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Research peptide — not a dietary supplement
CJC-1295 is a research compound, not a regulated dietary supplement. It is typically administered by injection and sold “for research use only.” The evidence below is largely preclinical (animal and in-vitro) or early-stage, so no evidence score is assigned. This page is provided for transparency and education — it is not a recommendation to use. Consult a qualified healthcare provider, and be aware that purity, dosing, and legal status vary by jurisdiction.
What the evidence says
Most CJC-1295 studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.
Most evidence is from mixed-quality randomised trials published 2005–2026 with a typical study size of 11 participants.
Based on 8 studies · 1 RCT · 11 total participants
Confidence
LowBy outcome
The current evidence for CJC-1295 is insufficient to assign an evidence score, based on 8 indexed studies. A synthetic long-acting analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), promoted online to raise GH and IGF-1 for muscle, fat loss and 'anti-aging'. Honest appraisal: the only real human data are two small early-phase pharmacokinetic / safety studies from ~2006 that showed it raises GH and IGF-1 for days — they were never followed by efficacy trials in muscle, body composition or aging. There are NO human outcome RCTs. It is not a dietary supplement: it is sold 'for research use only', is injectable, and is banned by WADA. The original DAC version's clinical development was abandoned. Representative study: PMID 16352683.
The commonly studied dose of CJC-1295 is No validated human dose for any physique or anti-aging use exists. The phase-1 studies used single or weekly/biweekly subcutaneous doses, with the cleaner GH/IGF-1 responses at 30-60 mcg/kg. Anecdotal grey-market 'DAC' protocols circulate online but have no clinical basis, no efficacy validation, and should not be read as a recommendation.. Individual needs vary — start at the lower end of the range and adjust based on how you respond.
Mecasermin (IGF-1)
Mostly mechanism / observationalThe pharmaceutical-grade version of IGF-1 — an FDA/EMA-approved prescription injectable, but approved ONLY for a rare childhood growth disorder (severe primary IGF-1 deficiency / Laron syndrome), where it genuinely raises height velocity in clinical trials. It is the regulated counterpart to the grey-market igf-1-lr3 peptide bodybuilders inject, and shares the same core risks. Crucially, there is NO trial supporting its off-label use for muscle, performance, or anti-aging in healthy adults — and IGF-1's documented harms (hypoglycemia, intracranial hypertension, lymphoid/tonsillar hypertrophy, and a theoretical cancer concern because IGF-1 is mitogenic) are real. Not a dietary supplement, not a longevity drug.
Last reviewed June 2026 · evidence from 8 studies · how we score
This information is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or medication.
CJC-1295 (long-acting GHRH analog)
A synthetic long-acting analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), promoted online to raise GH and IGF-1 for muscle, fat loss and 'anti-aging'. Honest appraisal: the only real human data are two small early-phase pharmacokinetic / safety studies from ~2006 that showed it raises GH and IGF-1 for days — they were never followed by efficacy trials in muscle, body composition or aging. There are NO human outcome RCTs. It is not a dietary supplement: it is sold 'for research use only', is injectable, and is banned by WADA. The original DAC version's clinical development was abandoned.
Human evidence is essentially absent: only two ~2006 phase-1 PK/safety studies showed it raises GH and IGF-1, with no outcome RCTs, the rest being animal data, and it is an unregulated research chemical.
CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), built from the first 29 amino acids of human GRF (hGRF(1-29), sermorelin) with four amino-acid substitutions plus a maleimido group that covalently binds the free thiol on Cys34 of circulating albumin after injection.
This 'drug affinity complex' (DAC) tether is what makes the molecule long-acting: bound to albumin it resists dipeptidyl-peptidase-IV degradation, giving an estimated half-life of roughly 6-8 days versus minutes for native GHRH.
The marketed peptide therefore drives a sustained, rather than pulsatile, rise in GH and IGF-1, and is promoted for muscle gain, fat loss, recovery and 'anti-aging'. The honest evidence picture is that the molecule was characterized in two early-phase human studies and then never developed into efficacy trials.
The original DAC compound (ConjuChem) was identified preclinically in rats and cultured pituitary cells (2005); two ~2006 phase-1 studies in healthy adults established its pharmacokinetics and showed dose-dependent, multi-day increases in GH and IGF-1 with preserved GH pulsatility and no serious adverse reactions reported.
A small 2009 proteomics study tracked serum-protein changes after a single dose.
Beyond these and a handful of GHRH-knockout mouse experiments, there are NO published randomized controlled trials testing whether CJC-1295 actually improves muscle mass, strength, body composition, recovery or any clinical/aging outcome in humans.
Sustained (non-pulsatile) GH elevation also carries theoretical risk, and tachyphylaxis/desensitization with the very-long-acting DAC form has been a concern.
CJC-1295 is NOT a regulated dietary supplement: it is sold 'for research use only', purity and sterility of injectable grey-market product are unverified, and it is a WADA-prohibited substance (growth factor, Section S2).
Overall evidence for any benefit claim is Emerging/unproven and rests entirely on short PK/safety data, not outcomes.
CJC-1295 is an hGRF(1-29) analog that binds and activates the GHRH receptor on pituitary somatotrophs, stimulating synthesis and release of growth hormone (GH). This was shown in cultured rat anterior-pituitary cells and is the core proposed mechanism; it has not been independently characterized as human receptor pharmacology beyond the early GH-response studies.
A maleimido group covalently bonds the peptide to the free thiol on Cys34 of serum albumin after injection ('drug affinity complex'). This shields it from dipeptidyl-peptidase-IV and extends the estimated plasma half-life to roughly 6-8 days, converting a minutes-long GHRH signal into a multi-day one. Demonstrated in rat plasma (Western blot) and in human PK studies.
