Sermorelin vs ipamorelin

Sermorelin is a synthetic form of growth hormone-releasing hormone that was approved in the US and later withdrawn, and it has many more studies in people. Ipamorelin releases growth hormone through a different route, the ghrelin receptor, and is not approved. This page compares their results.

Best randomized result by outcome

For each outcome that two or more peptides have results for: the best result of a single randomized trial, on the same measure (the same kind of number, the same unit). When a trial has several dose arms, the cell shows the highest dose arm. The trials differ in people, length and dose, so a gap between two cells is not proof that one peptide works better.

No outcome has a randomized-trial result on the same measure for two or more of these peptides yet.

Outcomes with a randomized result for one peptide only (1 outcome)

The other peptides have no randomized result on the same measure, so these results cannot be set side by side.

Outcomes with a randomized result for one peptide only: Sermorelin, Ipamorelin
Outcome	Sermorelin	Ipamorelin
Adverse eventsWhole bodyCompared as: value in the arm that got the peptide, in %	No comparable result 3 randomized-trial results measure it in another way or another unit.	87.5% Any treatment-emergent adverse event Placebo: 94.8% Dose studied: 0.03-mg/kg twice dailypostoperative day 1 to 7 or hospital dischargen = 1142014

Adverse eventsWhole bodyCompared as: value in the arm that got the peptide, in %
- Sermorelin
  No comparable result
  3 randomized-trial results measure it in another way or another unit.
- Ipamorelin
  87.5%
  Any treatment-emergent adverse event
  Placebo: 94.8%
  Dose studied: 0.03-mg/kg twice dailypostoperative day 1 to 7 or hospital dischargen = 1142014

Comparing 2 peptides · Data version 308560

Only differences

Swipe sideways to see every peptide.

Comparison of Sermorelin, Ipamorelin
Peptide	Synthetic fragment Sermorelin	Synthetic analog Ipamorelin
Identity
Kind	Synthetic fragment	Synthetic analog
Area	Growth hormone axis	Growth hormone axis
Evidence
Amount of evidence	304 (plus 5 on natural levels, listed separately)	110
Evidence level	Has results from studies in people	Has results from studies in people
Safety
Safety results	30 (30 in people)	1 (1 in people)
Status
Approval
Sport (WADA)
Registered trials	None registered2 more mention it but do not test it	21 more mentions it but does not test it

Shared outcomes

Growth hormone and IGF-1190
Pharmacokinetics40
Adverse events18
Glycemic control9
Pituitary hormones11
Bone and joint17
Body weight12
Receptor activity and mechanism5

Approval and sport status

From the regulatory data of each peptide.

Sermorelin
The maker told the FDA it stopped selling the product. The FDA later found that the products were not withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness.
Ipamorelin
Its most advanced trial is in phase 2. The FDA, the EMA and the other sources we use show no approval (as of 9 Oct 2026).

Amount of evidence by outcome

Outcome groups with study results for at least two of these peptides. Counts include only results from studies that gave the peptide. Bar length is the number of results, on one scale. The bars show how much was studied, not how large an effect was. A peptide with more studies can look stronger here without being stronger. For results, see the randomized results above.

Study results per shared outcome group and evidence class
Outcome group	Sermorelin	Ipamorelin
Growth hormone and IGF-1Endocrine and hormones	161131282	293242
PharmacokineticsPharmacology	271665	1376
Adverse eventsWhole body	1717	11
Glycemic controlMetabolic and weight	77	22
Pituitary hormonesEndocrine and hormones	55	66
Bone and jointMusculoskeletal	22	1515
Body weightMetabolic and weight	312	99
Receptor activity and mechanismEndocrine and hormones	22	312

Sequence alignment

Each analog against its native parent, residue by residue. Substitutions, non-standard residues and modifications are marked. Calculated from the two sequences.

Against Somatorelin, human GHRH(1-44)Sermorelin

Sermorelin is the same as Somatorelin, human GHRH(1-44) residues 1 to 29, with 1 added group.

Top row: Somatorelin, human GHRH(1-44) (parent)
Bottom row: Sermorelin

YADAIFTNSY

RKVLGQLSAR

KLLQDIMS

Same as parent
Substituted
Non-canonical or D-form
Modified side chain or end
Parent context

What is different

1Position 29: Arg carries an added group: C-terminal amide.

Against Ghrelin (human), ghrelin-28Ipamorelin

Ipamorelin differs from Ghrelin (human), ghrelin-28 at 5 positions.

Top row: Ghrelin (human), ghrelin-28 (parent)
Bottom row: Ipamorelin

Same as parent
Substituted
Non-canonical or D-form
Modified side chain or end
Parent context

What is different

1Position 1: Gly is replaced by Aib, an amino acid that is not one of the standard 20.
2Position 2: Ser is replaced by His.
3Position 3: Xaa is replaced by D-2-Nal, an amino acid that is not one of the standard 20.
4Position 4: Phe is replaced by its mirror-image form, D-Phe.
5Position 5: Leu is replaced by Lys.

Trials side by side

Registered trials, ranked by phase (late phases first), then posted results and enrollment. Status is the registry status. Study results come from published studies. Results posted at ClinicalTrials.gov are shown on each trial page.