CJC-1295
Published research and evidence base
CJC-1295 refers to two related growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) receptor agonists derived from the N-terminal 29-amino-acid fragment of human GHRH. The DAC form carries a maleimidopropionyl linker that forms a covalent drug affinity complex with circulating albumin, extending the plasma half-life to roughly one to two weeks and producing sustained elevation of GH and IGF-1; the non-DAC form, more accurately termed modified GRF(1-29), lacks the linker and retains only the tetrasubstituted backbone modifications that resist dipeptidyl peptidase-IV cleavage, giving a short duration of action comparable to sermorelin. Human data are confined to a small number of phase I and phase II studies of the DAC form conducted in 2005-2009, which established dose-dependent, prolonged GH and IGF-1 elevation with preserved GH pulsatility. No peer-reviewed randomised controlled trial of the non-DAC modified GRF(1-29) form was located, and most literature published since 2019 concerns anti-doping detection methodology or narrative reviews of unapproved peptide use rather than new clinical data.
- Studies cited
- 16
- Published 2023+
- 8
- Newest paper
- 2026
- Last reviewed
- Aug 2026
Recurring themes in the literature
- GHRH receptor agonism
- drug affinity complex (albumin conjugation)
- GH/IGF-1 axis activation
- preserved GH pulsatility
- modified GRF(1-29) / DPP-IV resistance
- anti-doping detection by LC-MS/MS
- unapproved research-chemical peptide use
- tesamorelin and sermorelin comparators
Compound identifiers
- CAS
- 446262-90-4
- PubChem
- 91971820
What CJC-1295 is, chemically.
- Molecular formula
- C165H269N47O46
- Molecular weight
- 3647.2 g/mol
- CAS number
- 446262-90-4
- PubChem CID
- 91971820
CJC 1295
These figures come from the PubChem record for this compound and describe the free base. Lyophilised peptide is normally supplied as an acetate or trifluoroacetate salt and carries residual water, so the mass of powder in a vial is not the same quantity as the molecular weight above would suggest. Chromatographic purity on a certificate of analysis does not resolve that difference either — how to read a certificate of analysis explains why.
16 published studies.
Ordered by strength of study design, then by recency. Every entry links to its source record so the finding can be checked against the paper rather than taken on our word.
- 01Human clinical2009
Activation of the GH/IGF-1 axis by CJC-1295, a long-acting GHRH analog, results in serum protein profile changes in normal adult subjects
Sackmann-Sala L, et al. · Growth Hormone & IGF Research · CJC-1295 with DAC; serum proteomic analysis in normal adult subjects
Two-dimensional gel proteomic profiling of serum from treated subjects identified five proteins whose abundance changed significantly after administration. A linear relationship was reported between immunoglobulin and albumin fragment levels and circulating IGF-1, suggesting downstream proteomic correlates of GH/IGF-1 axis activation.
- 02Human clinical2006
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
Teichman SL, et al. · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism · CJC-1295 with DAC; healthy adults, phase I ascending single and multiple dose
Single subcutaneous injections raised mean GH concentrations approximately 2- to 10-fold for six or more days and IGF-I approximately 1.5- to 3-fold for nine to eleven days. After repeated dosing, mean IGF-I remained above baseline for up to 28 days, consistent with the extended half-life conferred by albumin conjugation.
- 03Human clinical2006
Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog
Ionescu M, Frohman LA · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism · CJC-1295 with DAC; healthy adult volunteers, frequent-sampling GH profiling
Continuous GHRH receptor stimulation raised basal GH approximately 7.5-fold and overall mean GH by about 46%, with IGF-I increased around 45% one week after injection. GH secretion remained pulsatile, with pulse frequency and pulse amplitude essentially unchanged, indicating that hypothalamic somatostatin-driven rhythm was not abolished.
- 04Animal in vivo2006
Once-daily administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, normalizes growth in the GHRH knockout mouse
Alba M, et al. · American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism · CJC-1295 with DAC; GHRH knockout mouse model of GH deficiency
Once-daily administration restored body weight and body length to normal ranges in GHRH knockout mice. Dosing at 48- to 72-hour intervals produced only partial growth restoration, indicating that despite the extended half-life, dosing interval remained a determinant of the anabolic response.
