CJC-1295.
CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), based on the first 29 amino acids of human GHRH (GRF 1-29) with several amino-acid substitutions that resist enzymatic degradation.
CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), based on the first 29 amino acids of human GHRH (GRF 1-29) with several amino-acid substitutions that resist enzymatic degradation. CJC-1295 is research / preclinical, and PepCue grades its published evidence F tier (33/100). This is a research reference, not medical or dosing advice.
What it is
CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), based on the first 29 amino acids of human GHRH (GRF 1-29) with several amino-acid substitutions that resist enzymatic degradation. The name is used for two distinct molecules: "CJC-1295 with DAC," which carries a Drug Affinity Complex (a maleimidoproprionic acid linker) that covalently binds to circulating albumin to dramatically prolong its action; and "CJC-1295 without DAC" (often sold as "modified GRF 1-29" or "Mod GRF 1-29"), which lacks the albumin-binding linker. It was originally developed by the Canadian biotech company ConjuChem as an investigational therapeutic.
How it works
As a GHRH analog, CJC-1295 binds the GHRH receptor on somatotroph cells of the anterior pituitary, activating Gs-protein/cAMP/PKA signaling to stimulate synthesis and pulsatile release of endogenous growth hormone (GH), which in turn raises hepatic insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). The four substitutions in the GRF(1-29) backbone (notably at the position-2 alanine that is the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV cleavage site) protect the peptide from rapid breakdown, extending the half-life of the non-DAC form to roughly 30 minutes versus minutes for native GHRH. In the DAC version, the maleimide linker forms a covalent bond with cysteine-34 of serum albumin, creating a long-circulating depot; because it raises GH in a more sustained rather than sharply pulsatile manner, it is described as increasing trough and mean GH while largely preserving the body's own pulse pattern.
Mechanism pathways
Stimulating the pituitary's GHRH receptor to release the body's own growth hormone.
Growth-hormone-releasing hormone is made in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus and travels through the hypophyseal portal circulation to the anterior pituitary, where it binds a class B G-protein-coupled receptor on somatotroph cells. Receptor activation raises intracellular cyclic AMP, which triggers both the synthesis of growth hormone and its release in pulses. Downstream, growth hormone acts on the liver and peripheral tissues to raise insulin-like growth factor 1, and IGF-1 in turn feeds back to restrain further growth hormone output. Somatostatin, released from a separate hypothalamic population, provides the opposing brake. The appeal of targeting this receptor rather than administering growth hormone directly is that the feedback architecture stays intact. Because release remains pulsatile and IGF-1 can still shut the system down, the pituitary sets a ceiling on how much growth hormone appears. Direct growth hormone administration bypasses that ceiling entirely. This is the central argument for the whole class, and it is a genuine pharmacological difference rather than a marketing distinction. All compounds in this group are analogs of the biologically active fragment of GHRH, which is the first twenty-nine amino acids. Native GHRH is cleaved almost immediately by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 at the amino terminus, so every analog is essentially a different answer to that vulnerability. Some substitute amino acids near the cleavage site. Some add a chemical group at the amino terminus that the enzyme cannot process. Some attach a linker that lets the molecule bind covalently to circulating albumin, stretching duration from minutes to days and turning discrete pulses into a sustained elevation, which is a meaningfully different physiological signal from a short pulse. One member of this group is an approved medicine for a specific indication, which means the receptor mechanism has been demonstrated in humans and not merely in animals. That approval does not extend to the rest of the group. Most of the compounds here have never been approved for any use anywhere, are sold as research chemicals of unverified identity and purity, and have human data limited to short studies showing that growth hormone rises after administration. Demonstrating that a hormone level moves is not the same as demonstrating that anything clinically meaningful follows from it, and for most of this class that second step has not been taken.
The evidence
The principal human evidence is a single 2006 Phase 1 study in healthy adults by Teichman et al. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab, PMID 16352683), which reported that one subcutaneous dose of CJC-1295 with DAC produced dose-dependent increases in mean plasma GH of roughly 2- to 10-fold for 6 days or more and IGF-1 increases of about 1.5- to 3-fold for 9-11 days, with an estimated half-life of 5.8-8.1 days and IGF-1 staying above baseline up to 28 days after repeated dosing. ConjuChem advanced the DAC compound into a Phase 2 trial in HIV-associated visceral obesity (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00267527), but that 12-week trial was terminated in 2006. Beyond these, robust controlled human efficacy and long-term safety data are essentially absent; there are no large or long-term trials, no published outcomes for the non-DAC "modified GRF 1-29" form in humans, and much of the mechanistic rationale rests on GHRH-class pharmacology rather than direct trials of this molecule. Claims about body composition, recovery, or anti-aging benefit are not supported by published controlled human outcome data.
The evidence, in brief
A long-acting GHRH analogue. In a real placebo-controlled trial in healthy adults (Teichman, JCEM 2006) it produced dose-dependent, sustained increases in GH (~2–10×) and IGF-1 (~1.5–3×) lasting days. Despite that verified human pharmacology, it is not FDA-approved and is used as a research chemical, with no long-term outcome data.
