All seven vendors we compared in September list ipamorelin for laboratory research, and Peptide Plugs documents its testing best: the product page gives a lot number, a Freedom Diagnostics accession code, purity and measured content. PSPeptides and Ascension Peptides also post ipamorelin certificates with a named lab and batch. Swiss Chems is the only vendor with independent data, and its ipamorelin results are split.
Notice: Research peptides are sold for in-vitro laboratory research only. They are not FDA-approved, not for human or animal consumption, and this page is not medical advice.
Our criterion: an ipamorelin-specific COA with a named lab and a lot number beats a general "third-party tested" claim. This page covers standalone ipamorelin vials. Several vendors also sell CJC-1295/ipamorelin blends; see best CJC-1295 vendors.
Regulatory status of ipamorelin
- FDA: ipamorelin isn't an approved drug. On FDA's Category 2 compounding page (updated April 22, 2026), ipamorelin acetate is still in the Category 2 table. It also appears in the "withdrawn by the nominators" table, with FDA's note that it remains in Category 2 under the 503B interim policy. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s February 27, 2026 announcement named ipamorelin among peptides expected to leave Category 2 (Pharmacy Times), but the FDA page still listed it when we checked.
- Compounding review: ipamorelin wasn't among the seven peptides FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee reviewed in July 2026 (NCPA).
- Enforcement: McDermott Will & Schulte notes ipamorelin among the products targeted in FDA warning letters to online sellers.
- WADA: the 2026 Prohibited List names ipamorelin among growth hormone secretagogues under S2.2.4, prohibited at all times (2026 list text).
- DEA: not on DEA's controlled substances list dated August 27, 2026.
Background: are peptides legal? and FDA peptide regulation in 2026.
Ipamorelin by vendor
Single-vial prices shown on September 26, 2026, including any displayed sale price. $/mg is price divided by labeled mg. Vendors appear in our editors' order, which isn't sorted by score.
| Vendor | Stocks it | Vial size(s) | Price | $/mg | Ipamorelin COA / lab | Review |
|---|
| American Peptides | Yes | 5, 10 mg | $40 (5 mg list) | $8.00 | Lots IPA5-0803, IPA10-0803; lab not shown | Review |
| NextGenPeps | Yes | Not stated on page | $63 | Not confirmed | BioRegen, Feb 6, 2026, 99.72%; no lot shown | Review |
| PSPeptides | Yes | 5, 10 mg | $39.99 / $49.99 | $8.00 / $5.00 | North American Diagnostics, batch PSP-06112026IP, June 11, 2026 | Review |
| Ascension Peptides | Yes | 5 mg | $50.00 | $10.00 | Kovera Labs (May 26, 2026) and MZ Biolabs (April 10, 2026) batches | Review |
| Peptide Plugs | Yes | 5, 10 mg | $25 / $40 | $5.00 / $4.00 | Freedom Diagnostics, lot 103-10-ZB, accession code | Review |
| Swiss Chems | Yes | 2 mg | $17.56 | $8.78 | HPLC reports Sept 13, 2026; lab not named on page | Review |
| Alpha Pro Peptides | Yes | 5, 10 mg | $34.99 / $49.99 | $7.00 / $5.00 | Lots AP-IP5-0426, Alph2608131153; lab not confirmed by us | Review |
Notes on the table:
- American Peptides: the ipamorelin page listed 5 mg at $40, with an automatic daily discount showing $30 when we checked. We couldn't confirm the 10 mg price.
- NextGenPeps: the product page shows a single "Default" option at $63 without a stated mg size, so we can't calculate $/mg.
- PSPeptides: the 5 mg certificate reports 99.92% purity and 4.94 mg measured. Code CHECKED takes 10% off.
- Ascension Peptides: the 5 mg page lists three batches with named labs, back to August 2025 (checked September 26, 2026).
- Peptide Plugs: the product page certificate is for 10 mg: 99.82% purity, 11.15 mg measured. We didn't see a separate 5 mg certificate there.
- Swiss Chems: sells a 2 mg vial. Finnrick rates its ipamorelin 65% across four tests from 2025.
- Alpha Pro Peptides: its testing page lists 99.64% (5 mg, May 2026) and 99.81% (10 mg, August 2026). Other certificates we opened from this vendor were from Freedom Diagnostics, but we couldn't open the ipamorelin PDFs to confirm the lab.
- Licensed Peptides (added to our list September 28, 2026; not in the table): lists ipamorelin from $43.32; full prices need a free account (shop, checked September 28, 2026). We didn't confirm an ipamorelin-specific report. Review
What is ipamorelin?
Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide (Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2), described in a 1998 European Journal of Endocrinology paper as "the first selective growth hormone secretagogue." That paper studied it in rat pituitary cells in vitro, then in anesthetized rats and conscious swine. It belongs to the growth hormone secretagogue class that WADA lists under S2.
How to check an ipamorelin COA
- Match the lot on the certificate to your vial label, and make sure the size matches.
- Confirm the lab name on the PDF and verify with the lab where it offers a lookup.
- Check identity by mass spectrometry. For blends, the certificate should report each peptide separately.
- Compare measured content to the labeled mg before doing concentration math.
See how to read a peptide COA, the COA checklist and the reconstitution calculator.
Independent test data
Swiss Chems is the only vendor of the seven we compared with independent ipamorelin data. Licensed Peptides, which we added on September 28, 2026, has no Finnrick profile. Finnrick lists four tests: two passes on April 2, 2025 and two fails on May 5, 2025, for a 65% compound rating. The other six vendors we compared had no Finnrick results on September 26, 2026, so their certificates are all vendor-commissioned. Vendors choose the sample they send, which is why lot matching and lab verification matter. More on how community testing works: what is Finnrick?
Vendor links
In our editors' order. Each review covers the vendor's policies, red flags and full testing record.
Bottom line
Peptide Plugs has the clearest ipamorelin documentation and the lowest price per mg we found. PSPeptides and Ascension Peptides also name labs on ipamorelin certificates. Swiss Chems' independent record for ipamorelin is two passes and two fails. For the full vendor comparison, see best peptide vendors in the USA and third-party tested peptides.
Rank 1
