Compound profile
Also known as: CJC-1295 DAC · Modified GRF 1-29
A growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analogue discussed for GH-axis support. Often mentioned with ipamorelin in fitness forums as a commonly discussed pairing.
CJC-1295 is a synthetic analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), the hypothalamic hormone that signals the pituitary gland to release growth hormone. It was developed by the Canadian biotechnology company ConjuChem in the mid-2000s, built on the first 29 amino acids of native human GHRH, the minimum sequence needed for full receptor activity, with four amino acid substitutions added to resist the enzymes that normally break GHRH down within minutes.
The name CJC-1295 covers two related but distinct things, which causes a lot of confusion in how it's discussed online. The original ConjuChem molecule includes a "Drug Affinity Complex" (DAC), a chemical linker that lets the peptide bind covalently to albumin in the blood, extending its half-life from minutes to days and enabling infrequent dosing. A separate, shorter-acting version without that linker, generally sold as "Modified GRF 1-29" or "CJC-1295 without DAC," is chemically closer to a stabilized GHRH fragment and behaves very differently in terms of how long it stays active. Products sold online do not always label this distinction clearly.
ConjuChem tested CJC-1295 DAC in a phase 2 trial for HIV-associated lipodystrophy, but the trial was halted after a patient death, one not definitively linked to the drug but serious enough that development stalled, and the company entered creditor protection in 2009 before advancing to phase 3. No company has since picked up the program, and it has never been submitted for FDA approval. Today it is sold only as an unregulated research chemical.
Stimulates pituitary GH release via GHRH receptor pathways. DAC variants prolong half-life; non-DAC (Mod GRF) versions are shorter-acting, and labels online are frequently imprecise.
CJC-1295 works by binding to the GHRH receptor on pituitary cells, the same receptor the body's own GHRH engages, which triggers the pituitary to release growth hormone in a pulsatile pattern. Because it resists the enzymatic breakdown that limits native GHRH to a half-life of just a few minutes, it can sustain elevated GH and downstream IGF-1 levels for much longer, hours in the case of the non-DAC version, and potentially days for the DAC version, where the albumin-binding linker keeps the peptide circulating in the blood rather than being cleared quickly.
Human pharmacokinetic studies published in the mid-2000s reported that CJC-1295 DAC produced sustained increases in GH and IGF-I over multiple days following a single injection, which was the basis for its once-weekly or twice-weekly dosing concept during clinical development. In practice, GHRH analogues like this stimulate the body's own GH-producing cells rather than introducing external growth hormone directly, which proponents argue preserves the natural pulsatile release pattern GH normally follows, though how closely that pattern is preserved at the doses typically used outside clinical settings is not well characterized.
Some human pharmacokinetic and GH-response data exist for CJC-1295 constructs. Broader physique and recovery claims largely rely on GH physiology rather than large outcome trials in healthy athletes.
What studies, case reports, and the research literature describe, not guaranteed outcomes. The trials behind these findings are in the studies below.
The published human pharmacokinetic study reported prolonged stimulation of growth hormone and IGF-1 secretion following CJC-1295 DAC administration, lasting several days after a single dose.
The unpublished phase 2 lipodystrophy trial reportedly found modest reductions in visceral fat and small lean mass gains before the program was discontinued, though this data was never formally peer reviewed.
As a GHRH analogue, CJC-1295 is discussed for the general downstream effects associated with elevated GH and IGF-1, including tissue repair and body composition changes, extrapolated from broader GH physiology rather than large dedicated outcome trials.
GH elevation carries theoretical risks (edema, insulin resistance, IGF-1 elevation). Compound identity (DAC vs non-DAC) is often unclear in gray-market products. Not a substitute for clinical GH deficiency care.
The clinical development history here is a meaningful part of the risk picture, not just a footnote. The one controlled human trial of consequence was halted after a patient death during the study, and while investigators did not establish a definitive causal link to the drug, the program never resumed, was never published in full, and no company has taken it forward since. That leaves a research chemical with limited transparent human safety data behind the product actually being sold. Elevated GH and IGF-1 carry theoretical risks discussed across the GH secretagogue class generally, including fluid retention, insulin resistance, and joint or soft-tissue discomfort, though dedicated long-term safety data for CJC-1295 specifically in healthy adults does not exist. The DAC versus non-DAC distinction matters practically, since the two forms differ meaningfully in how long they stay active, and gray-market products do not reliably disclose which one is inside a given vial. The FDA briefly placed CJC-1295 on its Category 2 restricted compounding list in 2023 citing safety concerns, then removed it in 2024 after the nomination was withdrawn, which reflects an unsettled regulatory picture rather than a resolved safety judgment. It has no FDA approval for any use and remains a research-only compound with real questions about both its safety record and its manufacturing consistency.
Start with our in-house roundups, plain-language synthesis of the research, with primary sources cited at the bottom of each.
Secondary citations for verification. Prefer the STACKD summary above for context before opening these.
Commonly discussed together
Fitness discussions often group a GHRH analogue (CJC-1295 / Mod GRF) with ipamorelin when talking about GH-axis pulses, sleep, and recovery themes.
Pairing popularity is not evidence of synergy from large RCTs. Confirm peptide identity (e.g., DAC vs non-DAC) in any primary literature you review.
Muscle / GH axis · Sleep / recovery adjunct · Recovery
