CJC-1295 (no DAC): what the studies show, status and safety
Summary
CJC-1295 without DAC, also sold as Mod GRF 1-29, has never been studied. The scientific literature holds no trial in people, no animal work and no cell work. Every published figure carrying the name CJC-1295 belongs to a different molecule, the DAC form. No country has approved it, Australia bans possessing it, and sport bans it at all times.
Key findings at a glance
- Not a single study of this substance. No trial in people, no animal work, no cell work. A 2026 review places it in its lowest evidence grade, D, defined as no peer-reviewed human studies [1], [2].
- Two molecules share one name. The DAC-free form has 29 amino acids and weighs 3,367.9 g/mol. The DAC form has 30 and weighs 3,647.2 g/mol, a difference of 279.3 [3], [4].
- The famous numbers belong to the DAC form. Its measured half-life in people is 5.8 to 8.1 days. Growth hormone stayed two- to tenfold higher for six days or more. None of that transfers [5].
- No half-life has ever been measured for the DAC-free form. The nearest human anchor covers one of its four building blocks. On its own, that swap lengthened the half-life from 4.3 to 6.7 minutes [6], [1].
- Australia bans possession, and names this molecule. The Poisons Standard lists CJC-1295 by the registry number 863288-34-0, and that number resolves to the DAC-free structure [7], [3].
- Banned in sport around the clock. The 2026 Prohibited List names CJC-1295 in section S2.2.4, and covers growth hormone-releasing hormone analogues as a group [8].
- The American regulator lists serious adverse events. It names raised heart rate and a body-wide widening of blood vessels, without saying which of the two forms was involved [9].
What it is
CJC-1295 without DAC is a laboratory-made copy of the first 29 building blocks of a human hormone, with four of them swapped. The hormone is growth hormone-releasing hormone, made in the brain, which tells the pituitary gland to release growth hormone [1].
The four swaps were designed for durability rather than potency. They protect the chain from a blood enzyme and remove a site that degrades in storage. They also stiffen the middle of the molecule and take out an easily oxidised building block [3], [6], [10].
The name comes from somewhere else entirely. CJC-1295 was described in 2005 by the Canadian company ConjuChem, and what they described carried a 30th building block, a chemical hook that latches onto a blood protein. The sequence without that hook was never developed as a medicine by anyone [10], [1].
Quick facts
| Field | Value | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Also sold as | Mod GRF 1-29, modified GRF (1-29), CJC-1295 no DAC | [1] |
| Class | Growth hormone-releasing hormone analogue | [1] |
| Structure | 29 amino acids, amide at the tail end, no hook for blood protein | [3] |
| Written out in full | D-Ala2, Gln8, Ala15, Leu27-hGRF(1-29)-NH2 | [3], [11] |
| Substitutions | D-Ala at position 2, Gln at 8, Ala at 15, Leu at 27 | [3], [11] |
| Formula and mass | C152H252N44O42, 3,367.9 g/mol | [3] |
| Registry number (CAS) | 863288-34-0 | [3] |
| PubChem entry | CID 56841945 | [3] |
| Code with the American regulator (UNII) | None. Only the two DAC conjugates have one | [3], [4] |
| How long it lasts in the body | Never measured in people | [1] |
| How it is given | Not reported in any peer-reviewed study | [1] |
| Registered trials | None, anywhere, ever | [2] |
| Approval status | Approved nowhere, for nothing | [9], [1] |
How it works
Nothing about this molecule's behaviour has been measured, so everything below is reasoning by analogy from two other substances. The 2026 review states the position plainly, writing that the effect is inferred from a study of the unmodified parent sequence [1].
- It would act on the pituitary gland. Like the natural hormone, it should bind the growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor on the pituitary and prompt a release of growth hormone. No binding study with this molecule exists [1].
- A rise in IGF-1 would follow. Growth hormone drives the liver to make insulin-like growth factor 1. This step is well described for the class, not for this substance [1].
- The swaps should slow its breakdown. Only one of the four has been tested in people. In ten men it cut clearance from 39.7 ± 3.9 to 21 ± 1.2 ml/kg/min. The half-life rose from 4.3 ± 1.4 to 6.7 ± 0.5 minutes [6].
- An intact pituitary would be needed. The DAC form normalised growth in mice lacking the natural hormone. It also raised the pituitary's growth hormone messenger RNA, which points to the gland as the site of action [12].
- A theoretical cancer worry attaches to the class. Higher IGF-1 in the blood tracks with cancer risk in population studies. Reviewers call this theoretical and note no established clinical signal [1], [13].
