Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Head-to-head comparison of Hexarelin and Ipamorelin — mechanism, side effects, legal status, and pricing.
Hexarelin (His-D-2MeTrp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH2) is a synthetic hexapeptide growth hormone secretagogue developed by Mediolanum (Italy) in the 1990s. It is a potent ghrelin-receptor (GHSR-1a) agonist that also binds the CD36 scavenger receptor, giving it a cardioprotective signal distinct from other GHRPs. It is not FDA-approved for any indication and remains a research-only compound; its clinical development for GH deficiency and cardiac indications did not reach approval. A defining feature versus other GHRPs is rapid, pronounced tachyphylaxis with chronic daily dosing.
Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide (Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2) originally developed by Novo Nordisk and later advanced by Helsinn/Nycomed. It is a selective ghrelin receptor agonist / growth hormone secretagogue (GHRP). Its defining feature versus older GHRPs (GHRP-2, GHRP-6, hexarelin) is that in preclinical and early clinical studies it raised GH without meaningfully increasing ACTH, cortisol, or prolactin. It is not FDA-approved for any indication; a Phase 2 trial for postoperative ileus failed to meet its primary endpoint and clinical development was discontinued. In the wellness/grey market it is sold as a research chemical and used off-label for anti-aging and body-composition goals despite no clinically validated human dose for those uses.
Hexarelin
Ipamorelin
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Half-life
COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
Hexarelin
Ipamorelin
COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
Hexarelin
10
COAs
99.4%
Avg purity
4
Labs
Ipamorelin
153
COAs
99.7%
Avg purity
17
Labs
Ipamorelin is among peptides under FDA review for the Category 1 (503A) list; if added, it would require a prescription to be compounded by registered 503A/503B pharmacies — not yet authorized. Hexarelin remains research-only. In April 2026 the FDA removed 12 peptides from Category 2, which does not place them on the Category 1 list or authorize compounding. The FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee is advisory and meets July 23–24, 2026 to review nominations and make recommendations to the FDA.
Ghigo et al. (1994, PMID 8126144, JCEM) characterized hexarelin's GH-releasing activity across IV, SubQ, intranasal, and oral routes in healthy men, establishing it as a potent GH secretagogue. Rahim & Shalet (1998, PMID 10990150, Growth Horm IGF Res) demonstrated that twice-daily SubQ hexarelin in healthy elderly subjects caused ~45% attenuation of the GH AUC over 16 weeks, with partial recovery 4 weeks after discontinuation — the canonical human tachyphylaxis study. Bodart et al. (2002, PMID 11988484, Circulation Research) showed that hexarelin's cardiovascular action in perfused hearts is mediated by CD36 rather than GHSR-1a and is absent in CD36-null animals. Hexarelin has never been FDA-approved; grey-market use for body composition, recovery, or cardiac benefit is not clinically validated.
Key references
The seminal preclinical characterization (Raun et al., 1998, PMID 9849822) established ipamorelin as the first GHRP-receptor agonist with GH-release selectivity comparable to GHRH, without raising ACTH or cortisol even at doses more than 200-fold above the ED50. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling in healthy male volunteers (Gobburu et al., 1999, PMID 10496658) confirmed a roughly 2-hour half-life and dose-dependent GH response following IV infusion. The most advanced human study is Beck et al. (2014, PMID 25331030), a Phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 114 patients after bowel resection evaluating IV ipamorelin 0.03 mg/kg twice daily for postoperative ileus; the drug was well tolerated but did not separate from placebo on the primary endpoint (time to tolerance of solid food), and the sponsor (Helsinn/Nycomed) discontinued development. There are no completed registrational trials in adult GH deficiency, frailty, or body-composition indications. Ipamorelin is not FDA-approved for any indication. The 100–300 mcg dose range reflects community/compounding practice and is not clinically validated for anti-aging or body-composition use.
Hexarelin (Hormone) and Ipamorelin (Performance) are in different categories and target different biological pathways. This is a common pattern in multi-compound research protocols. Researchers should monitor the biomarkers from both profiles and watch for interactions listed in each compound’s contraindications. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before combining any research compounds.
This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.
Side Effects
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Key references
Disclosed Labs