Pinc PeptideThe girly peptide research blog

MK-677 (ibutamoren) · Dose evidence · updated 8 October 2026

MK-677 dosage: what studies actually used

The short answer

MK-677 (ibutamoren) is not a peptide but a small molecule taken by mouth that makes the body release more growth hormone3. When FDA reviewed it in 2024, no medicine containing it was approved by FDA or authorized by the European Medicines Agency, and none was approved in the other countries FDA checked3. No dose is established for any use: trials in adults used 2 to 50 mg a day, and FDA found ‘insufficient information’ to support its effectiveness for any of the six conditions it reviewed3. Most of the longer trials used 25 mg once a day, and at that dose blood sugar rose in several trials and a trial in older adults recovering from hip fracture was stopped early over a heart failure signal3456. This page reports those doses and is not dosing advice.

Not dosing advice. This page reports doses that studies and approved labels used, with their sources. It does not recommend a dose, and we do not give mixing, injection or unit-conversion instructions. Gray-market vials often do not contain what their label says. How we report doses.

Every dose studied in people

StudyWhoPeopleDose and routeWhat happened
Sevigny 2008, randomized placebo-controlled trial People with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease 563 25 mg once a day, or placebo
By mouth · 12 months		 IGF-1, a growth factor that growth hormone raises, went up 60.1% at 6 weeks and 72.9% at 12 months, but there were no significant differences from placebo on any of the four main measures of disease progression5. Of the 563, 416 completed the year5.
Murphy 2001, randomized placebo-controlled trial Women aged 64 to 85 with postmenopausal osteoporosis and low bone density at the hip (femoral neck) 292 25 mg once a day, with or without alendronate 10 mg, versus alendronate alone or placebo
By mouth · 18 months; after month 12, the MK-677-alone and placebo groups switched to the combination		 With alendronate, an osteoporosis drug, bone density at the femoral neck rose 4.2% versus 2.5% on alendronate alone, but the combination did no better at the spine, total hip or whole body7. Across all four groups, 25 of 292 women (8.6%) stopped because of side effects judged related to treatment3.
Murphy 1999, three randomized placebo-controlled trials Adults aged 65 and older: healthy in two trials, with functional impairment in the third 187 10 or 25 mg a day; 25 mg, then 50 mg; or 5, 10 or 25 mg, then 25 mg; or placebo
By mouth · 2, 4 and 9 weeks		 In the two trials of healthy adults, IGF-1 rose 55% to 94%, and markers of bone turnover, the breakdown and rebuilding of bone, rose in all three2. In the 4-week trial, 2 people on the drug (7%) had reversible rises in liver enzymes to 1.5 to 2.5 times the upper limit of normal; across the trials 2 people stopped because of side effects the investigators judged drug-related, and in the 9-week trial 3 more were taken off the drug for high blood sugar despite a lower dose3.
Bach 2004, randomized placebo-controlled trial Adults aged 65 and older recovering from hip fracture; people with diabetes or heart failure were excluded 161 25 mg once a day, or placebo
By mouth · 6 months, then 6 months of follow-up		 IGF-1 rose 84% versus 17% on placebo, but function did not improve significantly more8. Serious adverse events (serious health problems during a trial, whether or not caused by the drug) affected 24% (20 of 84) versus 18% (14 of 77), including four blood clots on the drug and none on placebo, which were reported as not related to it3. Adverse events led 12% to stop, versus 2.6% on placebo3.
Adunsky 2011, randomized placebo-controlled Phase IIb trial, stopped early Adults aged 60 and older recovering from a recent hip fracture 123 25 mg once a day, or placebo
By mouth · Up to 24 weeks		 Gait speed improved more than on placebo, but stair-climbing power and several other measures of function did not improve significantly6. The trial was stopped early over a heart failure signal, described in a section below6.
OraGrowtH210 (NCT04614337), randomized open-label Phase 2 trial Prepubertal children aged 3 to 12 with growth hormone deficiency, not treated before 82 0.8, 1.6 or 3.2 mg/kg once a day as LUM-201, versus growth hormone injections of 34 µg/kg a day
