Ipamorelin

Also known as NNC 26-0161

Sold as a gentle growth hormone booster for muscle and sleep. Its only real human trial was for gut recovery after surgery, and it did not work there either.

Information only. Not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before you start, stop or change anything.

What people claim

Boosts growth hormone without side effects
Builds lean muscle
Improves sleep and recovery

What the evidence shows

A phase 2 trial in 114 people after bowel surgery found no significant benefit: time to first meal was 25.3 hours against 32.6 hours on placebo, which was not statistically significant.^[1]
We found no controlled human trial of muscle, fat loss or sleep.^[1]^[2]

Known risks

FDA cites serious adverse events including death in a study where it was given intravenously, and flags immune reactions and impurity problems.^[2]
FDA says it lacks the information to know whether other injected routes cause harm.^[2]
Banned in sport as a growth hormone secretagogue.^[3]

Reported side effects

Moderated user reports are not open yet, so nothing is shown here. They will be labelled as unverified personal accounts.

Legal status

A summary, not legal advice. Rules change, and sport bans are separate.

United States

Unapproved

Not FDA approved. FDA lists it as presenting significant safety risks for some compounding.^[2]

United Kingdom

Unlicensed

No licensed medicine contains it.

Australia

Not approved

TGA says importing, advertising or supplying unapproved peptides is unlawful.^[4]

European Union

Not authorised

No authorised medicine. National rules on possession and import differ.

Sources

1.Proof-of-concept study of the ghrelin mimetic ipamorelin for postoperative ileusInternational Journal of Colorectal Disease, 2014
2.Bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risksUS FDA
3.The Prohibited List (section S2)World Anti-Doping Agency
4.Importing, compounding and supplying unapproved peptide productsTGA Australia

Profile last checked 7 Nov 2026.