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Not FDA-approved
Bones & muscles
CJC-1295
Also called modified GRF 1-29
CJC-1295 is a long-acting GHRH analog that raises growth hormone and IGF-1 levels. Learn what the research shows and why it is not FDA-approved.
- Reviewed by
- William Maish, MD MBA MPH, Clinical Product Lead
- Published
- April 18, 2026
- Last updated
- October 5, 2026
Key takeaway
CJC-1295 is a synthetic long-acting analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). In two placebo-controlled trials of healthy adults aged 21 to 61 (Teichman, 2006), a single injection raised mean growth hormone 2- to 10-fold for 6 days or more. Mean IGF-1 rose 1.5- to 3-fold, but no controlled human trial shows benefit for muscle, fat loss, recovery, or anti-aging. CJC-1295 is not FDA-approved, it is not eligible for routine pharmacy compounding, and it is banned in sport.
What is CJC-1295?
CJC-1295 is an experimental peptide built on the growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) backbone, modified so it resists breakdown and lasts longer in the body. It is not an approved drug; it is sold through "research peptide" and wellness channels and marketed to boost the body's own growth hormone for muscle gain, fat loss, recovery, and "anti-aging."
Two versions circulate:
- CJC-1295 with DAC, a long-acting form that binds to blood albumin
- CJC-1295 without DAC, essentially "modified GRF 1-29"
In placebo-controlled human trials, the DAC form had an estimated half-life of 5.8 to 8.1 days1.
How does it work?
The proposed mechanism is indirect. GHRH is the hypothalamic signal that tells the pituitary gland to release growth hormone in pulses. As a GHRH-receptor agonist, CJC-1295 is intended to amplify those pulses, raising growth hormone and, downstream, IGF-1. The marketed effects on body composition and recovery are inferred from that hormone rise rather than demonstrated directly. This describes the proposed pharmacology; whether it produces the claimed results in people is a separate question that controlled trials have not answered.
The best-characterized human data come from two randomized, placebo-controlled trials1 in healthy adults aged 21 to 61 (Teichman, 2006) and a follow-up analysis of healthy men aged 20 to 40.
| Measure | Study group | Finding |
| Mean growth hormone after one injection | Healthy adults aged 21 to 61 | Rose 2- to 10-fold for 6 days1 or more |
| Mean IGF-1 after one injection | Healthy adults aged 21 to 61 | Rose 1.5- to 3-fold |
| IGF-1 after repeat injections | Healthy adults aged 21 to 61 | Stayed elevated up to 28 days1 |
| Growth hormone pattern after a single injection | Healthy men aged 20 to 40 | Kept its pulsatile pattern2 |
| Trough levels over the same period | Healthy men aged 20 to 40 | Rose 7.5-fold2 |
Is it FDA-approved?
No. CJC-1295 is not approved by the FDA for any use, and there is no approved CJC-1295 product. It is not eligible for routine 503A compounding: FDA lists it among substances whose compounding nominations were withdrawn. In sport, growth-hormone-releasing factors including GHRH analogs are prohibited at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list.
What does the research show?
The human evidence is limited to short pharmacology studies of hormone levels, not outcomes. According to PubMed, a Phase 1 study3 found CJC-1295 produced sustained, dose-dependent increases in growth hormone and IGF-1 and was described as well tolerated over the short term.
A related long-acting GHRH study4 reported similar hormone rises along with some impairment of glucose tolerance in older adults. These measure hormone levels, not muscle, fat, or recovery, and the short-acting "no-DAC" product sold online is largely uncharacterized in controlled human trials. There is no sound human evidence that it delivers the marketed wellness benefits.
CJC-1295 is often paired with ipamorelin, which acts at a separate receptor that growth hormone-releasing peptides (GHRPs) engage. No published human randomized controlled trial tests that combination as of September 2026.
Sources: a Phase 1 pharmacodynamic study of CJC-1295 (Teichman et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2006, DOI: 10.1210/jc.2005-15363) and a long-acting GHRH study (Munafò et al., European Journal of Endocrinology, 2005, DOI: 10.1530/eje.1.019654), both indexed on PubMed; and the WADA Prohibited List. This document is educational, is not medical advice or a health claim, and is not an offer to sell any product.