CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin

The CJC-1295 and ipamorelin combination pairs two research peptides that engage parallel growth-hormone-axis pathways through distinct receptors. CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of the first 29 amino acids of native GHRH (GRF 1-29), with stabilising amino-acid substitutions at positions 2, 8, 15, and 27 to extend serum half-life relative to native GHRH. Ipamorelin is a pentapeptide (Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2) that acts at the growth hormone secretagogue receptor.

A CJC-1295 and ipamorelin peptide pen is not a ballpoint pen, writing implement, or office supply. It is a pre-filled delivery device loaded with both compounds at fixed concentrations.

Neither compound has marketing authorisation as a pharmaceutical in any jurisdiction. Both are supplied as research peptides for laboratory use only. The CJC-1295 evidence base includes the Teichman 2006 Phase 1 healthy volunteer trial. Ipamorelin's founding pharmacology paper is Raun 1998. Combination effects have not been characterised in large peer-reviewed clinical trials.

CJC-1295 with DAC versus without DAC

The most important distinction within the CJC-1295 literature is whether the DAC (drug-affinity-complex) modification is present. CJC-1295 with DAC uses an albumin-binding modification that covalently binds to endogenous albumin, extending plasma half-life to 5.8 to 8.1 days. CJC-1295 without DAC, also called Modified GRF 1-29 or Mod GRF, lacks the albumin-binding chemistry and has a half-life of approximately 30 minutes, similar to native GHRH. The two variants are structurally different molecules. The Baseline CJC-1295 and ipamorelin pen supplies CJC-1295 without DAC (Modified GRF 1-29). Researchers requiring the DAC variant for extended-half-life protocols should source from a supplier that documents DAC presence on the CoA.

Why CJC-1295 is written as CJC1295, CJC 1295, or Mod GRF

Four variant names appear across the literature and commercial sources, covering both the CJC-1295 spelling variants and the related ipamorelin partner peptide.

The two compounds engage distinct receptors that converge on growth hormone release through parallel upstream pathways. CJC-1295 acts at the GHRH receptor on anterior pituitary somatotrophs. Ipamorelin acts at the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR-1a), the same receptor as endogenous ghrelin.

CJC-1295 DAC pharmacokinetics

Teichman and colleagues (J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2006;91(3):799-805) characterised CJC-1295 with DAC in two Phase 1 trials with healthy adult volunteers. After a single subcutaneous injection of the DAC variant, dose-dependent increases in mean plasma GH concentrations of 2- to 10-fold were observed for 6 days or more, and mean plasma IGF-1 concentrations increased 1.5- to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days. The estimated half-life of CJC-1295 with DAC was 5.8 to 8.1 days. The Modified GRF 1-29 (no-DAC) variant supplied by Baseline has a much shorter half-life closer to native GHRH.

CJC-1295 mechanism in GHRH knockout model

Alba and colleagues (Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 2006;291(6):E1290-1294) characterised once-daily CJC-1295 administration in GHRH knockout mice. The published findings reported normalised body weight and length in animals receiving daily doses, with CJC-1295-induced increases in total pituitary RNA and GH mRNA consistent with somatotroph cell proliferation. The work provided in vivo mechanistic confirmation of the somatotroph effects.

Ipamorelin selectivity

Raun and colleagues (Eur J Endocrinol, 1998;139(5):552-561) characterised ipamorelin as the first growth hormone secretagogue that did not release ACTH or cortisol at levels significantly different from GHRH stimulation. Earlier secretagogues including GHRP-6 and GHRP-2 elevated both cortisol and prolactin. The selectivity is the basis for the "selective growth hormone secretagogue" designation that distinguishes ipamorelin within its class.

Combination rationale

The pairing of CJC-1295 with ipamorelin in research protocols rests on the parallel engagement of two distinct receptors. CJC-1295 stimulates GHRH-receptor-mediated GH release; ipamorelin stimulates GHSR-1a-mediated GH release. Combination protocols are studied to probe synergistic activation through parallel pathway engagement. Combination effects beyond each peptide separately have not been characterised in large peer-reviewed clinical trials.

All effects described in this section have been observed in published clinical or preclinical research. They are referenced here for research context and do not constitute therapeutic claims.

References

The three primary peer-reviewed sources referenced in this guide. The originals are linked in full for anyone who wants the methods behind them.

• Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, et al. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol. 1998;139(5):552-561. doi:10.1530/eje.0.1390552.
• Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, Gagnon C, Castaigne JP, Frohman LA. Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(3):799-805. doi:10.1210/jc.2005-1536.
• Alba M, Fintini D, Sagazio A, et al. Once-daily administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, normalizes growth in the GHRH knockout mouse. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2006;291(6):E1290-E1294. PMID: 16822960. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00201.2006.