One market claim deserves separate treatment. Sellers argue that leaving out the hook keeps growth hormone release in its natural rhythm. The only measurement bearing on this points the other way: even under the long-acting DAC form, pulse frequency and pulse size were unchanged [14].
That matters because the two reference molecules differ in exactly the feature that decides how long an effect lasts. The DAC form circulates for days; the unmodified parent sequence is gone in minutes [5], [6].
What the trials found
There are no trials. Not one study of CJC-1295 without DAC has been published in people, in animals or in cells, and none is registered anywhere [1], [2], [15].
Records naming the substance, by search term. The 33 records for CJC-1295 cover laboratory test methods, reviews and market studies, plus work on the DAC form. Neither of the two Europe PMC records contains original data. Source [15].
Growth hormone release
No evidence Nobody has measured what this molecule does to growth hormone in a person, an animal or a dish of cells. Neither the size of any response nor its timing is known. The 2026 review records no peer-reviewed human studies in every column of its table [1], [15].
Body composition and performance
No evidence No controlled study of muscle, fat or performance exists for either form of CJC-1295. The reviewers write that there is no peer-reviewed support for clinically meaningful effects on body composition or performance outcomes [1].
Recovery of muscle, tendon and bone
No evidence A 2026 scoping review searched for CJC-1295 alongside bone, fracture, muscle, tendon, ligament, meniscus and cartilage. Across the peptides it covered, 67 per cent of what it found was animal work. It concluded that the claimed benefits remain unsubstantiated by current human trials [16].
What the DAC form showed
Phase 1 In two randomised, placebo-controlled dose-escalation studies over 28 and 49 days, a single injection raised average growth hormone two- to tenfold for six days or longer. IGF-1 rose 1.5- to 3-fold for nine to eleven days. The estimated half-life was 5.8 to 8.1 days [5].
Phase 1 In healthy men aged 20 to 40, growth hormone was sampled every 20 minutes across a 12-hour night, before and a week after one injection. Trough levels rose 7.5-fold (P < 0.0001), average levels by 46 per cent (P < 0.01) and IGF-1 by 45 per cent (P < 0.001) [14].
Observational A protein-profiling study compared blood from 11 healthy young men before and a week after an injection. Two protein spots weakened and three strengthened. It searched for markers of growth hormone action rather than testing whether the substance worked [17].
The one registered trial, and how it ended
Phase 2 (terminated) A randomised, placebo-controlled trial planned 120 adults with HIV-associated abdominal fat for 12 weeks of treatment. It ran from December 2005 to September 2006 and was stopped, and no reason is recorded. No results were filed and nothing was published [2].
Animal work, all on the DAC form
Animal data In mice bred without the natural hormone, daily injections for five weeks restored normal body weight and length. Longer gaps between injections worked less well. In a second model, mice with a brain receptor deleted, treatment restored pituitary size, growth hormone and IGF-1 [12], [18].
Where the substance itself does appear
The DAC-free form is real, it circulates, and laboratories treat it as a distinct target. A 2021 study examined sermorelin, tesamorelin, CJC-1295 and CJC-1295 with the drug affinity complex side by side, identifying and synthesising 19 breakdown products [19].
Seized material tells the same story. A preparation examined for Norwegian police in 2009 held a 29-residue peptide with an amide tail, which is the DAC-free structure rather than the 30-residue DAC form [20].
Danish customs material contained versions of Mod GRF 1-29 and three related peptides, each carrying an extra glycine at the head end. That change appears designed to defeat existing laboratory tests. It also means buyers received a different molecule from the one on the label [21].
What is still unknown
- Whether the substance does anything at all in a human body.
- How much reaches the blood, how long it stays and how it is broken down.
- What happens with repeated use, including whether the receptor stops responding.
- Anything about pregnancy, childhood, older age, diabetes or pituitary disease.
- Whether the material sold under the name is the molecule described here.
Side effects and safety
No side-effect profile exists for CJC-1295 without DAC, and that is not the same as being well tolerated. Nobody has been given it under observation, so nothing has ever been counted [1].
What is on record comes from three other places, and each carries a caveat.
- The American regulator names serious adverse events. It cites raised heart rate and a body-wide widening of blood vessels for CJC-1295, adding that available clinical data are limited. It does not say which form was involved [9].
- It also flags manufacturing risk. The same entry warns of possible immune reactions by certain routes, and of difficulties with peptide-related impurities and characterising the active ingredient [9].
