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Research review · Sources checked October 17–29, 2026

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CJC-1295: what the research shows

CJC-1295 is a long-acting lab-made analog of growth hormone–releasing hormone (GHRH), invented by ConjuChem. It reached early human trials, but it is not an FDA-approved drug, and FDA’s compounding advisers voted against it in 2024.[1][9][4]

Two versions under one name

The version tested in people, CJC-1295 with DAC, carries a chemical hook that binds to albumin in the blood, which gives it a half-life of 5.8 to 8.1 days.[1] Most products sold for stacking are CJC-1295 without DAC (“Mod GRF 1-29”), the same 29 amino acids without the hook. FDA found no study establishing whether that version is pharmacologically active.[3] In ConjuChem’s patent it was used as the comparison peptide, and in rats it was undetectable in blood within 60 minutes.[6]

Human trial data

Two randomized, placebo-controlled trials (28 and 49 days) in healthy adults aged 21–61 gave CJC-1295 with DAC under the skin. A single injection raised mean growth hormone 2- to 10-fold for 6 days or more and IGF-1 1.5- to 3-fold for 9–11 days.[1] A follow-up study found that normal growth hormone pulses persisted on top of the raised baseline.[2] FDA counts 63 healthy adults in the published studies, 73% of whom got one injection. Side effects were common: in the first trial, 33 of 35 people on the drug reported one, including injection-site reactions in about 70%, headache in 63% and flushing, warmth and brief drops in blood pressure in 30%.[3]

The stopped trial

ConjuChem’s only trial in patients, in 192 people with HIV-related fat changes, was stopped in July 2006 after a participant had a fatal heart attack about two hours after his 11th weekly dose. The trial doctor thought it was likely unrelated to the drug. No results were posted or published.[7][3][8]

Regulatory status

No FDA-approved drug contains CJC-1295.[9] In December 2024 FDA’s compounding advisers voted 0 to 13 against four forms and 1 to 12 against the fifth, for growth hormone deficiency.[4] FDA lists it among substances previously in category 2 whose nominations were withdrawn and says it “has identified serious adverse events associated with CJC-1295 including increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction.”[5] It is not on the agenda for FDA’s 2026–2027 peptide advisory meetings.[11] An FDA peptide compounding policy cleared White House review on October 27, 2026; the version HHS made public on October 28 lists six peptides, and CJC-1295 is not among them.[10]

Update, October 29, 2026: A coroner in Victoria, Australia, found that the March 2025 death of actor Richard Norton, 75, was “triggered by his injection of the peptide CJC1295/Ipamorelin,” which “caused an anaphylactic reaction which in turn led to cardiac arrest.” The finding says he had taken more than the prescribed dose, lists asthma and a heart condition as contributing, and notes the peptides could not be detected in post-mortem testing. The coroner recommended that Australia’s TGA consider prohibiting such peptides outside clinical trials.[12] One case can’t show how often this happens; our teardown walks through the finding.

What is not known

There are no trials in people with any disease, no long-term safety data and no carcinogenicity studies, and the no-DAC version has never been studied in a person.[3] No study has tested it combined with ipamorelin. For the full paper trail and how it compares with tesamorelin, see our teardown.

