TESA / CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin
TESA with CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin for GH stimulation
In short
- Tesamorelin plus CJC-1295 plus ipamorelin — three GH-axis compounds, but only two distinct mechanisms.
- Tesamorelin and CJC-1295 are BOTH GHRH analogues acting on the same receptor. They are largely redundant with each other.
- Only ipamorelin adds a second mechanism, so this is effectively the standard two-receptor blend with a duplicated GHRH component.
- The label does not specify whether the CJC-1295 is the DAC or non-DAC form — and their half-lives differ by roughly two orders of magnitude.
- Tesamorelin is the only FDA-approved component, for HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
Structure
A blend of three peptides. See the Tesamorelin, CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin entries for their individual structures.
How it works
Tesamorelin and CJC-1295 are both modified GHRH analogues binding the pituitary GHRH receptor. Adding a second GHRH analogue to an existing one does not recruit a new mechanism — it increases occupancy at a receptor already being stimulated, with diminishing returns.
Ipamorelin acts on the separate ghrelin receptor, which is where the genuine synergy comes from.
So pharmacologically this is the ipamorelin-plus-GHRH pairing with extra GHRH. Whether that produces more GH than a single GHRH analogue at an adequate dose has not been demonstrated.
What the research shows
Tesamorelin has genuine phase 3 evidence — roughly 15-18% reduction in visceral adipose tissue over 26 weeks in HIV-associated lipodystrophy.
That evidence is for tesamorelin alone, at 2 mg daily, in a specific patient population. It does not transfer to a blend at a fraction of that dose in healthy adults.
The three-way combination has never been studied.
Dosing in the literature
Figures below are quoted from published studies, with the species or population they were measured in. They are records of what was studied, not recommendations.
| Studied in | Amount | Route | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human — tesamorelin approved label, HIV lipodystrophy | 2 mg once daily | subcutaneous | FDA label |
Commonly reported ranges
These are amounts people report using. They are not from any study, have not been evaluated for safety, and are reproduced here only because they circulate widely and are better seen alongside the evidence than instead of it.
| Reported by | Amount | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Commonly reported combined dosing | Drawn to deliver roughly 1 mg tesamorelin with 100 µg each of CJC-1295 and ipamorelin | subcutaneous |
No study has tested this specific combination in humans. Whatever evidence exists belongs to the individual components, tested individually. A pre-mixed vial fixes the ratio between components at whatever the vendor chose. You can change the total volume you draw, but you cannot change the proportions — so if one component suits you at a different relative amount, a blend cannot express that. Buying components separately costs more vials and buys back that control. Two specific problems here. First, the tesamorelin amount in a typical blend draw is well below the 2 mg approved daily dose that produced the trial results. Second, the CJC-1295 form is unspecified — if it is the DAC version, a component with a 6-8 day half-life is being dosed daily alongside components that clear in under an hour, which accumulates.
Handling and storage
Supplied as a lyophilised powder requiring reconstitution with bacteriostatic water. The powder is comparatively stable; once reconstituted it is refrigerated and used within weeks. Track the date you reconstitute each vial — the Inventory section does this, and it is the difference between knowing a vial is three weeks old and guessing.
Subcutaneous injection, conventionally at bedtime and away from food.
Before using this blend, establish which CJC-1295 form it contains. If the vendor cannot say, the pharmacokinetics of what you are taking are unknown by a factor of roughly 300.
Side effects
Injection-site reactions, flushing, water retention, joint discomfort, and tingling in the extremities are the reported effects across these components.
Tesamorelin's approved label documents glucose intolerance and worsening of diabetes, with glucose monitoring built into its use. It is contraindicated in active malignancy because of the IGF-1 rise.
If the CJC-1295 is the DAC form, sustained rather than pulsatile GH elevation makes the class effects — carpal tunnel, insulin resistance, fluid retention — more likely.
Combinations
Running components together makes attribution impossible in both directions. If something improves you cannot tell which component did it, and if something goes wrong you cannot tell which one to stop. Blends are convenient and they are also the format that teaches you least about your own response.
This blend also illustrates redundant stacking specifically: two components hitting one receptor is not more mechanisms, just more of one.
Research status
Tesamorelin has a genuine registrational file. Ipamorelin has real human GH-release data. CJC-1295 in either form has published pharmacokinetics but no efficacy approval.
The combination has no research.
Legal status
Tesamorelin is FDA-approved and prescription-only for HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Neither of the other components is approved anywhere. A blend containing an approved drug alongside unapproved research chemicals is not a legitimate pharmaceutical product.
WADA status
PROHIBITED AT ALL TIMES under WADA class S2 — growth hormone secretagogues, their releasing factors and mimetics are explicitly named. Any tested athlete should treat this as an anti-doping violation.
Conclusion
This blend adds a third compound that duplicates the mechanism of the second. It is the two-receptor pairing with a redundant GHRH analogue included.
The unspecified CJC-1295 form is the practical problem — two orders of magnitude of pharmacokinetic uncertainty in a product you are dosing daily.
Sources
Track your own TESA / CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin protocol
Peppers logs your doses, models your levels from this half-life, tracks your vials and tells you when you will run out. Free on iPhone.
Reference and educational information only. Not medical advice. Nothing here diagnoses, treats, or prescribes, and nothing here is a recommendation to use any compound. The compounds described are research chemicals and are not approved for human consumption. Legal and anti-doping status change — the review date above is when these claims were last checked. Talk to a qualified clinician about anything you intend to take.