FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY. The content provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is based on published scientific literature. The compounds discussed are not approved by the FDA for human or veterinary use. They are strictly intended for laboratory research and in vitro experimentation. Pure Health Peptides does not endorse or encourage the use of these products outside of a controlled research setting.
The CJC-1295 (DAC)/Ipamorelin peptide blend pairs two structurally distinct synthetic peptides that engage the growth hormone axis through two different receptors. CJC-1295 is a GHRH analog acting at the GHRH receptor; Ipamorelin is a pentapeptide acting at the growth hormone secretagogue receptor. Studied together, they let researchers probe the same axis from two mechanistically separate entry points, which is the reason the pairing exists as a defined research material.
This article describes the two peptides, the DAC modification that distinguishes one version of CJC-1295, the two-pathway logic, how the blend sits alongside the rest of the growth-axis catalog, and how the material is verified.
Research Snapshot
- The blend consists of two defined synthetic peptides. CJC-1295 (with DAC) has the molecular formula C165H269N47O46 and a molecular weight of approximately 3,647 Da. Ipamorelin has the molecular formula C38H49N9O5 and a molecular weight of approximately 711.86 Da (sequence Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2).
- CJC-1295 is an analog of GHRH(1-29) and acts at the GHRH receptor; Ipamorelin is a growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) pentapeptide acting at the separate GHS (ghrelin) receptor.
- The “DAC” in CJC-1295 (with DAC) is a Drug Affinity Complex, a modification that supports an extended presence in experimental systems relative to the DAC-free version (Jetté et al., 2005).
- Ipamorelin is characterized in the literature as a selective GHS-receptor agonist (Raun et al., 1998), which is why the pairing is studied as a two-receptor tool rather than a single mechanism.
- Pure Health Peptides supplies the blend and its individual components as lyophilized Vials, part of the wider catalog. Every lot is finished and tested in the US, routed through independent, ISO/IEC 17025-accredited testing by Ethos Analytics as the exclusive testing partner.
Introduction
The growth hormone axis can be engaged at more than one point, and the CJC-1295/Ipamorelin pairing is built around exactly that fact. Two receptors sit near the top of the axis: the GHRH receptor, which responds to growth hormone-releasing hormone and its analogs, and the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, the target of the ghrelin-mimetic peptides. A research tool that engages both at once is useful precisely because it isolates the difference between them.
This article stays with the two molecules and the preclinical research built on them: their structures, the DAC modification, the two-pathway design, and the verification chain underneath the material. It describes findings in preclinical and in vitro systems and holds to research-use framing throughout.
The Two Peptides in the Blend
CJC-1295 is a longer peptide, an analog of the first 29 residues of GHRH (molecular formula C152H252N44O42, molecular weight approximately 3,367.99 g/mol in its DAC-free form). It carries the sequence region that engages the GHRH receptor, which places it in the same mechanistic family as the other GHRH analogs.
Ipamorelin is far smaller: a synthetic pentapeptide, Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2, with a molecular weight of only 711.86 g/mol. It belongs to the growth hormone secretagogue class and acts at the GHS receptor, a completely separate target from GHRH-R.
Both are defined synthetic sequences whose identities are confirmed by mass spectrometry against their theoretical masses, the basis of lot-level verification.
Two Pathways: GHRH Receptor and GHS Receptor
The research value of the pairing is the contrast. The GHRH receptor and the GHS (ghrelin) receptor are distinct G-protein-coupled receptors that both feed into growth hormone axis signaling but through different intracellular routes.
A GHRH analog such as CJC-1295 engages the first; a secretagogue such as Ipamorelin engages the second. Ipamorelin in particular was characterized as a selective GHS-receptor agonist, a cleaner tool for that pathway than earlier secretagogues (Raun et al., 1998).
Holding both in a single defined blend lets a research program study how the two receptor pathways behave alongside each other under controlled conditions. This is a mechanistic research design, described strictly in the preclinical and in vitro terms the literature uses, with no extension to applied use.
What the DAC Modification Adds
The version of CJC-1295 in this blend carries a Drug Affinity Complex, and that is the main structural distinction between the two CJC-1295 products in the catalog. The DAC-modified CJC-1295 (C165H269N47O46, approximately 3,647.2 g/mol) includes a chemical group that binds serum albumin, which extends how long the analog persists in an experimental system. The DAC-free CJC-1295 lacks that group and clears more quickly.