By mouth · Growth compared after 6 months, in a study planned for 24 months		 Of 104 children given a test dose, 82 were randomized9. In the registry’s per-protocol analysis (all 62 children on LUM-201 and 18 of 20 on growth hormone), growth rates over the first 6 months were 6.76, 8.21 and 7.73 cm a year on the three doses, versus 10.57 cm a year on growth hormone9. Of the 62 children on LUM-201, 43 did not complete the randomized phase, 39 of them after failing the growth-rate criteria or moving early to an extension study; the growth hormone group ended at 12 months9. Serious adverse events, counted over up to 2 years, occurred in 1 of 18, 1 of 22 and 0 of 22 children, versus 1 of 20 on growth hormone9.
Nass 2008, randomized placebo-controlled trial Healthy adults aged 60 to 81 71 25 mg once a day, or placebo
By mouth · 2 years, with a modified crossover in year 2		 Of 71 randomized, 65 completed the first year, when fat-free mass rose 1.1 kg on the drug and fell 0.5 kg on placebo, while strength and function did not change4. Weight rose 2.7 kg versus 0.8 kg4.
Children’s trial run 1996 to 1998 (Bright 2021 analysis), randomized placebo-controlled Prepubertal children with growth hormone deficiency, not treated before 68 0.4 or 0.8 mg/kg once a day as a liquid, or placebo
By mouth · 6 months		 The analysis covers the 68 children who completed 6 months1. Both doses gave faster growth than placebo, 6.0 and 6.9 cm a year versus 4.5, but when 20 of the 22 placebo children then took growth hormone injections for 6 months, they grew faster than either dose group (P < 0.0001)1. Increased appetite, the most common side effect judged related to the drug, was 2.5 to 3 times as common as on placebo1.
Chapman 1996, randomized placebo-controlled trial Healthy adults aged 64 to 81 32 2 mg, then 25 mg (10 people); 10 mg (12); or placebo (10); once a day
By mouth · Two periods: 14 days, then 28 days		 Growth hormone rose more at higher doses, and 25 mg raised average 24-hour levels by 97% and brought IGF-1 into the normal range for young adults10.
Campbell 2018, randomized double-blind crossover trial People on hemodialysis for kidney failure 26 25 mg once a day, or placebo
By mouth · 1 month on each, within a 3-month crossover with a 1-month washout		 Of 26 enrolled, 22 finished11. IGF-1 rose 65% more on the drug than on placebo, and no serious side effects were attributed to it11.
Svensson 1998, randomized placebo-controlled trial Men aged 18 to 50 with obesity 24 25 mg once a day, or placebo
By mouth · 8 weeks		 IGF-1 rose about 40% and fat-free mass increased, but total fat and deep belly (visceral) fat did not change significantly12.
Codner 2001, two-dose study with placebo weeks Prepubertal children with growth hormone deficiency 18 0.2 mg/kg a day for 7 days and placebo for the other 7 (two groups), or 0.8 mg/kg a day on days 8 to 14 (third group); 0.8 mg/kg for everyone on day 15
By mouth · 15 days		 Growth hormone and IGF-1 rose in some of the children13.
Copinschi 1997, placebo-controlled crossover in young adults, plus a study without placebo in older adults Young adults aged 18 to 30 (8 people) and older adults aged 65 to 71 (6 people) 14 Young adults: 5 mg, 25 mg or placebo at bedtime; older adults: 2 mg, then 25 mg at bedtime
By mouth · Three 7-day periods (young adults); two 14-day periods (older adults)		 In young adults, 25 mg increased deep (stage IV) sleep by about 50% and REM sleep by more than 20% versus placebo; in older adults, REM sleep rose nearly 50%14.
Fatty liver pilot study (NCT05364684), open-label Phase 2, compared with a placebo group from an earlier study Adults aged 21 to 60 with overweight or obesity (body mass index 25 or more) and fatty liver disease, without diabetes 12 25 mg once a day
By mouth · 6 months		 Only 7 of 12 finished, and liver fat did not fall: it rose by an average of 3.9 percentage points, versus 6.6 in the earlier placebo group (p = 0.4)15. There were no serious adverse events, and 7 of 12 reported increased appetite15.
Chapman 1997, double-blind rising-dose study with placebo Men aged 17 to 34 with severe growth hormone deficiency, treated with growth hormone in childhood 9 10 or 50 mg once a day, or placebo (4 men took placebo and 10 mg; 5 took 10 mg, then 50 mg)
By mouth · 4 days per period, in two periods at least 28 days apart		 IGF-1 rose 52% on 10 mg and 79% on 50 mg, and the drug was generally well tolerated16.
Murphy 1998, randomized double-blind crossover trial Healthy adults aged 24 to 39 on a low-calorie diet 8 25 mg once a day, or placebo, in the last 7 days of each 14-day diet period
By mouth · Two 14-day periods		 In the week on treatment, nitrogen balance, a measure of protein loss or gain, averaged +0.31 g a day on the drug versus −1.48 g a day on placebo17.

Studies, animals and users: kept apart

Doses below are what studies used or what a label says. They are not advice, and gray-market products may not contain what their label says.

