Ipamorelin + CJC no DAC
GHRH analogue + growth-hormone secretagogue
Commonly marketed growth-hormone-axis combination pairing a short-acting GHRH analogue with the ghrelin-receptor agonist ipamorelin.
Reference dose
CJC 100–300 mcg + Ipamorelin 100–300 mcg
Source-specific educational reference, not an individualized recommendation.
Reference schedule
Daily · 8–12 weeks
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This page gets detailed quickly.
Profiles include evidence, formats, units, source-specific reference amounts and, where relevant, device details. If any of those terms are unfamiliar, do not guess your way through them. Start with a Personalised Guide and we will put the foundations in the right order for you.
At a glance
What it combines
GHRH + GHSR signalling
Two different upstream pathways can stimulate pituitary GH release.
Direct combination trials
Very limited
Most human evidence comes from studying the components separately.
Naming issue
No DAC ≠ DAC
Short-acting Mod GRF(1-29) should not inherit long-acting DAC pharmacokinetics.
Regulatory status
Investigational
The common combination is not an FDA-approved treatment.
What it is
CJC no DAC + ipamorelin is a research combination intended to stimulate endogenous growth-hormone release through two complementary signalling systems.
CJC no DAC is commonly used as a market name for tetrasubstituted GRF(1-29), a short-acting GHRH analogue. Ipamorelin is a growth-hormone secretagogue that acts through the ghrelin receptor.
Research focus
How it works
The product commonly called CJC no DAC is a short-acting GHRH analogue, while ipamorelin activates the ghrelin/GHSR pathway. Both can stimulate pituitary growth-hormone release through different receptors, which is the rationale for combining them.
Important context
The naming is unusually important here. The market term CJC no DAC is commonly used for tetrasubstituted GRF(1-29), also called Mod GRF(1-29). It should not be treated as pharmacokinetically equivalent to the long-acting CJC-1295 DAC studied in older human trials.
What it is studied for
Growth-hormone-axis research examines whether dual upstream stimulation changes GH pulse amplitude, IGF-1 exposure or related endocrine markers.
Body-composition and recovery discussions are downstream extensions of GH/IGF-1 biology, but those outcomes require direct clinical evidence rather than assuming that a higher hormone signal automatically produces a particular result.
The combination is also useful educationally because it demonstrates why peptide name, formulation and half-life matter when interpreting research.
More contextWhy the component evidence does not prove the combinationSee the deeper context, evidence details and practical distinctions behind this profile.
Human studies show that CJC-1295 and ipamorelin can each increase growth-hormone signalling under controlled conditions, but those studies used the individual compounds and different formulations.
The popular CJC no DAC + ipamorelin combination is therefore a mechanistically plausible research pairing rather than a regimen supported by large controlled outcome trials.
- A 2006 randomized study of long-acting CJC-1295 in healthy adults found sustained increases in GH and IGF-1 after subcutaneous administration.
- A human pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic study of ipamorelin found a dose-related GH response after intravenous administration in healthy male volunteers.
- Neither study validates the common combined dose or cycle shown on peptide-market websites.
- FDA advisory committees voted against adding CJC-1295-related substances and ipamorelin-related substances to the 503A Bulks List in 2024.
Why people are interested
What makes Ipamorelin + CJC no DAC worth researching.
Human component studies
Growth-hormone release
Both GHRH analogues and ipamorelin can stimulate growth-hormone release in human pharmacology studies, but they do so through different receptor systems.
Human · formulation-specific
IGF-1 signalling
Long-acting CJC-1295 increased IGF-1 in controlled human studies. Those findings should not be transferred directly to every product sold as CJC no DAC.
Mechanistic rationale
Combination rationale
The pairing is based on complementary physiology: GHRH-receptor signalling plus ghrelin-receptor signalling. Clinical outcome data for the combined wellness protocol remain sparse.
Uncertain clinical evidence
Body-composition claims
Claims around fat loss, muscle gain, sleep or recovery extend beyond what the direct controlled evidence for the combination has established.
