Reviewed & approved by Dr. Nova Reyes · Last checked 2026-10-15. ← Back to Evidence Library
Ipamorelin + CJC-1295: what the evidence says
At a glance
What it is: ipamorelin and CJC-1295 are often sold together as a blend. They are two separate peptides with separate evidence. Both push the body to release growth hormone, but in different ways: ipamorelin mimics ghrelin (a hunger hormone), and CJC-1295 copies GHRH, the brain's growth-hormone "on" signal. Each has its own page.
What the evidence says: both raise growth hormone for a while in small studies. A higher hormone level isn't the same as a health benefit. Neither has human data for muscle, fat loss, recovery, sleep or anti-aging. Nobody has studied the two taken together.
Card verdict: No human data (combined stack untested together; each raises GH briefly without proven clinical outcomes) Card note: Varies by use, see page
This page reports what studies used. It is not dosing advice.
Legend: HUMAN data · ANIMAL / LAB data · UNKNOWN · UNVERIFIED: not yet confirmed against a primary source
The two peptides
Ipamorelin
Card verdict: No human data Card note: Varies by use, see page
- Human Raises growth hormone: Very limited.
- Human Gut recovery after surgery: Very limited (mixed results). A real study in people tested this and didn't find a clear benefit. Any difference was small enough that it could have been chance.
- Unknown Muscle, fat loss, recovery, sleep, anti-aging: No human data.
Read the full ipamorelin page →
CJC-1295
Card verdict: No human data Card note: Varies by use, see page
- Human Raises growth hormone and IGF-1 (DAC version): Limited.
- Unknown Belly fat in HIV, and muscle, fat loss, recovery, sleep, anti-aging: No human data.
- Unknown Anything, for the version without DAC (mod GRF 1-29): No human data. Vial labels often don't say which version is inside.
- The only patient trial was stopped after a participant died. For what is known, and what isn't, see the CJC-1295 page.
Combining peptides
- Each peptide was studied alone. The studies behind each ingredient tested that one peptide on its own, not mixed with others.
- Nobody has tested the mix. We found no study of this combination in people or animals. So it's unknown how the ingredients interact, what side effects they cause together, and whether they stay stable when mixed in one vial.
- One vial, one dose. When peptides share a vial, you can't change the amount of one without changing the others. If you have a side effect, you can't tell which ingredient caused it, and you can't stop just one.
- The ingredient list is the seller's word. Blend names like these are marketing names, not standard products. No regulator or published source defines what they contain. What's in a given vial may not match its label.
- More ingredients, more unknowns about what's in the vial. Each one is another chance for the wrong compound, the wrong amount or contamination. Testing one ingredient doesn't vouch for the others.
What we know about each part is on its own page (linked above). A lab or animal result isn't a health benefit.
Taking these together? See Combining peptides.
Human data by component: both raise growth hormone for a while in small studies: Limited for CJC-1295 (DAC version) and Very limited for ipamorelin. Ipamorelin's one patient trial (gut recovery after surgery) found no significant benefit. A higher hormone level isn't a health benefit. Neither has human data for muscle, fat loss, recovery, sleep or anti-aging. The no-DAC form of CJC-1295 (mod GRF 1-29) has no human data, and vial labels often don't say which form is inside. Both act on the same growth hormone system. What happens when you take both together has not been studied.
Is it legal?
Neither is FDA-approved. Ipamorelin is named on WADA's 2026 list, banned at all times. CJC-1295 is named on WADA's 2026 list, banned at all times. Details and sources are on each page.
What's in the vial?
Unknown For "research use" or fake (counterfeit) products, the contents are unknown. We test retail products blind under the Open Peptide Standard. See results at /tests/. A passing test covers one batch, tested on one date. It does not mean the compound itself is safe.
Disclaimer
This page is for education and harm reduction. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation to use ipamorelin or CJC-1295. Their safety in humans is not established. Please talk to a clinician you trust, especially if you have or have had cancer, have diabetes or prediabetes, are pregnant, or are a tested athlete. Seek care right away for a serious reaction, and report it to FDA MedWatch (https://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch).