CJC-1295

An unapproved analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone

Not FDA-approved · not available for sale or prescription

Stylised model of the real sequence

Overview.

Neither form of CJC-1295 is FDA-approved, and human data are limited to short-term studies of the with-DAC form. The name covers two related but chemically distinct research peptides built on a modified 29-amino-acid GHRH(1-29) backbone. The 'no-DAC' form (also called Mod GRF 1-29) is short-acting, but its half-life has never been measured in a published human study. The 'with-DAC' form adds a Drug Affinity Complex that lets the peptide bind circulating albumin, giving an estimated half-life of about 6-8 days in healthy adults. ConjuChem tested the with-DAC form through Phase 2 before stopping in 2006, and in December 2024 an FDA advisory committee voted against adding any CJC-1295 form to the 503A compounding bulks list.

Also known as Mod GRF 1-29 · CJC-1295 no-DAC · CJC-1295 with DAC · DAC:GRF

The molecule, decoded.

Sequence: Tyr-D-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Gln-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Val-Leu-Ala-Gln-Leu-Ser-Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-Gln-Asp-Ile-Leu-Ser-Arg-NH2 (29-aa core shared by both variants; the with-DAC form carries an additional C-terminal Lys-maleimidopropionyl group)
Length: 29 residues
Molecular weight: 3,647.2 g/mol
Formula: With-DAC: C165H269N47O46. No-DAC (Mod GRF 1-29): C152H252N44O42
CAS number: 446262-90-4 (with-DAC); 446036-97-1 (no-DAC / Mod GRF 1-29)
Half-life: With DAC: ~5.8-8.1 days; without DAC: not measured in humans
Routes studied: subcutaneous injection
Modifications: D-Ala2/Gln8/Ala15/Leu27 substitutions vs. native GHRH(1-29) in both variants; with-DAC form adds a Lys-maleimidopropionyl 'Drug Affinity Complex' for covalent albumin binding

How it works.

Both variants bind the GHRH receptor on anterior-pituitary somatotrophs, activating Gs-protein/adenylyl cyclase/cAMP/PKA signaling that drives pulsatile GH release. Four substitutions versus native GHRH(1-29) (D-Ala2, Gln8, Ala15, Leu27) confer resistance to DPP-4 and other proteases in both variants. The with-DAC variant additionally carries a C-terminal lysine bearing a maleimidopropionyl group that reacts covalently with cysteine-34 of serum albumin after injection, sequestering the peptide from renal clearance and enzymatic degradation.

Evidence · Early or small human studies

What the research shows

phase 2 RCT, stopped2006

ConjuChem's randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial of CJC-1295 with DAC in 192 HIV patients with visceral obesity was stopped in July 2006 after a participant had an acute myocardial infarction about 2 hours after his 11th dose and died. The attending physician's 'most likely explanation' was asymptomatic coronary artery disease with plaque rupture; causality was never formally established, ConjuChem terminated the study, and CJC-1295 never advanced beyond Phase 2.

192 HIV-infected adults with visceral obesity (lipodystrophy)

phase 1 RCT2006

Single ascending subcutaneous doses of CJC-1295 with DAC in 42 healthy adults (35 active, 7 placebo) produced dose-dependent GH increases of 2-10 fold lasting 6+ days and IGF-1 increases of 1.5-3 fold lasting 9-11 days; estimated half-life 5.8-8.1 days.

42 healthy adults aged 21-61 (single-dose study 1: 35 active, 7 placebo)

Source

phase 1 RCT2006

In a multiple-dose study (study 2, 24 adults), mean IGF-1 stayed above baseline for up to 28 days. Injection-site reactions occurred in ~70% of active subjects in the single-dose study and in all active subjects in the multiple-dose study; headache, diarrhea and flushing/transient hypotension were also common at higher doses.

healthy adults aged 21-61 (66 across two trials)

Source

no human trial2026

The no-DAC form (Mod GRF 1-29) has no dedicated human clinical trial as a standalone product; its short (~30 min) half-life is inferred from its structural similarity to sermorelin/native GHRH(1-29), not measured in its own pharmacokinetic trial.

n/a

What to know first.

Based on: short-term trials of the with-DAC form; only anecdotal reports for the no-DAC form.

Reported side effects

injection-site reactions (~70% of active subjects in the single-dose study; all active subjects in the multiple-dose study)
headache (63% active vs 14% placebo in the single-dose study)
diarrhea/loose stools (43%; more frequent at higher doses)
systemic vasodilatory reactions: flushing, warmth, transient hypotension (~30%)
dose-dependent increase in heart rate (Ionescu & Frohman 2006, per FDA review)
one participant died of an acute myocardial infarction ~2 hours after his 11th dose in the ConjuChem Phase 2 trial; the investigator's most likely explanation was asymptomatic coronary artery disease, and causality was never formally established

Cautions

class-wide GH-secretagogue signal of decreased insulin sensitivity and elevated blood glucose
theoretical malignancy/cell-proliferation concern from chronic IGF-1 elevation (extrapolated from labeled GH-axis drugs, not directly studied for CJC-1295)
no long-term (>weeks) human safety data for either variant

Checked 2026-09

Where it stands.

Not FDA-approved · not available for sale or prescription. CJC-1295 is not FDA-approved and is not available for sale or prescription. We profile it because people ask about it.

FDA: not approved (investigational only). ConjuChem's Phase 2 program for HIV-associated lipodystrophy (with-DAC form) was discontinued in 2006; no NDA/BLA was ever completed for either variant.
Compounding: Placed in FDA's 503A Category 2 ('may present significant safety risks') on September 29, 2023 (503A only; never 503B). The nominations were withdrawn and FDA removed it from Category 2 effective September 27, 2024, but FDA still lists CJC-1295 among substances that may present significant safety risks (immunogenicity; serious adverse events including increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction). On December 4, 2024 the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted against adding every CJC-1295 form to the 503A Bulks List (free base 0-13, acetate 1-12, DAC free base/acetate/TFA 0-13). It is in no 503A category and is not eligible for 503A compounding (no USP monograph, not a component of an approved drug, not on the bulks list).
Sport (WADA): Prohibited at all times (in- and out-of-competition) under S2 (Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics) of the WADA Prohibited List; GHRH and its analogues, naming CJC-1295 explicitly, are listed.
Enforcement: FDA 503A Category 2 listing, Sept 29, 2023; removed Sept 27, 2024 after the nominators withdrew (FDA still publishes its safety concerns, so this was not a reversal) (fda.gov)
FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted Dec 4, 2024 against adding any CJC-1295 form to the 503A Bulks List (fda.gov minutes)
FDA warning letter to Tailor Made Compounding (Apr 1, 2020) cited compounding with CJC-1295 and other peptides that are not eligible for 503A; the pharmacy pleaded guilty in federal court (E.D. Ky., Oct 2020) to distributing unapproved new drugs, including CJC-1295, and forfeited $1,788,906.82
Named alongside AOD-9604, ipamorelin acetate and thymosin alpha-1 in industry litigation (Evexias/FarmaKeio v. FDA, Texas) challenging FDA's Category 2 process (per The FDA Law Blog, 2026)

References (2)

CJC-1295

Overview.

The molecule, decoded.

How it works.

What the research shows

What to know first.

Reported side effects

Cautions

Where it stands.

More in Growth