Bottom line
A frequently marketed growth-hormone-axis combination, pairing a substance sold as a GHRH analog with the ghrelin-receptor agonist ipamorelin. Human pharmacology has been reported separately for CJC-1295 DAC and ipamorelin, but no published human randomized controlled trial of this specific combination was identified. The mechanistic rationale (different receptors converging on growth-hormone secretion) is stronger than the direct combination evidence.
No established or recommended human dose.
Name and formulation variability
| Observed source/date | Claimed components | Claimed amounts | Verification limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online-market label observed in 2026 | “CJC-1295 (no DAC)” plus ipamorelin | Variable | “CJC-1295 (no DAC)” is not interchangeable with the DAC conjugate studied by Teichman et al. |
Also known as: 2X Blend, Mod GRF 1-29 + Ipamorelin, CJC-1295/Ipamorelin stack.
Critical ambiguity: the clinical-study name CJC-1295 refers to a GHRH analog conjugated to a drug-affinity complex (DAC) designed for albumin binding. Online sellers also use “CJC-1295 no DAC” for Modified GRF 1-29, a different, non-DAC substance. Evidence for the DAC conjugate must not be transferred to the no-DAC product, and a product bearing only “CJC-1295” is not adequately identified.
Component evidence
| Component | Separate evidence | Evidence for combination | Compatibility/stability evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| CJC-1295 (with DAC) | Teichman 2006 reported two randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind ascending-dose trials in healthy adults: one SC exposure of 30–250 mcg/kg or two to three SC exposures of 20–60 mcg/kg at weekly or 2-week intervals. GH and IGF-1 increased, estimated half-life was 5.8–8.1 days, and mean IGF-I—not GH—remained above baseline through day 28 in the repeat-dose study; no therapeutic endpoint was tested. FDA's 2024 briefing also summarized an unpublished phase 2 HIV-lipodystrophy trial that was terminated after a participant died following an acute myocardial infarction; causal attribution to CJC-1295 was not established. | No published human RCT of the combination | No published combination stability study |
| Substance marketed as “CJC-1295 no DAC” | No controlled human study was identified; CJC-1295 DAC data do not establish this substance's effects | No published human combination data | — |
| Ipamorelin | Gobburu 1999 studied five ascending 15-minute IV-infusion cohorts of eight healthy men each (n=40; 4.21–140.45 nmol/kg): terminal half-life was approximately 2 hours and GH peaked at approximately 0.67 hours. A randomized, double-blind phase 2 postoperative-ileus trial enrolled 117 bowel-resection patients (114 in the safety/modified intention-to-treat population) and studied 0.03 mg/kg IV twice daily through postoperative day 7 or discharge; the key and secondary efficacy analyses were not statistically significant. | No published human combination data with CJC-1295 | — |
Human physiology support: Arvat et al. (2001) studied seven healthy men aged 24–32 years and reported synergistic GH release after native ghrelin and GHRH were each given IV at 1 mcg/kg. That study (PMID 11238504) supports a receptor-level hypothesis only; it did not study CJC-1295, Modified GRF 1-29, ipamorelin, or their combination. Raun et al. evaluated ipamorelin in rat pituitary cultures, anaesthetised rats, and conscious swine; that preclinical work supports secretagogue selectivity, not human efficacy or this combination.
Combination-specific studies
A targeted PubMed search through 2026-08-06 identified no published human randomized controlled trial or animal study testing the CJC-1295 (no DAC) + ipamorelin combination as a specific pair.
Safety and interaction uncertainties
FDA's December 2024 CJC-1295 briefing summarized anecdotal reports from an unpublished phase 2 HIV-lipodystrophy trial: two hours after an eleventh weekly CJC-1295 DAC dose, one participant had an ECG-confirmed acute myocardial infarction and died about an hour later. The attending physician attributed the event to previously asymptomatic coronary artery disease with plaque rupture; the trial was terminated, but the available record does not establish drug causality.
In the published 2014 proof-of-concept phase 2 postoperative-ileus study, two ipamorelin-treated participants had fatal serious adverse events after bowel resection for colon cancer. FDA's 2024 review states that both developed postoperative anastomotic leaks and that it is unclear whether the deaths were related to ipamorelin.
These were two separate PCAC reviews. In October 2024, committee members voted 0 yes, 12 no, and 1 abstention on placing each of ipamorelin free base and ipamorelin acetate on the 503A Bulks List, citing insufficient safety and efficacy information. In December 2024, the committee voted against placing the five reviewed CJC-1295-related substances on that list (0–1 yes and 12–13 no, depending on the form). PCAC recommendations are advisory and are not FDA approvals or blanket statutory bans.
No published long-term safety study of the combination was identified; the cited ipamorelin human studies used a single infusion or treatment through postoperative day 7.
Theoretical mitogenic concern from sustained GH/IGF-1 elevation
Regulatory and product-quality notes
Neither component is FDA-approved. “Research use only” is an online seller's label, not authorization for human use.
CJC-1295 development (ConjuChem) discontinued 2006
Ipamorelin development (Helsinn/Novo Nordisk) discontinued
The 2026 WADA List explicitly names CJC-1295 among GHRH analogues and ipamorelin among growth-hormone secretagogues and their mimetics in section S2.2.4; both are prohibited at all times
Evidence gaps
No combination RCT in humans
No long-term safety data for the combination
No controlled human study of the substance marketed as “CJC-1295 no DAC” was identified
No dose-ratio optimisation study
Population and indication coverage remain limited: the CJC-1295 pharmacology trials included women and men, whereas the cited ipamorelin PK/PD cohorts included only healthy men and the phase 2 trial involved bowel-resection patients
Sources
Teichman SL, et al. Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone, in healthy adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(3):799-805. PMID 16352683. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16352683/
FDA. Briefing Document: CJC-1295-Related Bulk Drug Substances, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, December 4, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/media/183819/download
FDA. Final Summary Minutes of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee Meeting, December 4, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/media/185642/download
Gobburu JVS, et al. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of ipamorelin, a growth hormone releasing peptide, in human volunteers. Pharm Res. 1999;16(9):1412-1416. PMID 10496658. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10496658/
Beck DE, Sweeney WB, McCarter MD; Ipamorelin 201 Study Group. Prospective, randomized, controlled, proof-of-concept study of the ghrelin mimetic ipamorelin for the management of postoperative ileus in bowel resection patients. Int J Colorectal Dis. 2014;29(12):1527-1534. PMID 25331030. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25331030/
FDA. Briefing Document: Ipamorelin-Related Bulk Drug Substances, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, October 29, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/media/182088/download
FDA. Final Summary Minutes of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee Meeting, October 29, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/media/185412/download
Arvat E, et al. Endocrine activities of ghrelin, a natural growth hormone secretagogue, in humans: comparison and interactions with hexarelin and GH-releasing hormone. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2001;86(3):1169-1174. PMID 11238504. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11238504/
Raun K, et al. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol. 1998;139(5):552-561. PMID 9849822. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9849822/
World Anti-Doping Agency. 2026 Prohibited List, section S2.2.4. https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/2026list_en_final_clean_september_2025.pdf