Ipamorelin · 18 May 2026
Ipamorelin: A Selective Growth Hormone Secretagogue
Essential Peptides Au · Journal · 3 min read
A growth hormone secretagogue developed in the 1990s. Studied for its selectivity profile relative to earlier compounds in its class — specifically, the absence of significant cortisol or prolactin elevation in the published models. Frequently appears in research alongside CJC-1295, where the two are investigated in combination for their complementary mechanisms.
Mechanism in brief
Ipamorelin is a ghrelin / GH secretagogue receptor (GHSR-1a) agonist. GHSR-1a is a constitutively active class A GPCR whose agonism triggers Gq-IP3 calcium flux alongside Gs signalling in somatotroph cell models. Ipamorelin is notable for GHSR-1a selectivity with minimal off-target ACTH or cortisol pathway stimulation in pituitary cell assays, which distinguishes it from less selective secretagogues such as GHRP-6.
In current research
Research panels in this class profile GHSR-1a selectivity by measuring ACTH, cortisol, and GH pathway outputs separately, often contrasting ipamorelin with GHRP-2 and GHRP-6.
It frequently appears alongside the GHRH analogue CJC-1295, where the secretagogue and GHRH mechanisms are examined together for their complementary receptor targets.
View compound
Ipamorelin in the catalogue
Related reading
For research use only. This article is provided for research and educational purposes and does not describe or imply therapeutic use. None of these compounds are for human or veterinary consumption.