# CJC-1295

- Canonical: https://residue.info/c/cjc-1295/
- Also called: DAC:GRF, CJC-1295 with DAC, Modified GRF(1-29) (related)
- Evidence grade: C (Limited / early human data). Two small human pharmacology studies in healthy adults (2006); no published efficacy trial. FDA records serious adverse events.
- Status: Not FDA-approved · FDA compounding nomination withdrawn
- PubChem CID: 91971820
- Updated: 2026-10-19 · Reviewed by: Residue Editorial Team

CJC-1295 is a long-acting synthetic analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone. In healthy adults, a single injection raised mean growth hormone 2- to 10-fold for six days or more, with an estimated half-life of 5.8–8.1 days [1]. It is not FDA-approved, and FDA has identified serious adverse events including increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reactions [2].

## Key findings
- After one subcutaneous injection in healthy adults, mean GH rose 2–10-fold for at least 6 days and IGF-1 1.5–3-fold for 9–11 days; with repeated doses IGF-1 stayed above baseline for up to 28 days [1]. (anchor: https://residue.info/c/cjc-1295/#kf-pmid-16352683)
- The estimated half-life was 5.8–8.1 days [1]. (anchor: https://residue.info/c/cjc-1295/#kf-pmid-16352683-2)
- GH pulsatility was preserved, but trough GH rose 7.5-fold, mean GH 46% and IGF-1 45% [3]. (anchor: https://residue.info/c/cjc-1295/#kf-pmid-17018654)
- A proteomics study identified serum protein changes that tracked IGF-1, proposed as biomarkers of GH action [4]. (anchor: https://residue.info/c/cjc-1295/#kf-pmid-19386527)
- FDA lists CJC-1295 among withdrawn compounding nominations and records serious adverse events including increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction; available clinical data are limited [2]. (anchor: https://residue.info/c/cjc-1295/#kf-fda-cat2)

## Effects by system
- GH and IGF-1 (grade C): Sustained, dose-dependent increases after single and repeated doses in healthy adults [1]. (anchor: https://residue.info/c/cjc-1295/#effect-gh-and-igf-1)
- GH secretion pattern (grade C): Pulsatility preserved; trough GH up 7.5-fold [3]. (anchor: https://residue.info/c/cjc-1295/#effect-gh-secretion-pattern)
- Cardiovascular (adverse) (grade C): Increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction identified by FDA [2]. (anchor: https://residue.info/c/cjc-1295/#effect-cardiovascular-adverse)

## How does CJC-1295 work?

CJC-1295 is described in its human studies as a long-acting analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) [1]. Like sermorelin and tesamorelin, it acts at the pituitary GHRH receptor, but it was engineered for a much longer duration of action. PubChem does not publish a residue-level sequence for its record, so Figure 1 shows the elemental composition instead [5].

## What have studies found?

**Single and repeated dosing.** Two randomized, placebo-controlled studies in healthy adults aged 21–61 were reported together in 2006. A single subcutaneous injection produced dose-dependent increases in mean plasma GH of 2- to 10-fold lasting six days or more, and in IGF-1 of 1.5- to 3-fold lasting 9–11 days. After multiple doses, IGF-1 remained above baseline for up to 28 days, with evidence of a cumulative effect. No serious adverse reactions were reported, and the authors highlighted 30 or 60 µg/kg as relatively well tolerated [1].

**Pulsatility.** A second 2006 paper measured overnight GH profiles after CJC-1295. Pulse frequency and magnitude were unchanged, but trough GH rose 7.5-fold, mean GH 46% and IGF-1 45%, with no difference between the two doses studied. The authors suggested long-acting GHRH preparations might have utility in people with intact pituitary GH capacity [3].

**Biomarkers.** A 2009 serum proteomics analysis found apolipoprotein A1 and transthyretin isoforms decreased and several albumin and hemoglobin fragments increased after treatment, one in linear relation to IGF-1 [4].

**After 2009.** PubMed holds only a few dozen records for CJC-1295, and only two are tagged as clinical trials [6]. ClinicalTrials.gov lists a single study [7]. There are no published efficacy trials in any patient population in the records we fetched.

FDA's entry for CJC-1295 on the withdrawn-nominations list notes risk of immunogenicity and complexities in characterizing peptide-related impurities, records serious adverse events including increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction, and states that available clinical data are limited [2].

## What is still unknown?

- **Efficacy** in any clinical population has not been reported in a controlled trial.
- **Product identity.** Published human pharmacology covers only the compound used in the 2006 studies [1][3].

## Frequently asked questions
**Is CJC-1295 FDA-approved?**
No. Drugs@FDA has no application for it. FDA lists CJC-1295 among bulk substances whose compounding nominations were withdrawn, noting immunogenicity risk, serious adverse events and limited clinical data [2].

**What is the half-life of CJC-1295?**
An estimated 5.8 to 8.1 days in healthy adults [1].

**What are the side effects of CJC-1295?**
The 2006 study reported no serious adverse reactions at the doses tested [1]. FDA, however, has identified serious adverse events including increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction [2].

**Is CJC-1295 with or without DAC the same thing?**
The published human studies describe a long-acting analog of GHRH [1]; PubChem holds a single record under the CJC-1295 name [5]. We have not found peer-reviewed human data that distinguish between products marketed as 'with DAC' and 'without DAC', so we do not characterize them.

**Why is CJC-1295 combined with ipamorelin?**
They act on different receptors — CJC-1295 on the GHRH receptor [1], ipamorelin on the ghrelin receptor [8]. We found no published controlled human trial of the combination.


## Sources
[1] 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. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16352683/
[2] Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks. U.S. FDA, content current as of 04/22/2026. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks
[3] Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog. Ionescu M & Frohman LA J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17018654/
[4] 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 Horm IGF Res. 2009. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19386527/
[5] PubChem compound record: Cjc 1295. C165H269N47O46 · MW 3647.2 g/mol. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/91971820
[6] PubMed search: (CJC-1295[tiab] OR CJC1295[tiab]). 35 records at fetch. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=(CJC-1295%5Btiab%5D%20OR%20CJC1295%5Btiab%5D)
[7] ClinicalTrials.gov registry search: CJC-1295. 1 registered studies at fetch. https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?intr=CJC-1295
[8] Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Raun K et al. Eur J Endocrinol. 1998. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9849822/

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