# CJC-1295: A Platform Overview of the GHRH Analog With the 7-Day Half-Life > CJC-1295 is a 30-amino-acid GHRH analog with a ~7-8 day half-life in the DAC form and ~30 minutes without DAC. A specification-style digest of the published research record. ## CJC-1295 is the long-acting GHRH analog studied for sustained pulsatile growth-hormone release. Thirty amino acids. Four substitutions. One optional albumin-binding linker that extends the half-life from ~30 minutes to ~7-8 days. The specification, set out feature by feature. **Specifications:** - DAC HALF-LIFE: ~7-8 D - NO-DAC HALF-LIFE: ~30 MIN - CLASS: GHRH ANALOG - AMINO ACIDS: 30 ## What CJC-1295 is *The specification, in one paragraph.* CJC-1295 is a 30-amino-acid synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone, derived from the bioactive GHRH (1-29) fragment with four amino-acid substitutions and, in the long-acting form, a drug-affinity-complex (DAC) linker at the C-terminus that covalently binds serum albumin [1]. The albumin tether is what does the work: native GHRH clears the plasma in roughly seven to twenty minutes; CJC-1295 without DAC clears in roughly thirty; CJC-1295 with DAC remains measurable in plasma for days [2][10]. Across the published phase-1 record, single subcutaneous doses produced dose-dependent two-to-tenfold elevations of mean plasma growth hormone sustained for at least six days and 1.5- to 3-fold elevations of insulin-like growth factor 1 for nine to eleven days [1]. The molecule is not FDA-approved [13]. It is the subject of an indexed and citable research literature, summarized here as a feature-by-feature platform overview. ## What CJC-1295 does in the body *A GHRH-receptor agonist, applied across days rather than minutes.* CJC-1295 binds the growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor on anterior pituitary somatotrophs, activating Gs-coupled cyclic-AMP signaling and triggering endogenous growth-hormone release [1]. The downstream cascade — cyclic-AMP, protein kinase A, GH exocytosis, hepatic IGF-1 induction — is the same one native GHRH drives, only stretched across a much longer pharmacokinetic window when the DAC linker is present [1]. Pulsatility is preserved: trial data show pulse frequency unchanged and both pulse amplitude and inter-pulse baseline elevated under continuous receptor stimulation, indicating the pulse generator does not desensitize over the studied dosing windows [2]. The downstream marker of interest is serum IGF-1, which rises in proportion to sustained GH exposure and falls back toward baseline over the compound's elimination window. See [CJC-1295 mechanism of action](/research#mechanism) on the research page for the full cascade. ## What CJC-1295 is studied for *Endpoints measured in the published literature.* Research on CJC-1295 has measured a small set of endpoints reproducibly. The Teichman 2006 phase-1 single-ascending-dose trial measured plasma GH and IGF-1 across days following 30, 60, 125, or 250 µg/kg single subcutaneous doses [1]. The Teichman 2006 multi-dose arm measured cumulative IGF-1 elevation across 49 days at 60 µg/kg weekly or every other week [16]. The Ionescu 2006 companion paper measured pulse frequency, pulse amplitude, and inter-pulse GH baseline under continuous DAC-extended receptor stimulation [2]. The Alba 2006 murine work measured restoration of body weight, lean mass, and subcutaneous fat distribution in GHRH-knockout mice receiving daily CJC-1295 [3]. The Sackmann-Sala 2009 proteomic study measured downstream serum protein-profile shifts following a single 90 µg/kg dose [4]. Together these are pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies of a long-acting GHRH analog — not clinical-efficacy trials in any indicated population. ## The two variants, side by side *Same backbone. Different linker. Different time courses.* The specification ships in two variants. **CJC-1295 with DAC** carries a maleimidopropionic-acid lysine derivative at the C-terminus that covalently bonds the free Cys34 thiol on circulating serum albumin [5]. The albumin tether shields the peptide from proteolytic clearance and extends plasma half-life to approximately 5.8 to 8.1 days in healthy adults [1]. **CJC-1295 without DAC** — the same 30-residue backbone with the same four substitutions — is also known as [modified GRF (1-29)](/research#modified-grf) and reverts to a plasma half-life of approximately 30 minutes. The four substitutions (D-Ala-2, Gln-8, Ala-15, Leu-27) confer protease resistance to both variants by blocking dipeptidyl-peptidase-IV cleavage between residues 2 and 3 [6]. Only the DAC linker produces the multi-day dosing interval. Full variant comparison: [CJC-1295 with DAC vs no DAC](/research#dac-vs-no-dac). ## Why CJC-1295 is often studied with ipamorelin *Two receptors, one somatotroph, additive output.