Ipamorelin vs Tesamorelin: Differences, Dosing, Side Effects
Tesamorelin is an FDA-approved GHRH analogue; ipamorelin is an unapproved ghrelin receptor agonist. Both make the pituitary release its own growth hormone, through different receptors. Tesamorelin (Egrifta SV) is labelled only for reducing excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy, and in two 26-week trials at 2 mg a day visceral fat fell 18% and 14% against a 2% rise and a 2% fall on placebo. Ipamorelin has no approval, and its main published human trial (114 patients analysed, after bowel surgery) found no significant difference from placebo. No trial has compared the two, and the dose scale differs by roughly five to ten times.
Working out a draw for either one? The Bureau runs a free dosing tool: ipamorelin dosage calculator and tesamorelin dosage calculator, on peptulator.com, the Bureau's independent tool. Enter the vial size and your water volume and it returns the mark on the syringe.
Ipamorelin vs tesamorelin at a glance
| Attribute | Ipamorelin | Tesamorelin |
|---|---|---|
| Class and receptor | Ghrelin receptor agonist; acts through a GHRP-like receptor | GHRH (GRF) analogue; binds and stimulates human GRF receptors |
| Size | Pentapeptide (5 amino acids) | 44 amino acids, hexenoyl group on the N-terminus, 5135.9 Da |
| Half-life | About 2 hours (IV infusion, healthy men) | About 8 minutes (1.4 mg subcutaneous, healthy subjects) |
| Regulatory status | No approval. FDA category 2 (503B) for bulk compounding safety risks | FDA-approved 2010 as Egrifta, for excess abdominal fat in HIV lipodystrophy |
| Dose | No approved dose. Community subcutaneous protocols: 200 to 300 mcg per injection | Label (Egrifta SV): 1.4 mg once daily. Pivotal trials: 2 mg daily |
| Body composition trial | None in the sources reviewed | Two randomised placebo-controlled trials, 26 weeks, visceral fat by CT |
| Hormone selectivity | No ACTH or cortisol rise in swine at doses over 200 times its GH ED50 (GHRP-6 and GHRP-2 raised both) | Raises IGF-1: 47% of label-trial patients above 2 SDS at 26 weeks |
| Research-market price, 10 mg single vial | USD 42.00 to 79.00 (USD 4.20 to 7.90 per mg) | USD 69.95 to 90.00 (USD 7.00 to 9.00 per mg) |
Sources: Egrifta SV label (DailyMed), Raun 1998, Gobburu 1999, FDA bulk substances page, and the Bureau's vendor price tracker, read 1 November 2026. Price range is in-stock single 10 mg vials across the vendors the Bureau tracks. Full list below.
The Same Gland, Two Different Doors
Tesamorelin works on the GHRH side. The label describes it as a synthetic analogue with "the 44 amino acid sequence of human GRF" that binds and stimulates human GRF receptors with similar potency to the endogenous hormone. Growth hormone-releasing factor acts on pituitary somatotrophs to stimulate "the synthesis and pulsatile release of endogenous growth hormone."
Ipamorelin works on the ghrelin side. In the original 1998 study, experiments with GHRP and GHRH antagonists showed it acts through a GHRP-like receptor, not the GHRH receptor, and the 2014 trial authors describe it as a ghrelin-receptor agonist. Two drugs on separate receptors do not compete for the same site, which is why the pair gets discussed as a combination rather than a choice. Two GHRH analogues, by contrast, share one receptor, a problem covered in the tesamorelin and sermorelin comparison (sermorelin's own tolerability record is in sermorelin side effects).
One vendor carries both: Amino Club
Ipamorelin 10mg at $49.99 per vial ($5.00 per mg) and tesamorelin 10mg at $69.99 per vial ($7.00 per mg), list prices checked 2026-09-08. Lowest price per mg of the vendors we track on both compounds, and the vendor Bureau readers order from most, with a batch COA on every product page. Buying both from one place also means one shipment and one set of handling conditions, which matters when the doses differ by a factor of ten. Partner code 100 at checkout takes 20% off a first order there, and keeps the order counted for the Bureau. Research use only.
