Quick answer: there is no established CJC-1295 and ipamorelin dosage, because no published human study has tested the two together.[1][8] Each has been studied alone: CJC-1295 with DAC at 20 to 250 mcg per kg given a week or more apart, and ipamorelin only by IV, at 0.03 mg per kg twice daily after surgery.[1][5] The no-DAC form usually sold with ipamorelin has no human dose data at all.[8]
This guide covers each dose that has actually been studied, why online “protocols” have no trial basis, and what to ask a clinician. For background on the pair, see our CJC-1295 and ipamorelin guide, the CJC-1295 with DAC profile, the ipamorelin profile and the growth hormone peptides hub.
Why there is no standard dose
A standard dose usually comes from an FDA label, which rests on trials that tested several doses against placebo. That never happened here:
- Neither peptide is FDA-approved. FDA found no approved product containing any form of CJC-1295 in the US or a dozen other countries, and no approved product containing ipamorelin.[1][7]
- The combination is untested. A 2026 endocrine review found that combining ipamorelin with no-DAC CJC-1295 rests on anecdotal reasoning, without controlled evidence of synergy or body-composition benefit.[8]
- The usual form of CJC-1295 has never been dosed in a study. Every human study used the long-acting version with DAC.[1]
CJC-1295 doses studied in humans (with DAC only)
Three published studies gave CJC-1295 with DAC to a total of 63 healthy adults, mostly men. Most people got a single injection under the skin.[1]
| Study | Who | Doses | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ascending-dose study 1 | 42 healthy adults aged 21 to 61 (7 on placebo) | Four dose levels from 30 to 250 mcg/kg, including 60, 125 and 250 | One injection |
| Ascending-dose study 2 | 24 healthy adults (6 per group, 1 on placebo) | 20, 30 or 60 mcg/kg | Two or three injections, 7 or 14 days apart |
| Pulsatility study | 12 healthy men aged 20 to 40 | 60 or 90 mcg/kg | One injection |
| Stopped HIV trial (unpublished) | 192 adults with HIV-related belly fat | Weekly, escalated over 3 weeks to 120 or 240 mcg/kg | Planned 12 weeks |
Sources: FDA’s review of the studies,[1] the published trial[2] and the pulsatility study.[3]
What those doses did:
- Long action. The half-life was 5.8 to 8.1 days, and one injection raised growth hormone for 6 days or more and IGF-1 for 9 to 11 days.[2]
- Build-up with repeat doses. Drug levels and IGF-1 climbed with the second and third injections.[1]
- Tolerability. The authors called 30 or 60 mcg/kg relatively well tolerated. Side effects were more common at 125 and 250 mcg/kg, and IGF-1 rose above the normal range only at 250 mcg/kg.[2][1]
- No extra gain from 90 over 60. In the pulsatility study, the two doses gave similar results.[3]
Doses were set per kilogram of body weight, so a fixed “microgram per day” amount cannot be read off these studies. The HIV trial was stopped in 2006 after a participant died of a heart attack; its data were never published.[1]
CJC-1295 without DAC: no dose data
The version most often paired with ipamorelin is CJC-1295 without DAC, also called “mod GRF 1-29”. FDA found no studies showing whether it is even pharmacologically active, and said results from the DAC version cannot be extrapolated to it.[1] The 2026 review placed it in its lowest evidence tier, with no peer-reviewed human studies and no measured half-life.[8]
Because the DAC version lasts about a week and the no-DAC version is short-acting, their doses are not interchangeable. For the differences, see CJC-1295 no DAC vs with DAC.
Ipamorelin doses studied in humans
| Study | Who | Dose | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacokinetic study | Healthy men, 8 per dose level | 4.21 to 140.45 nmol/kg, once | 15-minute IV infusion |
| Phase 2 surgery trial | 114 adults after bowel resection | 0.03 mg/kg (30 mcg/kg) twice daily, up to 7 days | IV |
| Dose-finding surgery trial | 320 adults after bowel resection | 0.03 or 0.06 mg/kg, two or three times daily | IV |
Sources: the healthy-volunteer study,[4] the phase 2 trial[5] and the registry record.[6]
Each infusion caused one burst of growth hormone, peaking about 40 minutes after the start, with an ipamorelin half-life of about 2 hours.[4] The phase 2 trial did not beat placebo for gut recovery, and the dose-finding trial has posted no results.[5][6] FDA found no human data for the under-the-skin route.[7] Our ipamorelin dosage guide goes through these studies in more detail.
“Dosage per day” and online protocols
Searches for a daily dose or “protocol” lead to clinic and forum schedules. FDA reviewed clinic websites and found recommended amounts that varied widely, from a weekly injection to several injections a day, often taken at night.[1] The 2026 review catalogued forum schedules for both peptides, including timing around workouts and on-off cycles, but stressed that these are behavioral reports, not clinical guidance.[8]
Why combining may change what a dose does
The idea behind the pair is that CJC-1295 copies the GHRH signal and ipamorelin the ghrelin signal. In a 1990 study of 18 healthy men, small doses of an older ghrelin-type peptide given with GHRH released growth hormone synergistically, meaning more than the two effects added together.[9] That study used different peptides by IV, but it shows why amounts tested alone may not predict what the same amounts do together. With the DAC version, IGF-1 already exceeded normal at the highest dose tested alone.[1]
Legal status affects any prescription
- CJC-1295: in December 2024, FDA’s compounding advisory committee voted against adding any CJC-1295 form to the list traditional pharmacies may use: 0 to 13 for the no-DAC free base and the DAC forms, and 1 to 12 for the no-DAC acetate.[10]
- Ipamorelin: the committee voted 0 to 12, with one abstention, in October 2024.[11] FDA lists ipamorelin acetate as a substance that may present significant safety risks for outsourcing facilities.[12]
For safety findings, see our CJC-1295 and ipamorelin side effects guide. For an FDA-approved peptide in this class with a label dose, see the tesamorelin dosage guide.
Questions to ask a clinician
- Which study is this dose based on, given that the pair has never been tested together?
- Is the CJC-1295 in this product with or without DAC, and how has its identity been confirmed?
- Which blood tests, such as IGF-1 and glucose, will you check, and how often?
- What result are we aiming for, and how will we measure it?
- Is there an FDA-approved treatment for my goal instead?
Our peptide calculator explains how milligrams convert to syringe units on a prescription; it does not recommend a dose. Talk to a licensed clinician before using any growth hormone-related product.
