 |
| Molecular weight | 711.86 g/mol (free base) |
| CAS number | 170851-70-4 |
| PubChem CID | 11338010 |
| Sequence | Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2 |
| Length | 5 residues (pentapeptide; includes non-standard amino acids) |
| Receptor target | Growth-hormone-secretagogue receptor type 1a (GHSR-1a) |
| Selectivity | GH release without prolactin, ACTH, cortisol, or aldosterone elevation |
| Plasma half-life (preclinical) | <30 minutes (parenteral, animal models) |
| Form | Lyophilized white-to-off-white powder |
| Solubility | Bacteriostatic water; sterile water for injection |
| Vial contents | 10 mg peptide, sealed amber-glass vial under inert gas |
| Purity | ≥99% by HPLC (verified per batch by Janoshik Analytical) |
Storage and handling
Unopened lyophilized vials hold up well under dry ambient storage; usable activity persists for several weeks even without refrigeration. The recommended container is the unopened original vial — keep the seal intact until reconstitution. Refrigeration at 2–8 °C is appropriate once the working timeline extends past a month. A standard freezer at −20 °C handles archival storage; ultra-low storage at −80 °C is rarely needed for typical bench-research timescales.
Keep vials shielded from light, ideally in their original outer packaging. Repeated temperature cycling accelerates degradation noticeably more than steady storage at any single temperature inside the recommended bands — minimise transitions between cold and ambient.
After reconstitution, refrigerate the solution at 2–8 °C without delay. The typical working window for a reconstituted preparation is four to six weeks at fridge temperature. Past that window, peptide concentration drifts downward through chemical degradation pathways even though the bacteriostatic water's benzyl alcohol still suppresses microbial growth. The 0.9% benzyl alcohol holds back bacterial contamination — the dominant spoilage path — but does not arrest the slower hydrolysis, oxidation, and aggregation processes that accumulate in any aqueous peptide solution.
When a research timeline extends past six weeks, common practice is splitting the reconstituted solution into single-use volumes and freezing them at −20 °C immediately. Ice-crystal formation during each freeze-thaw cycle inflicts mechanical damage on peptide chains, and pre-splitting eliminates the cumulative loss that comes from thawing one vial multiple times. Thaw individual aliquots overnight in a refrigerator — never at room temperature — and use them within a few days of thaw.
The reconstituted product should be visually clear and colourless. Discard any vial showing turbidity, suspended particulate, yellowing, or visible precipitate. The diluent of choice is USP-grade bacteriostatic water containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol — see the bacteriostatic water product page for reconstitution-grade water.
Compare with similar compounds
| Compound | Primary research area | Documented mechanism (preclinical) | Format at Ronin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ipamorelin | GH release; ghrelin-mimetic gut motility | Selective GHSR-1a agonist; GH release without prolactin/cortisol elevation | 10 mg vial |
| CJC-1295 No DAC | GHRH-axis research; pulsatile GH release | GHRH analogue; binds GHRH receptor on somatotrophs (no DAC moiety) | 10 mg vial |
| CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin Blend | Combined GHRH + GHRP research | Dual-receptor stimulation: GHRH receptor + GHSR-1a receptor | 10 mg blend vial |
| Tesamorelin | GHRH-receptor research; HIV-associated lipodystrophy framing | GHRH analogue; longer-acting stabilised structure | 10 mg vial |
Ipamorelin sits within Ronin's growth-related compound category, alongside the GHRH-class analogues CJC-1295 and Tesamorelin. The mechanistic complementarity between GHRH-class compounds (which signal through the GHRH receptor) and GHRP-class compounds like ipamorelin (which signal through the ghrelin GHSR-1a receptor) is the rationale behind the CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin combined blend, where dual-receptor stimulation produces a different GH-release profile than either compound alone.
Reconstitution and laboratory handling
A 10 mg vial of ipamorelin reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water yields a final concentration of 5 mg/mL, or 5,000 mcg/mL. Other diluent volumes scale linearly: 1 mL gives 10 mg/mL, 5 mL gives 2 mg/mL.
Reconstitution procedure:
- Bring both vials — peptide and bacteriostatic water — to room temperature before opening.
- Sanitise both rubber stoppers with an alcohol swab.
- Pull the chosen diluent volume into a sterile transfer syringe.