Ipamorelin at Amino Club Tesamorelin at Amino Club Compare all vendorsWhat Tesamorelin Is, From the Label
Tesamorelin is the only compound on this page with an FDA label. Egrifta SV is "indicated for the reduction of excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adult patients with lipodystrophy," with initial US approval in 2010. The label adds that it "is not indicated for weight loss management as it has a weight neutral effect" and that long-term cardiovascular safety has not been established.
The current label dose is 1.4 mg (0.35 mL of the reconstituted solution) once daily, injected subcutaneously into the abdomen from a 2 mg vial. The efficacy trials behind it used 2 mg daily of the earlier 1 mg per vial formulation. In the two 26-week main phases (412 and 404 patients randomised 2:1 to tesamorelin or placebo), visceral adipose tissue on CT changed by -18% versus +2% in Study 1 and -14% versus -2% in Study 2. In the extension, patients re-randomised to placebo regained visceral fat (mean +22% and +16% over weeks 26 to 52), while those kept on tesamorelin held it (0% and -5%). The full profile is in the tesamorelin peptide guide.
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Build your stack, 2 minutesWhat Ipamorelin Is, From the Published Studies
Ipamorelin is a pentapeptide found in a chemistry program among compounds lacking the central Ala-Trp dipeptide of GHRP-1. Raun and colleagues (European Journal of Endocrinology, 1998) called it the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. In conscious swine, GHRP-6 and GHRP-2 raised ACTH and cortisol, but ipamorelin did not, even at doses more than 200 times its GH-releasing ED50. None of the secretagogues tested affected FSH, LH, prolactin or TSH. That is animal data, and it is the basis of the selectivity argument. The ipamorelin guide goes further into it.
In humans, Gobburu and colleagues (Pharmaceutical Research, 1999) gave 15-minute intravenous infusions to eight healthy men per dose level across five dose levels and measured a terminal half-life of about 2 hours, with one episode of GH release per dose peaking at about 0.67 hours. The main efficacy trial is Beck 2014 (International Journal of Colorectal Disease; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00672074, sponsored by Helsinn Therapeutics). It tested 0.03 mg/kg intravenously twice daily for up to 7 days after bowel resection for postoperative ileus. Median time to first tolerated meal was 25.3 hours with ipamorelin and 32.6 hours with placebo (p = 0.15), not statistically significant. That trial was about the gut, not body composition.
What the Human Trials Actually Measured
| Measure | Tesamorelin (Egrifta label trials) | Ipamorelin (Beck 2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Who | HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy and excess abdominal fat; 412 and 404 randomised | Adults after small or large bowel resection; 117 enrolled, 114 analysed |
| Dose and route | 2 mg subcutaneous, daily, 26 weeks | 0.03 mg/kg intravenous, twice daily, up to 7 days |
| Main endpoint | Percent change in visceral fat (CT) | Time to tolerate a solid meal |
| Result | -18% vs +2% (Study 1); -14% vs -2% (Study 2) | 25.3 h vs 32.6 h, p = 0.15, not significant |
| IGF-1 change at 26 weeks | +107 vs -15 ng/mL (Study 1); +108 vs +3 ng/mL (Study 2) | Not reported in the abstract |
| After stopping | Visceral fat regained (+22% and +16% vs 0% and -5% if continued) | Not studied |
| Any adverse event | See side effect table below | 87.5% ipamorelin vs 94.8% placebo |
The asymmetry matters. Tesamorelin's data comes from one specific population with a specific fat distribution problem, so carrying a 14 to 18% visceral fat reduction over to a healthy adult is its own leap. Ipamorelin has pharmacokinetics, animal selectivity data and a surgical trial that missed its endpoint. Any claim about ipamorelin and body composition is an inference from GH release, not a measured result.
Side Effects of Ipamorelin and Tesamorelin
Tesamorelin has a labelled side effect table. These are the 26-week placebo-controlled rates from the Egrifta SV label (combined studies, 543 on tesamorelin, 263 on placebo):
| Adverse reaction | Tesamorelin | Placebo |
|---|---|---|
| Injection site reaction | 17% | 6% |
| Arthralgia | 13% | 11% |
| Pain in extremity | 6% | 5% |
| Myalgia | 6% | 2% |
| Peripheral edema | 6% | 2% |
| Diabetes (HbA1c 6.5% or higher) | 5% | 1% |
The label also warns about raised IGF-1 (47% above 2 SDS and 36% above 3 SDS at 26 weeks), fluid retention, glucose intolerance, hypersensitivity and neoplasm risk, and it lists active malignancy and pregnancy as contraindications. The detail is in tesamorelin side effects.
