What CJC-1295 is

CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH), the peptide the hypothalamus uses to signal the pituitary gland to release growth hormone (GH). The compound shares the same 29-amino-acid N-terminal sequence as sermorelin, meaning it binds to the same GHRH receptor on pituitary somatotroph cells. What distinguishes CJC-1295 is an added chemical modification called a drug affinity complex, or DAC, that allows the peptide to bind to albumin, the most abundant protein in human blood.

That albumin-binding property is the core engineering goal of CJC-1295. Natural GHRH has a plasma half-life measured in minutes; it is rapidly cleared by enzymes and kidneys. Sermorelin, the closest analog, shares that limitation. CJC-1295 with DAC sidesteps rapid clearance by latching onto albumin, which circulates in the bloodstream for weeks. The published human trial measured GH elevation persisting for several days after a single injection. Whether that extended duration is an advantage, a neutral property, or a concern is one of the genuinely open questions in the evidence base.

One terminology note worth understanding: the research peptide market also sells a compound called "CJC-1295 without DAC," which is sometimes labeled "Mod GRF (1-29)." That compound lacks the albumin-binding modification and has a shorter half-life. It is a different compound from CJC-1295 with DAC. This explainer covers CJC-1295 with DAC unless otherwise noted, because that is the compound described in the primary published trial and the one most commonly meant when people search "CJC-1295."

Regulatory status

CJC-1295 has never been FDA-approved. It has no approved equivalent.

Unlike sermorelin, which was once approved as Geref before being withdrawn, CJC-1295 has no history as an approved pharmaceutical. It was developed as a research compound and has remained one. The FDA has not approved CJC-1295 for any indication, in any population, at any dose. A licensed physician can prescribe it as a compounded drug through an accredited 503A compounding pharmacy, but that is a distinct legal pathway with its own quality and oversight requirements. Research-labeled CJC-1295 sold without a prescription is not cleared for human use. There is no approved drug of this type to compare it against for purity or potency.

The informational context for dosing discussed in published research involves subcutaneous injection. Researchers in the 2006 Teichman trial administered CJC-1295 at doses ranging from 30 to 120 mcg/kg. This information is presented here as context for understanding the published research, not as a protocol or recommendation. No information on this page constitutes medical advice, and any use of CJC-1295 in a human context requires evaluation by a licensed healthcare provider.

How CJC-1295 is discussed and marketed

CJC-1295 appears in a consistent cluster of marketing claims. Most center on the same mechanisms and outcomes that drive the broader GH optimization space. Here is what the existing evidence actually says about each area.

Area 1

GH and IGF-1 elevation

This is the area with the most direct human evidence. The Teichman et al. (2006) trial documented meaningful, sustained increases in GH and IGF-1 in healthy adults following CJC-1295 administration. The GH elevation was dose-dependent and persisted for days. This is a real pharmacological effect, not an extrapolation.

Limited human data
Area 2

Body composition

Marketing frequently connects CJC-1295 to lean mass gain and fat reduction. GH has documented roles in metabolism and body composition, but the published CJC-1295 trial was not designed to measure those endpoints. Inferring body composition outcomes from GH elevation data requires assumptions the evidence does not support.

Extrapolated only
Area 3

The ipamorelin pairing

CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are frequently sold and discussed as a combination. The pharmacological rationale is that they work through complementary pathways: CJC-1295 via GHRH receptors, ipamorelin via ghrelin receptors. The synergy assumption is plausible mechanistically but has not been tested in a controlled human trial. It is an inference, not a finding.

Mechanistic inference
Area 4

Recovery and sleep

GH secretion peaks during slow-wave sleep and plays a role in tissue repair. CJC-1295 marketing often extends these known GH properties to claims about improved recovery and sleep quality. No controlled human trial has measured these outcomes specifically from CJC-1295. The connection is extrapolated from general GH physiology.

Extrapolated only

The pattern across all four areas is the same one that characterizes most of the GH optimization peptide space: the mechanistic evidence is real, the GH effect is documented, and the distance between those documented effects and the specific clinical outcomes being marketed is wide. The research has not closed that gap.

How to evaluate a vendor selling CJC-1295

Because CJC-1295 has never existed as a commercially manufactured, regulated pharmaceutical, every vendor is selling a compound produced outside the standard pharmaceutical supply chain. That makes independent quality verification more important, and harder to shortcut.

Vendor evaluation checklist

  • Third-party COA from an accredited, named laboratory: The certificate of analysis should come from a laboratory independent of the vendor. Look for ISO 17025 accreditation or equivalent. The lab name and accreditation status should be verifiable through a public registry.
  • Mass spectrometry or amino acid analysis for identity confirmation: HPLC purity data alone tells you a peak is present; it does not confirm the compound is what it claims to be. Identity testing by mass spec or amino acid analysis is the standard that distinguishes a rigorous COA from a superficial one.
  • Batch-specific documentation: The COA should reference the specific batch number on the product you are purchasing. A generic, undated, or batch-unlinked COA provides limited assurance about the vial in your hand.
  • Claims review: A vendor making treatment, outcome, or health benefit claims about CJC-1295 is marketing in territory the evidence does not support and outside the legal scope of research compound sales. Strong benefit claims are a signal about a vendor's relationship with accuracy, not a feature.
  • DAC vs. no DAC clarity: A reputable vendor clearly distinguishes CJC-1295 with DAC from CJC-1295 without DAC (Mod GRF 1-29). Conflating or interchanging these in product listings suggests a gap in quality control or customer transparency.
  • Verifiable business presence: Legitimate research vendors maintain verifiable contact information, a physical or registered business address, and a clear process for batch inquiry and verification. Vendors who obscure basic business information warrant additional scrutiny.