In human studies

Most adult trials used 25 mg by mouth once a day: for up to 2 years in healthy older adults4, 12 months in Alzheimer’s disease5, 24 weeks after hip fracture6, up to 18 months in older women with low bone density7, 8 weeks in obese men12 and 6 months in a fatty-liver pilot study15. Other doses: 2, 10 or 25 mg a day for up to 4 weeks in older adults10; 5 or 25 mg at bedtime for 7 days in young adults14; 10 or 50 mg a day for 4 days in men with growth hormone deficiency16. FDA’s review summarizes the published range as 2 to 50 mg a day, or 0.2 to 0.8 mg/kg a day, for up to 2 years3. In the 2-year trial, the dose was lowered to 10 mg in 4 people because of high blood sugar or joint pain4. Children with growth hormone deficiency received 0.2 or 0.8 mg/kg a day for 7 to 8 days13 and, as LUM-201, 0.8, 1.6 or 3.2 mg/kg a day for 6 months9; the placebo-controlled trial that started in 2026 uses 1.6 mg/kg a day19. We found no human trial that tested injections2021.

In animal studies

Dogs: single oral doses as low as 0.125 mg/kg raised growth hormone, and 1 mg/kg did not significantly change aldosterone, luteinizing hormone, thyroxine or prolactin, with only a modest rise in cortisol22. Rats: after 6 weeks of 4 mg/kg a day by mouth, growth hormone levels were similar to those in untreated rats3. FDA’s review concludes from animal studies that the growth hormone response is likely to be lost with continuous oral dosing, that the drug can cause low blood pressure in rats, and that it may have reinforcing properties that could contribute to addiction3.

What users report Anecdotal · not validated · not a recommendation

A dosing-guide website updated 25 August 2026 lists 10 to 25 mg by mouth once a day18.

Half-life and how it is taken

Half-life
No human value found; a single dose acts for about 24 hours3FDA’s 2024 review found no human half-life data. It cites one 1996 trial for the drug’s ‘high oral bioavailability and its long duration of action’ and a 1997 paper stating that a single dose is long-acting (24 hours); in dogs, more than 60% of an oral dose reaches the blood3. A dosing website’s figure of 4 to 6 hours cites no study18.
Routes
  • By mouth as tablets, capsules or liquid (all human trials)
  • Injection (a 64 mg/mL product was seen for sale by FDA; no human data found)

Blood sugar at the doses studied

FDA’s 2024 review counts high blood sugar among its ‘serious safety concerns’ with ibutamoren3. Trial by trial, from the shortest courses to the longest, here is what happened to blood sugar and to HbA1c, a blood test that reflects average blood sugar over the past few months.

  • Chapman 1997, men with growth hormone deficiency, 10 or 50 mg a day for 4 days: insulin, fasting and after meals, and blood sugar after meals increased16.
  • Codner 2001, children with growth hormone deficiency, 0.8 mg/kg a day for 8 days: no change in blood sugar or insulin13.
  • Murphy 1999, healthy older adults, the 2- and 4-week trials of up to 50 mg a day: blood sugar rose, but no one stopped because of it3.
  • Chapman 1996, healthy older adults, 25 mg a day: fasting blood sugar rose 25.3% at 2 weeks and 26.9% at 4 weeks, and the authors noted that the changes were correlated with body mass index3.
  • Campbell 2018, people on hemodialysis, 25 mg a day for 1 month: average blood sugar rose 31% on the drug versus 0% on placebo; the authors say three people with type 2 diabetes may have skewed this, and without them the rise was 12% versus −3%11.
  • Svensson 1998, men with obesity, 25 mg a day for 8 weeks: fasting blood sugar and insulin did not change, but a glucose tolerance test was worse at 2 and 8 weeks12.
  • Murphy 1999, older adults with impaired function, the 9-week trial ending on 25 mg a day: five people had their dose cut to 10 mg because fasting blood sugar went above 140 mg/dL, and three of them were later taken off the drug for high blood sugar despite the lower dose3.
  • Adunsky 2011, older adults after hip fracture, 25 mg a day for up to 24 weeks: high blood sugar in 6.5% versus 1.7% on placebo, and a raised HbA1c in 4.8% versus none3.
  • Bach 2004, older adults after hip fracture, with diabetes excluded, 25 mg a day for 6 months: blood sugar rose 8.0 mg/dL versus a fall of 1.6 mg/dL on placebo, and HbA1c rose 0.7 percentage points versus 0.338.
  • Fatty liver pilot study, 25 mg a day for 6 months: 4 of 12 people had high blood sugar15.
  • Sevigny 2008, Alzheimer’s disease, 25 mg a day for 12 months: raised blood sugar in 15.4% versus 4.6% on placebo, and a raised HbA1c in 11.1% versus 1.4%3.
  • Nass 2008, healthy older adults, 25 mg a day for up to 2 years: fasting blood sugar rose an average of 5 mg/dL, HbA1c rose 0.2 percentage points, and insulin sensitivity declined34.

