Ipamorelin and CJC-1295 both show up in growth-hormone secretagogue discussions. They do not bind the same receptor, they do not share a half-life, and they are not interchangeable reagents.
Ipamorelin is a selective ghrelin-receptor hexapeptide analog (a pentapeptide secretagogue). CJC-1295 is a long-acting GHRH analog that binds albumin. One is a GHRP-class GHSR agonist. The other is a GHRH-receptor agonist with multi-day exposure.
Neither is an FDA-approved drug in the sources below. This page is literature comparison for research, not medical advice, and not a protocol.
Research notice: These substances are discussed for laboratory research only. They are not approved for human consumption, medical treatment, or diagnosis.
| Parameter | Ipamorelin | CJC-1295 |
|---|---|---|
| Sequence / class | Pentapeptide Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2; GHRP-class secretagogue | Long-acting GHRH analog (albumin-binding) |
| Receptor | GHRP-like receptor / GHSR pathway | GHRH receptor |
| Endogenous counterpart | Ghrelin (GHSR ligand) | GHRH |
| Human half-life in cited studies | Terminal half-life 2 hours (IV infusion PK) | 5.8-8.1 days (single injection) |
| GH pattern in cited human data | Single GH episode, peak at 0.67 h after infusion | Pulses preserved; trough GH increased 7.5-fold |
| ACTH/cortisol (swine, Raun 1998) | Not different from GHRH stimulation | Not tested in that paper |
| FDA-approved product | No | No |
Ipamorelin was characterized by Raun et al. as the first selective GH secretagogue in its series. In rat pituitary cells it released GH with potency similar to GHRP-6. GHRP and GHRH antagonists showed that ipamorelin, like GHRP-6, acts via a GHRP-like receptor, not by mimicking GHRH. Howard et al. cloned the pituitary/hypothalamus receptor that mediates GH release for this class; Kojima et al. identified ghrelin as the endogenous GHSR ligand.
In swine, Raun et al. found ipamorelin, GHRP-6, and GHRP-2 left FSH, LH, prolactin, and TSH unchanged. GHRP-6 and GHRP-2 raised ACTH and cortisol. Ipamorelin did not raise ACTH or cortisol above GHRH-like levels, including at doses more than 200-fold the GH ED50 in that model. That selectivity is the reason the paper called it the first selective GH secretagogue. It is swine pharmacology, not a human safety label.
CJC-1295 is a long-acting GHRH analog. Teichman et al. studied it as a GHRH analog with prolonged GH and IGF-I stimulation. Ionescu and Frohman described it as a synthetic GHRH analog that binds permanently to endogenous albumin after injection (they cite an 8-day half-life in that context) and stimulates GH and IGF-I in animals and in healthy humans. Alba et al. showed once-daily CJC-1295 normalized growth in GHRH knockout mice, which is a GHRH-axis experiment, not a GHSR experiment.
Bottom line: ipamorelin is GHSR/GHRP-class. CJC-1295 is GHRH-class. Stacking them is a separate experimental design question. This page does not specify how to combine them.
Ipamorelin reached human PK/PD study (Gobburu et al., healthy male volunteers, intravenous infusions). It is not an FDA-approved therapeutic in the sources cited.
CJC-1295 reached randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind ascending-dose trials in healthy adults (Teichman et al.) and a pulsatility study in healthy men (Ionescu and Frohman). It is also not an FDA-approved therapeutic in the sources cited.
Vendor listings of "CJC-1295" on research sites may or may not match the albumin-binding analog used in Teichman 2006. The published human PK is for that long-acting analog. Confirm identity with the supplier's analytical data. This page cannot certify a vial.
Those infusion rates are study methods, not a use protocol.
| Question | Ipamorelin | CJC-1295 |
|---|---|---|
| Receptor family | GHSR / GHRP-like | GHRH receptor |
| Duration of exposure (human PK cited) | Hours | Days |
| Pulse architecture in cited human data | One GH episode after IV infusion | Overnight pulses kept; trough raised |
| ACTH/cortisol signal in Raun swine study | Selective (no extra ACTH/cortisol vs GHRH) | Not applicable (different receptor) |
| Human evidence type | PK/PD in healthy men | GH/IGF-I and pulsatility in healthy adults |
| Approved drug | No | No |
If the experimental variable is a short GHSR pulse, ipamorelin is the GHSR ligand in this pair. If the variable is multi-day GHRH-receptor occupancy with a higher GH trough, CJC-1295 is the ligand in this pair. They are not two strengths of the same peptide.
Related: GHRP-2 vs GHRP-6, GH secretagogues guide.
No. Ipamorelin is a ghrelin-receptor (GHS-R) agonist, in the GHRP class. CJC-1295 is a long-acting analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone and acts at the GHRH receptor. Raun et al. showed ipamorelin stimulates GH via a GHRP-like receptor, not as a GHRH mimic.
No. The papers cited here are pharmacology, healthy-volunteer PK/PD, or mouse growth studies. They are not approved-drug labels.
CJC-1295. Teichman et al. estimated a half-life of 5.8 to 8.1 days after a single injection in healthy adults. Gobburu et al. reported a terminal half-life of 2 hours for ipamorelin in healthy men after intravenous infusion.
Ionescu and Frohman found pulsatility was preserved one week after CJC-1295. Pulse frequency and magnitude were unaltered. Trough (basal) GH rose 7.5-fold and mean GH rose 46%, with IGF-I up 45%.
No. Different receptors are a mechanistic fact, not a use instruction. This site does not publish human dosing protocols for these research peptides.
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