Side by side
HCG vs Ipamorelin
Both are discussed for muscle & performance. What this site records about each, side by side. Every figure is on the compound's own page with the source it came from.
| HCG | Ipamorelin | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An approved fertility medicine that mimics LH. Widely used to keep the testes working during testosterone therapy. Also sold, separately, for a weight-loss diet the FDA has said outright does not work. | A selective growth hormone secretagogue that prompts a short pulse of GH release. Widely used, and supported almost entirely by early pharmacology rather than outcome trials. |
| EvidenceHow much human evidence exists, not how well it works. | Approved | Early human trials |
| Regulatory statusReviewed 2026-08-18 | Approved by the FDA and EMA as a prescription medicine for fertility and hypogonadism indications. Labelling is required to state that it is not effective for weight loss, and the FDA has acted against homeopathic hCG weight-loss products. | Not approved for human use in the United States for any indication. The FDA has identified ipamorelin as a substance raising concerns for use in compounded preparations. Material sold online is a research chemical. |
| Routes | Subcutaneous, Intramuscular | Subcutaneous |
| Half-life | 33 hours | 2 hours |
| Cheapest per mgVials only, read from vendors' own listings and dated on the price index. | Not recorded | $2.00/mg |
| Median per mg | Not recorded | $5.50/mg |
| Vendors with a price | Not recorded | 54 |
| Storage once mixed | Refrigerated at 2–8 °C and used within about 30 days, or as the label states. | Refrigerated at 2–8 °C. Do not freeze once mixed. |
Compare two other compounds · The full price index
This page is educational. It describes what published research reports, not what you should do. Peptides discussed here are largely not approved for human use, and nothing on BioAlmanac is medical advice. Nothing here ranks these two against each other. A table can show that one has more human evidence behind it or costs less per milligram; neither of those is a recommendation, and the right comparison for any person is one their doctor makes with them.