CJC-1295 is one of the few research peptides that has actually been injected into people in a placebo-controlled study. That study is twenty years old, measured hormone levels rather than outcomes, and was followed by nothing. Here is what it showed and what happened next.
What it is
Growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is the hypothalamic signal that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone. Natural GHRH lasts minutes in blood. CJC-1295 is a 29-amino-acid GHRH analogue with four amino-acid substitutions for stability and a "drug affinity complex" (DAC), a reactive group that covalently binds serum albumin after injection. Bound to albumin, the molecule circulates for days, which is what produced the prolonged hormone rise in the trial.
The compound was developed by ConjuChem in the early 2000s. Development did not continue to a marketed product.
The human evidence
| Year | Design | Result | PubMed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Randomised, placebo-controlled, ascending single and repeat subcutaneous doses in healthy adults | After a single injection, mean GH rose 2- to 10-fold for 6 days or more and IGF-1 1.5- to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days. Estimated half-life 5.8 to 8.1 days; after repeated doses IGF-1 stayed above baseline for up to 28 days. No serious adverse reactions reported; described as relatively well tolerated. | 16352683 |
| 2006 | Mechanistic study of GH pulsatility in healthy adults after CJC-1295 | Pulsatile GH secretion persisted with unchanged pulse frequency and size; basal (trough) GH levels were markedly raised. | 17018654 |
Read what is missing. No trial measured fat mass, lean mass, strength, sleep, recovery from injury or any other outcome the compound is marketed for. No trial ran longer than a few weeks. No study reported on the long-term effects of holding IGF-1 raised for days at a time, which is the pharmacological question that matters for a growth-hormone axis drug: the approved GHRH analogue tesamorelin carries a neoplasm warning for exactly that reason (see the tesamorelin page).
Regulatory status
FDA placed CJC-1295 in Category 2 on September 29, 2023. The page (content current as of April 22, 2026) states that compounded drugs containing CJC-1295 may pose an immunogenicity risk for certain routes, have complexities with impurities and API characterisation, and that FDA "has identified serious adverse events associated with CJC-1295 including increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction. Available clinical data are limited."
CJC-1295 now appears under nominated but withdrawn. The Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee considered CJC-1295 in several forms in December 2024. It is not on the 503A bulks list, is not in Category 1, and is not an ingredient of any approved drug. It is sold as a research chemical.
Safety signals
FDA's stated signals: increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction, from adverse events it identified in the clinical data. The 2006 dose study reported no serious adverse reactions in its small healthy cohort, which is what a short phase 1 study can say and no more. What distinguishes CJC-1295 is duration: a reaction to a molecule that is albumin-bound for a week cannot be stopped by not taking the next dose.
Grade: C + X
C because a randomised, placebo-controlled human study exists but measured hormone levels only, and no outcome trial followed. X for FDA's published safety concern. If you were told CJC-1295 "has human trials," this page is those trials. Compare the sermorelin and tesamorelin pages to see what a GHRH analogue with a real development programme looks like.
Questions people ask
Did CJC-1295 raise growth hormone in humans?
Yes, in one randomised, placebo-controlled study of healthy adults published in 2006 (PubMed 16352683): mean growth hormone rose 2- to 10-fold for 6 days or more and IGF-1 1.5- to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days after a single injection. Raising a hormone level is not a clinical benefit; no trial measured body composition, strength, recovery or any health outcome.
What safety problems has FDA identified with CJC-1295?
FDA's Category 2 page states it has identified serious adverse events associated with CJC-1295 including increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction, that available clinical data are limited, and that the substance may pose an immunogenicity risk for certain routes.
Is 'CJC-1295 without DAC' the same thing?
No. The DAC (drug affinity complex) is the chemical group that binds albumin and gives CJC-1295 its long half-life. 'CJC-1295 without DAC' is a marketing name for modified GRF(1-29), a different short-acting molecule with no published human trial under either name.
Sources (4)
Show the referencesHide
- FDA: Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding That May Present Significant Safety Risks (content current as of April 22, 2026) Accessed September 4, 2026.
- FDA: Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (meeting materials index) Accessed September 4, 2026.
- 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. PubMed 16352683 Accessed September 4, 2026.
- 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. PubMed 17018654 Accessed September 4, 2026.
Canonical URL: https://formblendspeptides.com/peptides/cjc-1295. Written by the FormBlends editorial team. This page is educational and is not medical advice; see the medical disclaimer.