Compound research hub

Ipamorelin: Research, Handling and Batch Documentation

Ipamorelin is a pentapeptide agonist at the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, selected in the original work for releasing growth hormone without the cortisol and prolactin rise seen with earlier GHRPs.

Part of Volta's growth hormone research peptides catalogue.

Identity and research status

Sequence: Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2
Molecular Formula: C38H49N9O5
Molecular Weight: 711.87 g/mol
CAS Number: 170851-70-4
Length: 5 amino acids, C-terminally amidated
Receptor Target: Growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (ghrelin receptor)
Developer Code: NNC 26-0161
Non-natural Residues: Aib at position 1, D-2-naphthylalanine and D-phenylalanine
Class: Selective growth hormone secretagogue
Appearance: White lyophilised powder
CAS number: 170851-70-4

Evidence level: Preclinical (grade D)

Regulatory status: Research-only / Not approved for human use

Evidence grades describe the published literature on the compound, not a property of the material Volta supplies, and are not a statement that any use is approved. See how these grades are assigned.

Mechanism, in brief

Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide agonist at the growth hormone secretagogue receptor type 1a, the receptor whose endogenous ligand is ghrelin. It is not a growth hormone releasing hormone analogue and does not act at the GHRH receptor, which is the distinction that separates it from sermorelin, tesamorelin and the CJC-1295 family. The two receptor systems converge on the somatotroph but arrive by different routes.

Receptor binding. Agonism at the growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a, the ghrelin receptor, expressed on pituitary somatotrophs and at hypothalamic sites.
Intracellular signalling. Signalling through Gq and phospholipase C raises intracellular calcium in the somatotroph, which is the proximal trigger for release of stored growth hormone.
Growth hormone release. Release of an existing stored pool rather than stimulation of synthesis, which is why the response is pulsatile and why it interacts with rather than overrides endogenous GHRH tone.
Selectivity. The defining feature. Growth hormone release occurs without the accompanying rise in adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol that the earlier GHRP series produced.
Downstream IGF-1. Sustained growth hormone elevation raises hepatic insulin-like growth factor 1, which mediates much of the downstream anabolic signalling attributed to the axis.

The full research write-up, including the findings behind each claim and the model each came from, is on the Ipamorelin 5mg 5mg page.

Vial sizes available

Every size of Ipamorelin Volta lists, in stock or not. Each is a separate catalogue page with its own batch number and specification table.

Ipamorelin 5mg 5mgBatch #: VPIP5100
In stock
Ipamorelin 10mg 10mgBatch #: VPIP10100
Restocking

Purity and batch documentation

Volta's release specification is >99% (HPLC). That is a threshold we set. >99% is the specification every batch is released to. The figure on a certificate is what a laboratory measured for one lot.

SideChain Analytics reported 99.5% by HPLC-MS/MS on September 24, 2026.
Covers the Ipamorelin 5mg vial.
Read the certificate Verify on lab's website (Verify on SideChain Analytics's website, opens in a new tab)

the complete batch history dataset how each batch is tested laboratories that test peptides independently

Research on Ipamorelin

Concentrations used in the literature

the concentrations used in published ipamorelin work

Comparisons

Studied alongside other compounds

the ipamorelin and CJC-1295 pairing in the literature

Class guide

the growth hormone secretagogue class guide

Handling and stability

Laboratory guides

Calculators

Regulatory context

United States: Not FDA-approved. Research chemical only. WADA-banned (S2 growth factor).
Canada: Not approved by Health Canada.
United Kingdom: Not MHRA-approved.

Primary sources

Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, et al.. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. European Journal of Endocrinology (1998). PMID 9849822
Dominikowski A, Rękoś Z, et al.. The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating the GH-IGF1 axis. Frontiers in Endocrinology (2026). PMID 42395176
Mendias CL, Awan TM, et al.. Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries. Sports Medicine (2026). PMID 41966639
Villegas Meza AD, Nocek M, et al.. Injectable Peptides in Sports Medicine: A Structured Narrative Review of Evidence and Safety. JBJS Reviews (2026). PMID 42160466
Tewari K, Liu TP, et al.. Peptide Supplements and Their Therapeutic Applications in Sports Medicine. American Journal of Sports Medicine (2026). PMID 42578445
Renke G, Chinellato L, et al.. Therapeutic Peptides in Aesthetic, Metabolic and Endocrine Conditions: Effects, Safety and Clinical Applications. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2026). PMID 42123471

More growth hormone research peptides

Ipamorelin sits in Volta's growth hormone research peptides catalogue, alongside the other compounds studied in this area. The whole range is on the full research catalogue, and the library of comparisons and guides is under peptide research.