CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin: The Growth Hormone Stack, Explained (2026)

CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are two growth hormone (GH) peptides that people often pair into one stack. CJC-1295 is a GHRH analogue that tells the pituitary gland to make GH. Ipamorelin is a selective secretagogue that tells the same gland to release it. Used together, they're studied for a larger, more natural GH pulse than either one alone. Both are pending the FDA's July 2026 PCAC review, so pru's live GH peptide today is sermorelin.

What is the CJC-1295 + ipamorelin stack?

The CJC-1295 + ipamorelin stack is a pairing of two growth hormone (GH) peptides that act on the pituitary gland through two different doors at the same time. CJC-1295 is a GHRH analogue that signals the pituitary to make GH. Ipamorelin is a ghrelin-receptor secretagogue that signals it to release GH. Because the two work through separate pathways, they're studied together for a bigger, more natural GH pulse than either peptide produces on its own.

Neither peptide is offered by pru today. Both sit in front of the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC), which is scheduled to review them on July 23-24, 2026. pru's live growth hormone peptide right now is sermorelin, a closely related GHRH analogue that a licensed 503A pharmacy can compound today. For the wider family, see the growth hormone peptides guide.

What are CJC-1295 and ipamorelin?

CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are two separate peptides with two separate jobs. CJC-1295 is a synthetic analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). It copies the body's own GHRH signal and prompts the pituitary somatotrophs to produce growth hormone. Ipamorelin is a selective growth hormone secretagogue that binds the ghrelin receptor and prompts the pituitary to release the GH it has made. One builds the pulse; the other triggers it.

Ipamorelin is described in the research as the first selective GH secretagogue. In early studies it raised GH without meaningfully raising cortisol, prolactin, or other pituitary hormones, which is the trait that made it stand out from older peptides like GHRP-6. For a deeper look at each on its own, see the ipamorelin guide and the CJC-1295 guide.

Why do people stack CJC-1295 with ipamorelin?

People stack CJC-1295 with ipamorelin because the two peptides push the same gland through two different pathways, and the effect is studied as complementary rather than redundant. CJC-1295 works on the GHRH receptor to increase how much GH the pituitary makes. Ipamorelin works on the ghrelin receptor to increase how much of that GH gets released. Together, research on GHRH-plus-secretagogue pairings points to a synergistic GH pulse larger than either peptide alone.

The idea behind the pairing is to mimic the body's own rhythm. Growth hormone is released in pulses, mostly during deep sleep, and that pulsing tends to soften with age. A GHRH analogue plus a secretagogue is studied for supporting those natural pulses rather than flooding the body with outside GH. This is the same logic behind single GHRH peptides like sermorelin; the sermorelin vs. ipamorelin comparison walks through how the pieces differ.

What is the CJC-1295 + ipamorelin stack studied for?

The CJC-1295 + ipamorelin stack is studied for the same outcomes that higher growth hormone levels are associated with: body composition, recovery, and sleep. It's important to be precise here. These peptides raise the body's own GH signaling, and researchers look at what that shift can support. None of this is a promise of a result, and neither peptide is FDA-approved for these uses.

• Lean-mass support and body composition, since GH plays a role in how the body builds and holds muscle
• Recovery and tissue repair after training or physical stress
• Sleep quality, because most natural GH release happens during deep sleep
• Skin, connective tissue, and general vitality that people associate with healthy GH levels

These are the reasons the pairing shows up in athletic and longevity circles. If your goal is performance specifically, the best peptides for muscle growth and peptides for athletic performance guides map the wider toolkit. GH peptides are one lane inside pru's Muscle & Performance category. Getting ahead of recovery and how your body ages is a smart, proactive move, and reading up before you act is exactly the right instinct.

What does CJC-1295 + ipamorelin dosage look like?

CJC-1295 + ipamorelin dosage is set by a prescribing physician, not by a fixed internet number. There's no FDA-approved product for this stack and no official label dose, so any figures below are educational context from the research and community, not a protocol to copy. A clinician confirms whether a GH peptide fits you and sets the specifics.