- Class effects come from the neighbours. Reviewers list injection-site pain, brief flushing, nausea, dizziness, headache, rare allergic reactions and a reported temporary rise in prolactin. These come from sermorelin and tesamorelin data [1].
- Fluid retention and joint or muscle aches are described for the wider group of substances acting on this hormone axis, along with appetite changes and disturbed blood sugar [1].
- Grey-market quality is a documented problem. Seized products carried altered structures, and a 2026 review notes that such products are often mislabelled or contaminated [21], [22].
- The one controlled safety check was never completed. The single registered trial stopped after nine months with no stated reason, no results filed and no publication [2].
- People rarely use these substances alone. Reviewers note frequent use alongside anabolic steroids, thyroid hormone, stimulants and other drugs, so symptoms cannot be attributed to one peptide [1].
What is missing
- No safety data of any kind for the substance itself: no adverse events, no tolerated dose, no laboratory monitoring.
- No measurement of how the body handles it: no half-life, no clearance, no bioavailability.
- No immune-reaction data, which the American regulator names as an open question [9].
- No data on repeated or long-term use, and none in any special group.
- No interaction data, although it is commonly combined with ipamorelin according to forum-derived reports [1].
Why this page lists no doses
Every dose in this register comes from a published study, listed with the population, the route and the length of treatment. For CJC-1295 without DAC there is no such study, so there is nothing to report. The peer-reviewed literature does not even record how the substance is given [1], [2].
Doses do exist for the neighbouring molecules, and they belong on their own pages. Each was measured in a different substance. That means the DAC form with its multi-day persistence, the unmodified parent sequence, or a variant carrying one of the four swaps [5], [14], [6].
Figures also circulate in forums. The 2026 review reproduces them, and labels the whole table as behavioural data rather than clinical recommendations, drawn from non-peer-reviewed and often internally inconsistent online sources. They are described here as a market phenomenon and are not repeated as numbers [1].
Development and approval status
A name that outlived its development programme
- 1994One building block tested in peopleThe D-Ala swap alone lengthens the half-life from 4.3 to 6.7 minutes, ref [6]
- 2005ConjuChem describes CJC-1295The molecule in that paper carries the albumin hook; the DAC-free sequence is not the subject, ref [10]
- 2006Two early-stage studies publishedBoth in the DAC form, half-life 5.8 to 8.1 days, refs [5], [14]
- 2005 to 2006The only registered trial is terminated120 planned participants, stopped after nine months, no results, no publication, ref [2]
- 2009Seized preparation identifiedA 29-residue peptide sold as CJC-1295, which is the DAC-free form, ref [20]
- 2025 and 2026Named on the Prohibited ListIdentical wording in section S2.2.4 of both years, ref [8]
- May 2026Australia bans possessionNamed in Appendix D by the registry number of the DAC-free molecule, ref [7]
- 7 September 2026Registers searched againNo registered trial and no approval anywhere, refs [2], [23]
There is no development programme, and there never was one for this molecule. The programme that existed under the name CJC-1295 belonged to the DAC form, and ConjuChem did not continue it after 2006 [2], [10].
| Market | Status | Since or note | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not approved | Nomination withdrawn; risk assessment still published | [9] |
| European Union | Not approved | No authorisation for either form | [1] |
| Germany | Not approved | Follows the European route | [1] |
| United Kingdom | Not approved | No marketing authorisation | [24] |
| Australia | Prescription only, possession banned | June 2026 Poisons Standard | [7] |
| Canada | Not approved | Ingredient database empty | [23] |
| Switzerland | Not approved | Unlicensed supply is illegal | [25] |
Two entries need care. The American nomination was withdrawn by whoever filed it, not cleared by the regulator, and the safety assessment remains on the page [9].
Australia goes furthest. CJC-1295 is item 7 of the appendix covering poisons that may not be possessed without authority, alongside BPC-157, hexarelin, ibutamoren and ipamorelin. Two general entries in the same table catch the DAC form as well [7].
The European finding carries a caveat worth stating. The agency's search refused an automated query on 7 September 2026, so this rests on the review's statement that neither variant is approved by major regulators [1].
Register searches behind this table were run on 7 September 2026. More on the general legal picture is in the overview of whether peptides are legal.
Anti-doping
CJC-1295 is banned at all times, in and out of competition, as a non-specified substance in category S2. Section S2.2.4 of the 2026 Prohibited List covers "growth hormone releasing factors, including, but not limited to" and then names "growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and its analogues (e.g. CJC-1293, CJC-1295, sermorelin and tesamorelin)" [8].
