Side-by-side comparison of mechanisms, dosing, interactions, and stacking potential.
| CJC-1295 (with DAC) | Ipamorelin | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Peptides | Peptides |
| Standard Dose | Research indicates 2 mg administered once weekly via subcutaneous injection. | Research indicates 200-300 mcg administered 1-3 times daily via subcutaneous injection. |
| Timing | Evening administration preferred (aligns with natural GH pulsatility). Inject on an empty stomach — food (especially carbohydrates) blunts GH release. | Best administered at bedtime for synergy with natural GH peak. Also effective upon waking and post-workout. Always on empty stomach. |
| Cycle Duration | 12-24 week cycles with 4-8 week breaks between cycles. | 12-24 week cycles with 4-8 week breaks. |
| Evidence Level | moderate_human | moderate_human |
CJC-1295 with DAC (Drug Affinity Complex) is a synthetic 30-amino acid GHRH analog with four amino acid substitutions rendering it resistant to DPP-IV proteolytic inactivation. The DAC moiety covalently binds to endogenous serum albumin via a disulfide bond after injection, extending half-life to 5.8-8.1 days. It stimulates pulsatile GH release from anterior pituitary somatotrophs through GHRH receptor activation, producing dose-dependent 2-10 fold increases in plasma GH for 6+ days and 1.5-3 fold IGF-1 elevations for 9-11 days per injection.
Research indicates 2 mg administered once weekly via subcutaneous injection.
Evening administration preferred (aligns with natural GH pulsatility). Inject on an empty stomach — food (especially carbohydrates) blunts GH release.
12-24 week cycles with 4-8 week breaks between cycles.
Ipamorelin is a pentapeptide (Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2) that acts as the first selective growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a/ghrelin receptor) agonist. Unlike other GHRPs, it selectively stimulates GH release without significantly affecting ACTH, cortisol, prolactin, or aldosterone — even at doses 200-fold above the ED50 for GH release. This selectivity profile is comparable to GHRH itself but operates through the distinct ghrelin receptor on pituitary somatotrophs.
Research indicates 200-300 mcg administered 1-3 times daily via subcutaneous injection.
Best administered at bedtime for synergy with natural GH peak. Also effective upon waking and post-workout. Always on empty stomach.
12-24 week cycles with 4-8 week breaks.
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