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Ipamorelin Half-Life: How Long It Stays in Your System

How long Ipamorelin stays in the body, how that shapes dosing frequency, and what is known about drug testing.

Medical review pendingGHRP (ghrelin receptor agonist)Updated
Half-life
2 hours terminal half-life
intravenous infusion (15 min), in people · Pharmaceutical research 1999, PMID 10496658
Dosing interval
Varies by study
as used in studies
WADA
Prohibited (S2.2.4)
In and out of competition
Detection window
2 findings
from anti-doping studies, below

Ipamorelin half-life

A half-life depends on the route (under the skin, into a vein, by mouth or nasal spray) and the species it was measured in, so we report each value with its route and source.

Ipamorelin half-life by route
RouteHalf-lifeMeasured inSource
intravenous infusion (15 min)2 hours terminal half-lifePeoplePharmaceutical research 1999, PMID 10496658

Other pharmacokinetic findings (these are not half-life values):

Ipamorelin: other pharmacokinetic findings
RouteHalf-lifeMeasured inSource
intranasalbioavailability approximately 20% (no half-life reported)Animal · ratXenobiotica; the fate of foreign compounds in biological systems 1998, PMID 9879640

What half-life means

Half-life is the time it takes for the amount of a drug in the blood to fall by half. After one half-life, about 50% is left; after two, about 25%; after four to five, only a few percent remain.

  • A long half-life lets a drug be dosed less often, for example once a week.
  • A short half-life means levels rise and fall quickly, which is why some peptides are given daily or more often.
  • Effects can outlast blood levels, so half-life alone does not tell you how long a drug works.

What it means for dosing frequency

Dosing intervals used in published studies of Ipamorelin:

Changing the interval changes how much drug builds up between doses, so it is not a free choice.

Drug tests and sport

Prohibited by WADA (S2.2.4)

Ipamorelin is named as a growth hormone secretagogue in S2.2.4, prohibited at all times.

Detection findings from anti-doping analytical studies:

  • After nasal dosing, ipamorelin metabolites were still found in urine after the parent drug was gone (samples were collected for 2 days). · PMID 25869809
  • A direct-urine screen includes ipamorelin among the peptides it can detect, at 50 to 500 pg/mL. · PMID 26578461

Tested athletes should treat it as prohibited (s2.2.4) at all times.

Half-life in healthy volunteers

In a volunteer dose-escalation trial the terminal half-life was 2 hours, the clearance was 0.078 L/h/kg and the steady-state volume of distribution was 0.22 L/kg.[4]

The volunteer trial set out to examine the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ipamorelin in healthy volunteers.[4]

GH release after ipamorelin came as a single episode peaking at 0.67 hours, followed by an exponential decline.[4]

Rat pharmacokinetics and nasal absorption

After IV bolus doses in rats, ipamorelin's systemic plasma clearance was 5-fold lower than that of GHRP-6. This is rat data.[5]

After intranasal application in rats, the bioavailability of ipamorelin was estimated at approximately 20%.[5]

Common questions

How long does Ipamorelin stay in your system?

Its reported half-life is 2 hours terminal half-life (intravenous infusion (15 min)). Most of a dose is gone after about four to five half-lives.

What is the half-life of Ipamorelin?

2 hours terminal half-life (intravenous infusion (15 min)), from the source cited below.

Is Ipamorelin on the WADA prohibited list?

Yes. Prohibited by WADA (S2.2.4).

More on Ipamorelin

DosageDoses used in published studies, with the source for each.CalculatorVial, water and dose to syringe units.Side effectsWhat labels and studies report, and what is unknown.ResultsStudy outcomes and when they were measured.BenefitsClaimed benefits next to what published studies measured.How it worksTarget, mechanism and how long it acts, from the label or studies.

Sources

  1. 1World Anti-Doping Code International Standard Prohibited List 2026World Anti-Doping Agency · 2026wada-ama.orgAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  2. 2Determination of growth hormone releasing peptides metabolites in human urine after nasal administration of GHRP-1, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Hexarelin, and Ipamorelin.Drug testing and analysis · 2015PMID 25869809Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  3. 3Simplifying and expanding the screening for peptides <2 kDa by direct urine injection, liquid chromatography, and ion mobility mass spectrometry.Journal of separation science · 2016PMID 26578461Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  4. 4Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of ipamorelin, a growth hormone releasing peptide, in human volunteers.Pharmaceutical research · 1999PMID 10496658Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  5. 5Pharmacokinetic evaluation of ipamorelin and other peptidyl growth hormone secretagogues with emphasis on nasal absorption.Xenobiotica; the fate of foreign compounds in biological systems · 1998PMID 9879640Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  6. 6Prospective, randomized, controlled, proof-of-concept study of the Ghrelin mimetic ipamorelin for the management of postoperative ileus in bowel resection patients.International journal of colorectal disease · 2014PMID 25331030Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  7. 7The growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a agonists, anamorelin and ipamorelin, inhibit cisplatin-induced weight loss in ferrets: Anamorelin also exhibits anti-emetic effects via a central mechanism.Physiology & behavior · 2024PMID 39043357Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  8. 8Efficacy of ipamorelin, a ghrelin mimetic, on gastric dysmotility in a rodent model of postoperative ileus.Journal of experimental pharmacology · 2012PMID 27186127Accessed 2 Oct 2026

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