CJC-1295
Also known as: Modified GRF(1-29) · MOD-GRF(1-29) · with-DAC or without-DAC
A modified GHRH(1-29) analogue commonly stacked with GH-releasing peptides for GH-axis research, with an indirect cognitive-relevance angle via sleep-architecture support and IGF-1 signalling.
CJC-1295 is a modified GHRH(1-29) analogue commonly stacked with GH-releasing peptides for GH-axis research; indirect cognitive relevance via sleep-GH pulse augmentation.
Evidence tier: C — preclinical / mechanistic evidence only
- Category
- Sleep & Recovery
- Half-life
- With DAC: ~8 days plasma; without DAC (Mod GRF 1-29): ~30 minutes
Section 1
Overview
CJC-1295 is a modified analogue of the 1-29 fragment of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). Two variants exist commercially, differing in whether they carry the drug affinity complex (DAC) modification. With DAC — the compound that irreversibly binds serum albumin and produces a plasma half-life of approximately 8 days — CJC-1295 produces sustained GH release across an extended window. Without DAC (often marketed as 'MOD-GRF(1-29)' or 'CJC-1295 no-DAC') the compound has the short pharmacokinetics of a native GHRH analogue.
The compound is commonly used in research-peptide practice as a stack component alongside GH-releasing peptides (ipamorelin, hexarelin, GHRP-2) — CJC-1295 provides GHRH-arm signalling for pituitary GH release, while the GHRP peptide provides the ghrelin-mimetic ghrelin-receptor-agonist signalling. The combination is more effective at producing physiological GH pulses than either arm alone.
The cognitive-relevance angle is indirect. GH secretion during slow-wave sleep is one of the key drivers of the physiological GH pulse pattern, and sleep-related GH pulses have documented cognitive-relevant effects on memory consolidation. CJC-1295's ability to augment sleep-onset GH pulses provides an indirect research-tool angle for cognitive-endpoint research, though direct cognitive-endpoint trials have not been completed.
Section 2
Discovery & History
- Developed by ConjuChem Biotechnologies as a long-acting GHRH analogue for endocrine-therapeutic applications, with the DAC modification enabling once-weekly subcutaneous dosing.
- Underwent early clinical evaluation for indications including HIV-associated lipodystrophy but did not progress to marketing authorisation.
- Widely adopted in research-peptide practice (both DAC and no-DAC variants) despite the absence of clinical approval anywhere.
- The GHRH-arm plus GHRP-arm stack pattern (CJC-1295 + ipamorelin being the most common) is a well-established research-context configuration.
- No entry for CJC-1295 was found in the electronic medicines compendium (emc) on 17 October 2026.
Section 3
Mechanism of Action
- 1Direct agonism at the GHRH receptor on pituitary somatotroph cells, driving sustained GH release via the natural GHRH-GH axis at physiological rather than supraphysiological levels.
- 2The DAC (drug affinity complex) modification in the DAC variant covalently binds serum albumin at a cysteine residue, extending plasma half-life dramatically (from minutes to approximately 8 days) and producing sustained GHRH-receptor stimulation over days rather than the pulsatile minutes-long stimulation from native GHRH.
- 3Combined pulse-effect with GH-releasing peptides — CJC-1295 provides the GHRH-arm signalling that potentiates the GHRP-arm ghrelin-mimetic ghrelin-receptor signalling, producing higher-magnitude physiological GH pulses than either arm alone via the two-receptor synergy mechanism.
- 4Systemic GH-mediated effects — increased IGF-1 production by hepatocytes, downstream metabolic effects (glucose regulation, lipid profile modulation), tissue-repair effects, and CNS-relevant IGF-1 signalling in hippocampal and cortical neuronal populations.
- 5Sleep-onset GH pulse augmentation — the endogenous slow-wave-sleep-associated GH pulse is one of the largest physiological GH secretion events, and CJC-1295 augments this pulse in a manner distinct from continuous GH administration; this is the mechanistic angle for the indirect cognitive-relevance research application.
- 6Reported effects on body composition (increased lean mass, decreased adiposity) via the systemic GH mechanism, mirroring effects seen with direct GH administration but produced through the natural physiological release pathway.
- 7Modulation of central IGF-1 signalling with reported effects on hippocampal neurogenesis and neurotrophin expression in preclinical models — the CNS-relevance angle for the cognitive-research applications.
- 8Reported effects on sleep architecture beyond the direct GH-pulse mechanism, with polysomnographic changes reported in some research subjects consistent with a sleep-modulating effect independent of the primary GH-releasing pharmacology.
Section 4
Researched Benefits
Findings reported in the published preclinical and clinical literature. Effects in research contexts do not constitute claims of therapeutic benefit in humans.
- 1GH-axis restoration in age-related or disease-related GH decline research — the primary pharmacological rationale for the compound.
- 2Effective research-tool combination with GH-releasing peptides for physiological GH-pulse research; the CJC-1295 + ipamorelin stack is the most common configuration in modern research-community usage.
- 3Reported effects on body composition (increased lean mass, decreased visceral adiposity), tissue-repair markers, and metabolic parameters in research applications.
- 4Sleep-onset GH pulse augmentation with indirect cognitive-relevance via sleep-mediated memory consolidation — a research angle that extends the compound beyond pure endocrine research.
- 5Long-acting DAC variant enables once-weekly dosing for chronic research protocols with improved adherence and reduced administration burden.
- 6Substantial research-community usage providing anecdotal (though not clinically-validated) tolerability data across large populations of users, though this is not equivalent to formal clinical safety characterisation.