The heart failure signal at 25 mg

The signal came from the 24-week hip-fracture trial, in which adults aged 60 and older took 25 mg a day3. Congestive heart failure, in which the heart cannot pump well enough to keep fluid from building up, was reported in 4 people (6.5%) on the drug versus 1 (1.7%) on placebo, and the trial was stopped early36. Blood pressure rose on the drug by week 4 and stayed up: average rises from baseline ranged from 11.9 to 16.4 mmHg systolic and 4.9 to 7.5 mmHg diastolic, against changes of 2.3 to −2.3 mmHg and 2.2 to 3.7 mmHg on placebo3.

Fluid retention showed up in other trials of 25 mg a day: 16 reports of edema (fluid swelling) and fluid overload on the drug versus 10 on placebo in the 6-month hip-fracture trial, and swelling in 17 women taking MK-677, with or without alendronate, in the bone-density trial3. In the 2-year trial of healthy older adults, mild, short-lived leg swelling affected 19 of 43 on the drug versus 6 of 22 on placebo, a difference that was not statistically significant34. In the three short trials of older adults, fluid retention was reported in 4% on the drug and 5% on placebo3.

In September 2023 FDA put ibutamoren in Category 2 of its list of bulk substances for pharmacy compounding, for substances that may present significant safety risks, giving as its reason ‘the potential for congestive heart failure in certain patients’, and FDA’s pages still listed it there when checked on 5 October 20262324. On 29 October 2024, FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted 13 to 1 against adding it to the list of substances pharmacies may compound with, and several members raised concerns about fluid retention, congestive heart failure and high blood sugar25.

Why the amount on a product label may be wrong

Finnrick, a service that publishes lab results for peptide samples, listed no tests of MK-677 as of 25 September 202626. In a 2017 study of 44 products sold online as SARMs, 17 contained a different unapproved drug, such as ibutamoren, and only 18 held the amount on the label27. Over 5 years, 14 labs in the General European Official Medicines Control Laboratories Network reported on 324 suspected illegal products bought as sport performance enhancers and found ibutamoren among the top five of 18 molecules; from the limited dose data reported, most samples appeared to contain active doses, and some were overdosed28. In 2025 FDA’s lab found ibutamoren, not listed on the label, in a growth supplement sold for children29.

Questions people ask

How much MK-677 should I take?

No dose is established for any use, and FDA’s 2024 review found no FDA-approved medicine containing it3. Trials in adults gave 2 to 50 mg a day by mouth, and rises in blood sugar and fluid retention were reported at 25 mg, the dose most of the longer trials used3. US pharmacies may not compound MK-677232430.

What is the difference between 10 mg and 25 mg of MK-677?

In healthy older adults, growth hormone rose more at higher doses, and 25 mg brought IGF-1 into the normal range for young adults10. In two trials, people whose blood sugar went too high on 25 mg had their dose lowered to 10 mg34.

Is MK-677 taken in the morning or at night?

Trials gave it once a day at different times: at bedtime in the sleep study, and between 7 and 9 a.m. in the 2-year trial of healthy older adults414.

Is MK-677 safe at 25 mg a day?

FDA’s 2024 review found ‘serious safety concerns’, including high blood sugar, raised liver enzymes, swelling and fluid overload, and heart failure in older patients recovering from hip fracture3. The trial behind the heart failure finding used 25 mg a day and was stopped early6.

Does a higher dose of MK-677 work better?

Not clearly. In a children’s trial, growth was 6.9 cm a year on 0.8 mg/kg versus 6.0 on 0.4 mg/kg, and the authors suggested that children whose tests predicted a response might need more than 0.8 mg/kg a day to match daily growth hormone in the first year1. In a later children’s trial, growth was 8.21 cm a year on 1.6 mg/kg and 7.73 on 3.2 mg/kg, so the doubled dose gave no faster growth, and no dose matched growth hormone injections (10.57 cm a year)9.

