Fat loss
Advanced Recomp
Retatrutide plus the GH stack. Three compounds, well past our own two-compound ceiling. We publish it because people run it, and the dose ladder circulating elsewhere contains steps that were never studied.
At a glance
- What is in it
- Sold as
- Separate vials
- The evidence
- No published human trial has tested retatrutide with CJC-1295 and ipamorelin together. Retatrutide alone has real Phase 2 and Phase 3 data: −28.3% at 80 weeks on 12 mg, −25.9% on 9 mg, versus −2.2% placebo, reported at ADA in June 2026. Those came alongside treatment-emergent adverse events of 87–89.2% versus 80.7% on placebo. A urinary tract infection safety signal is under active discussion as of July 2026, and the cardiovascular and kidney outcomes trial does not read out until February 2029.Combination-specific research is limited. Treat each compound’s evidence as separate unless a study of the combination itself is named here, and review the complete plan with a qualified clinician.
Running this stack, with the schedule, the vials it takes and a log of what you took, happens in the app: Claritide for iPhone.
Why people explore it
Common reasons for exploring it
- People already running this who want an honest dose ladder rather than the one on a vendor page
- Anyone who has run each layer separately and understands their own response to each
Where clinician input matters
- Beginners, unambiguously
- Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, or MEN 2
- History of pancreatitis, or diabetic retinopathy
- Active cancer or a cancer history
- Drug-tested athletes
- Pregnant, nursing or planning pregnancy within two months
The science
Read the compound mechanisms
Three receptors, three different jobs. GLP-1 agonism reduces appetite by acting on hunger centres in the brain, slows gastric emptying so fullness lasts longer, and stimulates glucose-dependent insulin release. This is what semaglutide does. GIP agonism improves insulin sensitivity and adds a second appetite-regulating route through brain receptors distinct from GLP-1; together GIP and GLP-1 account for roughly 50–70% of insulin secreted after a meal. Glucagon agonism is the part no approved weight-loss drug has: it increases energy expenditure so the body burns more calories at rest, drives hepatic fat oxidation, and mobilises stored fat. Single and dual agonists reduce intake; the triple reduces intake and raises expenditure. Glucagon normally raises blood sugar, but the simultaneous GLP-1 and GIP activation counterbalances that, and trial data shows glycemic control improves rather than worsens.
CJC-1295 binds the same GHRH receptors on the anterior pituitary that tesamorelin does, but with different pharmacokinetics. Without the Drug Affinity Complex, its action is short, a GH pulse of roughly 30 to 60 minutes rather than a prolonged elevation. That short window is deliberate: it is meant to be paired with a ghrelin-receptor agonist that suppresses somatostatin, so one compound presses the accelerator while the other releases the brake.
Ipamorelin activates the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R) on the pituitary. Ghrelin is the hunger hormone, and its receptor also sits on the GH release pathway, which is why this class works at all. The functional effect is suppression of somatostatin, the hormone that normally brakes GH release. Pairing it with a GHRH analog produces a larger pulse than either alone, because one compound is signalling for release while the other removes the restraint. Ipamorelin's distinguishing feature is selectivity: it hits the GH pathway without the cortisol, prolactin and appetite effects that older ghrelin mimetics produce.
Commonly researched ranges
- Retatrutide1, 4, 8 or 12 mgNo approved product
- CJC-1295 (no DAC)100–300 mcg
- Ipamorelin200–300 mcg
| Compound | Amount | Frequency | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| RetatrutideNo approved product | 1, 4, 8 or 12 mg | Once weekly | Subcutaneous |
| CJC-1295 (no DAC) | 100–300 mcg | Per dose, AM and/or PM | Empty stomach, at least 30 minutes before food |
| Ipamorelin | 200–300 mcg | Per dose, AM and/or PM | Same window as the CJC-1295 dose |
- Retatrutide: This is the trial escalation, initiated at 2 mg or 4 mg (NCT04881760), and it stops at 12 mg. The 6 mg rung in the community ladder was never studied, and neither was the 0.3 mg figure circulating in one multi-compound protocol, which sits below the lowest dose ever tested. TRIUMPH-1 did run a 9 mg arm as a Phase 3 comparison dose. It is a studied dose, but it is not a step on the way to 12 mg and it is not part of the escalation published here.
- CJC-1295 (no DAC): Vendor-tier. No human trial supports this figure.
- Ipamorelin: Vendor-tier. No human trial supports this figure.
