What it is
CJC-1295 is a peptide made of 29 amino acids. It is made in a lab. It copies the active part of growth hormone releasing hormone, or GHRH. GHRH is the signal the brain sends to the pituitary gland to release growth hormone. The natural signal breaks down in about 10 minutes. CJC-1295 has four amino acids swapped so enzymes cannot break it down as fast.
It comes in two forms. CJC-1295 with DAC has an extra piece attached that locks onto albumin, a protein in the blood. That keeps it in the body for 6 to 8 days. CJC-1295 without DAC, also called Mod GRF 1-29, has no extra piece. It leaves the blood in about 30 minutes. Other names: CJC-1295 DAC, Modified GRF 1-29, Drug Affinity Complex.
What researchers study it for
- Growth hormone and IGF-1 levels in humans
- Whether the body keeps its natural growth hormone rhythm during treatment
- Growth in mice that cannot make their own GHRH
- Pairing with ghrelin-type peptides like ipamorelin
What the studies found
1. One injection raised growth hormone and IGF-1 in humans for about a week.
A 2006 trial gave CJC-1295 with DAC to 66 healthy adults. Growth hormone rose 2 to 10 times above normal. IGF-1 rose 1.5 to 3 times above normal. The rise lasted 6 to 7 days from a single shot. IGF-1 is the signal the liver makes in response to growth hormone, and it is the number researchers track most. The most common side effect was redness at the injection site. This is the only published human trial of CJC-1295.
2. Growth hormone still came out in pulses during treatment.
The body releases growth hormone in bursts, mostly at night. A concern with a week-long drug was that it would flatten those bursts into one constant level. This 2006 study measured growth hormone through the day in treated people. The bursts stayed. They were bigger. So CJC-1295 with DAC raised the size of the natural bursts instead of replacing them.
3. Mice that cannot make GHRH grew to normal size with CJC-1295.
These mice lack the gene for GHRH, so they grow small. One shot of CJC-1295 a day brought their growth up to normal. This proved CJC-1295 works through the GHRH receptor and can fully stand in for the missing signal.
4. The two forms are the same peptide with one difference.
The DAC piece is the only difference between the two forms. Every human number above comes from the DAC form. No published trial has tested the no-DAC form on its own. Numbers you see online for Mod GRF 1-29 are borrowed from the DAC studies.
How much research exists
One human trial for blood levels and safety, one human study on growth hormone rhythm, and one mouse study. No long-term human safety study exists. The drug company that made it stopped development, so no more trials are coming.
Facts
- Formula: C152H252N44O42
- Weight: 3367.9 g/mol
- CAS number: 863288-34-0
- Time in the body: 6 to 8 days with DAC, about 30 minutes without DAC
- Storage: freeze the dry powder. Keep mixed solution in the fridge. Do not freeze and thaw it more than once.
Legal status
Not approved by the FDA or any other agency for human use. Banned in sports by WADA under section S2.
For research use only. Not for human use. Nothing here is medical advice.