Evidence
Where the evidence is strongest, and what kind of evidence it is.
Human · controlled
CJC-1295 human pharmacology
Long-acting CJC-1295 produced sustained dose-related increases in GH and IGF-1 in healthy adults. The studied molecule used albumin-binding DAC pharmacology.
Human · early PK/PD
Ipamorelin human pharmacology
A dose-escalation study in healthy male volunteers showed a short-lived GH response after intravenous ipamorelin.
Limited direct evidence
The popular combination
The common CJC no DAC + ipamorelin regimen has not been validated by the kind of large controlled clinical-outcome programme used for approved endocrine medicines.
FDA advisory review
Compounding review
In 2024 FDA advisory committees voted against adding CJC-1295-related and ipamorelin-related bulk substances to the 503A Bulks List.
Human research
Long-acting CJC-1295 has controlled human pharmacology data showing sustained increases in GH and IGF-1 after subcutaneous dosing in healthy adults. That DAC-enabled molecule is not pharmacokinetically identical to CJC no DAC.
Ipamorelin has early human pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic data showing a dose-related GH response after intravenous administration in healthy male volunteers.
Direct controlled human trials of the widely marketed CJC no DAC + ipamorelin wellness combination are much more limited than the separate component literature.
Preclinical research
The broader GHRH and growth-hormone-secretagogue literature provides mechanistic support for complementary pituitary stimulation.
Preclinical endocrine findings can help explain the biological rationale but do not establish a clinically effective combination dose, cycle or body-composition outcome.
Reference dosing
Reference amount, schedule and conversion.
A reference amount is only useful when you know the formulation, concentration and delivery device it belongs to. Do not transfer a vial amount into a pen, a pen click count into another pen, or a syringe-unit number into a different concentration.
01
Identify the format
Vial, reusable cartridge pen, prefilled multi-dose pen or single-dose autoinjector.
02
Confirm concentration
Know the total peptide amount and liquid volume or the manufacturer/vendor concentration.
03
Understand the units
Keep mg/mcg, mL and syringe units or device clicks separate.
04
Then use the reference
Only convert a known reference amount with the calculator that matches the actual device.
Source-specific reference
CJC 100–300 mcg + Ipamorelin 100–300 mcg
Daily · 8–12 weeks
The range above is a Pep Report research reference. It is not an individualized recommendation and should be interpreted with the exact CJC form, formulation and concentration in mind.
Calculator connection
Choose the calculator that matches the actual formulation. The calculator converts numbers you already know; it does not choose the target amount.
For a vial, the amount of peptide in the vial and the volume added determine concentration. The calculator converts those inputs; it does not establish an appropriate target amount.
Storage
Start with the format. Then verify the exact product.
Rule of thumb, not a product instruction
Rule of thumb only: CJC-1295, CJC no DAC and ipamorelin are not one interchangeable formulation, and there is no approved CJC-1295 / ipamorelin combination product with one validated storage protocol.
Vial rule of thumb
For CJC/ipamorelin vials, first confirm exactly which CJC molecule is present, then separate dry from reconstituted storage. Do not apply a generic 'X weeks refrigerated' rule to every single- or combination vial.
Known data
For CJC-1295 / ipamorelin, the strongest storage data comes from component-specific research and FDA compounding reviews rather than an approved combination label. No regulator-validated consumer storage standard exists for the common combination.
For CJC-1295 / ipamorelin, FDA reviews also highlight identity and characterization problems in this market. Products described as CJC may not always specify DAC status or chemical form clearly, which makes any generic storage claim less reliable before the actual substance is even confirmed.
Formulation context
For CJC-1295 / ipamorelin, formulation context matters because CJC-1295 with DAC, CJC no DAC / Mod GRF-type products, ipamorelin and a premixed combination are different preparations. Data for one component or one molecular form should not be assigned automatically to another.
For CJC-1295 / ipamorelin, combining two peptides in the same vial creates an additional stability question. Even component-specific stability data would not automatically prove the same shelf life for the mixture.
