History

Created in the mid-2000s by the Canadian firm ConjuChem to extend GHRH's very short half-life. Both forms share four amino-acid substitutions on the GRF 1-29 backbone; the DAC ("Drug Affinity Complex") version adds a group that binds albumin, extending the half-life to roughly 6-8 days, whereas the no-DAC "mod GRF 1-29" lasts only minutes. Phase 1/2 trials were published around 2005-2006. Development was halted after a trial participant died; the attending physician attributed the death to pre-existing coronary artery disease and considered it unrelated, but research ended as a precaution.

CJC-1295 is a synthetic growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog designed to make the body secrete more of its own growth hormone (GH). Short human studies confirm it raises GH and IGF-1, but no trial has shown it changes any health or performance outcome, and no version is FDA-approved.

What it is

CJC-1295 is a modified copy of the first 29 amino acids of natural GHRH, carrying four amino-acid substitutions that slow its breakdown. It was developed by ConjuChem in the early 2000s. It exists in two forms. The “with DAC” version (Drug Affinity Complex) carries a chemical group that binds to albumin in the blood, stretching its estimated half-life to roughly 6-8 days. The “without DAC” version, often sold as Modified GRF 1-29, clears within minutes. Both bind GHRH receptors in the pituitary, prompting it to release GH, which in turn raises IGF-1.

The claims

Marketers promote CJC-1295 (frequently stacked with ipamorelin) for muscle gain, fat loss, better sleep, faster recovery, anti-aging, and improved skin. These claims are extrapolated from its known effect on GH and IGF-1 rather than from studies measuring those outcomes directly.

What the evidence actually shows

The core human data come from two randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials in healthy adults reported together by Teichman and colleagues in 2006 — a single ascending-dose study and a multiple-dose study. A single injection raised GH roughly 2- to 10-fold for six days or more and IGF-1 about 1.5- to 3-fold for 9-11 days; repeated dosing kept IGF-1 above baseline for up to 28 days. So the drug does what it claims biochemically.

The critical gap: these are short pharmacodynamic studies that measured hormone levels in the blood, not clinical results. No published human trial demonstrates that CJC-1295 actually builds muscle, reduces fat, improves sleep, speeds recovery, or treats any condition. A Phase 2 program in HIV-related fat redistribution was launched but stopped before any such outcome was established (see below). Claims about body composition, sleep, and aging are not supported by direct human evidence.

Legal and regulatory status

CJC-1295 is not approved by the FDA for any use, and its clinical development was abandoned. It was nominated for the FDA’s 503A list of bulk substances that pharmacies may compound and was placed in Category 2 (significant safety concerns; compounding not permitted). In December 2024, the FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC) reviewed CJC-1295 and voted against adding it to the permitted 503A list, citing concerns including cardiac effects, immunogenicity, and limited clinical evidence; FDA nonclinical materials for that review also described adverse animal findings, including reported DNA damage in pituitary cells. During the broader 2026 reshuffling of the Category 2 list, the substance’s exact status has been reported inconsistently, but the key points are not in dispute: it was never placed in Category 1 (the permitted list), and it is not among the seven peptides PCAC is scheduled to review at its July 23-24, 2026 meeting. In practice it has no clear legal compounding pathway and is sold mostly as a gray-market “research chemical.” For athletes, the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits GHRH analogues, naming CJC-1295, at all times (in and out of competition) under category S2.

Safety

Human safety data are thin and short-term. In the 2006 trials, doses around 30-60 µg/kg were described as safe and relatively well tolerated, with no serious adverse reactions reported; injection-site reactions are the most commonly described effect. The largest caution comes from the discontinued Phase 2 lipodystrophy study, which enrolled 192 participants and was halted in 2006 after a participant died. The death was reportedly attributed by the trial physician to pre-existing asymptomatic coronary artery disease with plaque rupture and considered likely unrelated to the drug, but the trial was ended as a precaution. Separately, FDA nonclinical materials cited adverse animal findings for CJC-1295, including reported DNA damage in pituitary cells. Beyond this, the long-term risks of sustained GH/IGF-1 elevation are not characterized in humans, and gray-market products carry additional risks around purity, dosing, and sterility.

Bottom line

CJC-1295 reliably raises GH and IGF-1 in short human trials, but no study shows it produces any clinical or physique benefit, long-term safety is unknown, it is not FDA-approved, and it is banned in sport. The marketing runs far ahead of the evidence.

Evidence grade: Preliminary human.