Two points matter for the DAC-free form. The list writes CJC-1295 without qualification, so both forms are covered. The wording is also open-ended, and Mod GRF 1-29 is a growth hormone-releasing hormone analogue whatever the name is taken to mean [8].
Tests exist. Laboratory methods reach detection limits of about 1 ng/ml or below in urine, and one method reaches 0.2 ng/ml. Several list the DAC-free form as a separate target [19], [26], [27].
Despite this, the 2021 review reported that these analogues had apparently not been found in samples at accredited laboratories. The authors put that down to low urine concentrations and limited knowledge of how the substances break down [19]. Further detail is in the overview of peptides banned in sport.
Compared with related peptides
Trials listed on the American public register. The single CJC-1295 entry was terminated in 2006 without results. Source [2].
| Substance | Target | Status | Strongest own finding | Half-life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CJC-1295 without DAC | Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor | Unapproved, no trials | None. No study exists [1] | Never measured [1] |
| CJC-1295 with DAC | Same receptor, plus a hook onto blood protein | Unapproved, development stopped 2006 | Growth hormone raised two- to tenfold for six days or more [5] | 5.8 to 8.1 days [5] |
| Sermorelin | Same receptor, unmodified sequence | Formerly approved in the United States, withdrawn commercially | Decades of human data on growth hormone release [1] | 4.3 ± 1.4 minutes [6] |
| Tesamorelin | Same receptor, longer 44-residue chain | Approved for HIV-associated fat redistribution | Randomised controlled efficacy data, 24 registered trials [2], [28] | Not listed here |
| Ipamorelin | Ghrelin receptor, a different target | Unapproved, development stopped | Commonly combined with CJC-1295 in forum reports [1] | Not listed here |
The table shows what an evidence base looks like when it exists. Tesamorelin sits on 24 registered trials and an approval. Sermorelin has decades of human measurement behind it. The DAC form has three published human studies and one abandoned trial.
CJC-1295 without DAC has none of that. It sits in the same receptor family, which is why its neighbours' results get borrowed on its behalf, and each borrowing crosses at least one structural difference.
The ipamorelin row is included because the two are frequently sold and discussed together. That combination is a market fact, documented in forum-derived reports, and it has never been studied for interactions, kinetics or safety [1].
Common misconceptions
- "With and without DAC are two versions of one substance." They are different chemicals: 29 versus 30 amino acids, 3,367.9 versus 3,647.2 g/mol, and different registry numbers. The DAC form carries a reactive hook that binds a blood protein [3], [4].
- "CJC-1295 in a paper means CJC-1295 on a label." Usually not. Since 2005 the scientific term has meant the hooked conjugate, while sold product has been shown to be the 29-residue sequence [10], [20], [29].
- "The registry number 863288-34-0 belongs to the DAC form." It resolves to the DAC-free structure. That has legal consequences, because it is the number Australia used to name the substance [3], [7].
- "The database entry settles it." For this substance it does not. One PubChem record carries contradictory names, including both with DAC and no DAC, and a sequence string describing the 30-residue form, while its structure describes the 29-residue one. Wikidata repeats the confusion [30], [31].
- "CJC-1293 is the DAC-free variant." It is not. CJC-1293 is the unmodified parent sequence carrying the same hook, so it is also a conjugate [32], [33].
- "Mod GRF 1-29 is just sermorelin." Sermorelin is the unmodified sequence at 3,357.9 g/mol. Mod GRF 1-29 differs at four positions, and sermorelin's long human record does not carry across [11], [3].
- "Teichman and Ionescu proved it works." Both studied the DAC form. A half-life of days, and effects a week after one injection, are only possible with the blood-protein anchor [5], [14].
- "No DAC means gentler and more natural." Nothing has been measured to support this, and the rhythm argument behind it was contradicted in the DAC form itself [14], [1].
- "The withdrawn American nomination was an all-clear." The filer withdrew it. The regulator's risk assessment, including the named adverse events, is still published [9].
Frequently asked questions
Are there any studies on CJC-1295 without DAC?
No, not one of any kind. There is no trial in people, no animal experiment and no cell experiment. A 2026 review places the substance in its lowest evidence grade, defined as having no peer-reviewed human studies, and states that it remains essentially uncharacterised.
What is the difference between CJC-1295 with and without DAC?
They are two different chemicals. The DAC form has a 30th building block, a hook that binds permanently to a protein in the blood, which keeps it circulating for days. Without it the molecule has 29 building blocks and weighs 279.3 g/mol less.