References

  1. Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, et al. 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. PMID 16352683. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16352683/. Checked October 17, 2026.
  2. 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. PMID 17018654 (12 men aged 20–40; trough GH 7.5-fold, mean GH +46%, IGF-1 +45%). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17018654/. Checked October 17, 2026.
  3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee briefing document: CJC-1295-related bulk drug substances (CJC-1295 free base and acetate; CJC-1295 DAC free base, acetate and trifluoroacetate), for the December 4, 2024 meeting. Sections on naming (“at least five BDSs”; “inconsistent naming conventions … represents a safety risk”), the first literature reference to CJC-1295 without DAC (Henninge et al. 2010), pharmacology (“FDA has not identified studies to establish whether CJC-1295 (free base) and CJC-1295 acetate are pharmacologically active”), genotoxicity (Ben-Shlomo et al. 2020, CJC-1295 DAC in mouse pituitary cells and mice), absent carcinogenicity studies and GHRH-transgenic mouse pituitary tumors, 86% homology with endogenous GHRH, human studies (“a total of 63 healthy adults (87% of the subjects were men) received up to four SC injections (73% of subjects received one injection)”; Teichman adverse events), “No studies were found in which any form of CJC-1295 was administered to subjects with a disease or condition,” the 2006 phase 2 death, FAERS through June 10, 2024, online doses, and the 2019–2020 outsourcing-facility combination with ipamorelin. https://www.fda.gov/media/183819/download. Checked October 17, 2026.
  4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Summary minutes of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, December 4, 2024 (approved February 21, 2025). CJC-1295 votes, use reviewed growth hormone deficiency: free base 0 yes / 13 no; acetate 1 / 12; DAC free base, DAC acetate and DAC trifluoroacetate 0 / 13 each (“One member commented on the lack of evidence for effectiveness”). AOD-9604 0 / 12; thymosin alpha-1 4 / 17. Open public hearing speakers for CJC-1295 include Lee Rosebush (BakerHostetler). https://www.fda.gov/media/185642/download. Meeting page: https://www.fda.gov/advisory-committees/advisory-committee-calendar/updated-meeting-time-and-public-participation-information-december-4-2024-meeting-pharmacy. Checked October 17, 2026.
  5. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (Category 2). Content current as of April 22, 2026. Ipamorelin acetate in the category 2 table (503B, added September 29, 2023: “A study published in literature identified serious adverse events including death when ipamorelin was administered intravenously for improving gastric motility”) and in the table of nominations withdrawn; CJC-1295 in the withdrawn table (“FDA has identified serious adverse events associated with CJC-1295 including increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reaction. Available clinical data are limited.”). https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks. Checked October 17, 2026.
  6. US Patent 7,268,113 B2, “Long lasting growth hormone releasing factor derivatives,” inventors Dominique P. Bridon and Corinne Benquet, ConjuChem Biotechnologies; application filed February 1, 2002 (published as US 2003/0073630 A1); granted September 11, 2007; listed as expired for unpaid fees. Background: GRF(1–29) half-life “generally does not exceed 10–13 minutes.” Example 5 is the tetrasubstituted GRF(1–29) without the maleimide group (D-Ala2, Gln8, Ala15, Leu27); Example 6 adds Lys(MPA) and is claim 1. Rat pharmacokinetics: Example 5 “disappears very rapidly … whether administered subcutaneously or intravenously, could not be detected after 60 minutes,” while Example 6 “remains detectable after 96 hours.” https://patents.google.com/patent/US7268113B2/en. Checked October 17, 2026.
  7. ConjuChem Biotechnologies Inc. ConjuChem provides findings of DAC(TM):GRF HIV lipodystrophy trial investigation. Press release (CNW via BioSpace), August 8, 2006 (192 patients enrolled; once-weekly dosing for 12 weeks; “The deceased patient received the 11th weekly dose on July 13 and approximately two hours later, the patient complained of chest discomfort and an ECG confirmed an acute myocardial infarction; death occurred approximately one hour later”). https://www.biospace.com/conjuchem-provides-findings-of-dac-tm-grf-hiv-lipodystrophy-trial-investigation. Checked October 17, 2026.
  8. ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT00267527, ConjuChem phase 2 study of CJC-1295 in HIV-associated lipodystrophy: status terminated; start December 2005; no results posted. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00267527. Checked October 17, 2026.
  9. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Drugs@FDA via the openFDA drugsfda endpoint: application 022505, EGRIFTA (tesamorelin), Theratechnologies; original approval November 10, 2010. Searches for ipamorelin and CJC-1295 returned no approved application. Sermorelin was approved as Geref (NDA 019863 and 020443) until FDA withdrew both approvals in 2009 at the maker’s request; FDA later determined the products were not withdrawn for reasons of safety or effectiveness (78 FR 14095, March 4, 2013). https://api.fda.gov/drug/drugsfda.json?search=openfda.generic_name:%22tesamorelin%22. Checked October 17, 2026.
  10. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OMB). Pending EO 12866 Regulatory Review: Interim Access Policy for Compounding Using Certain Peptides, RIN 0910-ZD94, received 10/14/2026, stage: Notice; no conclusion listed when checked at about 4 AM ET. https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoDetails?rrid=1568964. Checked October 17, 2026. Update: OIRA’s report of reviews completed in the last 30 days, run October 28, 2026, lists this review as completed 10/27/2026, “Consistent with Change” (https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/XMLViewFileAction?f=EO_RULE_COMPLETED_30_DAYS.xml). On October 28, 2026, HHS filed a notice of availability for public inspection, “Enforcement Discretion Policy Regarding 503A Compounding Using Certain Peptide Bulk Drug Substances” (FR Doc. 2026-22192, RIN 0910-ZD94, docket HHS-OASH-2026-0496; filed 11:15 AM ET; published in the Federal Register October 30, 2026, 91 FR 68526; the notice says comments can be submitted via regulations.gov until 2 weeks after publication, and regulations.gov lists the comment deadline as November 13, 2026, 11:59 PM ET) (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/30/2026-22192/enforcement-discretion-policy-regarding-503a-compounding-using-certain-peptide-bulk-drug-substances). The policy document’s Appendix A lists BPC-157, epitalon, KPV, MOTS-c, semax and TB-500 (https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-503a-peptide-enforcement-discretion-policy-appendix-b.pdf). Checked October 28, 2026, about noon ET.
  11. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, July 23–24, 2026: introduction to briefing packages (substances: BPC-157, KPV, TB-500, MOTS-c, semax, epitalon and emideltide/DSIP) https://www.fda.gov/media/193342/download; and Meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (“before the end of February 2027”; agenda: LL-37, GHK-Cu, dihexa acetate, Melanotan II, PEG-MGF), content current as of April 15, 2026 https://www.fda.gov/advisory-committees/pharmacy-compounding-advisory-committee/meeting-pharmacy-compounding-advisory-committee. Checked October 17, 2026.
  12. Coroners Court of Victoria. Finding into death without inquest (Form 38): Richard John Norton, COR 2025 001710. Coroner David Ryan, signed October 28, 2026 (cause of death 1(a) complications of an out of hospital cardiac arrest, 1(b) anaphylaxis; 2 asthma, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; recommendation to the TGA under section 72(2)). https://www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/COR%202025%20001710%20Form%2038%20-%20Finding%20into%20Death%20without%20Inquest%5FSigned.pdf. Read in full October 29, 2026.

This page summarizes published research and regulatory documents. It is not medical advice and does not recommend using, sourcing, or dosing any of these substances.