Quick answer: what is CJC-1295?
CJC-1295 is a GHRH analog that stimulates the pituitary to release growth hormone, raising GH and downstream IGF-1.
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Quick facts
- Class
- GHRH analog
- Variants
- With DAC (long-acting) or without (mod GRF 1-29)
- Studied for
- Sustained GH/IGF-1 elevation
- Approval
- Not FDA-approved; banned by WADA
- Class
- GHRH analog (growth hormone secretagogue)
- Half-life
- Several days (with DAC); minutes-to-hours (without DAC)
- Approval
- Not approved for human use (research chemical)
- Anti-doping
- Prohibited at all times (WADA category S2)
Key takeaways
- It exists in two forms: with DAC (Drug Affinity Complex), which extends half-life to several days, and without DAC (often sold as mod GRF 1-29), which is short-acting.
- It is frequently combined with a ghrelin mimetic such as ipamorelin for a synergistic GH response.
- CJC-1295 is a research chemical with no regulatory approval for human use.
- It is prohibited in sport at all times under WADA rules.
Overview
CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), the natural signal that prompts the pituitary to produce growth hormone. It was designed to be more stable and longer-lasting than native GHRH, which is broken down very quickly in the body.
It exists in two main forms. One is CJC-1295 with DAC (Drug Affinity Complex), a modification that lets the molecule bind to albumin in the blood and circulate for a much longer time. The other is the version without DAC, often informally called modified GRF(1-29), which has a shorter duration of action.
Like other growth-hormone-related peptides, CJC-1295 is not an approved medicine. It is distributed as a research chemical and is frequently stacked with secretagogues such as ipamorelin in non-clinical settings. It is also banned in sport under WADA rules.
How it works
CJC-1295 acts on the GHRH receptor in the anterior pituitary. By imitating natural GHRH, it signals the gland to synthesize and release growth hormone. This produces a downstream rise in IGF-1, the mediator responsible for many of GH's anabolic and metabolic effects.
The defining innovation of the DAC version is its extended half-life. The Drug Affinity Complex allows the peptide to attach to circulating albumin, protecting it from rapid enzymatic breakdown. The intended result is a sustained, lower-level elevation of GH and IGF-1 rather than the sharp, brief pulses produced by short-acting compounds.
This is also why CJC-1295 is often combined with a ghrelin-mimetic secretagogue. The two act on different receptors — GHRH versus the ghrelin receptor — and in theory can reinforce each other's stimulation of GH release. It is important to note that this combined-use rationale comes from pharmacological reasoning and anecdote, not from completed clinical efficacy trials.
Research & evidence
CJC-1295 was studied in early pharmaceutical research as a candidate for raising GH and IGF-1 levels, and small early-phase work demonstrated that the DAC modification could meaningfully extend its activity. However, it did not advance into approved therapeutic use, and large, long-term human outcome trials are lacking.
As a result, the evidence base for the body-composition, recovery, sleep, and anti-aging benefits often attributed to it is weak and largely anecdotal. There is reasonable pharmacological understanding of how it raises GH and IGF-1, but limited rigorous data on whether this translates into meaningful, safe clinical benefits over time.
Reports have also raised questions about sustained, non-pulsatile GH elevation, since the body normally releases GH in pulses. Whether continuous elevation is beneficial or potentially harmful over the long term has not been resolved in controlled human studies, leaving an important gap in the safety picture.
Safety & legal status
The human safety profile of CJC-1295 is not fully established because it has not completed formal clinical development. Reported and theoretical effects include flushing, headache, injection-site reactions, water retention, tingling, and effects related to elevated GH and IGF-1. Chronically high IGF-1 is of particular concern given its biological links to tissue growth.
Regulatory status is clear: CJC-1295 is not FDA-approved and is not an authorized medicine in major markets. It is sold under research-use-only labeling, with no guarantee of purity, sterility, or accurate concentration, since such products are not made to pharmaceutical standards.
It is explicitly prohibited by WADA, so athletes using it face the risk of doping sanctions. Given the combination of unverified long-term safety, unregulated sourcing, and lack of approval, anyone considering it should approach with caution and seek guidance from a qualified medical professional rather than self-administering an experimental compound.
How good is the evidence, really?
CJC-1295 is usually discussed as a single compound, but the name covers two meaningfully different molecules — and conflating them muddles almost every claim made about it.
