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CJC-1295 DAC vs Ipamorelin side-by-side

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CJC-1295 DACIpamorelin

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Property	CJC-1295 DAC	Ipamorelin
Category	Growth Hormone	Growth Hormone
Also known as	Modified GRF 1-29 DAC, Drug Affinity Complex CJC	IPAM, NNC 26-0161
FDA approved	No	No
Clinical status	Investigational - Research compound Pre Preclinical I Phase I II Phase II III Phase III IV Phase IV FDA FDA approved	Investigational; Phase II trials discontinued. Listed as FDA Category 2 pending possible reclassification, with formal status not changed in the source. Pre Preclinical I Phase I II Phase II III Phase III IV Phase IV FDA FDA approved
What to expect	Sustained GH elevation, muscle building, recovery	Anti-aging, muscle building, sleep quality, recovery
How it works	CJC-1295 DAC is reported to act through the GHRH receptor on pituitary cells. The source links this receptor activation to endogenous growth hormone release and subsequent IGF-1 production by the liver. Its modified GRF(1-29) structure includes four amino acid substitutions associated with resistance to DPP-IV degradation, and the DAC group is described as enabling albumin binding, which slows clearance and extends activity compared with short-lived GHRH fragments.	Ipamorelin is reported to activate GHS-R1a, the ghrelin or growth hormone secretagogue receptor, on somatotroph cells in the anterior pituitary. The source links this receptor activity to Gq/phospholipase C signaling, IP3 generation, intracellular calcium release, and pulsatile release of stored growth hormone. It also describes ipamorelin as relatively selective in early characterization, with GH-releasing doses not meaningfully increasing ACTH, cortisol, prolactin, FSH, LH, or TSH. Because the mechanism relies on pituitary GH stores, the source indicates that pituitary function and normal feedback biology remain relevant to the response.
Typical dosing	Limited community data available · See research protocols	200-300 mcg 2-3x daily · 2-3x daily
Research dosing	1-2 mg weekly · 8-12 weeks typical · Subcutaneous injection	100-300 mcg per injection · 8-12 weeks typical · Subcutaneous injection
Typical duration	8-12 weeks typical	8-12 weeks typical
Administration	Subcutaneous injection	Subcutaneous injection
Timing	Before bed or morning (fasted) Take on empty stomach	Before bed or morning, fasted Fasted timing reported
Evidence level	Clinical Trials	Clinical Trials
Possible side effects	Generally well-tolerated (Reported by the source; short human trial context also notes no serious adverse reactions.) Injection site reactions (Listed as a reported side effect.) Facial flushing (Listed as a reported side effect.) +5 more Water retention (Listed as a reported side effect.) Headache (Listed as a reported side effect.) Longer persistence of effects (The source cautions that side effects may last longer because of an approximately 8-day half-life.) Possible histamine release (The source advises caution in the context of MCAS or histamine sensitivity.) Clinical trial discontinued (The source records discontinued clinical development and a halted related long-acting analog study.)	Generally well tolerated (Reported by the source as a general tolerability statement, not a guarantee of safety.) Injection-site reactions Headache +6 more Nausea Increased appetite Water retention Temporary joint stiffness (Source describes joint stiffness as temporary.) No significant cortisol or prolactin elevation reported (Source presents this as a selectivity-related observation.) Contraindicated with active malignancy (Listed by the source as a contraindication.)
Research summary	The source identifies the main human evidence as an early study by Teichman and colleagues published in 2006 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. In healthy adults, a single subcutaneous dose was associated with GH increases of about 2 to 10 fold and IGF-1 increases of about 1.5 to 3 fold. The source reports GH elevation for at least 6 days, IGF-1 elevation for 9 to 11 days, and sustained above-baseline IGF-1 for up to 28 days with repeated dosing. It also reports an estimated half-life of about 5.8 to 8.1 days and no serious adverse reactions in that short trial. Beyond the human pharmacology data, the source mentions animal work in GHRH knockout mice in which once-daily CJC-1295 normalized growth. The source also states that original sponsor development stopped, and that a related long-acting analog Phase II lipodystrophy study was halted after a participant death that the attending physician attributed to pre-existing coronary disease rather than the drug. Overall, the supplied evidence supports short-term pharmacology signals but does not establish long-term safety, clinical efficacy, approval, or the implications of chronic IGF-1 elevation.	The source identifies Raun et al. 1998 as early foundational work and describes characterization across rats, pigs, and isolated pituitary cells. It reports that ipamorelin released GH without corresponding ACTH or cortisol increases at doses above the GH-release threshold. The source also notes that human development reached Phase II for postoperative ileus before being discontinued for insufficient efficacy. For popular wellness uses such as anti-aging, fat loss, muscle gain, or recovery, the source states that large peer-reviewed human randomized trials are not available and that these claims are extrapolated from mechanism rather than established outcomes.
References	Source Source +3 more Source Source Source	PubMed PubMed +1 more PubMed
Full profile	View Details	View Details

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Educational use only. This information is aggregated from public research and community reports. It is not medical advice, and dosing details are descriptive, not recommendations. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Property

CJC-1295 DAC

Ipamorelin

Category

Growth Hormone

Also known as

Modified GRF 1-29 DAC, Drug Affinity Complex CJC

IPAM, NNC 26-0161

FDA approved

Clinical status

Investigational - Research compound

Pre
Preclinical
I
Phase I
II
Phase II
III
Phase III
IV
Phase IV
FDA
FDA approved

Investigational; Phase II trials discontinued. Listed as FDA Category 2 pending possible reclassification, with formal status not changed in the source.

