§ N° V · Frequently asked
CJC-1295 FAQ
Twenty-six questions answered from the published Phase I record, the FDA briefing materials, and the WADA prohibited-list documentation. Compounding-pharmacy claims are marked as such.
§ N° I
CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin: Why the Combination?
The CJC-1295 ipamorelin pairing is the single most common compounding-pharmacy protocol involving CJC-1295. The rationale is mechanistically clean: CJC-1295 is a GHRH-receptor agonist that raises the sustained baseline of growth-hormone secretion, while ipamorelin is a selective ghrelin-receptor (GHS-R1a) agonist that triggers discrete GH pulses [9][10]. The two molecules engage independent receptor systems on the same somatotroph cell; in animal and pituitary-cell observations, the effects are additive rather than redundant [10].
Ipamorelin, characterized in Raun 1998, is a selective pentapeptide GH secretagogue (Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2) that releases GH via GHS-R1a without measurable elevation of ACTH or cortisol at doses up to 200× the GH ED50 [9]. The selectivity is the reason it is the preferred secretagogue partner in compounding-pharmacy formulations — earlier GH secretagogues such as GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 elevate prolactin, ACTH, and cortisol at doses required for meaningful GH release [9].
The combination is widely used in compounding pharmacies. It is not an FDA-approved combination. There is no Phase III human trial of the CJC-1295/ipamorelin combination [14].
§ N° II
What is the CJC-1295 + ipamorelin combination?
What is the CJC-1295 + ipamorelin combination?
A compounding-pharmacy pairing of CJC-1295 (a GHRH analog providing sustained signal) with ipamorelin (a selective GH secretagogue providing pulsatile release) [9][10]. Not an FDA-approved combination; widely used in compounding-pharmacy protocols but not characterized in any published Phase III trial.
§ N° III
How does CJC-1295 differ from ipamorelin?
How does CJC-1295 differ from ipamorelin?
The CJC-1295 vs ipamorelin distinction is at the receptor. CJC-1295 is a GHRH-receptor analog [1][7]; ipamorelin is a ghrelin-receptor (GHSR / GHS-R1a) agonist [9]. They stimulate GH release through two distinct receptor systems, which is the mechanistic rationale for combining them.
§ N° IV
How does CJC-1295 differ from sermorelin?
How does CJC-1295 differ from sermorelin?
Both are GHRH(1-29) analogs. Sermorelin is the unmodified GHRH(1-29) with a plasma half-life of approximately 11-12 minutes [19]. CJC-1295 adds four amino-acid substitutions for DPP-IV resistance, and the DAC variant adds an albumin-binding linker that extends half-life to 5.8-8.1 days [1][2]. Sermorelin was previously FDA-approved (Geref) for pediatric GH deficiency before commercial withdrawal [19].
§ N° V
How does CJC-1295 differ from tesamorelin?
How does CJC-1295 differ from tesamorelin?
Tesamorelin is the only FDA-approved GHRH analog, indicated for HIV-associated lipodystrophy [11]. CJC-1295 has no FDA-approved indication [14]. Both are GHRH(1-29)-derived analogs with stabilizing modifications; tesamorelin uses a different N-terminal modification, CJC-1295 uses tetrasubstitutions plus optional DAC albumin linkage [11][1].
§ N° VI
Does CJC-1295 affect testosterone?
Does CJC-1295 affect testosterone?
CJC-1295 acts on the GHRH-receptor / pituitary GH axis, not the HPG (testosterone) axis [1][7]. Published Phase I trials measured GH and IGF-1 endpoints, not testosterone [1]. Clinic marketing claims of testosterone elevation are not supported by the primary literature.
§ N° VII
Is CJC-1295 FDA-approved?
Is CJC-1295 FDA-approved?
No. CJC-1295 has no FDA-approved clinical indication [14]. It was placed on the FDA's Category 2 interim 503A bulks list in September 2023 and removed in September 2024 after sponsor-withdrawn nominations [17]. It is not currently eligible for routine 503A pharmacy compounding [14][17].
§ N° VIII
Is CJC-1295 banned in sport?
§ N° IX
Rationale for the CJC-1295 + ipamorelin pairing
Rationale for the CJC-1295 + ipamorelin pairing
GHRH analogs (CJC-1295) and ghrelin-receptor agonists (ipamorelin) act on independent pathways, producing additive GH release in animal and clinic-protocol observations [9][10]. The pairing is widely used in compounding pharmacies but is not an FDA-approved combination [14].
§ N° X
Reconstitution
How is CJC-1295 reconstituted?
Lyophilized peptide is reconstituted with bacteriostatic water in research settings. Specific volumes depend on the vial mass and intended concentration; this is laboratory handling, not a clinical prescription [1].