Two molecules, one name
CJC-1295 with DAC carries a drug affinity complex that binds albumin, extending its half-life to days and producing a sustained elevation in growth hormone. CJC-1295 without DAC — often sold as modified GRF(1-29) or "mod GRF" — is short-acting and produces a pulse. These behave differently, and marketing frequently cites data from one while selling the other.
What the evidence supports
Early human pharmacology studies established that CJC-1295 raises growth hormone and IGF-1 and characterised its extended half-life. That much is real and measured.
What it does not
There is no controlled evidence that this translates into meaningful muscle, strength, fat-loss or anti-ageing benefit in healthy adults. Development did not proceed to approval, and CJC-1295 has no approved use anywhere.
There is also a mechanistic argument worth understanding: growth hormone is normally released in pulses, and that pulsatility appears to matter biologically. A compound producing sustained elevation rather than pulses is not simply "more" of the natural signal — it is a different signal, and the long-term consequences of flattening a rhythm the body maintains deliberately are not established in humans.
The growth-hormone secretagogues compared
These all raise the body's own growth hormone, but through two different receptors. GHRH analogs copy the hypothalamic signal; ghrelin-receptor peptides (the GHRPs) act on a separate pathway — which is why the two types are often combined.
| GHRH analogs | GHRPs (ghrelin-receptor) | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Sermorelin, CJC-1295, tesamorelin | Ipamorelin, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, hexarelin |
| Receptor | GHRH receptor on the pituitary | Growth hormone secretagogue receptor (ghrelin receptor) |
| Effect on GH | Amplifies the natural pulse | Triggers release through a second pathway |
| Side-effect notes | Generally well tolerated; injection-site reactions | Vary by compound — GHRP-6 notably increases hunger; some raise cortisol and prolactin, ipamorelin least |
| Approved member | Tesamorelin — for HIV-associated lipodystrophy only | None |
| Human evidence for muscle gain | Not established in healthy adults | Not established in healthy adults |
| Status | Mostly unapproved research chemicals | Unapproved research chemicals; banned in sport |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CJC-1295 with and without DAC?
The DAC (Drug Affinity Complex) version binds to albumin to greatly extend its half-life to roughly several days, producing sustained GH elevation. The version without DAC, often called mod GRF 1-29, is short-acting and clears within hours.
What does CJC-1295 do?
It is a modified analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) that stimulates the pituitary to secrete growth hormone, which in turn raises IGF-1. It acts on the same pathway as natural GHRH.
Why is CJC-1295 often paired with ipamorelin?
CJC-1295 acts on the GHRH receptor while ipamorelin acts on the ghrelin receptor, and combining the two pathways can produce a larger GH release than either alone. This pairing is commonly described in research contexts.
Is CJC-1295 an approved drug?
No. It is not approved by the FDA or other major regulators and is available only as a research chemical.
Is CJC-1295 detectable in anti-doping tests?
GHRH analogs such as CJC-1295 are prohibited under the WADA Prohibited List, and anti-doping laboratories have developed methods to detect them. Its use is banned at all times in sport.
References
Each source links to its original record — peer-reviewed studies, regulator pages, or reference texts, labelled by type. We summarize findings neutrally; a citation is a reference, not an endorsement, and not a claim that its authors reviewed this page.
- Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, et al. Prolonged stimulation of GH and IGF-I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006. Peer-reviewed study
- Jette L, Leger R, Thibaudeau K, et al. hGRF(1-29)-albumin bioconjugates activate the GRF receptor: identification of CJC-1295 as a long-lasting GRF analog. Endocrinology. 2005. Peer-reviewed study
- Timms M, Ganio K, Steel R. A method for confirming CJC-1295 abuse in equine plasma samples by LC-MS/MS. Drug Test Anal. 2019. Peer-reviewed study
- Van Hout MC, Hearne E. Netnography of Female Use of the Synthetic Growth Hormone CJC-1295: Pulses and Potions. Subst Use Misuse. 2016. Peer-reviewed study
- Timms M, Ganio K, Forbes G, et al. An immuno polymerase chain reaction screen for the detection of CJC-1295 and other growth-hormone-releasing hormone analogs in equine plasma. Drug Test Anal. 2019. Peer-reviewed study
- Alba M, Fintini D, Sagazio A, et al. Once-daily administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, normalizes growth in the GHRH knockout mouse. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2006. Peer-reviewed study
CJC-1295 in reference databases: Wikipedia · Wikidata · PubChem