Ipamorelin vs MK-677
Side by side: what studies show, whether it is legal, doping and risks. No winner is shown on purpose.
| Ipamorelin | MK-677 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | A peptide that raises growth hormone. Not approved in the EU or US. | A pill that raises growth hormone. It is not a peptide. No such medicine exists. |
| Stage | Work stopped | Still being studied |
| Is it legal (PL) | No approval. The European medicines database (EMA) lists no such medicine in Poland (9 October 2026). The Polish register was down, so we could not check it directly. | No approval. The European medicines database (EMA) lists no such medicine in Poland (9 October 2026). The Polish register was down, so we could not check it directly. |
| Is it legal (EU) | No approval. The European medicines database (EMA), which covers EU and national approvals, lists no such medicine (9 October 2026). | No approval. The European medicines database (EMA), which covers EU and national approvals, lists no such medicine (9 October 2026). |
| Is it legal (US) | No approval. The FDA drug register has no such medicine. | No approval. The FDA drug register has no such medicine. |
| Doping | Banned in sport, WADA 2026 | Banned in sport, WADA 2026 |
| Safety | Little data | Serious warning |
| Risk of fakes | High | High |
| Muscle mass | E Not clear. Nobody measured muscle. Rats grew longer bones and gained weight, and in ferrets on chemotherapy it reduced weight loss. There are no studies of muscle in people. | B Effect in studies. Body mass without fat rose in healthy older adults and obese men, and in a short study the body held on to more protein. No study tested people who train. |
| Strength | – | C No effect in studies. More body mass without fat did not bring more strength or better function in older adults. A study after hip fracture was stopped early for safety reasons. |