CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin research monograph — the canonical GHRH + ghrelin-mimetic stack

CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin is the most-asked-about two-peptide combination in growth-hormone-axis research, pairing a long-acting growth-hormone-releasing-hormone (GHRH) analog with a selective ghrelin-receptor agonist in a single lyophilized vial. The combination is rooted in published pharmacology of the GH axis — the two components act on different receptor pathways that synergise — and is one of the few stacks in this market whose mechanistic rationale is well-characterised even where outcome data is thin.

Composition.
The blend is sold at a fixed 1:1 mass ratio across vendors. Vial sizes vary (the most common are 5/5 mg and 10/10 mg per component), but the ratio stays constant and is the ratio assumed by every published community protocol naming "the CJC + Ipa stack." Two CJC-1295 variants exist on the market — with-DAC and no-DAC (also called "Mod GRF 1-29") — and both appear paired with Ipamorelin under the same blend name. A meaningful product label disambiguates which CJC variant is in the vial; a COA confirms it.

What each component contributes.
CJC-1295 is a 30-amino-acid synthetic GHRH analog. The "with-DAC" form carries a drug-affinity-complex moiety that binds serum albumin and extends the half-life from minutes to days; the "no-DAC" form lacks this and behaves pharmacokinetically like native GHRH. Both bind the pituitary GHRH receptor and stimulate pulsatile growth-hormone release. Ipamorelin is a pentapeptide ghrelin-receptor (GHS-R) agonist. Unlike earlier ghrelin mimetics (GHRP-2, GHRP-6), Ipamorelin has been characterised as selective for GH release without measurable elevation of prolactin, cortisol, or ACTH in preclinical models — that selectivity is the property the research community most commonly cites. The two peptides act on different receptors that converge on the same somatotroph cell, which is the mechanistic basis for the synergy commonly described in the literature.

Research applications and the evidence base.
Published research on the combined stack is limited; most evidence is from individual-component pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies in animals and a small number of human PK trials. The combination has been used in preclinical and community research contexts for GH-axis pulsatility characterisation, IGF-1 response modelling, body-composition research in rodent models, and recovery-physiology questions. There is no completed Phase III human trial of the combined formulation.

Research context.
CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin is the most-recommended starting pair in GH-axis stack research because it isolates "GHRH + ghrelin synergy" cleanly without the off-target prolactin/cortisol activity associated with GHRP-2 or GHRP-6. Researchers comparing pulsatility profiles or testing the GHRH/ghrelin co-stimulation hypothesis typically run this stack as the reference combination.

Storage and handling.
Lyophilized vials should be kept refrigerated (2–8 °C) and protected from light. Once reconstituted with bacteriostatic water, the solution is typically used within 14–30 days when refrigerated. Both peptides tolerate refrigerator-temperature solution storage reasonably well, but neither tolerates repeated freeze-thaw cycles or vigorous shaking. Swirl gently when reconstituting until clear.

Quality and COA considerations.
A meaningful COA must confirm identity for both peptides (mass spectrometry at the expected molecular weights for CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin, with the CJC variant — with-DAC or no-DAC — explicitly identified), per-component HPLC purity (≥98% benchmark), and a fill-weight breakdown confirming the labelled 1:1 ratio. The most common quality failure in this product is mis-labelling between CJC-1295 with-DAC and no-DAC — the molecular weights differ and a competent mass-spec report will distinguish them. Sterility and endotoxin testing should be reported for any vial intended for injection-model use.

Research-use note: This monograph is an educational summary of the published research literature for the CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin blend. The combined formulation has not been evaluated in completed human clinical trials, and neither component peptide is approved for human use in any jurisdiction known to VialTalk. Nothing here is medical advice or a usage recommendation.