Pre
Preclinical
I
Phase I
II
Phase II
III
Phase III
IV
Phase IV
FDA
FDA approved

What to expect

Sustained GH elevation, muscle building, recovery

Anti-aging, muscle building, sleep quality, recovery

How it works

CJC-1295 DAC is reported to act through the GHRH receptor on pituitary cells. The source links this receptor activation to endogenous growth hormone release and subsequent IGF-1 production by the liver. Its modified GRF(1-29) structure includes four amino acid substitutions associated with resistance to DPP-IV degradation, and the DAC group is described as enabling albumin binding, which slows clearance and extends activity compared with short-lived GHRH fragments.

Ipamorelin is reported to activate GHS-R1a, the ghrelin or growth hormone secretagogue receptor, on somatotroph cells in the anterior pituitary. The source links this receptor activity to Gq/phospholipase C signaling, IP3 generation, intracellular calcium release, and pulsatile release of stored growth hormone. It also describes ipamorelin as relatively selective in early characterization, with GH-releasing doses not meaningfully increasing ACTH, cortisol, prolactin, FSH, LH, or TSH. Because the mechanism relies on pituitary GH stores, the source indicates that pituitary function and normal feedback biology remain relevant to the response.

Typical dosing

Limited community data available · See research protocols

200-300 mcg 2-3x daily · 2-3x daily

Research dosing

1-2 mg weekly · 8-12 weeks typical · Subcutaneous injection

100-300 mcg per injection · 8-12 weeks typical · Subcutaneous injection

Typical duration

8-12 weeks typical

Administration

Subcutaneous injection

Timing

Before bed or morning (fasted)

Take on empty stomach

Before bed or morning, fasted

Fasted timing reported

Evidence level

Clinical Trials

Possible side effects

Generally well-tolerated (Reported by the source; short human trial context also notes no serious adverse reactions.)
Injection site reactions (Listed as a reported side effect.)
Facial flushing (Listed as a reported side effect.)

+5 more

Water retention (Listed as a reported side effect.)
Headache (Listed as a reported side effect.)
Longer persistence of effects (The source cautions that side effects may last longer because of an approximately 8-day half-life.)
Possible histamine release (The source advises caution in the context of MCAS or histamine sensitivity.)
Clinical trial discontinued (The source records discontinued clinical development and a halted related long-acting analog study.)

Generally well tolerated (Reported by the source as a general tolerability statement, not a guarantee of safety.)
Injection-site reactions
Headache

+6 more

Nausea
Increased appetite
Water retention
Temporary joint stiffness (Source describes joint stiffness as temporary.)
No significant cortisol or prolactin elevation reported (Source presents this as a selectivity-related observation.)
Contraindicated with active malignancy (Listed by the source as a contraindication.)

Research summary

The source identifies the main human evidence as an early study by Teichman and colleagues published in 2006 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. In healthy adults, a single subcutaneous dose was associated with GH increases of about 2 to 10 fold and IGF-1 increases of about 1.5 to 3 fold. The source reports GH elevation for at least 6 days, IGF-1 elevation for 9 to 11 days, and sustained above-baseline IGF-1 for up to 28 days with repeated dosing. It also reports an estimated half-life of about 5.8 to 8.1 days and no serious adverse reactions in that short trial. Beyond the human pharmacology data, the source mentions animal work in GHRH knockout mice in which once-daily CJC-1295 normalized growth. The source also states that original sponsor development stopped, and that a related long-acting analog Phase II lipodystrophy study was halted after a participant death that the attending physician attributed to pre-existing coronary disease rather than the drug. Overall, the supplied evidence supports short-term pharmacology signals but does not establish long-term safety, clinical efficacy, approval, or the implications of chronic IGF-1 elevation.

The source identifies Raun et al. 1998 as early foundational work and describes characterization across rats, pigs, and isolated pituitary cells. It reports that ipamorelin released GH without corresponding ACTH or cortisol increases at doses above the GH-release threshold. The source also notes that human development reached Phase II for postoperative ileus before being discontinued for insufficient efficacy. For popular wellness uses such as anti-aging, fat loss, muscle gain, or recovery, the source states that large peer-reviewed human randomized trials are not available and that these claims are extrapolated from mechanism rather than established outcomes.

References

+3 more

+1 more

Full profile