Comparison. Research use only.
Ipamorelin vs Ipamorelin / CJC-1295
Ipamorelin alone is a selective ghrelin-receptor agonist that produced a GH pulse without meaningfully elevating cortisol or prolactin in the published research. The Ipamorelin / CJC-1295 blend adds CJC-1295 without DAC, a short-acting GHRH analog that acts on a second receptor, the GHRH receptor.
What is the difference between Ipamorelin and Ipamorelin / CJC-1295?
Ipamorelin is a single selective growth hormone secretagogue: a pentapeptide that acts as a partial agonist at the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a). Ipamorelin / CJC-1295 is a two-peptide blend that adds CJC-1295, a GHRH(1-29) analog acting on a different receptor, the GHRH receptor. Ipamorelin's only human trial, a Phase 2 study (Beck 2014), missed its endpoint; CJC-1295 has early-phase human pharmacology data only.
| Attribute | Ipamorelin | Ipamorelin / CJC-1295 |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | One peptide (pentapeptide) | Two peptides: Ipamorelin plus CJC-1295 without DAC (mod-GRF 1-29) |
| Molecular weight | 711.85 Da | 711.85 Da (Ipamorelin) / 3367.97 Da (CJC-1295 no-DAC) |
| Receptor targets | Ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a), partial agonist | GHS-R1a (Ipamorelin) plus GHRH receptor (CJC-1295) |
| Intracellular signalling | Gq/PKC | Gq/PKC (Ipamorelin) plus Gs/cAMP (CJC-1295) |
| Described effect on GH pulses | Raises pulse frequency | Pulse frequency (Ipamorelin) plus pulse size (CJC-1295) |
| Human evidence | One Phase 2 RCT (Beck et al., 2014, n=114): no significant difference vs placebo | No trial of the blend itself; components studied separately (Beck 2014; Ionescu and Frohman 2006) |
| Regulatory / WADA | Investigational, not approved; WADA S2 | Both components investigational, not approved; WADA S2 |
What is Ipamorelin?
Ipamorelin is a selective growth hormone secretagogue pentapeptide, a five-amino-acid chain that prompts the pituitary to release its own growth hormone. It acts as a partial agonist at the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a), stimulating pulsatile GH release from pituitary somatotrophs.
Read the full Ipamorelin research summary →What is Ipamorelin / CJC-1295?
This combination targets two distinct but synergistic nodes in the growth hormone (GH) axis. CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH(1–29)) carrying four amino acid substitutions that make it resistant to the enzyme DPP-4, which extends its half-life.
Read the full Ipamorelin / CJC-1295 research summary →Ipamorelin and Ipamorelin / CJC-1295 specifications
Frequently asked questions
What does CJC-1295 add to Ipamorelin in Ipamorelin / CJC-1295?
A second receptor target. Ipamorelin is a partial agonist at the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) and is described in the research literature as raising how often GH pulses occur. CJC-1295 is a GHRH(1-29) analog that acts on the GHRH receptor and is described as raising the size of each pulse. In Ipamorelin / CJC-1295 the CJC-1295 component is the no-DAC form, mod-GRF(1-29), with a half-life of about 30 minutes.
Has Ipamorelin or Ipamorelin / CJC-1295 been studied in humans?
Ipamorelin was tested in one Phase 2 randomized trial in post-operative ileus after bowel resection (Beck et al., 2014, n=114); it was well tolerated but did not differ significantly from placebo on its efficacy endpoints. CJC-1295 was characterized in small early-phase pharmacology studies in healthy adults (Ionescu and Frohman, 2006). No completed trial of the Ipamorelin / CJC-1295 blend itself appears in the literature we summarize.
Is the CJC-1295 in Ipamorelin / CJC-1295 the same as CJC-1295 with DAC?
No. The Ipamorelin / CJC-1295 blend uses CJC-1295 without DAC (mod-GRF 1-29), which our research summary lists with a half-life of about 30 minutes. CJC-1295 with DAC carries a maleimide group that binds serum albumin covalently, and Teichman et al. (2006) estimated its half-life at 5.8 to 8.1 days. They are different molecules; the CJC-1295 (DAC) vs Ipamorelin / CJC-1295 comparison covers that difference in detail.
Why is Ipamorelin described as a selective GH secretagogue?
Raun et al. (1998) described Ipamorelin as the first selective growth hormone secretagogue because, unlike older secretagogues such as GHRP-6 and GHRP-2, it showed minimal effects on ACTH, cortisol, aldosterone and prolactin in the published research. The Ipamorelin / CJC-1295 blend contains the same Ipamorelin molecule alongside CJC-1295, which acts at the GHRH receptor rather than the ghrelin receptor.
Other research peptide comparisons
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