- Teichman SL et al.: Prolonged stimulation of GH and IGF-1 by CJC-1295 in healthy adultsJ Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2006 (PMID 16352683)
Evidence maturity
An evidence-only reading: approval status, human vs preclinical data, mechanism and safety. Popularity never raises it. Research file #012
Mostly preclinical or mechanistic; little human data.
Findings come mainly from animal models, not people.
Claim receipts
Popular claims about CJC-1295, checked against the state of the evidence. The verdict describes evidence maturity, never an invented study result.
Raises GH release mechanistically, but human safety/benefit data for the popular uses is limited; research-only.
Muscle-growth claims are not established in controlled human studies.
Safety profile
In the short Phase 1 work, CJC-1295 with DAC was described as generally well tolerated, with the kinds of effects expected from GHRH-class agents (e.g., injection-site reactions, flushing, headache); however, this reflects small numbers and short follow-up. The Phase 2 HIV trial (NCT00267527) was terminated in 2006, and a participant death during the program drew scrutiny, though available reporting attributed that death to pre-existing coronary disease rather than establishing causation by the drug; the episode underscores how thin the safety record is. Sustained elevation of GH/IGF-1 carries class-level theoretical concerns familiar from growth-hormone pharmacology, including fluid retention, joint/muscle pain, insulin resistance and elevated blood glucose, and a theoretical concern about promoting growth of existing malignancy; long-term safety in humans is simply unknown. Much material sold as "CJC-1295" online is from unregulated sources with no purity, sterility, or identity guarantees, adding contamination and mislabeling risks.
Compound notes
- CJC-1295 “no-DAC” (also called Modified GRF 1-29, or Mod GRF 1-29) is a synthetic analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH): a short-acting copy of the body's own GHRH.
- It binds GHRH receptors on the pituitary and prompts a discrete pulse of growth hormone, which in turn raises IGF-1 production in the liver.
- Its half-life is short, roughly 30 minutes, so each injection drives a single GH pulse that clears quickly (a pulsatile signal, not a sustained elevation).
The DAC (Drug Affinity Complex) version binds to albumin in the blood and lasts about 6–8 days, producing sustained GH elevation; the no-DAC version is short-acting and pulsatile, mimicking the body's natural rhythm more closely.
- Not FDA-approved; used only in research-reference contexts.
- Commonly reported effects include transient flushing or warmth shortly after injection, headache, injection-site irritation, and water retention; these are typically short-lived.
- Long-term human safety is not well established.
Regulatory status
CJC-1295 (with or without DAC) has never been approved by the FDA or any major regulatory agency for any indication and remains an investigational compound that did not complete clinical development. It is not an approved medicine; it is sold only as a "research chemical," and GHRH analogs/GH secretagogues of this type are prohibited in sport by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Sold research-use-only; human evidence is limited or preclinical.
By the numbers
- 01Two different molecules share the name: 'with DAC' (albumin-binding, days-long action) and 'without DAC'/Mod GRF 1-29 (~30-minute half-life).
- 02Originally developed by ConjuChem; based on GHRH (GRF 1-29) with substitutions resisting DPP-IV degradation.
- 03Acts upstream by stimulating the pituitary to release the body's own GH, raising GH and IGF-1.
- 04Human data are limited to early-phase work; the lead Phase 2 trial (NCT00267527) was terminated in 2006.
- 05Never FDA-approved; sold only as a research chemical and banned in competitive sport by WADA.
- 06Often combined in the gray market with a GH secretagogue (e.g., ipamorelin), but such combinations lack controlled human safety data.
CJC-1295: research formats
Choose the format you are researching to see route-specific notes.
Standard research format. Short half-life (~30 min) drives one discrete GH pulse per injection.
CJC-1295 no-DAC (also sold as Mod-GRF 1-29) is typically sold as a 2 mg lyophilized vial. Reconstitution with 2.0 mL bacteriostatic water gives a 1,000 mcg/mL (1 mg/mL) solution. Because the half-life is roughly 30 minutes, timing relative to sleep or training is discussed in most research contexts.
A 2 mg vial yields 10–20 injections at the low-to-mid range, depending on frequency. Refrigerated in BAC water, a reconstituted vial is typically used within 28–30 days.
CJC-1295 no-DAC is not acutely soluble in BAC water alone for some batches. If the powder doesn't fully dissolve, try 0.6% acetic acid first, then add BAC water to volume.
Sources
Every factual claim above resolves to a real, published source.
- Prolonged Stimulation of GH and IGF-I Secretion by CJC-1295, a Long-Acting Analog of GHRH, in Healthy AdultsJ Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2006, PMID 16352683
- Phase 2 Study of CJC-1295 in HIV-Infected Patients With HIV-Associated Visceral Obesity (Terminated)ClinicalTrials.gov, ConjuChem, 2005-2006
- PubMed search: CJC-1295 growth hormone-releasing hormone analogPubMed (NCBI), search results
Cite this page
PepCue. “CJC-1295: the evidence.” PepCue, reviewed June 1, 2026. https://www.pepcue.app/p/cjc-1295.
Log your doses, run the vial math, and keep a provider-ready record in PepCue.