How long does CJC-1295 without DAC stay in the body?
Nobody knows, because it has never been measured in a person. The unmodified parent sequence disappears within about four minutes, and one of the four structural changes lengthened that to under seven minutes. The often-quoted figure of around 30 minutes has no published basis.
Is CJC-1295 the same as Mod GRF 1-29?
In shops, usually yes, and in journals, usually no. Sold product examined by forensic laboratories was the 29-residue DAC-free peptide, while the scientific literature has used CJC-1295 for the hooked conjugate since 2005. Any figure quoted needs checking against which molecule it describes.
Is CJC-1295 without DAC approved as a medicine anywhere?
No, in no country and for no condition. Neither form is approved by any major regulator. In the United States it was put forward as a compounding ingredient, assessed as carrying safety risks, and the nomination was then withdrawn by whoever filed it.
Is CJC-1295 banned in sport?
Yes, at all times, in and out of competition. The 2026 Prohibited List names it in section S2.2.4, among growth hormone-releasing hormone analogues, and that section is written to be open-ended. A therapeutic exemption is not realistic, because no approved medical use exists.
Is possession of CJC-1295 illegal in Australia?
Yes, without a valid prescription. The June 2026 Poisons Standard lists it in the appendix covering substances that may not be possessed without authority. It identifies the substance by the registry number that corresponds to the DAC-free molecule.
What are the side effects of CJC-1295 without DAC?
None have been recorded, because nobody has taken it under observation. That is an absence of data rather than a clean safety record. The American regulator separately names raised heart rate and body-wide widening of blood vessels for CJC-1295, without saying which form.
Is combining CJC-1295 with ipamorelin studied?
No. The combination appears in forum-derived reports that a 2026 review reproduces and labels as behavioural data rather than clinical recommendations. No interaction study, no shared kinetics and no safety assessment of the pair has been published.
Why does this page list no doses for CJC-1295?
Because there are no study doses to report. Doses in this register come from published studies, and no study of this substance exists. The scientific literature does not even record how it is given, so any figure would come from sales copy or forum posts.
Sources
- Dominikowski A, Rękoś Z, Olejarz M, Szczepanek-Parulska E, Domin R, Ruchała M (2026). The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis: bridging the gap between clinical evidence and patient self-administration. Frontiers in Endocrinology 17:1822475. PMID 42395176. DOI 10.3389/fendo.2026.1822475. Treats CJC-1295 with and without DAC as separate substances and grades the DAC-free form tier D, "no peer-reviewed human studies". Table 1 records "t½ not reported in human studies" and no reported route of administration; table 2 is labelled as behavioural rather than clinical data. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
- ClinicalTrials.gov, API v2. Full-text searches for "CJC-1295" (one study, NCT00267527, the DAC form), "CJC-1293", "modified GRF" and "Mod GRF 1-29" (no study of this substance class), and the control search "tesamorelin" (24 studies). NCT00267527: phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 120 planned participants with HIV-associated visceral obesity, sponsor ConjuChem, December 2005 to September 2006, status terminated with no reason recorded, no results posted. Retrieved 6 and 7 September 2026. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00267527
- PubChem. Compound CID 56841945, the DAC-free form. C152H252N44O42, 3,367.9 g/mol, InChIKey XOZMWINMZMMOBR-HRDSVTNWSA-N, CAS 863288-34-0. The stored structure and IUPAC name describe 29 residues with a C-terminal arginine amide and no maleimide group. The four substitutions were derived in this session by comparison with CID 16132413; the mass balance of +C3H6 and −S is consistent. Retrieved 7 September 2026. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/56841945
- PubChem. Compound CID 91971820, CJC-1295 with DAC. C165H269N47O46, 3,647.2 g/mol, UNII 62RC32V9N7, CAS 446262-90-4. The structure ends in a lysine bearing an N-ε-3-maleimidopropionamide group, the 30th residue that defines the DAC form. Retrieved 7 September 2026. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/91971820
- Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, Gagnon C, Castaigne JP, Frohman LA (2006). 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. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 91(3):799-805. PMID 16352683. DOI 10.1210/jc.2005-1536. Concerns the DAC form only. Two randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind dose-escalation studies over 28 and 49 days in healthy adults aged 21 to 61, given under the skin. Estimated half-life 5.8 to 8.1 days. "No serious adverse reactions were reported." Full text behind a paywall; figures taken from the abstract.
