Dr. Pep

Peptides · GHRH analogue (with or without DAC; mod GRF 1-29)

CJC-1295: what the studies show

Every line below comes from a study, label or regulator record, checked by two models, with the source linked. Information, not medical advice. For adults 18+.

What it is

  • CJC-1295 is a synthetic analogue of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). It has four amino-acid substitutions that make it resist breakdown. It makes the pituitary release growth hormone (GH), which raises IGF-1.[1]
  • There are two products under one name. 'CJC-1295 with DAC' (drug affinity complex) binds albumin and lasts days. 'CJC-1295 without DAC' (also called modified GRF 1-29) is a shorter-acting form. Nearly all human data are for the DAC form.[1][2][3]
  • The DAC form was developed by ConjuChem, which according to FDA's presentation withdrew it from clinical trials in 2006. The non-DAC form first appears in the literature in 2010, when an unknown seized preparation was identified.[3]

Bottom line

  • CJC-1295 with DAC has been given to healthy adults in two 2006 studies, where it raised GH and IGF-1 for days to weeks. That is a hormone measurement, not a proven benefit. A phase 2 trial in HIV patients was terminated, and FDA reports a participant death in it. Non-DAC CJC-1295 has no controlled human study. FDA's advisory committee voted against adding CJC-1295 to the compounding list in 2024.[2][4][5][3][1][6]

What the human studies found

  • Two randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled ascending-dose studies in healthy adults aged 21 to 61 (28 and 49 days) gave CJC-1295 subcutaneously. After one injection, mean GH rose 2- to 10-fold for 6 days or more and IGF-1 rose 1.5- to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days. The half-life was estimated at 5.8 to 8.1 days. No serious adverse reactions were reported. Participant numbers are not given in the abstract.[2]
  • In a separate non-randomised study, healthy men aged 20 to 40 were sampled overnight before and one week after a single 60 or 90 µg/kg injection. GH pulses stayed intact, trough GH rose 7.5-fold, mean GH rose 46% and IGF-1 rose 45%.[4]
  • A phase 2 randomised trial of CJC-1295 for 12 weeks in 120 planned HIV patients with visceral fat (ConjuChem, 2005) is listed as terminated. No results are in the record. FDA's presentation described an internet report that one participant had a fatal heart attack after the 11th weekly dose, which the physician attributed to undiagnosed coronary artery disease, and that the data were never published. This account is anecdotal.[5][3]
  • No study has tested whether CJC-1295 changes body composition, muscle, recovery or performance, or helps people with growth hormone deficiency. FDA's reviewers found no article on its effectiveness in humans with GH deficiency. A 2026 review says there is no peer-reviewed support for meaningful effects on body composition or performance.[3][1]
  • CJC-1295 without DAC has no controlled human study. Claims about it are extrapolated from sermorelin and non-academic sources.[1]

Known risks and side effects

  • In the 2006 healthy-adult studies as described by FDA, injection site reactions were common (in one study, in all CJC-1295 recipients) and often worse at higher doses. Other effects included headache, diarrhoea, flushing, nausea, abdominal pain, transient leg muscle contractions, dizziness and low blood pressure, plus a 'systemic vasodilatory reaction'. Increased heart rate was seen after a single dose in the other study.[3]
  • FDA says there are no long-term safety data, no data in children, and no data on antibody formation with repeated use. It lists CJC-1295 on its category 2 page (significant safety risks) citing immune-reaction risk, increased heart rate, vasodilatory reaction and limited clinical data.[3][7]
  • Raising GH and IGF-1 chronically has its own risks. The 2026 review of GH-axis peptides notes that long-acting constructs produce more sustained stimulation. In the healthy-adult study, IGF-1 stayed above baseline for up to 28 days after repeat doses.[1][2]

Legal status

  • As of 2026-10-09 CJC-1295 is not an approved drug. FDA's category 2 page lists CJC-1295 among nominated-but-withdrawn substances, citing immunogenicity risk, serious adverse events including increased heart rate and a systemic vasodilatory reaction, and limited clinical data.[7]
  • At its December 4, 2024 meeting the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted on adding CJC-1295 forms to the 503A bulks list. FDA proposed no. The vote was 0 yes, 13 no for the free base, 1 yes and 12 no for the acetate, and 0 yes, 13 no for each CJC-1295 DAC form. Minutes were approved February 21, 2025.[6]
  • FDA's committee presentation said compounding with forms of CJC-1295 appears to have occurred since at least 2018. A 2020-04-01 warning letter to Tailor Made Compounding LLC listed CJC-1295 among bulk substances it compounded that were not eligible for 503A exemptions.[3][8]

Sources

  1. [1] The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis: bridging the gap between clinical evidence and patient self-administration.
  2. [2] Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adults.
  3. [3] FDA: PCAC Topic 1 transcript, CJC-1295 and AOD-9604 (2024-12-04)
  4. [4] Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog.
  5. [5] A Study to Evaluate CJC 1295 in HIV Patients With Visceral Obesity
  6. [6] FDA: Final Summary Minutes of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee Meeting (2024-12-04), CJC-1295, AOD-9604, thymosin alpha-1
  7. [7] FDA: Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks (503A/503B category 2)
  8. [8] FDA: Warning Letter, Tailor Made Compounding LLC (2020-04-01), BPC-157, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, GHK-Cu, semax, selank, epitalon, DSIP, LL-37, PT-141, melanotan, MK-677, tesamorelin