CJC-1295
A long-acting synthetic GHRH analog studied for sustained growth hormone and IGF-1 elevation; not FDA approved and not on the July 2026 PCAC docket.
Reviewed by Mei Li, PhD, Chief Science Officer
What CJC-1295 Is
CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). It is constructed from the first 29 amino acids of native GHRH — the segment that carries essentially all of the hormone's receptor-activating biology — combined with four stabilizing amino-acid substitutions and, in its long-acting form, a Drug Affinity Complex (DAC). It was originally developed by the biopharmaceutical company ConjuChem. The DAC-bearing version is commonly called 'CJC-1295 with DAC,' while a shorter-acting variant lacking the linker is often referred to as Modified GRF (1-29) or 'CJC-1295 no DAC.' It is not a growth hormone itself; rather, it is a signaling molecule intended to prompt the pituitary to release the body's own growth hormone.
Mechanism of Action
The peptide binds and activates the GHRH receptor on somatotroph cells in the anterior pituitary, stimulating growth hormone (GH) secretion, which then drives hepatic production of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). What distinguishes the DAC form is its pharmacokinetics. The maleimide-based Drug Affinity Complex reacts with a free cysteine on circulating serum albumin, forming a covalent conjugate. Because albumin has a plasma half-life of several weeks, the tethered peptide is protected from proteolytic degradation and renal filtration and remains in circulation far longer than native GHRH, whose half-life is only minutes. The estimated half-life for the DAC form is on the order of six to eight days. The four DPP-IV-resistant substitutions further prolong activity by blocking a primary route of enzymatic inactivation.
What Published Research Has Examined
The most important human evidence comes from Teichman and colleagues, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism in 2006. That work comprised two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled ascending-dose trials in healthy adults — one using single subcutaneous injections and one using repeated weekly or biweekly doses. A single injection produced dose-dependent elevations in mean plasma GH of roughly two- to ten-fold lasting six or more days, and increases in IGF-1 of about 1.5- to three-fold lasting nine to eleven days; with repeated dosing, IGF-1 remained above baseline for up to 28 days. A preclinical study published the same year in the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism showed that once-daily CJC-1295 normalized growth in the GHRH-knockout mouse, confirming the receptor-level mechanism in an animal model. Beyond these, CJC-1295 is one of the most frequently co-studied peptides with ipamorelin, a ghrelin-receptor (GHS-R1a) agonist, on the rationale that combining two distinct GH-releasing pathways can produce additive secretion.
Key Findings
Across the available literature, the consistent finding is that CJC-1295 with DAC achieves prolonged, dose-dependent elevation of GH and IGF-1 from a single administration — the central pharmacological result that made it notable. The Teichman 2006 trials remain the anchor of human evidence and reported no serious adverse reactions over their short study windows. However, the depth of clinical evidence is modest: clinical development did not advance past Phase II, and there are no large, long-term controlled trials establishing benefit for body composition, recovery, or aging-related outcomes, despite widespread interest in those areas. The strongest claims that can be supported from the literature concern pharmacokinetics and hormone elevation, not clinical endpoints.
Regulatory Status
CJC-1295 is not an FDA-approved drug; the FDA-approved peptide medicines relevant to adjacent conversations are finished products like semaglutide, tirzepatide, and bremelanotide, none of which involve CJC-1295. In U.S. compounding regulation, CJC-1295 is best described as unscheduled / research-use-only. Its nomination for the 503A bulks list was withdrawn in September 2024, and the substance was removed from the interim Category 2 list. At the FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC) meeting on December 4, 2024, the committee voted against including CJC-1295 on the 503A bulks list, citing insufficient evidence of effectiveness. Critically, CJC-1295 is NOT among the seven peptides on the PCAC docket for July 23-24, 2026 — that docket comprises BPC-157, TB-500, KPV, MOTS-c, emideltide, epitalon, and semax. Nor is it among the second batch expected in February 2027. Even for compounds that do receive a favorable PCAC vote, that vote is non-binding and only an early step in FDA rulemaking, with realistic timelines to legal compounding availability measured in many months.
Safety Considerations & Related Compounds
In the Teichman 2006 trials, reported effects were generally mild and included injection-site reactions, transient flushing, and headache, with no serious adverse reactions recorded, but the human safety record is limited by small sample sizes and short durations. Separately, the compound's Phase II clinical program was discontinued after a trial participant died of a myocardial infarction; the event was attributed by the attending physician to pre-existing coronary disease rather than the study drug, and no definitive causal link was established. The scientific literature also flags theoretical concerns tied to sustained GH and IGF-1 elevation, including possible effects on fluid balance, glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, and unresolved questions about proliferative risk from chronic IGF-1 signaling. Product-quality uncertainty is a separate, frequently noted issue for research-grade material. Closely related compounds include ipamorelin (its common research pairing), sermorelin and tesamorelin (other GHRH-based analogs, tesamorelin being an approved drug for a specific indication), the shorter-acting Modified GRF (1-29), and the oral secretagogue MK-677. This profile is educational and research-framed; it is not medical advice and does not endorse human use.
Key published studies
| Study | Journal | Year | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prolonged Stimulation of Growth Hormone and Insulin-Like Growth Factor I Secretion by CJC-1295, a Long-Acting Analog of GH-Releasing Hormone, in Healthy Adults | Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism | 2006 | Teichman SL et al. Two randomized, placebo-controlled ascending-dose trials in healthy adults. A single dose raised GH 2-10x for 6+ days and IGF-1 1.5-3x for 9-11 days; no serious adverse reactions were reported. Highest-quality human evidence for the compound. |
| Once-daily administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting GHRH analog, normalizes growth in the GHRH knockout mouse | American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism | 2006 | Preclinical model showing the analog restored normal growth via GHRH-receptor activation. Animal-level mechanistic support. |
| Growth hormone secretagogues: history, mechanism of action, and clinical development | JCSM Rapid Communications | 2020 | Ishida J et al. Narrative review situating GHRH analogs and secretagogues, including albumin-binding pharmacology, among GH-axis compounds. Review context, not primary trial data. |
Regulatory status
Current status: Unscheduled / RUO. Not FDA approved. PepSense tracks FDA filings and updates this record as the regulatory picture changes. See the FDA PCAC tracker for the July 2026 vote and what happens next.