How CJC-1295 works — from molecular targets to health outcomes. Click an edge to see supporting research.This visualization is in beta — pathways are being refined and expanded.
Tap node to isolate • Pinch to zoom • Tap edge for research
No validated human dose for any physique or anti-aging use exists. The phase-1 studies used single or weekly/biweekly subcutaneous doses, with the cleaner GH/IGF-1 responses at 30-60 mcg/kg. Anecdotal grey-market 'DAC' protocols circulate online but have no clinical basis, no efficacy validation, and should not be read as a recommendation.
Can be taken without food
| Form | Type |
|---|---|
| 💊None — no form has validated human efficacy or an approved standard | Recommended |
CJC-1295 is a research chemical, not an approved drug or dietary supplement. There is no quality-controlled, regulator-sanctioned product. Tesamorelin is a related, FDA-approved GHRH analog (for HIV lipodystrophy) — but that approval does not transfer to CJC-1295.
Minimum: 1 weeks
Optimal: 4 weeks
Cycling: Not required
Note: No evidence-based timing for any benefit exists. The long-acting form was dosed weekly/biweekly in the only human studies; grey-market protocols vary and are unvalidated.
Dose-response data unavailable. The current published research for CJC-1295 does not provide sufficient dose-specific outcome data to generate reliable dose-response curves.
Refer to the Dosage & Timing section above for recommended dose ranges based on available evidence.
Only short early-phase pharmacokinetic/safety studies exist. No randomized controlled trial has tested whether CJC-1295 improves muscle, strength, fat loss, recovery or any aging/clinical outcome in humans. Every physique/anti-aging claim is extrapolated from a surrogate (GH/IGF-1) rise, not measured.
In healthy adults a single subcutaneous dose produced dose-dependent multi-day increases in GH and IGF-1, with IGF-1 staying above baseline for up to ~28 days after repeated dosing. This is a biomarker effect demonstrated in small phase-1 trials, not a clinical outcome.
Once-daily CJC-1295 normalized body weight and length and increased pituitary GH mRNA / somatotroph proliferation in GHRH-knockout mice, and rescued growth in another mouse model. Animal evidence for the GH axis; not a human body-composition result.
The DAC design produces continuous rather than pulsatile GH stimulation and a markedly raised GH trough. Chronically elevated GH/IGF-1 carries theoretical risks (insulin resistance, fluid retention, joint pain, and unstudied long-term concerns); none of this was characterized beyond short studies. The original long-acting DAC product was not advanced clinically.
Avoid — never studied in pregnancy or lactation.
Avoid — sustained GH/IGF-1 elevation is a theoretical proliferative risk that has never been evaluated for this peptide in humans.
Avoid or use only under medical supervision — GH excess raises glucose and reduces insulin sensitivity.
Avoid — CJC-1295 is a WADA-prohibited growth factor (Section S2) and is detectable in anti-doping testing.
Growth hormone raises blood glucose and reduces insulin sensitivity, so sustained GH/IGF-1 elevation from a GHRH analog could counteract glucose-lowering therapy. This has not been characterized for CJC-1295 specifically, so any combination is unpredictable.
Glucocorticoids blunt the GH/IGF-1 axis; the interaction direction and clinical relevance with CJC-1295 are unstudied in humans (the only related data are animal glucocorticoid-induced muscle-loss models with a CJC-1295 + ipamorelin combination).
Tip: There is no verified safe product; risk stems from unregulated grey-market sourcing rather than the peptide alone.
Tip: Reported with GH/GHRH overstimulation generally; not systematically characterized for CJC-1295 beyond short studies. Lower dose or stop.
Tip: Rotate sites; noted with subcutaneous GHRH-analog injection.
Tip: No long-term human safety data exist; absence of reported harm in brief studies is not evidence of long-term safety.
Timing is flexible for CJC-1295 — consistent daily use matters more than the time of day. Because the albumin-bound DAC form has a multi-day half-life, the early studies dosed weekly or biweekly rather than daily — there is no validated daily-timing schedule, and no human efficacy trial established an optimal regimen.
CJC-1295 should be used with caution — talk to a healthcare provider before taking it. The most commonly reported side effects are injection-related risks (infection, abscess, contamination from non-sterile 'research-use-only' product), gH-excess effects (fluid retention, joint pain, paresthesia, transient insulin resistance), injection-site reactions (redness, irritation). Use caution if any of these apply to you: Pregnancy and breastfeeding — never studied; avoid entirely; Active cancer or history of cancer — sustained GH/IGF-1 elevation is a theoretical proliferative concern, never evaluated for this peptide in humans; Diabetes / impaired glucose tolerance — GH excess promotes insulin resistance.
Insulin (bodybuilding use)
Mostly mechanism / observationalInsulin is a life-saving prescription hormone for diabetes — and, used illicitly by bodybuilders as an off-label 'anabolic,' one of the most dangerous performance drugs in existence. The theory is nutrient partitioning: insulin drives glucose and amino acids into muscle and suppresses muscle-protein breakdown. But there is NO controlled evidence that insulin builds muscle or improves performance in healthy, non-diabetic athletes — and a non-diabetic who injects it risks profound, sometimes FATAL hypoglycemia (coma, seizures, brain injury, death), plus fat gain. This is a harm-reduction reference documenting a popular, deadly misuse, NOT a recommendation and NOT a dietary supplement.
Because the albumin-bound analog persists for days, it produces a prolonged elevation of GH and, downstream, IGF-1. Human studies reported GH rising 2- to 10-fold for ≥6 days and IGF-1 rising 1.5- to 3-fold for 9-11 days after a single dose, with GH pulsatility preserved but trough (basal) GH markedly increased. Whether this surrogate elevation produces any clinical benefit was never tested.