MD Ipamorelin

The literature

Ipamorelin references: every source behind the digest

The peer-reviewed studies, reviews, and pharmacokinetic data cited across this site, with DOIs and PubMed links.

How to read this list

Every quantitative claim on this site maps to a numbered source below. The list mixes the foundational ipamorelin pharmacology (selectivity, human PK, the Phase 2 trial), the animal efficacy and mechanism studies, the class-level safety data, and the most recent expert reviews. Where a citation describes a related compound (for example, the cardiotoxicity study of a different ghrelin-receptor agonist), that distinction is stated wherever the claim appears. Reviews are labeled as reviews. Open each link to read the original.

  1. Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, Thogersen H, Madsen K, Ankersen M, Andersen PH. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol. 1998;139(5):552-561. ↗
  2. Gobburu JV, Agerso H, Jusko WJ, Ynddal L. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of ipamorelin, a growth hormone releasing peptide, in human volunteers. Pharm Res. 1999;16(9):1412-1416. ↗
  3. Beck DE, Sweeney WB, McCarter MD; Ipamorelin 201 Study Group. Prospective, randomized, controlled, proof-of-concept study of the ghrelin mimetic ipamorelin for the management of postoperative ileus in bowel resection patients. Int J Colorectal Dis. 2014;29(12):1527-1534. ↗
  4. Johansen PB, Nowak J, Skjaerbaek C, Flyvbjerg A, Andreassen TT, Wilken M, Orskov H. Ipamorelin, a new growth-hormone-releasing peptide, induces longitudinal bone growth in rats. Growth Horm IGF Res. 1999;9(2):106-113. ↗
  5. Lu Z, Ngan MP, Liu JYH, Yang L, Tu L, Chan SW, Giuliano C, Lovati E, Pietra C, Rudd JA. The growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a agonists, anamorelin and ipamorelin, inhibit cisplatin-induced weight loss in ferrets: Anamorelin also exhibits anti-emetic effects via a central mechanism. Physiol Behav. 2024;284:114644. ↗
  6. Stokes AH, Falls JG, Yoon L, Cariello N, Faiola B, Colton HM, Jordan HL, Berridge BR. Integrated approach to early detection of cardiovascular toxicity induced by a ghrelin receptor agonist [GSK894281; a related GHS-R1a agonist, not ipamorelin]. Int J Toxicol. 2015;34(2):151-161. ↗
  7. Coutinho LFD, et al. A new era of doping? Use of peptide and peptide-analog drugs in recreational and professional sport and bodybuilding: a critical review. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2026. ↗
  8. Chan CB, et al. Stimulation of growth hormone secretion from seabream pituitary cells in primary culture by growth hormone secretagogues is independent of growth hormone transcription. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol. 2004;139:77-85. ↗
  9. Yeung CM, et al. Seabream ghrelin: cDNA cloning, genomic organization and promoter studies. J Endocrinol. 2006;189:365-379. ↗
  10. 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:e3119. ↗
  11. 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. ↗
  12. Adeghate E, Ponery AS. Mechanism of ipamorelin-evoked insulin release from the pancreas of normal and diabetic rats. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2004;25(6):403-406. ↗
  13. Lall S, Tung LY, Ohlsson C, Jansson JO, Dickson SL. Growth hormone (GH)-independent stimulation of adiposity by GH secretagogues. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2001;280(1):132-138. ↗
  14. Lawrence CB, Snape AC, Baudoin FM, Luckman SM. Acute central ghrelin and GH secretagogues induce feeding and activate brain appetite centers. Endocrinology. 2002;143(1):155-162. ↗
  15. Mayfield CK, et al. Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Physicians. Am J Sports Med. 2026. ↗
  16. Mendias CL, et al. Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic Performance. Sports Med. 2026. ↗
  17. Renke G, et al. Therapeutic Peptides in Aesthetic, Metabolic and Endocrine Conditions: Effects, Safety, Clinical Applications, and Future Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci. 2026;27(9):3890. ↗
  18. Villegas Meza AD, et al. Injectable Peptides in Sports Medicine: A Structured Narrative Review of Evidence, Safety, and Antidoping Implications. JBJS Rev. 2026. ↗