Ipamorelin vs Tesamorelin
A neutral, side-by-side comparison of two performance & growth hormone peptides — their mechanisms, dosing ranges, administration routes, side effects, and research evidence. For research and educational purposes only.
Ipamorelin
Ipamorelin is a selective growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) and ghrelin receptor agonist. It stimulates GH release with high selectivity — minimal cortisol or prolactin elevation compared to older GHRPs. Widely used in research protocols for body composition, sleep quality, and recovery.
Full profileTesamorelin
Tesamorelin is an FDA-approved synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). Approved in 2010 as Egrifta, it is the only GHRH peptide with an approved clinical indication — reduction of excess visceral abdominal fat in people with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. It has the most robust human trial evidence of any growth hormone secretagogue, including dedicated studies on visceral fat and liver fat.
Full profile| Ipamorelin | Tesamorelin | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Performance & Growth Hormone | Performance & Growth Hormone |
| Also known as | NNC 26-0161, Ipamorelin acetate | Egrifta, Egrifta SV, TH9507, GHRH analog |
| Evidence | Investigational (in trials) | FDA-approved |
| Dosing range | 100mcg–300mcg mcg, 1–3x daily (typically pre-sleep and/or pre-workout) | 1.28mg–2mg mg, once daily (subcutaneous) |
| Administration | Subcutaneous injection, Intramuscular injection | Subcutaneous injection (abdomen, with site rotation) |
| Key side effects | Water retention (mild), Tingling / numbness in extremities, Increased appetite, Headache (transient) | Injection site reactions (erythema, pruritus), Peripheral edema, Arthralgia (joint pain), Myalgia |
| Cited sources | 3 references | 5 references |
Key differences
- Evidence level differs: Ipamorelin is investigational (in trials), while Tesamorelin is fda-approved.
- Administration: Ipamorelin — Subcutaneous injection, Intramuscular injection; Tesamorelin — Subcutaneous injection (abdomen, with site rotation).
- Dosing units differ: Ipamorelin is dosed in mcg, Tesamorelin in mg — they operate at different scales.
- Frequency: Ipamorelin is typically 1–3x daily (typically pre-sleep and/or pre-workout); Tesamorelin is once daily (subcutaneous).
- Research depth: this profile cites 3 sources for Ipamorelin vs 5 for Tesamorelin.
Can you stack Ipamorelin and Tesamorelin?
synergistic: Complementary GH stack — same rationale as CJC/Ipam
Tesamorelin is a GHRH analogue (like CJC-1295 but FDA-approved for HIV-associated lipodystrophy) that pairs well with Ipamorelin for synergistic GH stimulation via complementary pathways.
See the full compatibility matrixHow each works
Ipamorelin
Ipamorelin selectively stimulates GH release via the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) without significantly elevating ACTH or cortisol — the feature that distinguishes it from GHRP-6 and GHRP-2 (Raun et al., 1998, in swine/rodent models). Human data are limited: a PK study in 40 volunteers established a ~2-hour half-life (Gobburu et al., 1999), and a Phase 2 trial for postoperative ileus (Beck et al., 2014) failed its primary endpoint. It is not FDA-approved, and claims about body composition or recovery are extrapolated from GH physiology, not human outcome trials.
Tesamorelin
Tesamorelin stimulates pulsatile growth hormone (GH) release from the pituitary, raising serum IGF-1 and preferentially reducing visceral adipose tissue (VAT). FDA-registration trials (Falutz et al., NEJM 2007; JAIDS 2010) showed ~15% VAT reduction versus placebo over 26 weeks. Later randomized trials (Stanley et al., JAMA 2014; Lancet HIV 2019) extended the evidence to liver fat, showing meaningful reductions in hepatic fat fraction and attenuated fibrosis progression in HIV-associated NAFLD.
This comparison aggregates public research and structured profile data for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice and does not recommend either compound for human use. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before considering any peptide.