What is not established
For CJC-1295 / ipamorelin, what remains unestablished is one authoritative post-reconstitution shelf life, refrigeration period, freeze-thaw rule or combined-vial storage standard that applies across suppliers and formulations.
For CJC-1295 / ipamorelin, uncertainty is especially high when the label does not clearly identify the CJC form, concentration, excipients and preparation method.
Sources
The sources below support the product-specific storage distinctions above.
Practical reference
Formats
Vial / injectable research formats
Reconstitution & units
Adding bacteriostatic or sterile diluent changes concentration, not the total peptide amount originally present in the vial.
For combination vials, the labelled amount of each component matters separately when calculating concentration.
mcg or mg describe peptide amount; mL describes liquid volume; U-100 syringe units are a volume scale.
The calculator converts known vial strength and liquid volume into concentration. It does not validate the target dose.
Safety, status & open questionsOpen the practical cautionsNeither the common CJC no DAC + ipamorelin combination nor its popular wellness uses are FDA-approved treatments. Human pharmacology exists for the components, but the evidence should not be presented as if the combined protocol itself has been clinically validated.
Open questions
The name CJC-1295 is used inconsistently in commercial peptide markets. DAC and no-DAC formulations have materially different duration and should not be treated as interchangeable.
Human component studies do not validate the common combined dose range or an 8–12 week cycle.
Long-term safety data for repeated use of the combination in otherwise healthy people are limited.
Regulatory notes
The CJC no DAC + ipamorelin combination is not an FDA-approved treatment.
In December 2024 an FDA advisory committee voted against placing the reviewed CJC-1295-related bulk substances on the 503A Bulks List.
In October 2024 an FDA advisory committee voted against placing ipamorelin free base or ipamorelin acetate on the 503A Bulks List.
FDA has separately identified potential safety and characterization concerns for compounded ipamorelin acetate.
Practical notes
Manipulating the GH/IGF-1 axis can produce endocrine and metabolic effects that are not captured by simple peptide-dose arithmetic.
FDA has cited limited safety information and potential immunogenicity or impurity concerns for compounded ipamorelin acetate.
Compounded injectable products add product-quality, sterility and concentration risks independent of the pharmacology of the active ingredient.
Common mistakes
Treating CJC no DAC as if it had the same week-long pharmacokinetics as CJC-1295 DAC.
Assuming separate human studies of CJC-1295 and ipamorelin prove a specific combined protocol.
Presenting the research reference range as an approved or body-weight-derived dose.
Confusing vial concentration with the amount delivered in a syringe volume.
Common questions
Is CJC no DAC the same as CJC-1295 DAC?
No. The names are often blurred in peptide marketing, but the DAC formulation was engineered for prolonged albumin binding and much longer exposure. The no-DAC product is commonly used to refer to tetrasubstituted GRF(1-29).
Why combine CJC no DAC with ipamorelin?
The rationale is complementary pituitary signalling: a GHRH analogue activates the GHRH receptor while ipamorelin activates the ghrelin receptor. Mechanistic complementarity is not the same as proven clinical superiority.
Does the human CJC-1295 trial prove this combination works?
No. The controlled trial studied long-acting CJC-1295, not the common no-DAC + ipamorelin combination.
Can the vial calculator be used for a combination vial?
It can perform concentration arithmetic when the exact amount of each component and the liquid volume are known. It does not determine whether a target dose is appropriate.
Related peptides & blends
References
CJC-1295 in healthy adults — growth hormone and IGF-1 study
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism / PubMed · 2006
Ipamorelin pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic study in human volunteers
PubMed · 1999
FDA PCAC meeting — CJC-1295-related bulk substances
U.S. FDA · 2024
FDA PCAC meeting — ipamorelin-related bulk substances
U.S. FDA · 2024
FDA PCAC minutes — CJC-1295-related substances
U.S. FDA · 2024
FDA PCAC minutes — ipamorelin-related substances
U.S. FDA · 2024
FDA — compounded bulk substances that may present significant safety risks
U.S. FDA · 2026