The CJC-1295 and ipamorelin combination appears across four principal research application areas. The growth-hormone-axis focus is the unifying theme; downstream applications branch into body composition, recovery biology, and pituitary research.

Growth hormone axis pharmacology research

The principal mechanistic application area. Investigators use CJC-1295 and ipamorelin as research tools to probe parallel-pathway activation of GH release, the relationship between GHRH and GH secretagogue receptor signalling, and downstream IGF-1 response. The Teichman 2006 trial provides the human pharmacokinetic data; the Raun 1998 paper provides the ipamorelin selectivity data.

Body composition research

Researchers studying lean mass, adipose tissue distribution, and body composition use the combination as a research tool for probing GH-axis effects on tissue homeostasis. The application area is preclinical-to-translational; no large body-composition trials of the combination have been published.

Recovery and sleep architecture research

GH release in the natural sleep cycle peaks during slow-wave sleep. Investigators using CJC-1295 and ipamorelin as research tools probe the relationship between GH-axis stimulation, sleep architecture, and tissue recovery in research models.

Comparative GHRH-analog research

Investigators compare CJC-1295 against tesamorelin (the FDA-approved full-length GHRH analog) in side-by-side studies of growth-hormone-axis activation, pharmacokinetic profile, and downstream IGF-1 response. The two compounds use different stability strategies (albumin binding for CJC-1295 DAC; N-terminal hexenoic acid modification for tesamorelin) and provide complementary tools for class-comparison research.

A research peptide pen is a factory-sealed, pre-filled delivery device supplied ready to use at a fixed concentration, with no reconstitution or mixing step at the point of use. The combination pen format provides both peptides at fixed concentrations of each component, removing the need to reconstitute and combine two lyophilised vials at the point of use.

The combination pen format provides three practical advantages over separate lyophilised vials. Pens arrive ready to use with no reconstitution step. The seal limits airborne contamination during repeated draws. The graduated dose mechanism provides volume consistency that is difficult to match with manual draws from two separate stoppered vials.

The trade-off is rigidity. A combination pen format locks in the ratio of CJC-1295 to ipamorelin set at manufacture. Researchers who need to vary the ratio across a study (for example, to probe ipamorelin-only or CJC-1295-only effects) still need to source single-peptide formats separately. For a fixed-ratio combination study or a series of replicates at the same dose ratio, the format reduces handler variance considerably.

The Baseline CJC-1295 and ipamorelin combination pen is supplied at a fixed concentration ratio with batch-specific HPLC purity and mass spectrometry confirmation of both peptide sequences on the CoA, including which CJC-1295 variant (with or without DAC) is supplied.

The quality of peptide combinations is defined by the documentation that accompanies it. A combination peptide product with a published synthesis route but no batch-specific Certificate of Analysis is not a research material; it is two unknowns. Researchers procuring CJC-1295 and ipamorelin combinations in the UAE or anywhere else should expect the following at minimum.

• HPLC purity greater than 98 percent for both CJC-1295 and ipamorelin components.
• Mass spectrometry confirmation of both peptide sequences and molecular masses.
• Documentation of whether CJC-1295 is supplied with DAC or without DAC (Modified GRF 1-29).
• Batch-specific Certificate of Analysis from an independent third-party lab, not just an in-house result.
• Endotoxin testing where the material is intended for cell culture or animal research.
• Documented cold-chain handling from synthesis through shipping, with temperature logs available on request.

For the Baseline CJC-1295 and ipamorelin combination pen, the per-batch lab report is published at /uae/peptides/cjc1295-ipamorelin-20. The CoA documents HPLC purity for both components, mass spectrometry confirmation of both peptide sequences (with or without the DAC modification on CJC-1295), the in-house concentration assay for each component, and the documented ratio. Independent third-party reports are available on request.

If there is no CoA, there is no peptide. Only powder.

Research peptides are not pharmaceuticals under UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2024 and are not regulated as medicines. CJC-1295 and ipamorelin is not an approved medicine and is only ever considered after a consultation. Your consultant reviews your history first, and you are monitored throughout.

Cold-chain handling matters more in the Gulf than almost anywhere else. Summer ambient temperatures routinely exceed the stability window for these compounds, so where a program is running the chain from storage to delivery is our responsibility rather than a courier’s. See peptide delivery and GCC cold chain for the operational considerations.

For the full UAE regulatory context covering research peptide procurement, see Is it legal to buy peptides in Dubai and the UAE.

The questions below cover the most common queries from UAE-based researchers and procurement teams. Each answer is independently sourced and can be cross-referenced against the linked product pages and lab results.

The CJC-1295 and ipamorelin combination is one of several compounds Baseline consultants work with, each documented the same way. The references below provide background on adjacent research compounds frequently studied alongside this combination.

The other growth-axis compounds are covered in our treatment reference for Dubai.