What are CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin?

CJC-1295 and ipamorelin belong to a category of synthetic therapeutic peptides called growth hormone secretagogues, or substances that promote the secretion of growth hormone. Growth hormone, for its part, increases cellular replication, encourages collagen synthesis in your skeletal muscles, and stimulates the production of a separate hormone called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which helps regulate the process by which your body creates fat. Given these qualities, a higher concentration of circulating growth hormone can lead to improved exercise training, increased muscle strength, and a decreased propensity for fat accumulation.

CJC-1295 mimics a hypothalamic peptide called growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), which signals the pituitary gland to release growth hormone.

Ipamorelin is an analog of ghrelin, a hormone produced by cells in your stomach. As such, it binds to the brain’s ghrelin receptor and, like GHRH, stimulates growth hormone secretion from the pituitary. Importantly, its secretagogue action is selective, with no effect on stress hormones like cortisol, whose overabundance can cancel your efforts to gain muscle or shed fat.

Why are CJC-1295 and ipamorelin used together?

CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are commonly used together because they have complementary time-release characteristics:

CJC-1295 is effectively GHRH that has been modified to have a longer half-life, so it stimulates pituitary growth hormone secretion in a sustained manner over an extended period.
Ipamorelin acts on the pituitary gland directly, inducing a more immediate dump of growth hormone into circulation.

Hence, using the two peptides in combination allows you to take advantage of growth hormone in terms of both availability and intensity — the tortoise and the hare as relay partners.

Dosing and administration

The typical starting dose of CJC-1295 and ipamorelin is 0.2mg per injection. The injection should go into an area of subcutaneous fat, such as your belly, a thigh, or an arm.

Treatment protocol

Five doses per week
Nighttime administration (ideally a couple of hours after your last meal, to align with your body’s natural growth hormone release)
A typical CJC-1295 and ipamorelin cycle is four months — three months on, one month off — so you’d complete three cycles per year.
Within 4-6 weeks, with regular resistance training, you ought to notice a more defined muscular contour, speedier recovery between workout sessions, and perhaps some reduced body fat.
In 8-12 weeks, the above changes become more apparent. You might also notice cosmetic improvements in skin quality.

CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin

PEPTIDE LIST

Potential side effects:

Immunogenicity: Immunogenicity is a condition in which your body interprets a substance as a threat and mounts an immune response against it. The FDA warns that both CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are risky for immunogenicity, potentially causing life-threatening outcomes such as anaphylaxis.
Cardiovascular concerns: Specifically concerning CJC-1295, the FDA warns of the risk of “increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction,” including “flushing, warmth, and transient hypotension.”
Cancer: With their ability to increase the rate of cellular replication, growth hormone secretagogues in general are unsafe for cancer survivors and people with an active cancer diagnosis. Secretagogue use may elevate their risk for recurrence or worsen their prognosis.

With ipamorelin, there’s also a risk of death when it’s injected intravenously. It’s important here to note that peptides like ipamorelin are normally injected under the skin, not into a vein.

In addition, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin carry the same risk of milder side effects associated with many injectable peptides, namely injection site reactions and mild flu-like symptoms.

References

Rong, P., et al. (2025). Targeting IGF1 to alleviate obesity through regulating energy expenditure and fat deposition. Science China Life Sciences.
Tavares, A. B. W., et al. (2013). Effects of growth hormone administration on muscle strength in men over 50 years old. International Journal of Endocrinology, 2013, 942030.
Utiger, R. D. (n.d.). Growth hormone-releasing hormone. Britannica.
Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Ghrelin. Cleveland Clinic.
National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Ipamorelin. National Institutes of Health.
Thau, L., Gandhi, J., & Sharma, S. (2023). Physiology, cortisol. StatPearls [Internet].
Teichman, S. L., et al. (2005). Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adults. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 91(3), 799-805.
Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Growth hormone deficiency (GHD). Cleveland Clinic.

Psychiatric Mental Health Practice

New Bridges Psychiatry, LLC

Est. 2026

What are CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin?

CJC-1295 mimics a hypothalamic peptide called growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), which signals the pituitary gland to release growth hormone.

Why are CJC-1295 and ipamorelin used together?

CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are commonly used together because they have complementary time-release characteristics:

CJC-1295 is effectively GHRH that has been modified to have a longer half-life, so it stimulates pituitary growth hormone secretion in a sustained manner over an extended period.

Ipamorelin acts on the pituitary gland directly, inducing a more immediate dump of growth hormone into circulation.

Hence, using the two peptides in combination allows you to take advantage of growth hormone in terms of both availability and intensity — the tortoise and the hare as relay partners.

Dosing and administration

The typical starting dose of CJC-1295 and ipamorelin is 0.2mg per injection. The injection should go into an area of subcutaneous fat, such as your belly, a thigh, or an arm.

Treatment protocol

Five doses per week

Nighttime administration (ideally a couple of hours after your last meal, to align with your body’s natural growth hormone release)

A typical CJC-1295 and ipamorelin cycle is four months — three months on, one month off — so you’d complete three cycles per year.

Within 4-6 weeks, with regular resistance training, you ought to notice a more defined muscular contour, speedier recovery between workout sessions, and perhaps some reduced body fat.

In 8-12 weeks, the above changes become more apparent. You might also notice cosmetic improvements in skin quality.

CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin

Potential side effects:

Immunogenicity: Immunogenicity is a condition in which your body interprets a substance as a threat and mounts an immune response against it. The FDA warns that both CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are risky for immunogenicity, potentially causing life-threatening outcomes such as anaphylaxis.

Cardiovascular concerns: Specifically concerning CJC-1295, the FDA warns of the risk of “increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction,” including “flushing, warmth, and transient hypotension.”

Cancer: With their ability to increase the rate of cellular replication, growth hormone secretagogues in general are unsafe for cancer survivors and people with an active cancer diagnosis. Secretagogue use may elevate their risk for recurrence or worsen their prognosis.

With ipamorelin, there’s also a risk of death when it’s injected intravenously. It’s important here to note that peptides like ipamorelin are normally injected under the skin, not into a vein.

In addition, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin carry the same risk of milder side effects associated with many injectable peptides, namely injection site reactions and mild flu-like symptoms.

What are CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin?

​

CJC-1295 mimics a hypothalamic peptide called growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), which signals the pituitary gland to release growth hormone.

​

Why are CJC-1295 and ipamorelin used together?

CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are commonly used together because they have complementary time-release characteristics:

CJC-1295 is effectively GHRH that has been modified to have a longer half-life, so it stimulates pituitary growth hormone secretion in a sustained manner over an extended period.

Ipamorelin acts on the pituitary gland directly, inducing a more immediate dump of growth hormone into circulation.

Hence, using the two peptides in combination allows you to take advantage of growth hormone in terms of both availability and intensity — the tortoise and the hare as relay partners.

Dosing and administration

The typical starting dose of CJC-1295 and ipamorelin is 0.2mg per injection. The injection should go into an area of subcutaneous fat, such as your belly, a thigh, or an arm.

​

Treatment protocol

Five doses per week

Nighttime administration (ideally a couple of hours after your last meal, to align with your body’s natural growth hormone release)

A typical CJC-1295 and ipamorelin cycle is four months — three months on, one month off — so you’d complete three cycles per year.

Within 4-6 weeks, with regular resistance training, you ought to notice a more defined muscular contour, speedier recovery between workout sessions, and perhaps some reduced body fat.

In 8-12 weeks, the above changes become more apparent. You might also notice cosmetic improvements in skin quality.

CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin

Potential side effects:

Immunogenicity: Immunogenicity is a condition in which your body interprets a substance as a threat and mounts an immune response against it. The FDA warns that both CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are risky for immunogenicity, potentially causing life-threatening outcomes such as anaphylaxis.

Cardiovascular concerns: Specifically concerning CJC-1295, the FDA warns of the risk of “increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction,” including “flushing, warmth, and transient hypotension.”

Cancer: With their ability to increase the rate of cellular replication, growth hormone secretagogues in general are unsafe for cancer survivors and people with an active cancer diagnosis. Secretagogue use may elevate their risk for recurrence or worsen their prognosis.

With ipamorelin, there’s also a risk of death when it’s injected intravenously. It’s important here to note that peptides like ipamorelin are normally injected under the skin, not into a vein.

In addition, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin carry the same risk of milder side effects associated with many injectable peptides, namely injection site reactions and mild flu-like symptoms.