Ipamorelin binds the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R) in the pituitary, triggering a pulsatile release of the body's own growth hormone. Its defining feature relative to earlier ghrelin-mimetic peptides is selectivity — in preclinical models it stimulates GH release with comparatively little effect on cortisol, prolactin, or appetite, the off-target effects that limited older secretagogues.

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• Formerly investigated for postoperative gastrointestinal motility (discontinued)
• Widely used off-label/informally, often stacked with CJC-1295, in longevity and bodybuilding-adjacent GH-optimization protocols
• Sold exclusively through "research chemical" channels; no legal compounding pathway as of early 2026

• Placed in FDA Category 2 (restricted, no compounding) in September 2023; as of April 2026 no compounding pharmacy may legally prepare it for human use
• Named among peptides referred to the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee alongside CJC-1295, with a possible path back to Category 1 signaled by HHS in February 2026 — but as of the most recent published guidance, no formal reclassification had taken effect
• Prohibited under the WADA Prohibited List (Class S2) — same status as MOTS-c and Tesamorelin in this collection
• Its only completed human RCT failed to meet its endpoint; unlike tesamorelin, it has never advanced through Phase