In practice, discussion of the stack tends to describe ipamorelin in the range of roughly 100-300 mcg per dose, often taken at night to line up with the body's natural GH pulse. CJC-1295 without DAC is discussed in a similar per-dose range and is dosed frequently because it clears fast; CJC-1295 with DAC is dosed only once or twice a week because it lingers for days. The CJC-1295 dosage and ipamorelin dosage pages go deeper on each.

What's the difference between CJC-1295 with DAC and without DAC?

The difference between CJC-1295 with DAC and without DAC is how long it stays active in the body. DAC stands for Drug Affinity Complex, a modification that lets the peptide bind to albumin, a common blood protein, which shields it from breaking down quickly. That one change turns a short-acting peptide into a long-acting one and reshapes how it's dosed.

CJC-1295 without DAC, also called Mod GRF 1-29, has a half-life of about 30 minutes, so it's dosed often and lined up with the body's own GH rhythm. CJC-1295 with DAC has a half-life of roughly 6-8 days, so a single dose keeps GH and IGF-1 elevated for days.

In a landmark healthy-adult study, one CJC-1295 dose raised GH 2- to 10-fold for over six days and kept IGF-1 elevated for 9 to 11 days. Neither form is more or less legal than the other; both are pending the same FDA review.

Are CJC-1295 and ipamorelin legal in 2026?

As of 2026, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are prescription-only research peptides whose compounding status is under active FDA review. In 2023 the FDA placed both on its interim Category 2 list, which paused their use in 503A compounding. After 2024 litigation, the agency agreed to route them through a formal Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC) review, now scheduled for July 23-24, 2026. That meeting will help decide whether they return to routine compounding access.

This is exactly why it matters where a peptide comes from. The caution here is narrow and specific: grey-market or 'research-grade' vials sold online with no prescriber, no pharmacy, and 'not for human use' labels sit outside that pharmacy system entirely. There's no clinician confirming fit, no 503A pharmacy verifying identity and purity, and no accountability if something's wrong. The regulatory questions above are about routes of access; they aren't a knock on physician-prescribed, pharmacy-compounded medicine.

What GH peptide can you actually get right now?

The GH peptide you can access through pru right now is sermorelin, a GHRH analogue in the same family as CJC-1295. Sermorelin is a 29-amino-acid peptide that copies the first 29 amino acids of the body's own GHRH, which is the active part of the signal. Like CJC-1295, it acts on the pituitary's GHRH receptor to prompt the body to make and release its own growth hormone in natural pulses.

Sermorelin also has a longer regulatory track record. Branded sermorelin was first FDA-approved back in 1990 and later used to treat growth hormone deficiency in children; the brand was pulled in 2008 for commercial reasons, not safety ones, and it remains available today through licensed compounding pharmacies. That history is part of why it stayed in Category 1 while CJC-1295 and ipamorelin await PCAC review. The pru sermorelin guide and sermorelin benefits pages cover what it's studied for.

How does pru handle GH peptides?

pru handles GH peptides as a physician-led, at-cost telehealth platform. A licensed physician reviews your intake and confirms whether a GH peptide is a fit, and an FDA-regulated 503A pharmacy compounds and fills what's prescribed. You select the peptide you're interested in, guided by pages like this one; the doctor confirms clinical fit and sets the dose. The doctor doesn't pick between peptides for you.

On pricing, pru charges a flat membership of about $50 a month, billed annually, to run the platform. The peptide itself is sold separately and at cost: the pharmacy fill, supplies, shipping, and consult, plus a small platform fee, with no markup on the medicine. As a dose rises the medicine can cost a little more, but it never carries a member markup, and every line is itemized. See pricing for the full breakdown.

For CJC-1295 and ipamorelin specifically, pru's plan is to add them as access is settled through the FDA's PCAC review. Today, the pharmacy-grade GH peptide pru offers is sermorelin. Browse the full catalog or the Muscle & Performance category to see what's live. If you're ready to be proactive about recovery and healthy aging, pru exists to make that informed choice the accessible one: a licensed physician, pharmacy-grade medicine, and at-cost pricing, so the smart path is also the easy one. Take the next step when you're ready.

Related reading

• Growth hormone peptides: the complete guide
• Sermorelin vs. ipamorelin: how they compare
• Ipamorelin guide
• CJC-1295 guide
• Best peptides for muscle growth
• See sermorelin, pru's live GH peptide

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