- 05Animal in vivo2005
Human growth hormone-releasing factor (hGRF)1-29-albumin bioconjugates activate the GRF receptor on the anterior pituitary in rats: identification of CJC-1295 as a long-lasting GRF analog
Jetté L, et al. · Endocrinology · CJC-1295 with DAC; rat, GRF receptor activation and pharmacokinetics
Screening of hGRF(1-29)-albumin bioconjugates identified CJC-1295 as the lead long-acting analogue, producing roughly a 4-fold greater GH area under the curve over two hours than unconjugated hGRF(1-29). Western blot analysis confirmed the conjugate remained detectable in circulation beyond 24 hours, establishing the drug affinity complex mechanism.
- 06In vitro2026
Analysis of growth hormone releasing hormone and its analogs in urine using nano liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole/orbitrap mass spectrometry
Uçaktürk E, Nemutlu E · Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis · CJC-1295 as analyte; human urine, analytical method development
A nano-LC quadrupole/Orbitrap mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for GHRH and its synthetic analogues, including sermorelin, tesamorelin and CJC-1295, in urine. Sample preparation combining ultrafiltration and solid-phase extraction achieved limits of detection at or below 0.5 ng/mL.
- 07In vitro2024
Chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of peptidic analytes (2-10 kDa) in doping control urine samples
Thomas A, Walpurgis K, Thevis M · Journal of Mass Spectrometry · CJC-1295 as analyte; human doping control urine, multi-analyte method
A unified analytical procedure was established for prohibited peptides of 2-10 kDa, covering GHRH analogues such as sermorelin, CJC-1295 and tesamorelin alongside insulins and other peptide drugs. The method satisfied World Anti-Doping Agency performance criteria and was demonstrated on post-administration study samples.
- 08In vitro2023
Cationic exchange SPE combined with triple quadrupole UHPLC-MS/MS for detection of GHRHs in urine samples
Cristea CD, et al. · Analytical Biochemistry · CJC-1295 as analyte; human urine, anti-doping screening method
Weak cation exchange solid-phase extraction coupled to triple quadrupole UHPLC-MS/MS detected GHRH analogues including tesamorelin, CJC-1295 and sermorelin variants at limits of detection as low as 0.2 ng/mL. The validated approach was reported as suitable for routine anti-doping laboratory screening.
- 09In vitro2022
An antibody-free, ultrafiltration-based assay for the detection of growth hormone-releasing hormones in urine at low pg/mL concentrations using nanoLC-HRMS/MS
Coppieters G, et al. · Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis · CJC-1295 as analyte; human urine, antibody-free enrichment
An ultrafiltration-based preconcentration step replaced immunoaffinity purification and achieved detection limits of approximately 5-25 pg/mL for GHRH analogues including CJC-1295 by nanoLC-HRMS/MS. Recoveries were improved relative to immunoaffinity workflows at reduced operational cost.
- 10In vitro2021
Advances in the detection of growth hormone releasing hormone synthetic analogs
Memdouh S, et al. · Drug Testing and Analysis · CJC-1295 without DAC and CJC-1295 with DAC, both included; in vitro metabolism study
Nineteen major in vitro metabolites were identified and synthesised across four GHRH analogues, treating sermorelin, tesamorelin, CJC-1295 and its drug affinity complex variant as distinct analytes. The resulting LC-MS/MS methods addressed the absence of metabolism data for unapproved synthetic GHRH variants in urine analysis.
- 11In vitro2019
A method for confirming CJC-1295 abuse in equine plasma samples by LC-MS/MS
Timms M, Ganio K, Steel R · Drug Testing and Analysis · CJC-1295 with DAC; equine plasma, confirmatory analytical method
Immunoaffinity capture followed by tryptic digestion and LC-MS/MS confirmed CJC-1295 in horse plasma with sensitivity down to approximately 180 pg/mL. The workflow was designed around the analytical difficulty created by covalent albumin conjugation, which the authors associated with a biological half-life exceeding six days.
