CJC-1295

Overview

CJC-1295 is a lab-made, modified version of the active part of growth-hormone-releasing hormone. The 'with DAC' version attaches to albumin in the blood so it lasts for days; the version 'without DAC' (often called Mod GRF 1-29) is short-acting. It was tested in early human studies but never approved.

How it works

Established for the class: activates pituitary GHRH receptors to increase growth hormone and IGF-1. The DAC (drug affinity complex) form binds covalently to serum albumin after injection, extending its half-life to roughly 6–8 days in humans. The amino-acid substitutions (both forms) resist enzyme breakdown. FDA notes that 'CJC-1295' is used for at least five distinct substances under nine names, so products labelled the same may differ.

What research shows

• Teichman 2006: two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled ascending-dose trials (28 and 49 days) in healthy adults 21–61 y; a single dose raised mean GH 2–10-fold for ≥6 days and IGF-1 1.5–3-fold for 9–11 days; estimated half-life 5.8–8.1 days.
• With repeated doses, IGF-1 stayed above baseline for up to 28 days, suggesting a cumulative effect (Teichman 2006).
• FDA's 2024 review found no adequate effectiveness data for GH deficiency and limited nonclinical safety data; studies of a DAC form showed genotoxicity signals in mouse pituitary cells.

Doses studied in people

Teichman 2006 tested single ascending and repeated doses of CJC-1295 with DAC in healthy adults, but the exact dose levels could not be re-checked against the paper for this profile; no published human trials of the non-DAC 'Mod GRF 1-29' form were identified.

Read this first: these are the amounts given to participants in published studies or written on official prescribing labels, reported for reference. They are not recommendations. Trial doses were chosen for specific patients under medical supervision, and a dose that is safe in one person can be harmful in another.

Weekly protocol

How the schedule looks week by week. Each chart says where it comes from: a prescribing label, a clinical trial, or a protocol commonly reported online.

Reference only, not a recommendation. Charts marked "commonly reported" describe what public sources say people use. They have not been tested in trials, and their safety and effect are unknown. Label and trial schedules were set for specific patients under medical supervision. Use the calculator only to understand the arithmetic.

Vial math

Many research vials hold 5 or 10 mg of powder. This table shows how much ends up in each mark on a U-100 insulin syringe for common amounts of added liquid. It is arithmetic only, not a dose.

More sizes: all vial sizes · How this works: Syringes and units · Reconstitution guide.

Safety

• Teichman 2006 reported no serious adverse reactions; the drug was relatively well tolerated, particularly at 30 and 60 µg/kg.
• FDA's compounding safety page cites increased heart rate and a systemic vasodilatory (flushing/low blood pressure-type) reaction, plus immunogenicity concerns for some routes.
• According to FDA's 2024 briefing, ConjuChem withdrew CJC-1295 DAC from clinical trials in 2006 after a participant died in a phase 2 trial; the cause of death was not given.
• Unknown long-term safety; products are poorly characterized and naming is inconsistent (FDA).

Report side effects of any drug or product to the FDA through MedWatch. For a possible poisoning in the US, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Legal status

FDA

Not FDA-approved; development discontinued

Compounding

Placed in 503A Category 2 in Sept 2023; FDA PCAC voted on Dec 4, 2024 against adding any of five CJC-1295 forms to the 503A bulks list. FDA now lists it as 'nominated but withdrawn' (no longer in Category 2), and it is not on the May 2026 503A categories list, so it is not eligible for 503A compounding. Not part of the April 2026 peptide removals or the July 2026 PCAC review.

Sports (WADA)

Prohibited at all times (S2.2.4 GHRH and analogues; CJC-1295 named)

Other

Sold online as a 'research chemical'; FDA issued warning letters to online peptide vendors in Aug 2026 rejecting 'research use only' labels.

Rules change often. See Legal status of peptides for how these categories work.

History

Developed by ConjuChem (Canada) in the early 2000s. Two 2006 placebo-controlled studies in healthy adults showed long-lasting GH and IGF-1 increases. According to FDA's 2024 briefing, ConjuChem withdrew CJC-1295 DAC from clinical development in 2006 after a participant died in a phase 2 trial, and a trial in HIV-associated visceral obesity (NCT00267527) was terminated early.

Common questions

Sold in blends and stacks

Related compounds

Sources

1. FDA briefing document, PCAC Dec 4, 2024: CJC-1295-related bulk drug substances Regulatory
2. Teichman SL et al. Prolonged stimulation of GH and IGF-I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GHRH, in healthy adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006;91:799-805 Journal
3. FDA PCAC December 4, 2024 final summary minutes (CJC-1295, AOD-9604, thymosin alpha-1 votes) Regulatory
4. FDA: Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (content current as of 04/22/2026) Regulatory
5. FDA: Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A (categories list, updated May 14, 2026) Regulatory
6. WADA 2026 Prohibited List (in force 1 January 2026) Regulatory
7. Holland & Knight: Peptides at a Crossroads - HHS and FDA actions (Oct 2026) Regulatory