Ipamorelin References: Cited Studies & Sources

The literature

Every quantitative claim on this site maps to one of the studies below. Citations [1] through [18] cover the founding selectivity work, the human pharmacokinetics, the single Phase 2 trial, the rodent and ferret studies, the class-level mechanism and safety papers, and the 2026 reviews. Each entry carries a PubMed link and a DOI where one exists. Numbers in brackets throughout the site refer to this list.

Primary and supporting studies

The core human anchors are Raun et al. 1998 (selectivity) [1], Gobburu et al. 1999 (human PK) [2], and Beck et al. 2014 (the Phase 2 ileus RCT, NCT00672074) [3]. The preclinical anchors are Johansen et al. 1999 (rat bone growth) [4] and Lu et al. 2024 (the most recent ferret study) [5]. The class-level safety anchor is Stokes et al. 2015 (cardiovascular toxicity of a related GHS-R1a agonist) [6]. Mechanism and combination context come from the GHRH/GHRP synergy studies [9] [10] [11] [12], and the safety-caution mechanisms from Adeghate & Ponery 2004 [16], Lall et al. 2001 [17], and Lawrence et al. 2002 [18]. Recent reviews [13] [14] [15] place ipamorelin in current sport-medicine, orthopaedic, and gerontology context. Full citations with identifiers are listed in the references panel below.

  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. Int J Toxicol. 2015;34(2):151-161.
  7. Hansen BS, et al. Pharmacological characterisation of a new oral GH secretagogue, NN703. Eur J Endocrinol. 1999;141:180-189.
  8. Johansen PB, et al. Growth hormone (GH) hypersecretion and GH receptor resistance in streptozotocin diabetic mice in response to a GH secretagogue. Exp Diabesity Res. 2003;4:73-81.
  9. Yagi H, et al. Effect of intravenous or intracerebroventricular injections of His-D-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH2 on GH release in conscious, freely moving male rats. Neuroendocrinology. 1996;63:198-206.
  10. Bercu BB, et al. Role of selected endogenous peptides in growth hormone-releasing hexapeptide activity: analysis of growth hormone-releasing hormone, thyroid hormone-releasing hormone, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Endocrinology. 1992;130:2579-2586.
  11. Fintini D, et al. Effects of combined long-term treatment with a growth hormone-releasing hormone analogue and a growth hormone secretagogue in the growth hormone-releasing hormone knock out mouse. Neuroendocrinology. 2005;82:198-207.
  12. Yan M, et al. Effect of GHRH and GHRP-2 treatment in vitro on GH secretion and levels of GH, pituitary transcription factor-1, GHRH-receptor, GH-secretagogue-receptor and somatostatin receptor mRNAs in ovine pituitary cells. Eur J Endocrinol. 2004;150:235-242.
  13. 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.
  14. Rahman OF, et al. Therapeutic Peptides in Orthopaedics: Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions. JAAOS Glob Res Rev. 2026.
  15. Mavrych V, et al. Therapeutic peptides in gerontology: mechanisms and applications for healthy aging. Front Aging. 2026.
  16. Adeghate E, Ponery AS. Mechanism of ipamorelin-evoked insulin release from the pancreas of normal and diabetic rats. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2004;25(6):403-407.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.