- Soule S, King JA, Millar RP (1994). Incorporation of D-Ala2 in growth hormone-releasing hormone-(1-29)-NH2 increases the half-life and decreases metabolic clearance in normal men. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 79(4):1208-1211. PMID 7962295. DOI 10.1210/jcem.79.4.7962295. Ten healthy men, constant intravenous infusion. Metabolic clearance fell from 39.7 ± 3.9 to 21 ± 1.2 ml/kg/min and the disappearance half-life rose from 4.3 ± 1.4 to 6.7 ± 0.5 minutes. The only direct human evidence for any of the four substitutions.
- Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard—June 2026) Instrument 2026, F2026L00633, registered 28 May 2026, Australia. Schedule 4 carries the entry "CJC-1295 (CAS No. 863288-34-0)." and the index lists it under Schedule 4 and Appendix D, clause 5. Appendix D clause 5 is headed "Poisons for which possession without authority is illegal"; CJC-1295 is item 7, alongside BPC-157 (5), capromorelin (6), hexarelin (22), ibutamoren (23), ipamorelin (25) and pralmorelin (30). Items 18 and 21 of the same table cover growth hormone-releasing hormones and growth hormone secretagogues generally. Full text checked 7 September 2026. https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L00633
- World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List, in force from 1 January 2026, section S2.2.4: "Growth hormone releasing factors, including, but not limited to: growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and its analogues (e.g. CJC-1293, CJC-1295, sermorelin and tesamorelin) ...". Category S2, prohibited at all times, non-specified substance. The 2025 list carries identical wording and indexes both CJC-1293 and CJC-1295 by name. Full texts checked 7 September 2026. https://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list
- US Food and Drug Administration. "Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks", page content current as of 22 April 2026, checked 7 September 2026. CJC-1295 appears in the table "Bulk drug substances nominated but withdrawn", introduced as substances "previously in category 2 of the interim policies" that "were withdrawn by the nominators". The risk entry reads: "Compounded drugs containing CJC-1295 may pose risk for immunogenicity for certain routes of administration and may have complexities with regard to for peptide-related impurities and API characterization. FDA has identified serious adverse events associated with CJC-1295 including increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction. Available clinical data are limited." No form is specified and no source for the events is given. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks
- Jetté L, Léger R, Thibaudeau K, Benquet C, Robitaille M, Pellerin I, Paradis V, van Wyk P et al. (2005). Human growth hormone-releasing factor (hGRF)1-29-albumin bioconjugates activate the GRF receptor on the anterior pituitary in rats: identification of CJC-1295 as a long-lasting GRF analog. Endocrinology 146(7):3052-3058. PMID 15817669. DOI 10.1210/en.2004-1286. First description, and the source of the definition "CJC-1295, a tetrasubstituted form of hGRF(1-29) with an added N epsilon-3-maleimidopropionamide derivative of lysine at the C terminus". Cultured rat pituitary cells and Sprague-Dawley rats. Full text behind a paywall.
- PubChem. Compound CID 16132413, sermorelin, the unmodified hGRF(1-29)-NH2. C149H246N44O42S, 3,357.9 g/mol. Reference molecule for deriving the four substitutions. Retrieved 7 September 2026. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/16132413
- Alba M, Fintini D, Sagazio A, Lawrence B, Castaigne JP, Frohman LA, Salvatori R (2006). Once-daily administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, normalizes growth in the GHRH knockout mouse. American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism 291(6):E1290-E1294. PMID 16822960. DOI 10.1152/ajpendo.00201.2006. DAC form. One-week-old knockout mice, injections every 24, 48 or 72 hours for five weeks. Daily dosing normalised body weight and length; pituitary total RNA and growth hormone messenger RNA rose, confirmed by staining as somatotroph proliferation.
- Qian F, Huo D (2020). Circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 and risk of total and 19 site-specific cancers: cohort study analyses from the UK Biobank. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention 29(11):2332-2342. DOI 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-20-0743. The population evidence underlying the theoretical concern that reviewers describe for this class, which they qualify as carrying "no established clinical carcinogenic signal".
- Ionescu M, Frohman LA (2006). Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 91(12):4792-4797. PMID 17018654. DOI 10.1210/jc.2006-1702. DAC form only. Healthy men aged 20 to 40, 12-hour overnight profiles with 20-minute sampling, before and one week after a single injection. Pulse frequency and amplitude unchanged; trough levels rose 7.5-fold (P < 0.0001), mean levels by 46 per cent (P < 0.01), IGF-1 by 45 per cent (P < 0.001); no significant difference between the two dose levels tested.