The bioconjugate approach behind DAC, attaching a GHRH analog to a group that anchors it to albumin, was described as a way to extend the presence of the GHRH-receptor ligand in research systems (Jetté et al., 2005). For researchers, the choice between the two CJC-1295 versions is simply a choice of experimental time window; the receptor target is the same.
The Pairing in the Growth-Axis Toolkit
CJC-1295/Ipamorelin sits in the middle of the growth-axis cluster and connects naturally to its neighbors. The GHRH-analog side links to Tesamorelin and Sermorelin; the secretagogue side links to Hexarelin and the GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 peptides, with the secretagogue mechanism covered in the Hexarelin article. Downstream at the effector end sits IGF-1 LR3.
The pairing is the one place in the catalog where a GHRH analog and a secretagogue arrive as a single research material, which is what makes it a compact tool for two-pathway work.
Each component and neighbor is supplied as a lyophilized vial, and each is a distinct receptor-level tool rather than a substitute for another.
Verification
Underneath the compound is the verification chain. Pure Health Peptides does not manufacture the material; production is sourced from qualified third-party manufacturers, and the material is finished and tested in the US. Every lot is routed through independent, ISO/IEC 17025-accredited testing by Ethos Analytics as the exclusive testing partner, and each qualified lot’s Certificate of Analysis is published in the COA Library, in the vial section, retrievable by batch ID.
For a lyophilized vialed peptide the appropriate panel extends beyond identity, purity, and quantity to include endotoxin and microbial limits, because contamination can enter downstream of synthesis through handling, lyophilization, vial filling, storage, and transit.
The Testing Process page documents how that verification runs, and the Manufacturing Process page covers where the material comes from. The guide to reading a Certificate of Analysis walks through the panel field by field.
Where the CJC-1295/Ipamorelin Pairing Sits in Growth-Axis Research
For researchers studying the growth hormone axis, the CJC-1295/Ipamorelin blend is a specific and well-defined tool: a GHRH analog and a selective secretagogue held together, engaging two separate receptors that feed the same axis. Its research value rests on that dual mechanism and on the flexibility of choosing the DAC or DAC-free version for different experimental windows.
As research on GHRH-receptor and GHS-receptor signaling continues, a defined two-pathway pairing remains a useful reference material, and it holds a clear place at the center of the growth-axis cluster in the catalog.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CJC-1295/Ipamorelin blend?
It is a research material combining two defined synthetic peptides: CJC-1295 (with DAC), a GHRH analog (approximately 3,647 Da), and Ipamorelin, a growth hormone secretagogue pentapeptide (711.86 Da, Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2).
Why are the two peptides paired?
They engage the growth hormone axis through two different receptors, the GHRH receptor (CJC-1295) and the GHS/ghrelin receptor (Ipamorelin), so the pairing lets researchers study both pathways side by side.
What does the DAC in CJC-1295 mean?
DAC is a Drug Affinity Complex, a modification that binds serum albumin and extends how long the analog persists in an experimental system. The DAC-free CJC-1295 clears more quickly; the receptor target is the same.
How is CJC-1295 different from Ipamorelin?
CJC-1295 is a longer GHRH-analog peptide acting at the GHRH receptor. Ipamorelin is a small secretagogue pentapeptide acting at the separate GHS receptor.
What carrier format is the blend available in, and how is it verified?
A lyophilized vial (the individual components are also available as vials). Every lot is finished and tested in the US and routed through independent, ISO/IEC 17025-accredited testing by Ethos Analytics, with a lot-specific Certificate of Analysis published in the COA Library.
References
- Jetté L, et al. hGRF(1-29)-albumin bioconjugates activate the GRF receptor on the anterior pituitary in rats: identification of CJC-1295 as a long-lasting GRF analog. Endocrinology, 2005;146(7):3052-3058. https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2004-1286
- Raun K, et al. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. European Journal of Endocrinology, 1998;139(5):552-561. https://doi.org/10.1530/eje.0.1390552
- Mayo KE. Molecular cloning and expression of a pituitary-specific receptor for growth hormone-releasing hormone. Molecular Endocrinology, 1992;6(10):1734-1744. https://doi.org/10.1210/mend.6.10.1333056
- International Organization for Standardization / International Electrotechnical Commission. ISO/IEC 17025:2017, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. https://www.iso.org/standard/66912.html