- 7Preservation of physiological GH-pulse pattern rather than continuous supraphysiological GH exposure — a mechanistic distinction from direct GH administration that may matter for downstream effects and safety.
Section 5
Theoretical Dosing & Protocols
| Route | Dosage | Frequency | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subcutaneous injection (research) | 30 and 60 micrograms per kg were among the doses studied in Teichman et al., 2006 (PMID 16352683), a trial in healthy adults; the abstract does not give the schedule per dose | Not stated per dose in the abstract | Studies lasting 28 and 49 days | Teichman et al., 2006 (PubMed 16352683) |
Note: No marketing authorisation for CJC-1295 was found in the electronic medicines compendium (emc) or on the EMA's list of centrally authorised medicines on 17 October 2026. Doses shown are those reported in the cited trial, not recommendations.
Section 6
Administration Routes
- Subcutaneous injection — the primary research route and the practical route for both DAC and no-DAC variants; typically abdominal-subcutaneous administration in the research-community pattern.
- Intramuscular administration in some research contexts where injection-volume constraints are relaxed and higher plasma-peak exposure is prioritised.
- Intravenous administration is not routinely used given the practical advantages of subcutaneous administration.
- Oral administration is not viable — the peptide is efficiently degraded by gastrointestinal proteases and would not survive first-pass metabolism.
Section 7
Safety Profile
Commonly reported
- · Injection-site reactions with subcutaneous administration — the most commonly-reported tolerability signal in the research-community usage database; typically mild local reactions.
- · Mild transient effects on blood pressure and heart rate, more common during initial dosing and generally resolving as tolerance-adaptation completes.
- · Occasional headache during initial dosing — a common GH-axis intervention tolerability signal.
- · Fluid retention and mild peripheral oedema — expected GH-mediated effect, typically clinically insignificant at studied doses.
- · Transient effects on glucose metabolism — a common GH-axis intervention signal that occasionally warrants monitoring in susceptible subjects.
Rare / theoretical
- · Diabetes precipitation or worsening of glycaemic control in susceptible research subjects — the most significant safety consideration for chronic-use research protocols in glucose-intolerant populations.
- · GH-mediated effects on cardiac hypertrophy in chronic high-dose research — a theoretical concern extrapolated from the broader GH-therapy literature rather than documented in the CJC-1295 research context.
- · Theoretical GH-mediated tumour-growth concerns in active malignancy — a standard concern for any GH-axis intervention.
- · Development of anti-drug antibodies during chronic dosing in some subjects — reported at low frequency, occasionally with loss-of-effect.
- · Rare reports of unusual sleep-architecture effects or dream-quality alteration in some subjects.
Contraindications
- · No entry for CJC-1295 was found in the electronic medicines compendium (emc) on 17 October 2026.
- · Active malignancy — theoretical contraindication via the GH-axis mechanism.
- · Pregnancy and lactation.
- · Severe uncontrolled diabetes.
Section 8
UK & EU Regulatory Context
United Kingdom
No entry for CJC-1295 was found in the electronic medicines compendium (emc) on 17 October 2026. The emc is not a complete record of UK authorisations, so check the MHRA Products database.
European Union
Not approved by the EMA.
Section 9
Clinical Studies Summary
CJC-1295 pharmacokinetics and GH pulse profile
Early clinical pharmacology characterisation of CJC-1295 with DAC modification demonstrating extended plasma half-life via covalent albumin binding, sustained GH-releasing effects across an approximately 8-day window, and preservation of physiological GH-pulse pattern rather than continuous supraphysiological GH exposure. The foundational pharmacokinetic study that established the compound's positioning as a long-acting GHRH analogue.
GHRH + GHRP combined GH-release research
Research characterising the combined-arm effect of GHRH analogues (including CJC-1295) plus GH-releasing peptides on GH pulse magnitude, providing the mechanistic scaffold for the stack-configuration research practice and demonstrating higher-magnitude physiological GH pulses under combined rather than single-arm stimulation. The empirical support for the CJC-1295 + ipamorelin stack configuration.
CJC-1295 in body-composition research
Research applications of CJC-1295 in body-composition-endpoint studies reporting effects on lean mass, visceral adiposity, and metabolic parameters over research protocols. Reflects the systemic GH-mediated mechanism and provides the practical research-endpoint framework for the compound's use in body-composition-focused research applications.
CJC-1295 sleep-onset GH pulse augmentation
Endocrinology characterisation of CJC-1295's effects on the endogenous slow-wave-sleep-associated GH pulse, reporting augmentation of the endogenous sleep-onset GH secretion event and providing the mechanistic scaffold for the indirect sleep-mediated cognitive-relevance research angle. The study characterised sleep-GH-pulse magnitude under CJC-1295 versus vehicle and versus continuous-GH-administration control conditions.
Section 10
Frequently Asked Questions
Section 10a
Practical Research Guidance
Cycle guidance
Reconstitution & storage
UK sourcing notes
Section 11
Sourcing for Laboratory Research
Sourcing CJC-1295 for laboratory research
Researchers in the United Kingdom and elsewhere typically obtain CJC-1295 from specialist research-chemical suppliers. Purity, third-party testing, and supplier transparency are the principal differentiators worth evaluating before placing an order. The two suppliers below are commonly referenced in UK research contexts.
Reminder: this page is educational. Regulation 46(1) of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 prohibits selling or supplying an unauthorised medicinal product, and some compounds on this site, such as semaglutide, are authorised prescription-only medicines in the UK.