- 12Review2026
The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis: bridging the gap between clinical evidence and patient self-administration
Dominikowski A, et al. · Frontiers in Endocrinology · CJC-1295 with and without DAC; narrative review of GH-IGF1 axis peptides
The review surveyed unregulated peptides marketed as research compounds that act on the GH-IGF-1 axis, including GHRH analogues such as CJC-1295, growth hormone secretagogues and IGF-1 analogues. The authors proposed a clinically oriented assessment algorithm for evaluating self-administering patients and documented substantial uncertainty in efficacy and safety data for these compounds.
- 13Review2026
Peptide Supplements and Their Therapeutic Applications in Sports Medicine
Tewari K, et al. · The American Journal of Sports Medicine · CJC-1295 (form not consistently distinguished); scoping review of six peptides
A scoping review of six commonly marketed peptides, including CJC-1295 and ipamorelin, reported that roughly two-thirds of the retrieved literature comprised preclinical animal work with variable results. The authors concluded that claimed musculoskeletal recovery benefits remained unsubstantiated in humans and noted documented cardiovascular and metabolic risks.
- 14Review2026
Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic Performance
Mendias CL, Awan TM · Sports Medicine · CJC-1295 among unapproved peptides; narrative review
The review contrasted regulator-approved peptide drugs with a parallel market of unapproved compounds used in sports medicine, covering mechanisms, safety and regulatory status. The authors reported that although animal models suggested activity for several agents, rigorous human safety data remained scarce for most unapproved peptides.
- 15Review2026
Injectable Peptides in Sports Medicine: A Structured Narrative Review of Evidence, Safety, and Antidoping Implications
Villegas Meza AD, et al. · JBJS Reviews · CJC-1295 within GH-secretagogue class; structured narrative review of 2020-2025 literature
The review classified injectable peptides published between 2020 and 2025 into five functional classes and found that only glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists carried reproducible randomised evidence for a musculoskeletal indication. GH-axis secretagogues including CJC-1295 were categorised as experimental, and the authors recommended confining clinical use to approved agents and formal research protocols.
- 16Review2026
Therapeutic Peptides in Aesthetic, Metabolic and Endocrine Conditions: Effects, Safety, Clinical Applications, and Future Perspectives
Renke G, Chinellato L · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · CJC-1295 among endocrine-active peptides; literature review of 106 articles
A review of 106 articles assessed therapeutic peptides across aesthetic, metabolic and endocrine indications, reporting the strongest support for agents in type 2 diabetes, obesity and skin applications. The authors stated that further study was required before most newer peptides, including GH-axis analogues, could be considered safe for human use.
What this evidence does not establish.
No peer-reviewed randomised controlled trial of the non-DAC form (modified GRF(1-29)) was identified, so essentially all human data pertain to the DAC-conjugated compound and derive from small phase I/II studies conducted between 2005 and 2009 in healthy adults. Long-term safety, effects on body composition, lean mass, sleep or recovery, glucose tolerance during sustained IGF-1 elevation, and any clinical outcome endpoint remain unestablished for both forms; the compound holds no marketing authorisation in any jurisdiction and appears on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.
Common questions about the research.
- What is CJC-1295?
CJC-1295 is a synthetic analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone based on the GHRH(1-29) sequence, with amino-acid substitutions that resist enzymatic degradation. It acts at the pituitary GHRH receptor, prompting release of endogenous growth hormone.
- What is the difference between no-DAC and DAC?
The DAC (drug affinity complex) version carries a maleimide group that binds covalently to circulating albumin, extending its reported half-life to 5.8–8.1 days. This vial is the no-DAC form — also called Modified GRF (1-29) — which lacks that group and clears within hours, producing a short pulse instead of a multi-day elevation. Published DAC pharmacokinetics do not describe the no-DAC molecule.
- How does it differ from Ipamorelin?
They act at different receptors and are frequently studied together for that reason. CJC-1295 targets the GHRH receptor; ipamorelin targets the ghrelin receptor GHS-R1a. Human work reports the two pathways stimulating GH release synergistically rather than additively.
Available from our catalog
For research purposes only. Not for human consumption, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of any condition. Nothing on this page is medical advice, and no study summarised here should be read as a recommendation.