Go deeper

Sources

  1. 1Development of a Predictive Enrichment Marker for the Oral GH Secretagogue LUM-201 in Pediatric Growth Hormone Deficiency Journal of the Endocrine Society, 1 Jun 2021. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. 2Oral administration of the growth hormone secretagogue MK-677 increases markers of bone turnover in healthy and functionally impaired elderly adults Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, Jul 1999. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. 3FDA Briefing Document, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting of October 29, 2024: ibutamoren mesylate (FDA evaluation dated 3 July 2024) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 3 Jul 2024. fda.gov
  4. 4Effects of an oral ghrelin mimetic on body composition and clinical outcomes in healthy older adults: a randomized trial Annals of Internal Medicine, 4 Nov 2008. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  5. 5Growth hormone secretagogue MK-677: no clinical effect on AD progression in a randomized trial Neurology, 18 Nov 2008. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  6. 6MK-0677 (ibutamoren mesylate) for the treatment of patients recovering from hip fracture: a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled phase IIb study Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Sep 2011. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  7. 7Effect of alendronate and MK-677 (a growth hormone secretagogue), individually and in combination, on markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density in postmenopausal osteoporotic women The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Mar 2001. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  8. 8The effects of MK-0677, an oral growth hormone secretagogue, in patients with hip fracture Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Apr 2004. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  9. 9Phase 2 Study of LUM-201 in Children With Growth Hormone Deficiency (OraGrowtH210 Trial) (NCT04614337) ClinicalTrials.gov, 17 Jun 2026. clinicaltrials.gov
  10. 10Stimulation of the growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor I axis by daily oral administration of a GH secretogogue (MK-677) in healthy elderly subjects The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Dec 1996. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  11. 11Oral ghrelin receptor agonist MK-0677 increases serum insulin-like growth factor 1 in hemodialysis patients: a randomized blinded study Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, 1 Mar 2018. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  12. 12Two-month treatment of obese subjects with the oral growth hormone (GH) secretagogue MK-677 increases GH secretion, fat-free mass, and energy expenditure The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Feb 1998. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  13. 13Effects of oral administration of ibutamoren mesylate, a nonpeptide growth hormone secretagogue, on the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor I axis in growth hormone-deficient children Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Jul 2001. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  14. 14Prolonged oral treatment with MK-677, a novel growth hormone secretagogue, improves sleep quality in man Neuroendocrinology, Oct 1997. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  15. 15The Impact of Ibutamoren on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NCT05364684) ClinicalTrials.gov, 6 Jan 2026. clinicaltrials.gov
  16. 16Oral administration of growth hormone (GH) releasing peptide-mimetic MK-677 stimulates the GH/insulin-like growth factor-I axis in selected GH-deficient adults The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Oct 1997. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  17. 17MK-677, an orally active growth hormone secretagogue, reverses diet-induced catabolism The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Feb 1998. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  18. 18MK-677 (Ibutamoren) Dosage, Safety & Stacks Peptide Initiative, 25 Aug 2026. peptideinitiative.com
  19. 19Phase 3 Study of LUM-201 in Children With Growth Hormone Deficiency (NCT06948214) ClinicalTrials.gov, 4 Sep 2026. clinicaltrials.gov
  20. 20ClinicalTrials.gov search: ibutamoren OR MK-677 OR MK-0677 OR MK0677 OR LUM-201 (14 studies; none in young, healthy people who lift weights, none of an injected form and none of sleep) ClinicalTrials.gov, accessed 8 Oct 2026. clinicaltrials.gov
  21. 21PubMed search: (ibutamoren OR “MK-677” OR “MK-0677” OR MK677 OR “LUM-201”) AND (intravenous OR intravenously OR injection OR injections OR injected OR subcutaneous OR subcutaneously) (22 results; none a human trial of injected MK-677) National Library of Medicine (PubMed), accessed 8 Oct 2026. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  22. 22Design and biological activities of L-163,191 (MK-0677): a potent, orally active growth hormone secretagogue Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 18 Jul 1995. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  23. 23Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (categories list) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 14 May 2026. fda.gov
  24. 24Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 22 Apr 2026. fda.gov
  25. 25Final Summary Minutes of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee Meeting, October 29, 2024 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 15 Jan 2025. fda.gov
  26. 26Finnrick public data summary (llms-full.txt, generated 25 September 2026) Finnrick, 25 Sep 2026. finnrick.com
  27. 27Chemical Composition and Labeling of Substances Marketed as Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators and Sold via the Internet JAMA, 28 Nov 2017. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  28. 28SARMs, Metabolic Modulators and Growth Hormone Secretagogues in Suspected Illegal Medicines, Bought as Sport Performance Enhancers: A Retro- and Prospective Study Within the GEON Drug Testing and Analysis, Oct 2025. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  29. 29Agebox iKids Growth Day Formula may be harmful due to hidden ingredient U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 23 Sep 2025. fda.gov
  30. 30Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding Under Section 503A of the FD&C Act U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 14 May 2026. fda.gov

Not medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician before using any drug. Report an error.