- Literature searches run on 7 September 2026. PubMed via NCBI E-utilities: "CJC-1295" 33 records, none of which studies the DAC-free form as a pharmacological test substance; "Mod GRF 1-29" 0 records. Europe PMC REST: "CJC-1295 without DAC" and "CJC-1295 no DAC" 2 records each, both reviews without original data; "non-DAC" combined with "CJC" 0 records. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=CJC-1295
- Tewari K, Liu TP, Im C, Hamad C, Petrigliano F, Cheung EC, Kremen TJ (2026). Peptide supplements and their therapeutic applications in sports medicine. American Journal of Sports Medicine. PMID 42578445. DOI 10.1177/03635465261464420. PRISMA-oriented scoping review covering six peptides including CJC-1295, searched against musculoskeletal terms. 67 per cent of the retrieved publications were preclinical animal models. Concludes that "the claimed benefits of emerging peptide supplements for musculoskeletal recovery and performance remain unsubstantiated by current human trials".
- Sackmann-Sala L, Ding J, Frohman LA, Kopchick JJ (2009). Activation of the GH/IGF-1 axis by CJC-1295, a long-acting GHRH analog, results in serum protein profile changes in normal adult subjects. Growth Hormone and IGF Research 19(6):471-477. PMID 19386527. DOI 10.1016/j.ghir.2009.03.001. DAC form. Sera from 11 healthy young men before and one week after injection, analysed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. A biomarker search rather than an efficacy test.
- Gautam D, Jeon J, Starost MF, Han SJ, Hamdan FF, Cui Y, Parlow AF, Gavrilova O et al. (2009). Neuronal M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are essential for somatotroph proliferation and normal somatic growth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106(15):6398-6403. PMID 19332789. DOI 10.1073/pnas.0900977106. DAC form, used as a pharmacological tool. Brain-specific M3 receptor knockout mice were dwarfed with pituitary hypoplasia; treatment restored pituitary size, serum growth hormone and IGF-1.
- Memdouh S, Gavrilović I, Ng K, Cowan D, Abbate V (2021). Advances in the detection of growth hormone releasing hormone synthetic analogs. Drug Testing and Analysis 13(11-12):1871-1887. PMID 34665524. DOI 10.1002/dta.3183. Studies "sermorelin, tesamorelin, CJC-1295, and CJC-1295 with drug affinity complex" in fortified urine, distinguishing the bare sequence from the conjugate. Nineteen major metabolites identified, synthesised and characterised as reference material; detection limits generally 1 ng/ml or below. Notes that despite evidence of use, these analogues "do not appear to have been found in anti-doping samples by WADA accredited laboratories".
- Henninge J, Pepaj M, Hullstein I, Hemmersbach P (2010). Identification of CJC-1295, a growth-hormone-releasing peptide, in an unknown pharmaceutical preparation. Drug Testing and Analysis 2(11-12):647-650. PMID 21204297. DOI 10.1002/dta.233. Examined for Norwegian police and customs in 2009 by liquid chromatography and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry: "The preparation was found to contain a 29 amino acid peptide with a C-terminal amide function ... The sequence is consistent with a peptide currently marketed under the name CJC-1295." Twenty-nine residues with an amide tail excludes the 30-residue DAC form.
- Gajda PM, Holm NB, Hoej LJ, Rasmussen BS, Dalsgaard PW, Reitzel LA, Linnet K (2019). Glycine-modified growth hormone secretagogues identified in seized doping material. Drug Testing and Analysis 11(2):350-354. PMID 30136411. DOI 10.1002/dta.2489. Powders seized by Danish customs contained analogues of GHRP-2, GHRP-6, ipamorelin and "modified growth hormone releasing factor (modified GRF 1-29)", each carrying an additional glycine at the N-terminus. The authors call for detection methods to be adapted.
- Coutinho LFD, de Oliveira Neves LF, Camilo RP (2026). A new era of doping? Use of peptide and peptide-analog drugs in recreational and professional sport and bodybuilding: a critical review. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 66:880-885. PMID 41880199. DOI 10.23736/S0022-4707.26.17773-1. On product quality: "The largely unregulated supply chain exacerbates these dangers, as products are often mislabeled or contaminated."