* CJC-1295 is a GHRH-receptor agonist; ipamorelin is a ghrelin / GHS-R1a-receptor agonist [7]. They activate distinct receptors on the same anterior-pituitary somatotroph: the GHRH receptor raises intracellular cyclic AMP through Gs; the ghrelin receptor raises intracellular calcium through phospholipase C and IP3 [8]. Because the two pathways converge on the same GH-release machinery without competing for the same receptor, co-administration in published research has produced additive — and in some preclinical models synergistic — growth-hormone pulse amplitude versus either compound alone [8]. Ipamorelin's selectivity profile (GH release without elevation of ACTH, cortisol, or other pituitary hormones in human and animal studies) is what makes it the conventional GHRP partner alongside a GHRH analog like CJC-1295 [15]. Detailed pairing pharmacology: [CJC-1295 and ipamorelin pairing](/research#ipamorelin). ## Regulatory specification *A spec sheet is not a permission.* CJC-1295 is not FDA-approved for any indication [13]. The compound was placed on FDA's interim 503A bulk drug substances list at Category 2 — significant safety risks for compounding — in September 2023, and removed from Category 2 in September 2024 only after the nominator withdrew the nomination [13]. Removal from Category 2 in that posture is an administrative consequence of withdrawal, not a safety clearance. The compound remains outside any active U.S. approval or pharmacy-compounding pathway. The World Anti-Doping Agency lists CJC-1295 explicitly under Section S2.2 (Growth Hormone Releasing Factors) of the Prohibited List, prohibited at all times in and out of competition [12]. This site documents that record — including the [CJC-1295 side effects](/side-effects) reported in published phase-1 trials and the [frequently asked questions](/faq) drawn from the indexed literature. ## References [1] 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 https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/91/3/799/2843281 [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. doi:10.1210/jc.2006-1702 https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/91/12/4792/2656274 [3] Alba M, Fintini D, Sagazio A, Lawrence B, Castaigne JP, Frohman LA, Salvatori R. 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;291(6):E1290-E1294. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00201.2006 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16822960/ [4] Sackmann-Sala L, Ding J, Frohman LA, Kopchick JJ. Activation of the GH/IGF-1 axis by CJC-1295, a long-acting GHRH analog, results in serum protein profile changes in normal adult subjects. Growth Horm IGF Res. 2009;19(6):471-477. doi:10.1016/j.ghir.2009.03.001 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1096637409000409 [5] Henninge J, Pepaj M, Hullstein I, Hemmersbach P. Identification of CJC-1295, a growth-hormone-releasing peptide, in an unknown pharmaceutical preparation. Drug Test Anal. 2010;2(11-12):647-650. doi:10.1002/dta.158 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21204297/ [6] Frohman LA, Downs TR, Heimer EP, Felix AM. Degradation of human growth hormone-releasing factor (hGRF 1-29)-NH2 by various peptidases and DPP-IV-mediated inactivation. J Clin Invest. 1989;83(5):1533-1540. doi:10.1172/JCI114122 https://www.jci.org/articles/view/114122 [7] Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, Thøgersen H, Madsen K, Ankersen M, Andersen PH. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol. 1998;139(5):552-561. doi:10.1530/eje.0.1390552 https://academic.oup.com/ejendo/article-abstract/139/5/552/6748390 [8] Bowers CY, Reynolds GA, Durham D, Barrera CM, Pezzoli SS, Thorner MO. Growth hormone-releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) stimulates growth hormone secretion synergistically with GHRH in normal subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1990;70(4):975-982. doi:10.1210/jcem-70-4-975 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2108187/ [10] Frohman LA, Thominet JL, Webb CB, Vance ML, Uderman H, Rivier J, Vale W, Thorner MO. Pharmacokinetics of growth hormone releasing factor [GRF(1-29)NH2] in normal men. J Clin Invest. 1984;73(5):1304-1311. doi:10.1172/JCI111574 https://www.jci.org/articles/view/111574 [12] World Anti-Doping Agency. World Anti-Doping Code International Standard — Prohibited List 2025. WADA-AMA. https://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list [13] U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Briefing Document, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee Meeting — CJC-1295 bulk drug substance nomination. 2023. https://www.fda.gov/media/183819/download [15] Gobburu JV, Agersø H, Jusko WJ, Ynddal L. Growth hormone (GH) response to ipamorelin, a new pentapeptidic selective GH secretagogue, in healthy volunteers. Pharm Res. 1999;16(9):1412-1416. doi:10.1023/A:1018955126402 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10496658/ [16] 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 — multi-dose arm. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(3):799-805. doi:10.1210/jc.2005-1536 https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/91/3/799/2843281 --- The CJC-1295 research record, set out as a specification — not a clinic, not a vendor, not a prescription.