- Duration
- Retatrutide trials ran 48 to 80 weeks. Community GH-axis practice runs 8–12 week blocks. No source defines a duration for the three together.
Mixing each compound
- 20 units = 2 mg
- 40 units = 4 mg
- 80 units = 8 mg
- 120 units = 12 mg
Not established in available literature. Use the figures printed on your own vial.
Not established in available literature. Use the figures printed on your own vial.
Week by week
Retatrutide
- Week 1–4 (2 mg)
Mild appetite suppression, some nausea that usually passes in days. Weight loss begins modestly. This dose is subtherapeutic and the phase is about adjustment.
- Week 5–12
Appetite suppression intensifies and "food noise" quiets. GI symptoms peak during each escalation then fade. Heart rate may rise 2–4 bpm. Many participants had lost 10–15% of body weight by the end of this phase.
- Week 12–24
Significant visible weight loss, up to 17.5% at 24 weeks on 12 mg in trials. Waist circumference decreasing. Metabolic markers improve steadily.
- Week 24–48
Continued near-linear loss reaching 24.2% at 48 weeks on 12 mg. Liver fat reductions become dramatic. The curves had not plateaued at 48 weeks in Phase 2.
- Week 80–104 (Phase 3, TRIUMPH-1)
TRIUMPH-1 reported −28.3% mean body weight at 80 weeks on 12 mg and −25.9% on 9 mg, against −2.2% on placebo. In a 532-person extension for people who started with a BMI of 35 or more, those who continued on 12 mg reached −30.3% at week 104 (Lilly, 21 May 2026). Treatment-emergent adverse events ran 87–89.2% versus 80.7% on placebo. Full results have not been posted to the trial registry; these figures come from the ADA presentation in June 2026 and Lilly’s topline.
CJC-1295 (no DAC)
- Early weeks
Sleep improvement is the most consistently reported first benefit of the CJC-1295/ipamorelin stack in our sources.
- Week 8–12
The standard cycle length at which our sources describe reassessment for body composition and recovery.
Ipamorelin
- Early weeks
Improved sleep and recovery are the first effects our sources describe, driven by amplified GH pulses during deep sleep.
- Week 4–8
Our tesamorelin page describes stack users reporting significant fat reduction beginning in this window.
What it costs
- Retatrutide: $150–300 per month (research vials, dose-dependent)
- CJC-1295 (no DAC): Not established in available literature
- Ipamorelin: Not established in available literature
The combined figure excludes CJC-1295 (no DAC), Ipamorelin, for which our sources publish no price.
Cautions
- Read this one first: this stack exceeds our own two-compound beginner ceiling. The Playbook's position is that going beyond two "multiplies unknowns beyond any reasonable risk assessment". We publish it because people run it and because the numbers circulating elsewhere are worse, not because we think three is fine.
- The dose ladder is the reason this card exists. Retatrutide's Phase 2 doses are 1, 4, 8 and 12 mg weekly, and the escalation here stops at 12 mg. The 6 mg step that appears in community ladders corresponds to no studied dose, and neither does the 0.3 mg figure. TRIUMPH-1's 9 mg arm is a Phase 3 comparison dose, not a rung on the way up.
- Treatment-emergent adverse events ran 87–89.2% versus 80.7% on placebo. A urinary tract infection signal is under discussion in the literature as of 23 July 2026. TRIUMPH-Outcomes, the cardiovascular and kidney trial, does not read out until February 2029.
- A widely repeated claim says GH secretagogues and GLP-1s partially oppose each other on insulin sensitivity. It is plausible and it is sourced only to a vendor compatibility chart, so we do not publish it as an antagonism. What we do say: more than one compound here moves blood glucose, in more than one direction, and the combined effect is not predictable.
- The GLP-1 class boxed warning for medullary thyroid carcinoma applies. A history of pancreatitis and diabetic retinopathy are both listed contraindications for retatrutide.
- Retatrutide is investigational. It is not approved anywhere, it is prohibited under our reading of the WADA S0 catch-all, and FDA warning letters have documented vendors renaming it to "GLP-1-R peptide" or "GLP-3 RT", specifically to evade detection.
- Active cancer or a cancer history is a contraindication for the GH-axis half.
- Baseline and mid-cycle bloodwork is not optional here: fasting glucose, HbA1c, IGF-1 and a lipid panel.
Absence from this list does NOT mean safety. It means lack of research.
Every stack here is free to read, and it stays free. Your own schedule, vials and log live in the app: Claritide for iPhone.