- Health Canada. Drug Product Database, active-ingredient API. Queries for "CJC" and for "sermorelin" each returned zero records. Retrieved 7 September 2026. https://health-products.canada.ca/api/drug/activeingredient/
- Register check for the United Kingdom, 7 September 2026. No marketing authorisation for CJC-1295 or Mod GRF 1-29 was identified. Unlicensed peptide products fall under the general rules for unauthorised medicines in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
- Swiss Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, Swissmedic and Swiss Sport Integrity. Joint enforcement operation "Peptide 2026", statement of 22 June 2026. Forty-six consignments were checked and 23 held back, 21 classed as doping products and 2 as medicines. States that distributing or drop-shipping medicines not authorised in Switzerland is illegal. https://www.bazg.admin.ch
- Cristea CD, Radu M, Toboc A, Stan C, David V (2023). Cationic exchange SPE combined with triple quadrupole UHPLC-MS/MS for detection of GHRHs in urine samples. Analytical Biochemistry 682:115336. PMID 37806509. DOI 10.1016/j.ab.2023.115336. Covers tesamorelin, CJC-1295, sermorelin and two related peptides. Detection limit 0.2 ng/ml, quantification limit 0.6 ng/ml, validated to anti-doping requirements.
- Knoop A, Thomas A, Fichant E, Delahaut P, Schänzer W, Thevis M (2016). Qualitative identification of growth hormone-releasing hormones in human plasma by means of immunoaffinity purification and LC-HRMS/MS. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 408(12):3145-3153. PMID 26879649. DOI 10.1007/s00216-016-9377-3. Lists sermorelin, CJC-1293, CJC-1295 and tesamorelin as four separate target analytes, with a detection limit below 50 pg/ml.
- PubChem. Compound CID 16137828, tesamorelin. C221H366N72O67S, 5,136 g/mol. A 44-residue chain stabilised by an N-terminal trans-3-hexenoyl group rather than by amino-acid substitutions. Retrieved 7 September 2026. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/16137828
- Timms M, Ganio K, Steel R (2019). A method for confirming CJC-1295 abuse in equine plasma samples by LC-MS/MS. Drug Testing and Analysis 11(8):1248-1257. PMID 30938069. DOI 10.1002/dta.2599. Illustrates the usage in the scientific literature: "CJC-1295 ... incorporates a functional maleimido group at the C-terminus that allows it to covalently bind plasma proteins such as serum albumin." Unqualified, the term means the DAC form.
- PubChem, PUG-View, heading "Depositor-Supplied Synonyms" for CID 56841945. The same record simultaneously carries the mutually exclusive names "CJC 1295 with DAC", "DAC:GRF acetate" and "CJC-1295-no DAC acetate", together with a sequence string describing 30 residues and a maleimide group, while its stored structure and IUPAC name describe the 29-residue form. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
- Wikidata, item Q5012018, labelled simply "CJC-1295". Linked values are CAS 863288-34-0, PubChem CID 56841945, InChIKey XOZMWINMZMMOBR-HRDSVTNWSA-N, formula C152H252N44O42 and monoisotopic mass 3,366.896933, that is, the DAC-free structure under the unqualified name. Retrieved 7 September 2026. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5012018
- PubChem. Compound CID 139593405, CJC-1293. C162H263N47O46S, 3,637.2 g/mol, UNII ZZM61DP6TS, CAS 446262-89-1. The structure contains Gly15, Asn8 and Met27, that is, the unmodified parent sequence, plus the same lysine-maleimide group. Retrieved 7 September 2026. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/139593405
- Uçaktürk E, Nemutlu E (2026). Analysis of growth hormone releasing hormone and its analogs in urine using nano liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole/orbitrap mass spectrometry. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis 268:117207. PMID 41138283. DOI 10.1016/j.jpba.2025.117207. Covers "sermorelin/CJC-1293, tesamorelin, and CJC-1295". The shorthand "sermorelin/CJC-1293" is itself an example of the blurring described on this page, since CJC-1293 is the conjugate of sermorelin.
Cite this page
This page was compiled on 7 September 2026 from primary sources. For a substance whose central finding is an absence, the date on which the searches came back empty is part of the finding.
myPeptides Research & Editing. (2026). CJC-1295 (no DAC): what the studies show, status and safety. Version 1.0, 7 September 2026. myPeptides Peptide Register. Retrieved from https://mypep.app/peptides/cjc-1295
How pages in this register are compiled and graded is described under methodology; the full register is at peptides.
| Version | Date | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2026-09-07 | Initial publication |
Last verified: 7 September 2026. Next review: on the appearance of any study naming this substance, or on any change to its legal or anti-doping status.