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CJC-1295 (With and Without DAC): Identity and Evidence

CJC-1295 is a growth-hormone-releasing-hormone analogue studied in small early trials. Why "with DAC" and "without DAC" products are not interchangeable, what trials show, and its status.

Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.

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Quick answer
CJC-1295 is an investigational growth-hormone-releasing-hormone (GHRH) analogue. The published human data are two small early trials and a few follow-up reports in healthy adults, showing that growth hormone and IGF-1 blood levels rose. They do not show a health benefit. No approved CJC-1295 product was found. This page is education only: no amounts, sourcing or use instructions.

Identity: which "CJC-1295"?

The name is used for more than one product. A 2026 clinical review of unregulated growth-hormone-axis peptides lists "CJC-1295 with Drug Affinity Complex (DAC)" and "CJC-1295 without DAC" as separate agents encountered in practice. [1] The published human trials describe a long-acting analogue that binds permanently to albumin in the blood after injection, giving a half-life of about 8 days. [2] The human data cited here are for that long-acting form as described. A 2010 doping-laboratory study identified, in one seized unknown preparation, a 29-amino-acid peptide with a C-terminal amide that was "consistent with" a peptide marketed as CJC-1295; it did not show which variant a given vendor sells. [3]

Proper evidence not found for published human trials that name a product "without DAC" (checked: PubMed titles and abstracts for CJC-1295, and ClinicalTrials.gov). So findings for the long-acting form should not be transferred to a shorter-acting product, or the reverse. WADA lists both CJC-1293 and CJC-1295 by name. [4] A molecule, a research label and a vendor product are different things; see how to read a peptide record.

How it is thought to work

It mimics GHRH, signaling the pituitary gland to release growth hormone (GH), which in turn raises IGF-1. [5] For the wider system, see growth hormone and IGF-1 signaling.

Human evidence

4 findings · 4 limited or unclearThe colour follows the evidence label on each card.

  1. Two randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials of 28 and 49 days [5]

    GH rose 2- to 10-fold for 6 days or more and IGF-1 1.5- to 3-fold; no serious adverse reactions reported

    Population and design: Healthy adults aged 21 to 61, single or a few injections

  2. Overnight GH sampling after one injection [2]

    GH pulses were preserved; trough GH rose 7.5-fold and IGF-1 rose 45%

    Population and design: Healthy men aged 20 to 40

  3. Serum protein profiling [6]

    A few blood proteins changed; authors proposed them as biomarkers of GH/IGF-1 action

    Population and design: 11 healthy young men

  4. Phase 2 registered trial in HIV-related visceral fat [7]

    Status terminated; no results posted; no publication found

    Population and design: 120 planned, randomized, 12 weeks

All of this is biomarker evidence in small groups of healthy people, mostly short term. Label for any health outcome (muscle, fat loss, sleep, aging, recovery): insufficient evidence. Label for online claims about these effects: marketing claim. Proper evidence not found for long-term safety, pediatric use, pregnancy, or people with diabetes, cancer, or heart disease.

Animal evidence

Early work reported effects on growth in animals, including normalized growth in GHRH-knockout mice, but animal results are preclinical and do not establish human benefit. [8]

Related guides

Growth-hormone-releasing peptides compared, ipamorelin, sermorelin, peptide safety and adverse events and how to evaluate peptide claims.

Frequently asked questions

Is CJC-1295 the same as "CJC-1295 without DAC"?

Not necessarily. Reviews treat them as separate agents, and the published human trials describe a long-acting form. [1][2]

Does CJC-1295 build muscle or slow aging?

No human trial found showing that. Trials showed higher GH and IGF-1 levels, which are biomarkers. [5]

Is CJC-1295 approved?

No approved product was found. FDA lists it among compounding substances with safety concerns. [9]

Is CJC-1295 banned in sport?

Yes. WADA's 2026 list names CJC-1295 among prohibited GHRH analogues. [4]

What happened to the HIV trial?

It is registered as terminated, with no results posted. [7]

More details: evidence, limits and cautions

The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.

How to read the evidence labels

Labels used on this page: preclinical (cells or animals only), insufficient evidence, marketing claim, evidence of harm (where a regulator reports harms) and Proper evidence not found. A biomarker is a lab value such as IGF-1; a higher value is not automatically better for health.

Safety
In the 2006 trials no serious adverse reactions were reported, but groups were small and exposure short. [5] FDA states it has identified serious adverse events associated with CJC-1295, including increased heart rate and a systemic vasodilatory reaction, and that available clinical data are limited. [9] A 2018 review of GH secretagogues notes few long-term controlled studies and some concern for higher blood glucose through reduced insulin sensitivity. [10] A 2026 review of the performance-enhancing GH-axis peptides reports endocrine, fluid-retention, muscle-joint and injection-site problems across the group, which is class-level, not specific to CJC-1295. [1] Product contents are also unverified. [11]
Regulatory and sport status (read 2026-10-22)
Laws change; this is not legal advice.
  • United States: CJC-1295 is on FDA's list of bulk substances nominated for compounding and withdrawn by the nominators; FDA cites immunogenicity risk and peptide-impurity and characterization complexities (page current as of 04/22/2026). [9] Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved. [12] No approved product was found.
  • Canada: Health Canada lists CJC-1295 among examples of unauthorized injectable peptide drugs. [11]
  • Sport: prohibited at all times under WADA's 2026 list (growth hormone releasing factors). [4]
  • EU, UK, Australia: not verified.
References
  1. Dominikowski A et al. The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating the GH-IGF1 axis: bridging the gap between clinical evidence and patient self-administration. Front Endocrinol 2026. PubMed. Read 2026-10-22.
  2. Ionescu M, Frohman LA. Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006. PubMed. Read 2026-10-22.
  3. Henninge J et al. Identification of CJC-1295, a growth-hormone-releasing peptide, in an unknown pharmaceutical preparation. Drug Test Anal 2010. PubMed. Read 2026-10-22.
  4. World Anti-Doping Agency. 2026 Prohibited List (in force 1 January 2026; the page says each new list is published in October, and the 2027 list was not read). Read 2026-10-22.
  5. Teichman SL et al. Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone 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. PubMed. Read 2026-10-22.
  6. Sackmann-Sala L et al. Activation of the GH/IGF-1 axis by CJC-1295 results in serum protein profile changes in normal adult subjects. Growth Horm IGF Res 2009. PubMed. Read 2026-10-22.
  7. ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT00267527 Study to evaluate CJC 1295 in HIV patients with visceral obesity; ConjuChem. Read 2026-10-22.
  8. Once-daily administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, normalizes growth in the GHRH knockout mouse. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2006. PubMed. Read 2026-10-22.
  9. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (content current as of 04/22/2026). Read 2026-10-22.
  10. Sigalos JT, Pastuszak AW. The safety and efficacy of growth hormone secretagogues. Sex Med Rev 2018. PubMed. Read 2026-10-22.
  11. Health Canada. Think twice before injecting peptides bought online: unauthorized products can seriously harm you (public advisory, last updated 2026-04-09). Read 2026-10-22.
  12. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Compounding and FDA: Questions and Answers. Read 2026-10-22.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.