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Compound Evidence InstituteEvidence synthesis · established 2023Graded assessments of compounds, trials, methods and supply
Document set current to 30 July 2026
Compound monograph · evidence extract

Ipamorelin in growth hormone deficiency and growth-hormone secretagogue pharmacology — evidence extract

The Institute's graded assessment of Ipamorelin for growth hormone deficiency and growth-hormone secretagogue pharmacology, with the contributing trials and the domain-by-domain certainty reasoning.

Document identifier
CEI-MN-024/EV-GHD
Series
Evidence extract
Version
3.3
Published
20 Feb 2026
Last reviewed
20 Feb 2026
Next review
20 Feb 2028
Identifier
10.71829/cei.mono.24
Certainty
Low
Cycle
2026 Q1

§1Evidence extract: Growth hormone deficiency and growth-hormone secretagogue pharmacology

§1.1Question and anchor outcome

Population
Insufficient endogenous growth-hormone secretion, or the pharmacological stimulation of the growth-hormone axis, assessed here principally through provocative testing and IGF-1 response.
Intervention
Ipamorelin, subcutaneous
Comparator
As used in each contributing trial; reported per trial rather than pooled across comparator types
Anchor outcome
Peak stimulated growth hormone

Additional outcomes the Institute extracts for this indication: Change in IGF-1 and IGFBP-3; Body composition by DXA; Glucose tolerance.

§1.2Contributing trials

Table 1. Trials contributing to the assessment of Ipamorelin in growth hormone deficiency and growth-hormone secretagogue pharmacology.

TrialPhaseDesignRandomisedDurationYear
IPA-PH1-GH1Phase 1 ascending doseSingle dose1998
IPA-PH2-POI2Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlledIn-hospital2011

§1.3Certainty assessment

Certainty assessment by domainDowngrading decision recorded for each certainty domain.Certainty domainNo concernSeriousVery seriousEffect on ratingRisk of biasdowngrade one levelInconsistencyno downgradeIndirectnessno downgradeImprecisiondowngrade one levelPublication biasno downgradeTotal downgrading: 2 levelsLow certainty
Figure 2. Domain-by-domain certainty assessment for Ipamorelin in growth hormone deficiency and growth-hormone secretagogue pharmacology. The starting rating for a body of randomised evidence is high; each serious concern reduces it by one level and each very serious concern by two.

Table 2. Reasoning recorded against each certainty domain.

DomainRatingReasoning
Risk of biasSeriousThe primary endpoint is patient-reported in a setting where blinding cannot be maintained.
InconsistencyNo concernNo serious concern identified in this domain.
IndirectnessNo concernNo serious concern identified in this domain.
ImprecisionSeriousThe event count falls below the optimal information size.
Publication biasNo concernNo serious concern identified in this domain.
Overall rating: Low certainty. Confidence in the effect estimate is limited. The true effect may be substantially different from the estimate.

§1.4What this extract does not establish

References cited on this page

References are numbered in order of first citation in this document. Each superscript in the text links to its entry below.

  1. Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, Thøgersen H, Madsen K, Ankersen M, Andersen PH. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. European Journal of Endocrinology 1998;139(5):552–561. doi:10.1530/eje.0.1390552 · PMID 9849822
  2. Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, Gagnon C, Castaigne JP, Frohman LA. Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adults. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2006;91(3):799–805. doi:10.1210/jc.2005-1536 · PMID 16352683
  3. D’Hondt M, Bracke N, Taevernier L, Gevaert B, Verbeke F, Wynendaele E, De Spiegeleer B. Related impurities in peptide medicines. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis 2014;101:2–30. doi:10.1016/j.jpba.2014.06.012 · PMID 25044089

Identifiers are reproduced only where the Institute holds them. Where a digital object identifier or PubMed identifier is not shown, the Institute has recorded the journal and year and has not constructed an identifier.

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