Ipamorelin + CJC-1295 (IPA / CJC-1295)

IPA / CJC-1295 is a community-named two-component research stack co-administering Ipamorelin (a selective GHS-R1a agonist of the ghrelin family) with CJC-1295 No DAC (a stabilized GHRH(1-29) analog). The two compounds are studied together because they engage parallel pituitary pathways · ipamorelin acts on the ghrelin receptor and CJC-1295 acts on the GHRH receptor, and the two signals converge on the same pool of somatotrophs to amplify a single growth-hormone pulse.

Peppudex card: see the mechanism + evidence-grade summary at [Peppudex / IPA + CJC-1295](https://peppudex.com/peptides/ipa-cjc1295).

Mechanism · component breakdown

The two compounds engage distinct receptor systems on anterior-pituitary somatotrophs. Co-administration produces a larger and more synchronous GH pulse than either compound alone in published animal-model and small-cohort human data.

Ipamorelin

Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide (Aib-His-D-2Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH₂) that selectively agonizes the ghrelin / growth-hormone-secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a) on pituitary somatotrophs. Binding triggers Ca²⁺-mediated release of stored GH. The selectivity profile spares cortisol, prolactin, and aldosterone, which differentiates ipamorelin from older GH-releasing peptides such as GHRP-6 and Hexarelin that also raise stress hormones.

CJC-1295 No DAC

CJC-1295 No DAC (also called modified GRF(1-29) or Mod GRF 1-29) is a synthetic 30-amino-acid analog of GHRH(1-29) with four amino-acid substitutions (Ala²→D-Ala, Arg¹⁵→Gln, Leu²⁷→Ala, Asp²⁸→Ser) that stabilize the molecule against dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) cleavage. The "No DAC" variant lacks the maleimidopropionic-acid linker that tethers the DAC variant to plasma albumin, and so retains a short pulsatile half-life closer to native GHRH. Binding the GHRH receptor on somatotrophs triggers cAMP-mediated release of stored GH.

Why the combination

GHRH and ghrelin pathways are non-redundant in the somatotroph. GHRH primes synthesis and release of GH via the cAMP/PKA axis. Ghrelin-receptor activation triggers Ca²⁺ release and amplifies the pulse. Engaging both simultaneously produces a larger total GH excursion than the sum of the two single-pathway pulses, consistent with classical signal-convergence pharmacology.

Research evidence

• Single intravenous CJC-1295 with DAC produced sustained mean GH and IGF-1 elevations in healthy adults over a multi-day window in the ConjuChem Phase 1 program (Teichman et al., 2006, J Clin Endocrinol Metab; PMID 16352682).
• Selective GHS-R1a agonism by ipamorelin produces a dose-dependent GH pulse in healthy volunteers without elevating cortisol or prolactin (Raun et al., 1998, Eur J Endocrinol; PMID 9849822).
• Mechanistic reviews of the dual-pathway model describe synergistic potentiation when a GHRH analog is paired with a GHS-R1a agonist (Sinha et al., 2020, Transl Androl Urol; PMID 32257854).
• No completed Phase 3 trials exist for the IPA + CJC-1295 No DAC combination as a finished co-formulation. Combination pharmacology is inferred from single-component pharmacology rather than from a registered combination trial.

Regulatory status

• United States. Neither ipamorelin nor CJC-1295 is FDA-approved. Research-use only. The Helsinn / Lilly ipamorelin Phase 2 program for postoperative ileus was discontinued. The ConjuChem CJC-1295 Phase 1/2 program was halted following two adverse-event deaths in the lipodystrophy cohort (causality not definitively established).
• WADA. Both compounds are prohibited at all times under Section S2 (Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics) on the [2026 WADA Prohibited List](https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/2026list_en_final_clean_september_2025.pdf). Ipamorelin sits in the growth-hormone-secretagogue sub-category. CJC-1295 sits in the GHRH-analog sub-category. The stack is therefore prohibited for any athlete in a WADA-tested sport.

Storage

Per-component storage applies. Lyophilized: 4 °C 24 months, –20 °C indefinite. Reconstituted: 2–8 °C, use within 28 days. Co-reconstitution in a single vial is common in research protocols where the two components are supplied together; see Reconstitution for vial-prep math. No human dose is recommended by this wiki.

See also

• CJC-1295 · component article
• Ipamorelin · component article
• Tesamorelin · FDA-approved GHRH(1-44) analog
• GHRP-6 · older, less selective ghrelin-receptor agonist
• Growth_hormone · downstream effector
• GHRH_receptor · CJC-1295 target
• Ghrelin_receptor · ipamorelin target
• [Peppudex card · IPA + CJC-1295](https://peppudex.com/peptides/ipa-cjc1295) · mechanism, evidence grades A-F, FAQs, peer-reviewed sources

References

• Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, et al. "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. [PMID 16352682](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16352682/).
• Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, et al. "Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue." Eur J Endocrinol. 1998;139(5):552-61. [PMID 9849822](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9849822/).
• Sinha DK, Balasubramanian A, Tatem AJ, et al. "Beyond the androgen receptor: the role of growth hormone secretagogues in the modern management of body composition in hypogonadal males." Transl Androl Urol. 2020;9(Suppl 2):S149-S159. [PMID 32257854](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32257854/).