- Sermorelin is GHRH(1-29), the active fragment of the body's own growth hormone releasing hormone. It was FDA-approved as Geref (NDA 20-443) for growth hormone deficiency in children and withdrawn in 2008 for commercial reasons, not safety.
- CJC-1295 is a modified GHRH analog. With a drug affinity complex (DAC) it binds albumin and lasts days in the blood. Its published human record is one study in healthy adults (Teichman et al., JCEM 2006).
- In December 2024, FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted against adding CJC-1295 to the list of substances US pharmacies may compound, citing safety concerns.
- Sermorelin produces short pulses of growth hormone; CJC-1295 with DAC produces sustained elevation. The long-term effects of sustained elevation have not been studied in people.
- No study has tested whether any gene variant changes response to either compound.
Sermorelin and CJC-1295 are often compared as if they were two versions of the same thing. Both act on the pituitary's growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) receptor. Their evidence records, though, could hardly be more different: one went through FDA approval for children, and the other has a single short published study in healthy adults. Here is what each record shows.
This page is education about the research and regulatory record. It does not recommend either compound or describe how either one is used. Decisions about a prescription drug belong to the prescriber.
Published human studies of CJC-1295 with DAC that report clinical results: a single 2006 study in healthy adults. Sermorelin, by comparison, went through FDA review for a pediatric indication.
What is the human record for sermorelin?
Sermorelin (GHRH 1-29) is the biologically active fragment of the body's own growth hormone releasing hormone. FDA approved it as Geref under NDA 20-443 for children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency and growth failure, on the basis of trials that measured growth velocity in treated children.
EMD Serono withdrew Geref from the market in 2008. In 2013 FDA published a Federal Register determination that the product was not withdrawn for reasons of safety or effectiveness; recombinant human growth hormone had come to dominate the market. Because it was once a component of an approved drug, sermorelin is prepared today by US compounding pharmacies on a prescription.
What is the human record for CJC-1295?
CJC-1295 was developed by ConjuChem as a longer-lasting version of GHRH. With its drug affinity complex (DAC), it binds albumin in the blood, which extends its half-life from minutes to several days.
In the published study (Teichman et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2006), healthy adults aged 21 to 61 were studied, and growth hormone and IGF-1 rose and stayed elevated for days. The authors reported no serious adverse events; flushing, headache, local skin reactions and mild nausea were common. The study was short and designed to measure pharmacokinetics and short-term safety. It was not designed to answer what happens over months, and no later phase 3 trial was completed.
Completed phase 3 trials of CJC-1295. Its clinical development did not continue past early-phase studies.
Can CJC-1295 be compounded in the US?
No. On 4 December 2024, FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted against recommending CJC-1295 for the list of bulk substances US pharmacies may compound. FDA's briefing materials raised safety concerns, including nonclinical toxicity findings and immunogenicity risk. CJC-1295 is not an FDA-approved drug, and FDA treats products containing it that are marketed for people as unapproved drugs.
| Question | Sermorelin | CJC-1295 (with DAC) |
|---|---|---|
| FDA approval history | Approved as Geref (NDA 20-443); withdrawn 2008, not for safety | Never approved |
| Published human data | Pediatric trials supporting approval | One study in healthy adults (2006) |
| US compounding | Prepared by compounding pharmacies on prescription | Advisory committee voted against (Dec 2024) |
| Half-life | Minutes | Several days |
| Growth hormone pattern | Short pulses | Sustained elevation |
Pulsatile vs sustained: why the pattern matters
The body releases growth hormone in pulses, several times a day, with low levels in between. Because sermorelin's half-life is short, the growth hormone pulse it produces clears quickly, and the body's feedback controls stay in play.
CJC-1295 with DAC produces a continuous signal at the pituitary for days, so growth hormone and IGF-1 stay elevated around the clock. That produces a larger IGF-1 rise in the short term. What sustained elevation does to pituitary sensitivity, insulin sensitivity or other outcomes over months or years has not been studied in people. The CJC-1295 with and without DAC explainer covers how the two forms differ.
What genetics research says
The growth hormone receptor gene (GHR) has a common variant in which exon 3 is deleted (d3). Some studies of children treated with recombinant growth hormone linked d3 to a greater growth response; others did not confirm it. The GHRH receptor gene (GHRHR) encodes the receptor both compounds act on, and rare loss-of-function variants cause a form of growth hormone deficiency.
No study has tested whether a GHR or GHRHR genotype changes response to sermorelin or CJC-1295. A DNA report can show which versions you carry and what the growth hormone research found; it cannot predict how either compound would work for you.
Verdict: sermorelin has an FDA approval history and pediatric trial data; CJC-1295 has one short study in healthy adults, no completed phase 3 trial and an advisory committee vote against compounding it. They act on the same receptor but produce different growth hormone patterns, and the long-term effects of CJC-1295's sustained pattern are unstudied.
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Is sermorelin the same as CJC-1295?
No. Both act on the GHRH receptor, but they are different compounds. Sermorelin is GHRH(1-29), the natural active fragment, with a half-life of minutes. CJC-1295 has amino acid substitutions and, in its DAC form, binds albumin to last several days. Sermorelin produces short pulses of growth hormone; CJC-1295 with DAC produces sustained elevation.
Which has more clinical data, sermorelin or CJC-1295?
Sermorelin. It was FDA-approved as Geref for growth hormone deficiency in children on the basis of pediatric trials. CJC-1295 has one published human study, in healthy adults (Teichman et al., JCEM 2006), and no completed phase 3 trial.
Why was sermorelin withdrawn?
EMD Serono withdrew Geref in 2008. FDA later published a determination that the withdrawal was not for reasons of safety or effectiveness; recombinant growth hormone had come to dominate the market.
Can CJC-1295 be compounded in the US?
No. In December 2024, FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted against adding CJC-1295 to the list of bulk substances US pharmacies may compound, and FDA's briefing raised safety concerns. CJC-1295 is not an approved drug.
Do genes affect response to sermorelin or CJC-1295?
No study has tested that. The GHR exon 3 deletion has been linked in some studies to greater growth response to recombinant growth hormone in children, but it has not been tested against sermorelin or CJC-1295.
This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It reports what published research found; it is not medical advice, it does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and nothing in it is a dose or a recommendation to use any compound. Talk to a licensed clinician about any medical decision.