- Direct the water against the inner wall of the peptide vial as it is injected — never onto the lyophilized cake, since direct impact foams the solution and denatures peptide at the air-water interface.
- Invert slowly or swirl gently until everything dissolves. Do not vortex; do not shake.
- Refrigerate at 2–8 °C the moment reconstitution completes.
A finished preparation should be visually transparent with no suspended particulate. If the solution is hazy or contains visible material, treat it as degraded or contaminated and discard.
For dose-volume calculations on insulin syringes, use the Ronin peptide reconstitution calculator. The calculator pre-loads ipamorelin with default reconstitution volumes and converts target doses to U-100 syringe units automatically.
In published preclinical research, ipamorelin has been administered in micrograms-to-milligrams-per-kilogram dose ranges across rodent, porcine, and primate model systems, with intravenous, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, and intranasal routes characterised across the literature (PMID 9849822, PMID 9879640, PMID 19289567). The Phase 2 clinical trial in postoperative-ileus patients used intravenous administration (PMID 25331030). These figures are research-reference only — Ronin Peptides does not provide dosing recommendations or administration instructions for any non-laboratory purpose.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ipamorelin?
Ipamorelin is a synthetic five-residue pentapeptide that acts as a selective agonist at the growth-hormone-secretagogue receptor type 1a (GHSR-1a) — the same receptor through which the endogenous hormone ghrelin signals. The compound was developed in the late 1990s by Novo Nordisk and characterised in a 1998 paper as the first selective GH secretagogue, meaning it stimulated GH release without the prolactin, ACTH, cortisol, or aldosterone elevations seen with earlier GHRPs. Research has investigated ipamorelin across GH-release pharmacology, postoperative-ileus gastric prokinetic activity, and comparative GHRP studies. Ronin supplies the compound as a lyophilized vial reconstituted with bacteriostatic water at the bench. Sale is limited to laboratory research applications; human and veterinary use are excluded.
What does Ipamorelin stand for?
The name "ipamorelin" was the chemical-name designation given to the compound during Novo Nordisk's development programme — it does not expand into a longer phrase the way some peptide names do. The development designation NNC 26-0161 was used in early Novo Nordisk pharmaceutical work. The compound's chemical identity is anchored by CAS registry number 170851-70-4 and PubChem CID 11338010. The full chemical sequence is Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2, where Aib is α-aminoisobutyric acid, D-2-Nal is D-2-naphthylalanine, and the C-terminal lysine carries an amide cap.
What is the regulatory status of Ipamorelin?
No regulatory body — Health Canada, the FDA, the EMA, the TGA, or any equivalent — has approved ipamorelin as a drug for human or veterinary use. The compound progressed through Phase 2 trials under multiple sponsors for postoperative ileus and related gastric-motility indications, with one randomized controlled trial published in 2014, but did not advance to a marketed therapeutic in any major jurisdiction.
Ipamorelin is not listed as a scheduled controlled substance under the international drug-control conventions or under the major national scheduling systems. It sits within the regulatory layer covering laboratory reagents and research chemicals, not the layer governing human therapeutics.
Ronin Peptides supplies the compound as a research-grade reagent for laboratory and bench-research applications. Buyers operate under their own jurisdictional laws and any applicable institutional review protocols when handling the compound — Ronin Peptides assumes no oversight of downstream lab practice.
How is Ipamorelin verified?
Each batch passes through Janoshik Analytical — an independent peptide-analytics lab — for HPLC purity quantification and MS identity confirmation, with the minimum acceptance threshold set at 99 percent purity by HPLC. Every Janoshik COA includes a verification key that resolves at janoshik.com, so researchers can confirm the certificate's authenticity without trusting the manufacturer's word alone. To pull the COA covering the batch on your order, email support@roninpeptides.ca from the address used at checkout, with your order number; the typical reply turnaround is well under 24 hours.
How does Ipamorelin differ from CJC-1295?
Ipamorelin and CJC-1295 are two distinct classes of GH-related research compound that are often examined together. Ipamorelin is a GHRP (growth-hormone-releasing peptide) — it signals through the GHSR-1a (ghrelin) receptor on anterior-pituitary somatotrophs, mimicking the action of the endogenous ghrelin hormone. CJC-1295 is a GHRH analogue — it binds the growth-hormone-releasing-hormone receptor on those same somatotrophs, mimicking the action of endogenous GHRH. The two receptors operate through different intracellular signalling pathways but converge on GH release. Combined-protocol research often pairs the two compound classes — see the CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin blend for combined-compound research convenience.
