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.
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- Hansen BS, et al. Pharmacological characterisation of a new oral GH secretagogue, NN703. Eur J Endocrinol. 1999;141:180-189. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- Rahman OF, et al. Therapeutic Peptides in Orthopaedics: Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions. JAAOS Glob Res Rev. 2026. ↗
- Mavrych V, et al. Therapeutic peptides in gerontology: mechanisms and applications for healthy aging. Front Aging. 2026. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗
- 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. ↗