CJC-1295

What is CJC-1295?

CJC-1295 is a synthetic version of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), the signal the brain uses to tell the pituitary gland to release growth hormone (GH). It was developed in the early 2000s by the Canadian company ConjuChem as a long-acting GHRH analog. The original molecule carried a drug affinity complex, or DAC, a chemical tail that binds the peptide to albumin in the blood and stretches its action from minutes to days.

The name now causes real confusion. Most products sold as CJC-1295 today, including the version this page describes, are the short-acting peptide without DAC, also called Modified GRF 1-29 or Mod GRF 1-29. It keeps the same four amino acid changes as the original but lacks the albumin-binding tail. The two behave like different drugs, and buyers do not always know which one is in the vial.

CJC-1295 has never been approved by the FDA for any use. It is promoted by anti-aging clinics, some telehealth services and research-chemical sellers for muscle growth, fat loss and recovery, usually paired with a ghrelin mimetic such as ipamorelin.⁶

How CJC-1295 works

Your body releases GH in bursts, mostly during deep sleep. GHRH from the hypothalamus switches each burst on, and a second hormone, somatostatin, switches it off. CJC-1295 copies GHRH, so it prompts the pituitary to release more of its own GH. The liver then makes more IGF-1, which carries many of the effects on muscle, fat and bone. Because the drug works through the pituitary rather than replacing GH, normal feedback still applies, and the system pushes back as IGF-1 rises.

In detail, native GHRH(1-29) is cut within minutes by the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-4 at the alanine in position 2. CJC-1295 swaps that residue for D-alanine and changes three more positions to resist breakdown. Without DAC, the half-life is roughly 30 minutes, short enough to keep a pulse-like signal. With DAC, the peptide links to albumin after injection, and in healthy adults its estimated half-life was 5.8 to 8.1 days.¹ GHRH analogs act on the GHRH receptor, while ghrelin mimetics act on a separate receptor, which is why the two classes are often combined.

What the research shows on CJC-1295

The main human evidence is two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled dose-ranging trials in healthy adults aged 21 to 61, run by investigators that included the developer's staff. A single injection of CJC-1295 with DAC raised average GH levels two- to ten-fold for six days or more and IGF-1 levels 1.5- to three-fold for 9 to 11 days. Repeated doses kept IGF-1 above baseline for up to 28 days, and no serious adverse reactions were reported.¹

Those trials measured hormone levels, not the outcomes people buy the drug for, such as muscle, fat, strength, recovery or sleep. They were short and small, and they tested the DAC version. They say little directly about the no-DAC peptide sold today, which has not been tested for body composition or performance in published controlled trials.

Recent reviews agree on the gap. A 2026 primer for orthopaedic and sports medicine physicians found that CJC-1295 combined with ipamorelin improved muscle force in mice with steroid-induced muscle loss, but that the finding is limited to animals.² A 2026 Sports Medicine review grouped CJC-1295 with other gray-market peptides for which rigorous human safety data are scarce.⁴ A review of peptides in orthopaedics noted that GH secretagogues such as CJC-1295 act through IGF-1 signaling but that clinical trials are lacking.³

A 2016 study of online forums described women using CJC-1295 for weight loss, muscle, skin, sleep and injury healing, often alongside other performance drugs, and voicing uncertainty about dosing and long-term effects.⁷ That kind of study shows how a drug is used, not whether it works.

Studied for: Growth hormone elevation, Body composition, Recovery, Sleep quality.

CJC-1295 reference data

CJC-1295 dosage in published research

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How CJC-1295 is used in practice

CJC-1295 reaches users through three routes. Some anti-aging and men's health clinics have prescribed compounded versions, often blended with ipamorelin in a single vial. Telehealth companies have offered similar kits by mail. A much larger research-chemical market sells freeze-dried vials labeled for research use only, which buyers mix with bacteriostatic water and inject under the skin themselves.

US compounding pharmacies currently have no routine legal path to prepare CJC-1295. The legal status box on this page has the details.

Product quality is the practical problem. A 2026 review of peptide use in sport noted that the largely unregulated supply chain sells products that are often mislabeled or contaminated.⁶ CJC-1295 adds its own twist: a vial may hold the DAC version, the no-DAC version or something else entirely, and the two are dosed on very different schedules.

CJC-1295 is banned in competitive sport. Anti-doping laboratories have built mass spectrometry methods that detect it in urine at very low concentrations.⁸

CJC-1295 risks and side effects

In the 2006 trials, CJC-1295 with DAC was described as safe and relatively well tolerated over a few weeks, particularly at the lower doses tested.¹ Side effects reported in clinics and by users include injection-site reactions, flushing, headache, water retention and tingling or numbness in the hands. The last two are typical signs of raised GH.

Longer-term risks are those of keeping GH and IGF-1 higher than normal. GH lowers insulin sensitivity and can raise blood sugar, so people with diabetes or prediabetes face added risk. IGF-1 promotes cell growth, which is why active cancer is a standard contraindication. No long-term human data exist for either version. A 2026 review flagged cardiovascular strain, insulin resistance and unhealthy blood lipids as emerging concerns with peptide use in bodybuilding.⁶

Steroid medicines such as prednisone blunt the GH response. Pregnancy is a contraindication. For products bought outside licensed pharmacies, the risks of the wrong compound, the wrong dose or bacterial contamination may outweigh the drug's own effects.

Reported side effects

Alternatives to CJC-1295

For adults with confirmed GH deficiency, FDA-approved recombinant growth hormone (somatropin) is the standard treatment, and weekly long-acting forms such as somapacitan are also approved. Diagnosis requires formal stimulation testing; macimorelin, an oral ghrelin-receptor agonist, is FDA-approved for that purpose.

Tesamorelin (Egrifta) is an FDA-approved GHRH analog, licensed to reduce excess abdominal fat in people with HIV-associated lipodystrophy.² It is the closest approved relative of CJC-1295, but its approval covers only that use.

For healthy adults chasing better body composition, recovery or sleep, the options with real evidence are less exotic: progressive resistance training, enough protein, consistent sleep and weight loss where needed. All of these raise the body's own GH output or improve the outcomes people want from it.

Questions for a clinician

• What evidence applies to my situation, and at what level?
• What established alternatives should I consider first?
• What monitoring would be necessary, and how often?
• Can this be prescribed at all where I live, or only sold for research?