How is Ipamorelin reconstituted?
The standard preparation is 2 mL of bacteriostatic water added to a 10 mg vial, producing a 5 mg/mL solution. Inject the water against the inside wall of the vial — never directly onto the lyophilized powder, which causes foaming and surface denaturation. Swirl gently or invert slowly until fully dissolved (typically 30–60 seconds). Refrigerate at 2–8 °C immediately after reconstitution. Use the Ronin reconstitution calculator for non-standard volumes or to convert target doses to insulin-syringe units.
How do I receive the COA for my batch?
Email support@roninpeptides.ca from the email address used at checkout, with your order number (e.g., RP-CA-1234) and the compound name. We reply within 24 hours — typically the same business day — with the COA PDF attached. The COA includes the Janoshik verification key, which you can check independently at janoshik.com to confirm the test results match what the laboratory ran on your specific batch. COAs are not published publicly to protect supply-chain privacy and prevent competitor scraping.
References
- Raun K et al. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol. 1998;139(5):552-561. PMID: 9849822 | doi:10.1530/eje.0.1390552
- Ankersen M et al. A new series of highly potent growth hormone-releasing peptides derived from ipamorelin. J Med Chem. 1998;41(19):3699-3704. PMID: 9733495 | doi:10.1021/jm9801962
- Johansen PB et al. Pharmacokinetic evaluation of ipamorelin and other peptidyl growth hormone secretagogues. Xenobiotica. 1998;28(11):1083-1092. PMID: 9879640 | doi:10.1080/004982598238976
- Hansen TK et al. Highly potent growth hormone secretagogues: hybrids of NN703 and ipamorelin. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2001;11(11):1357-1360. PMID: 11459660 | doi:10.1016/s0960-894x(01)00345-6
- Aagaard NK et al. Growth hormone and growth hormone secretagogue effects on nitrogen balance and urea synthesis in steroid treated rats. Growth Horm IGF Res. 2009;19(5):426-431. PMID: 19231263 | doi:10.1016/j.ghir.2009.01.001
- Venkova K et al. Efficacy of ipamorelin, a novel ghrelin mimetic, in a rodent model of postoperative ileus. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2009;329(3):1110-1116. PMID: 19289567 | doi:10.1124/jpet.108.149211
- Greenwood-Van Meerveld B et al. Efficacy of ipamorelin, a ghrelin mimetic, on gastric dysmotility in a rodent model of postoperative ileus. J Exp Pharmacol. 2012;4:149-155. PMID: 27186127 | doi:10.2147/JEP.S35396
- Beck DE et al. Prospective, randomized, controlled, proof-of-concept study of the Ghrelin mimetic ipamorelin for the management of postoperative ileus. Int J Colorectal Dis. 2014;29(12):1527-1534. PMID: 25331030 | doi:10.1007/s00384-014-2030-8
- Ferro P et al. Structure-activity relationship for peptidic growth hormone secretagogues. Drug Test Anal. 2017;9(3):432-437. PMID: 26811125 | doi:10.1002/dta.1947
- Worm DJ et al. A stable meta-carborane enables the generation of boron-rich peptide agonists targeting the ghrelin receptor. J Pept Sci. 2018;24(11):e3119. PMID: 30168238 | doi:10.1002/psc.3119
- Fowkes MM et al. Peptidomimetic growth hormone secretagogue derivatives for positron emission tomography imaging of the ghrelin receptor. Eur J Med Chem. 2018;157:1500-1511. PMID: 30282322 | doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.08.062
- Gouda M et al. The influence of ghrelin agonist ipamorelin acetate on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis in a cichlid fish. Anim Reprod Sci. 2024;267:107550. PMID: 38996787 | doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2024.107550
- Lu Z et al. The growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a agonists, anamorelin and ipamorelin, inhibit cisplatin-induced weight loss in ferrets. Physiol Behav. 2024;284:114644. PMID: 39043357 | doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114644
- Rahman OF et al. Therapeutic Peptides in Orthopaedics: Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions. J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev. 2026. PMID: 41490200 | doi:10.5435/JAAOSGlobal-D-25-00236
- Mayfield CK et al. Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Physicians. Am J Sports Med. 2026. PMID: 41476424 | doi:10.1177/03635465251357593