Ipamorelin has no label and no comparable table. In the surgical trial, 87.5% of ipamorelin patients and 94.8% of placebo patients had some adverse event, and the authors called the regimen well tolerated. FDA, in its bulk substances page, separately cites "a study published in literature" with serious adverse events including death when ipamorelin was given intravenously for improving gastric motility, and says it lacks information on other injectable routes. The trial data and anecdote are laid out in ipamorelin side effects.
Dose Scale and Price
The tesamorelin label dose is 1.4 mg once daily (2 mg in the trials). Ipamorelin has no approved dose; community protocols for subcutaneous use, as reported, sit around 200 to 300 mcg per injection (see the ipamorelin dosage guide). That is roughly a five to ten times gap, and a reconstitution habit carried from a milligram vial to a microgram vial gives an order of magnitude error, so calculate each separately. The reconstitution guide covers the arithmetic.
On price, the Bureau tracker on 1 November 2026 showed in-stock single 10 mg vials at USD 42.00 to 79.00 for ipamorelin and USD 69.95 to 90.00 for tesamorelin. If you are comparing sellers, the matching lists are best place to buy ipamorelin and best place to buy tesamorelin. Research use only.
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Tesamorelin and Ipamorelin Together
The pairing, searched as "tesamorelin e ipamorelin" and "ipamorelin and tesamorelin", is a GHRH analogue plus a ghrelin receptor agonist, two different receptors. A PubMed search on 1 November 2026 for tesamorelin and ipamorelin returned seven records, all reviews and none a trial of the pair. So the case for it is mechanism and community practice, not trial evidence, and the Egrifta SV label covers tesamorelin alone. The tesamorelin and ipamorelin stack page sets out how the pairing is described, and the CJC-1295 and ipamorelin combination is the other common version.
Tesamorelin or Ipamorelin: Which for What
The sources support only a narrow answer. If the question is which of the two has a regulator-reviewed trial result, it is tesamorelin, for excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy, and that is a prescription product with a label that excludes weight loss management. If the question is body composition in a healthy adult, neither has a trial and no trial has compared them. Ipamorelin's appeal is the animal selectivity data and its low price per mg, not a measured outcome in people.
Pinealon vs Tesamorelin
Pinealon is not a growth hormone peptide: it is the tripeptide Glu-Asp-Arg (EDR), described in the literature as a neuroprotective peptide studied in cell and animal work, so there is no like-for-like comparison with tesamorelin.
The Research Chemical Caveat
Every trial figure here comes from pharmaceutical grade material at verified concentrations under supervision. None of that holds for material bought online. FDA's page on bulk drug substances (current as of 22 April 2026) places ipamorelin acetate in category 2 for 503B outsourcing facilities, citing immunogenicity risk from aggregation or peptide-related impurities. Concentration error and purity are the practical risks, and neither can be checked without a batch certificate of analysis. Storage handling adds to both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between ipamorelin and tesamorelin?
Tesamorelin is a 44 amino acid analogue of growth hormone-releasing factor (GHRH) and is FDA-approved, as Egrifta SV, for reducing excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy. Ipamorelin is a five amino acid ghrelin receptor agonist with no approval anywhere. Both lead to the pituitary releasing its own growth hormone, but they bind different receptors, and only tesamorelin has a body composition result from controlled trials.
Tesamorelin or ipamorelin: which one is for what?
The sources support one clear use: tesamorelin for the labelled indication, excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy, where two 26-week trials measured a visceral fat reduction against placebo. The label says it is not indicated for weight loss management. Ipamorelin has no labelled use, and its main published human trial tested it after bowel surgery for postoperative ileus and found no significant difference from placebo. For a healthy adult neither has a trial for body composition, and no trial has compared the two.
Can you take tesamorelin and ipamorelin together?
