Monograph in Growth-hormone axis peptides
CJC-1295
A long-acting GHRH analog that held growth hormone and IGF-1 above baseline for days after one injection in healthy adults — and then left clinical development with almost no further published human data.
Also called DAC:GRF · CJC-1295 with DAC · Modified GRF(1-29) (related)
Best evidence: Limited / early human data
Two small human pharmacology studies in healthy adults (2006); no published efficacy trial. FDA records serious adverse events.
Not FDA-approved · FDA compounding nomination withdrawn
Residue Editorial Team · updated
What is CJC-1295?
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 days1PubMedProlonged 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.. It is not FDA-approved, and FDA has identified serious adverse events including increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reactions2FDACertain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks. U.S. FDA, content current as of 04/22/2026..
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 days1.
- The estimated half-life was 5.8–8.1 days1.
- GH pulsatility was preserved, but trough GH rose 7.5-fold, mean GH 46% and IGF-1 45%3PubMedPulsatile 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..
- A proteomics study identified serum protein changes that tracked IGF-1, proposed as biomarkers of GH action4PubMedActivation 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..
- FDA lists CJC-1295 among withdrawn compounding nominations and records serious adverse events including increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction; available clinical data are limited2.
What is CJC-1295, chemically?
| PubChem CID | 91971820 “Cjc 1295” |
|---|---|
| Formula | C165H269N47O46 |
| Molecular weight | 3,647.2 g/mol |
| CAS (as listed) | 446262-90-4 |
| FDA UNII | 62RC32V9N7 |
| InChIKey | ZUQGTWKGESAQCD-ZGFIGYLBSA-N |
| Half-life (reported) | 5.8–8.1 days after subcutaneous injection1 |
| Route in trials | Subcutaneous injection in studies |
| Mechanism | Long-acting GHRH receptor agonist |
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 instead5PubChemPubChem compound record: Cjc 1295. C165H269N47O46 · MW 3647.2 g/mol..
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 tolerated1.
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 capacity3.
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-14.
After 2009. PubMed holds only a few dozen records for CJC-1295, and only two are tagged as clinical trials6PubMedPubMed search: (CJC-1295[tiab] OR CJC1295[tiab]). 35 records at fetch.. ClinicalTrials.gov lists a single study7TrialClinicalTrials.gov registry search: CJC-1295. 1 registered studies at fetch.. There are no published efficacy trials in any patient population in the records we fetched.
Is CJC-1295 FDA-approved?
| Record | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FDA approval | No approved application Drugs@FDA returned no application for “CJC-1295”. | openFDA |
| Compounding: nominated, then withdrawn CJC-1295 | Withdrawn nomination FDA still lists its safety concerns: “Compounded drugs containing CJC-1295 may pose risk for immunogenicity for certain routes of administration and may have complexities with regard to for peptide-related impurities and API characterization. FDA has identified serious adverse events associated with CJC-1295 including increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction. Available clinical data are limited.” | 2 |
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 limited2.
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 studies1,3.
What effects has CJC-1295 shown, by body system?
Each row is graded separately using the Residue evidence scale: a compound can carry an A for one use and a D for another.
| System | What was observed | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| GH and IGF-1 | Sustained, dose-dependent increases after single and repeated doses in healthy adults1. | C |
| GH secretion pattern | Pulsatility preserved; trough GH up 7.5-fold3. | C |
| Cardiovascular (adverse) | Increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction identified by FDA2. | C |
How much research is there on CJC-1295?
| Phase | Studies | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 2 | 1 | 0 completed, 0 active or recruiting, 1 stopped, 0 other |
Compare and continue
- CJC-1295 vs ipamorelinComparison
- IpamorelinGrowth-hormone axis peptides
- SermorelinGrowth-hormone axis peptides
- TesamorelinGrowth-hormone axis peptides
Questions readers ask
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 data2.
What is the half-life of CJC-1295?
An estimated 5.8 to 8.1 days in healthy adults1.
What are the side effects of CJC-1295?
The 2006 study reported no serious adverse reactions at the doses tested1. FDA, however, has identified serious adverse events including increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction2.
Is CJC-1295 with or without DAC the same thing?
The published human studies describe a long-acting analog of GHRH1; PubChem holds a single record under the CJC-1295 name5. 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.
References
Every source below was retrieved from its official API or page and cached on the data-edition date. Numbers match the margin notes.
- 1 PubMed Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, et al. 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. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006. PMID 16352683; doi:10.1210/jc.2005-1536.
- 2 FDA Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks. U.S. FDA, content current as of 04/22/2026.
- 3 PubMed Ionescu M, Frohman LA. Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006. PMID 17018654; doi:10.1210/jc.2006-1702.
- 4 PubMed Sackmann-Sala L, Ding J, Frohman LA, et al. 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. Growth Horm IGF Res 2009. PMID 19386527; doi:10.1016/j.ghir.2009.03.001.
- 5 PubChem PubChem compound record: Cjc 1295. C165H269N47O46 · MW 3647.2 g/mol.
- 6 PubMed PubMed search: (CJC-1295[tiab] OR CJC1295[tiab]). 35 records at fetch. PMID cjc-1295.
- 7 ClinicalTrials.gov ClinicalTrials.gov registry search: CJC-1295. 1 registered studies at fetch.
- 8 PubMed Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, et al. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol 1998. PMID 9849822; doi:10.1530/eje.0.1390552.