Ipamorelin: Selective GHRP Research

Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide (Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2) with a molecular weight of approximately 711.9 Da. It is one of the most studied selective growth-hormone-releasing peptides (GHRPs) and is widely used as a reference compound in preclinical in-vitro and in-vivo growth-hormone-axis research. Research-grade preparations target ≥99% purity by RP-HPLC with identity confirmed by ESI-MS.

Sequence and Structure

The five-residue sequence is fully synthetic, with an N-terminal aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) and a C-terminal amide that together improve metabolic stability relative to earlier GHRPs. The two D-amino acids (D-2-naphthylalanine and D-phenylalanine) confer resistance to enzymatic degradation, which is a recurring theme in peptide-secretagogue design and a reason ipamorelin is a common comparison point in structure-stability studies.

Receptor Context

Ipamorelin acts in research models as a selective agonist of the growth-hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a), the same receptor targeted by the endogenous ligand ghrelin. Its selectivity profile, with minimal cross-activity reported at other pituitary axes in published preclinical work, is the property most often examined in receptor-binding and signaling assays.

Research Applications

In laboratory settings, ipamorelin is used as a tool compound for studying GHS-R1a signaling, secretagogue selectivity, and comparative pharmacology against other GHRPs. It is supplied strictly for in-vitro laboratory research by qualified persons and is not for human or veterinary use.

Handling and Documentation

Ipamorelin is supplied lyophilized and is reconstituted with bacteriostatic or sterile water for research use. Every released batch ships under a numbered certificate of analysis showing RP-HPLC purity and ESI-MS identity, retrievable from the batch verification tool. See the Research-Use Policy for the terms that govern this material.