Affiliate disclosure: The link below is a paid affiliate relationship. We earn a commission if you purchase through it. This relationship did not influence our evaluation of CJC-1295 or the vendor criteria above. See our full disclosure policy.

Looking for a vendor that meets these criteria?

We reviewed vendors against the checklist above. The following link goes to a research vendor whose COA documentation, identity testing, and batch traceability we found consistent with the standards described in this article. We have not evaluated the compound itself, and this is not a clinical recommendation.

View vendor COA documentation Affiliate link

CJC-1295 sits within the GHRH analog class and is most often discussed alongside two other compounds: ipamorelin (the most common pairing) and sermorelin (the closest analog in the same class). A third compound, tesamorelin, is worth understanding because it represents the only currently FDA-approved GHRH analog.

Sermorelin

The closest structural relative. Same 29-amino-acid GHRH fragment, without the DAC modification. Shorter half-life. Has a regulatory history: previously FDA-approved as Geref for pediatric GH deficiency, withdrawn around 2008. Now compounded or research-labeled.

Read Sermorelin explainer →
Ipamorelin

Works through the ghrelin receptor, a separate GH-stimulating pathway from GHRH. Frequently paired with CJC-1295 on the assumption of complementary mechanisms. Preclinical evidence base with limited human data. Research compound only; no FDA approval.

Read Ipamorelin explainer →
Tesamorelin

A GHRH analog with current FDA approval under the brand name Egrifta for HIV-associated lipodystrophy. The only approved GHRH-class compound in the US. Its approval is indication-specific; off-label use is a separate clinical and legal question.

Read Tesamorelin explainer →

Sources

  1. 1 Teichman SL, et al. 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. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(3):799-805. PubMed
  2. 2 Ionescu M, Frohman LA. Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(12):4792-4797. PubMed
  3. 3 Prakash A, Goa KL. Sermorelin: a review of its use in the diagnosis and treatment of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency. BioDrugs. 1999;12(2):139-157. PubMed
  4. 4 Frohman LA, Jansson JO. Growth hormone-releasing hormone. Endocr Rev. 1986;7(3):223-253. PubMed
  5. 5 Corpas E, Harman SM, Blackman MR. Human growth hormone and human aging. Endocr Rev. 1993;14(1):20-39. PubMed
  6. 6 Veldhuis JD, Bowers CY. Human GH pulsatility: an ensemble property regulated by age and gender. J Endocrinol Invest. 2003;26(9):799-813. PubMed
  7. 7 FDA. Human drug compounding. Regulatory information on section 503A and 503B compounding. FDA.gov
  8. 8 Walker RF. Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency? Clin Interv Aging. 2006;1(4):307-308. PubMed
  9. 9 Brandenberger G, Gronfier C, Chapotot F, Simon C, Piquard F. Effect of sleep deprivation on overall 24 h growth-hormone secretion. Lancet. 2000;356(9239):1408. PubMed

Frequently asked questions

What is CJC-1295?
CJC-1295 is a synthetic, long-acting analog of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH). It shares the same 29-amino-acid sequence that gives sermorelin its activity at the GHRH receptor, but adds a drug affinity complex (DAC) modification that allows it to bind albumin in the bloodstream. That albumin binding dramatically extends its half-life compared to natural GHRH or sermorelin, producing GH and IGF-1 elevation that, in the primary published human trial, lasted for several days after a single dose. CJC-1295 has never received FDA approval for human use and is not equivalent to any approved pharmaceutical.
CJC-1295 vs. sermorelin: what is the difference?
Both compounds share the same core 29-amino-acid GHRH fragment and work at the same receptor. The principal difference is half-life. Sermorelin is cleared from the body in minutes; CJC-1295 with DAC binds albumin and produces GH elevation that can persist for days. Sermorelin also has a regulatory history that CJC-1295 lacks: sermorelin was once FDA-approved as Geref for pediatric growth hormone deficiency before being withdrawn from the US market around 2008. CJC-1295 has never been approved. From a research evidence standpoint, sermorelin has a somewhat longer clinical literature, primarily from its pediatric approval era; CJC-1295 has one key published human trial in adults. Both are currently sold as research compounds or compounded drugs requiring a prescription.
CJC-1295 vs. ipamorelin: how do they differ?
They work through different receptors and different mechanisms. CJC-1295 is a GHRH analog that binds GHRH receptors on pituitary cells, mimicking the hypothalamic signal for GH release. Ipamorelin is a growth hormone secretagogue that works through the ghrelin receptor, a separate pathway that also results in GH secretion from the pituitary. Both ultimately increase GH output, but through distinct molecular routes. They are frequently sold and discussed as a combination, with the rationale that complementary mechanisms may produce additive effects. That rationale is pharmacologically plausible, but no controlled human trial has studied the combination directly. Whether the pairing produces meaningfully different outcomes than either compound alone is not established by the current evidence.
Is CJC-1295 legal?
The legal status depends on how it is sold and used. CJC-1295 is not an FDA-approved drug. A licensed physician can legally prescribe compounded CJC-1295 through a licensed 503A compounding pharmacy for an individual patient; that is a distinct legal category with its own requirements and is not equivalent to purchasing an approved drug. Research-labeled CJC-1295 sold without a prescription occupies a more ambiguous legal position. It is not the same as a controlled substance, but it is also not cleared for human use. The regulatory landscape around research peptides is actively evolving. Anyone seeking to use CJC-1295 in a clinical context should consult a licensed healthcare provider, and anyone with questions about its legal status in their jurisdiction should consult a legal professional.