CJC-1295
A GHRH analogue engineered for extended half-life. Phase 1 human data confirm sustained GH and IGF-1 elevation; development was discontinued and no efficacy trials were completed.
Growth Hormone
CJC-1295 DAC
CJC-1295 with a linker that binds it to blood albumin, stretching its half-life from minutes to about a week. That long action is also the main criticism of it.
Overview
The body releases growth hormone in pulses, mostly at night. CJC-1295 with DAC carries a chemical hook that latches onto albumin in the blood, so instead of clearing in minutes it circulates for roughly a week. The result is a continuously raised baseline of growth hormone and IGF-1 rather than the natural pulse pattern. Whether that continuous elevation is desirable is genuinely contested — the pulsatile pattern appears to matter for some of growth hormone's effects.
A tetrasubstituted GRF(1-29) analogue (D-Ala2, Gln8, Ala15, Leu27) conjugated at the C-terminus to maleimidopropionic acid, which forms a covalent bond with cysteine-34 of circulating albumin. The substitutions confer DPP-4 resistance and reduced asparagine deamidation; the albumin conjugation extends terminal half-life to roughly 6–8 days. Published phase 1 work showed sustained 2- to 10-fold GH elevation and 1.5- to 3-fold IGF-1 elevation for up to 6 days after single doses, with GH pulsatility preserved in frequency but raised in trough. No phase 2 or 3 efficacy programme was completed.
Research areas
Growth hormone axisIGF-1Body composition
Dosing reported in the literature
Every protocol below is reproduced from a published study or approved labelling, with its source named. These are records of what was studied — not recommendations, and not a suggestion that any of them is appropriate for any person.
| Protocol as reported | Source |
|---|---|
| Single subcutaneous doses of 30, 60 and 125 mcg/kg with GH and IGF-1 measured over 14 days | Teichman et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2006 |
| Multiple doses of 60 mcg/kg weekly or every other week | Teichman et al., 2006 multiple-dose arm |
Trial status
Phase 1 pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies published. Development was discontinued before efficacy trials.
Reported safety signals
- Sustained rather than pulsatile GH elevation is a mechanistic concern that has not been resolved by long-term human data.
- Injection-site reactions, flushing and headache were reported in phase 1.
- Persistent IGF-1 elevation carries theoretical proliferative risk; no long-term study has addressed it.
- Water retention, joint pain and carpal tunnel symptoms are documented with sustained GH elevation generally.
Common questions
What is the difference between CJC-1295 and CJC-1295 DAC?
The DAC version carries a drug-affinity-complex linker that bonds it to albumin, giving a half-life of about a week. Plain CJC-1295 — often sold as modified GRF(1-29) — lacks that linker and clears within about 30 minutes. They produce very different patterns of GH release from the same underlying peptide.
Primary sources
- 01
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
- 02
Growth hormone-releasing hormone and its analogues: therapeutic potential
- 03
Pulsatile versus continuous growth hormone secretion: physiological consequences
Medical disclaimer
This page is for informational and research purposes only. Nothing here constitutes medical advice. The compounds discussed are research chemicals. Consult a qualified clinician before starting any protocol.
How this profile was built →