CJC-1295: A Research Overview

Research-use context. Educational summary for laboratory audiences. Not medical advice, a dosing guide, or a recommendation for human use. CJC-1295 is investigational and not FDA-approved for human use, and growth-hormone-releasing factors are prohibited in sport by WADA (2026 Prohibited List, section S2). All VANTA products are sold strictly for in-vitro and laboratory research use only.

TL;DR: CJC-1295 is a long-acting synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) studied for its ability to raise growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 levels. It exists in two forms — with DAC (half-life of days) and without DAC (short-acting, also called Mod GRF 1-29). It is investigational, not FDA-approved, and prohibited in sport by WADA.

Last reviewed: July 2026.

What is CJC-1295?

CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) — the hypothalamic peptide that signals the pituitary to release growth hormone (GH). It was originally developed by ConjuChem Biotechnologies. Its defining feature is a much longer duration of action than native GHRH: a Drug Affinity Complex (DAC) modification lets it bind albumin in the bloodstream, extending its half-life from minutes to several days.

Two distinct forms appear throughout the literature, and the distinction is mechanistically important:

CJC-1295 with DAC — half-life of roughly 6–8 days; sustained GH/IGF-1 elevation.
CJC-1295 without DAC (also called Modified GRF 1-29) — half-life closer to 30 minutes; a more pulsatile profile.

It is supplied as a lyophilized powder for laboratory reconstitution.

How does CJC-1295 work?

CJC-1295 works by binding the GHRH receptor (GHRHR) on pituitary somatotroph cells, activating adenylyl cyclase, raising intracellular cyclic AMP, and triggering a cascade that promotes GH synthesis and secretion. Because it acts on the body’s own GH-release machinery (rather than supplying GH directly), the literature notes it preserves hypothalamic-pituitary feedback regulation — a frequently cited contrast with exogenous GH.

What does the research on CJC-1295 actually show?

The research on CJC-1295 is stronger than for most peptides in this category, but narrow in scope: a randomized, placebo-controlled human study established dose-dependent GH/IGF-1 elevation, while the broader claims around it rest on mechanism rather than long-term outcome data.

There is genuine human pharmacology data. A 2006 study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (Teichman et al.) — randomized, placebo- controlled, ascending-dose trials over 28 and 49 days — reported dose-dependent, sustained increases in GH and IGF-1 in healthy adults. This is a real Phase-I-type dataset, unusual among research peptides.
But scope is limited. That data largely concerns the DAC form, single/short dosing windows, and surrogate endpoints (GH/IGF-1 levels), not long-term outcomes.
The CJC/Ipamorelin “synergy” widely discussed online rests on the general GHRH-analog + GH-secretagogue mechanism; rigorous trials of the specific combination are limited.

How does CJC-1295 compare to Ipamorelin and other GH peptides?

CJC-1295 is most often studied (and discussed) paired with Ipamorelin, because the two engage GH release through complementary receptor systems (GHRH receptor vs ghrelin receptor). Related GHRH analogs include Tesamorelin and Modified GRF 1-29.

What is the regulatory status of CJC-1295 in 2026?

As of mid-2026, CJC-1295 is not an FDA-approved drug and has not completed the clinical approval pathway. In a notable 2026 development, it was among roughly a dozen peptides reported removed from the FDA’s Category 2 restricted list (effective April 23, 2026) — a step that restores a potential pathway for licensed compounding pharmacies to prepare it under physician prescription. Three distinctions are frequently conflated and matter here:

Removal from Category 2 is not FDA drug approval. No CJC-1295 product has completed the approval process.
CJC-1295 is not among the seven peptides on the FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee’s July 23–24, 2026 agenda for section 503A review (that agenda covers BPC-157, KPV, TB-500, MOTS-C, DSIP, Semax, and Epitalon).
It remains prohibited in sport under the WADA 2026 Prohibited List (Section S2).

None of this changes the status of research-grade material: VANTA supplies CJC-1295 strictly for in-vitro and laboratory research use only, which is a separate context from physician-prescribed compounded preparations.

Laboratory handling

Storage (lyophilized): cold, protected from light; long-term at −20 °C.
After reconstitution: refrigerated (2–8 °C), used within the lab’s protocol window.
Verification: confirm identity/purity against the batch COA (HPLC, mass spec).
Confirm whether a given product is the DAC or no-DAC form — they behave very differently.

VANTA supplies CJC-1295 as a ≥99% purity research peptide with a batch-specific COA. See our Certificates of Analysis page.

Frequently asked (research) questions

What’s the difference between CJC-1295 with and without DAC? The DAC modification extends half-life to days (sustained elevation); without DAC (Mod GRF 1-29) it is short-acting and pulsatile.

Is it the same as injecting growth hormone? No. It stimulates the pituitary to release the body’s own GH, which is mechanistically distinct from administering GH directly.

Is CJC-1295 FDA-approved or legal in 2026? No, CJC-1295 is not FDA-approved. It was removed from the FDA’s Category 2 restricted list in 2026, which may restore compounding access under physician prescription, but that is not drug approval — and VANTA’s material is sold strictly for research use only.

References

Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, Gagnon C, Castaigne JP, Frohman LA. 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. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(3):799–805. doi:10.1210/jc.2005-1536.
Ionescu M, Frohman LA. Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(12):4792–4797.
WADA. Prohibited List 2026 — Section S2: Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics.

Verify each source independently. This summary is research context only and does not describe or recommend human use.