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Ipamorelin

Category · For EnergyStatus · RUOCitations · 51Cancer Concern · WADA-banned

The verdict

A selective GH secretagogue. Marketed as 'cleaner' than other ghrelin mimetics because it does not spike cortisol or prolactin. Still raises IGF-1.

By source — cost, legality, risk

Brand
Not available
None — no FDA approval
No FDA-approved ipamorelin.
Compounded 503A pharmacy
$150–$495/mo (typically bundled with CJC-1295)
Rx · the dominant channel for GH-secretagogue therapy (status contested pending formal FDA Cat 1 update)
Lowest. Pharmacy-grade; the single largest GH-secretagogue user base.
RUO research peptide
$25–$55/mo
Sold 'for research only'
Highest. Frequently mis-labeled as GHRP-2 or GHRP-6 (appetite spike is the tell).
Gray-market raw
~$5/mo
Unregulated overseas import
Same upstream molecule as RUO. Crypto/Wise pay; one 10-vial box lasts ~16 months at typical dose.

Sources · top 5 of 51

01Rahman OF, et al. Therapeutic Peptides in Orthopaedics: Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews. 2026;10(1). PMID: 41490200.
02Mayfield CK, et al. Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Physicians. The American journal of sports medicine. 2026;54(1):223-229. PMID: 41476424.
03Raun K, et al. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. European journal of endocrinology. 1998;139(5):552-61. PMID: 9849822.
04Johansen PB, et al. Ipamorelin, a new growth-hormone-releasing peptide, induces longitudinal bone growth in rats. Growth hormone & IGF research : official journal of the Growth Hormone Research Society and the International IGF Research Society. 1999;9(2):106-13. PMID: 10373343.
05Gouda M, et al. The influence of ghrelin agonist ipamorelin acetate on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis in a cichlid fish, Oreochromis mossambicus. Animal reproduction science. 2024;268:107550. PMID: 38996787.