People do pair a GHRH analogue with a ghrelin receptor agonist, on the reasoning that the two bind different receptors. A PubMed search on 1 November 2026 for tesamorelin and ipamorelin returned seven records, all of them reviews and none a trial of the pair. So the combination rests on mechanism and community practice, not on trial data. The Egrifta SV label covers tesamorelin on its own.
Is ipamorelin or tesamorelin FDA approved?
Tesamorelin is: the Egrifta SV label lists initial US approval in 2010, for reducing excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy. Ipamorelin is not an approved drug. FDA lists ipamorelin acetate in category 2 of its bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks for 503B outsourcing facilities, citing immunogenicity risk and a published study in which serious adverse events including death occurred when ipamorelin was given intravenously for gastric motility. FDA's page was current as of 22 April 2026.
How different are the doses of ipamorelin and tesamorelin?
The Egrifta SV label dose is 1.4 mg once daily by subcutaneous injection into the abdomen, and the pivotal trials used 2 mg daily. Ipamorelin has no approved dose. The only human trials in the sources were intravenous, and community protocols for subcutaneous use are in the hundreds of micrograms, commonly 200 to 300 mcg per injection. That is roughly a five to ten times gap in scale, so each vial needs its own calculation.
What are the side effects of tesamorelin compared with ipamorelin?
In the Egrifta SV label's 26-week placebo-controlled data, injection site reactions were 17% versus 6% on placebo, myalgia 6% versus 2%, peripheral edema 6% versus 2%, and arthralgia 13% versus 11%. The label also reports diabetes (HbA1c at or above 6.5%) in 5% versus 1% and raised IGF-1 in many patients. Ipamorelin has no equivalent label table. In its surgical trial, 87.5% of ipamorelin patients and 94.8% of placebo patients had any adverse event, and the authors called 0.03 mg/kg intravenously twice daily for up to 7 days well tolerated.
How long do ipamorelin and tesamorelin last in the body?
The Egrifta SV label gives a mean elimination half-life of about 8 minutes for tesamorelin in healthy subjects after a single 1.4 mg subcutaneous dose. For ipamorelin, a 1999 study in eight healthy men per dose level, given as 15-minute intravenous infusions, found a terminal half-life of about 2 hours. The two figures come from different routes and doses, so they describe each compound but are not a like-for-like comparison.
Sources (checked 1 November 2026)
- EGRIFTA SV (tesamorelin) for injection, prescribing information, DailyMed (label footer revised 7/2026; highlights 2/2024). dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, et al. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol, 1998. PMID 9849822. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Gobburu JV, Agersø H, Jusko WJ, Ynddal L. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of ipamorelin, a growth hormone releasing peptide, in human volunteers. Pharm Res, 1999. PMID 10496658. Checked 1 November 2026.
- 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. PMID 25331030. Checked 1 November 2026.
- ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00672074: Safety and Efficacy of Ipamorelin for Management of Post-Operative Ileus (lead sponsor Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.), Inc; completed; 117 enrolled). clinicaltrials.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- FDA, Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks (content current as of 22 April 2026). fda.gov. Checked 1 November 2026.
- Penetration of short fluorescence-labeled peptides into the nucleus in HeLa cells and in vitro specific interaction of the peptides with deoxyribooligonucleotides and DNA (identifies pinealon as Glu-Asp-Arg). Biochemistry (Mosc), 2012. PMID 22117547. Checked 1 November 2026.
- EDR Peptide: Possible Mechanism of Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis Regulation Involved in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease. Molecules, 2021 (review describing EDR as neuroprotective in in vitro and in vivo studies). PMID 33396470. Checked 1 November 2026.
- PubMed search "tesamorelin AND ipamorelin", seven records (PMIDs 42862021, 42395176, 42160466, 42123471, 41966639, 41490200, 41476424), all reviews. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Run 1 November 2026.
- Peptide Bureau Vendor Watch price data (in-stock single 10 mg vials, ipamorelin and tesamorelin), read 1 November 2026.
Medical disclaimer
This article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Tesamorelin is approved only for a narrow indication and ipamorelin is not an approved medicine in any jurisdiction. Material sold under either name outside a prescription channel is supplied for laboratory research only, and nothing here is a recommendation to obtain or administer it. Trial figures are drawn from published studies conducted under medical supervision and do not describe unsupervised use. Consult a qualified clinician before making any decision about your health.
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