Educational reference, not medical advice. This page summarizes information from published research and regulatory filings for educational purposes. It is not a recommendation to use any compound and should not replace guidance from a licensed healthcare provider. Most peptides discussed here are not approved for the uses described.
What it is
CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin is a commercial pre-mixed blend of two growth-hormone-axis peptides supplied by compounding pharmacies and research-peptide vendors in a single vial. The combination pairs:
- CJC-1295 (no DAC), also known as Modified GRF (1-29), a 29-amino-acid analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). The no-DAC variant lacks the Drug Affinity Complex side chain that extends the longer-acting CJC-1295 DAC variant to a roughly week-long half-life; the no-DAC version has a short, pulsatile profile measured in minutes to hours.
- Ipamorelin, a five-amino-acid selective agonist of the ghrelin (growth hormone secretagogue) receptor characterized by Novo Nordisk researchers in 1998.
The two compounds act on different receptors in the pituitary GH axis, which is the rationale for combining them. A typical 10 mg or 20 mg blend vial contains equal milligram amounts of each peptide.
History
- CJC-1295 was developed in the 2000s by ConjuChem as a long-acting GHRH analog (the DAC variant). The shorter no-DAC variant — Modified GRF (1-29) — emerged in the research-peptide market as a way to mimic endogenous GHRH pulsatility while retaining DPP-IV resistance.
- Ipamorelin was first reported by Raun and colleagues at Novo Nordisk in 1998 as a selective ghrelin-receptor agonist that stimulates GH release without affecting cortisol or prolactin, distinguishing it from earlier non-selective GH-releasing peptides such as GHRP-6.
Compounding pharmacies began offering co-formulated vials in the early 2010s. The combination has not been formally studied as a single product in a controlled clinical trial.
Regulatory status
Neither CJC-1295 (in either DAC or no-DAC form) nor Ipamorelin has FDA approval. Both have appeared in compounding-pharmacy preparations in the United States; their availability has narrowed as the FDA has tightened its review of compounded peptide products. Both are also on the WADA prohibited list (S2). The combination is supplied through compounding pharmacies under state-level frameworks and through research-chemical vendors labeled for laboratory use only.
How researchers describe its action
The two components target distinct receptors in the pituitary somatotroph:
- CJC-1295 (no DAC) binds the GHRH receptor and stimulates pulsatile GH release in a pattern similar to endogenous GHRH. The Teichman 2006 paper on the DAC variant established the receptor pharmacology shared by both forms.
- Ipamorelin binds the ghrelin receptor (growth hormone secretagogue receptor, GHSR-1a) and stimulates GH release through a parallel pathway. Unlike earlier GHRPs, Ipamorelin does not appreciably stimulate cortisol or prolactin release at typical research doses.
The combination is described in observational protocols as producing a larger GH pulse than either component alone, a phenomenon characterized in pituitary cell studies of GHRH + ghrelin-receptor co-stimulation. The pulsatile profile of the no-DAC variant is the reason it — and not the DAC version — is used in this blend; pairing a long-acting GHRH agonist with a short-acting ghrelin agonist would not produce the synergistic pulse pattern.
Half-life and dosing intervals
- CJC-1295 (no DAC): approximately 30 minutes circulating half-life.
- Ipamorelin: approximately 2 hours circulating half-life.
Observational protocols typically describe a once- or twice-daily subcutaneous injection — often at bedtime to coincide with the natural nocturnal GH pulse, or pre-workout. Per-injection mass commonly described is 100–300 mcg of each component, well within the published Phase I dose ranges for both peptides individually.
Reconstitution example
A 10 mg blend vial (5 mg of each peptide) reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water yields a total peptide concentration of 5 mg/mL — meaning 2.5 mg/mL of each component. On a 1 mL U-100 insulin syringe, 5 units (0.05 mL) delivers 250 mcg total mass, or 125 mcg of each component.
Vial's calculator handles the total-vial-to-syringe-unit math directly; per-component mass depends on the labeled ratio.
What to know
- The "no DAC" variant is what's in the blend. Pairing the DAC variant with Ipamorelin would mismatch the kinetics. If the vendor's label specifies "CJC-1295 DAC," that is a different product.
- No combined clinical trial. The blend has not been studied as a single product. Each component has its own Phase I-style human pharmacokinetic data, but the combination does not.
- WADA-banned. Both components are prohibited under WADA's S2 class; athletes subject to drug testing should not use either.
- Storage. Refrigerate lyophilized vials and protect from light. After reconstitution, refrigerate and use within four weeks per the published stability data for each component.
- Reported side effects. Common observations in user reports include injection-site irritation, transient post-injection flushing, and a sensation of hunger associated with ghrelin-receptor activation. Long-term safety has not been characterized in any controlled trial of the combination.
Sources
- 1.Teichman SL et al. (2006). Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
- 2.Raun K et al. (1998). Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. European Journal of Endocrinology.
- 3.Gobburu JV et al. (1999). Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of ipamorelin in human volunteers. Pharmaceutical Research.
- 4.Johansen PB et al. (1999). Ipamorelin induces longitudinal bone growth in rats. Growth Hormone & IGF Research.