CJC-1295

Not FDA-approved

Also known as: CJC-1295 with DAC, Mod GRF 1-29 (the form without DAC)

Structure source: PubChem CID 91971820, the form with DAC (D-Ala = D-alanine; K* = lysine carrying the maleimidopropionyl group that bonds to albumin; amide at the end)

CJC-1295 is a lab-made, altered version of the first 29 amino acids of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), built to last longer in the body. The form studied in people carries an add-on (DAC) that bonds to albumin in the blood, and one injection acts for about a week. It raises growth hormone in healthy adults, but no published trial shows a health benefit.

How it works

Like natural GHRH, it acts on the GHRH receptor in the pituitary gland, which then releases more of the body's own growth hormone. Growth hormone raises IGF-1.
Its core is the first 29 amino acids of GHRH with four swaps; its developers designed several of them to make the chain more stable.
The tested form adds a lysine carrying a reactive group, the drug affinity complex (DAC). After injection, this bonds to albumin, a common blood protein.
Its half-life in people was about 6 to 8 days. No study has directly shown whether the albumin bond or the amino-acid swaps explain this.
In healthy young men, growth hormone still rose and fell in pulses after a dose, but levels between pulses rose about 7.5-fold.

Evidence

Raising growth hormone and IGF-1 in healthy adults (lab values)

Some human evidenceCEBM Level 2

Two small randomized, placebo-controlled trials in healthy adults aged 21 to 61 tested the DAC form. One injection raised average growth hormone 2- to 10-fold for six days or more, and IGF-1 1.5- to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days. These are lab values, not health outcomes.

Any health benefit (growth hormone deficiency, body fat, aging)

Animal and lab studies onlyCEBM Level 5

No human efficacy results have been published. The only efficacy trial, in belly fat linked to HIV, was stopped in 2006 and never reported. In mice unable to make GHRH, it restored normal growth when given daily, but not when given every two or three days.

Caveats

In its only efficacy trial, a participant developed chest discomfort two hours after his 11th dose. A heart attack was confirmed, and he died about an hour later. His doctor thought undiagnosed heart disease the most likely cause; a link to the drug was not established.
In healthy volunteers, injection-site reactions were very common, and some people had brief hives at the site.
Flushing, warmth, headache, diarrhea and brief drops in blood pressure were also common, and heart rate rose with higher doses.
Published human safety data come from 63 healthy adults, most of whom had a single injection. Long-term safety is unknown.
No data show that it avoids the known risks of growth hormone itself. These include tumor growth, diabetes, fluid retention and raised pressure in the skull.
In rats and dogs, injections caused bleeding, inflammation and tissue death at the injection site. No animal cancer studies have been done.
Two different molecules share the name CJC-1295. The version without DAC (Mod GRF 1-29) has never been studied in people, and a product's name may not show which one it is.

References

Reviewed by Shubham Gupta, MD — Founder & President · October 31, 2026

This page is for education only. It is not medical advice. Decisions about any treatment belong with a physician who knows your history.