CJC-1295
CJC-1295 (Modified GRF 1-29)
Also called CJC1295, mod GRF 1-29, modified GRF (1-29), DAC:GRF
A long-lasting copy of the signal that releases growth hormone
CJC-1295 copies the brain signal that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone. It comes in two versions that behave very differently: with DAC it lasts days, without DAC it lasts minutes. The one human trial used the DAC version, so its findings do not describe the short-acting one. It is not an approved medicine.
A copy of the brain signal that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone, rewritten so the enzyme that normally destroys it in minutes cannot. The name covers two compounds that behave very differently: with DAC it keeps growth hormone up for days, without DAC it produces a short pulse. The human trial used the version with DAC.
- Half-life
- 6–8 days (with DAC); 30 min–2 hr (without DAC)
- Status
- Not FDA-approved
Studied in people, and well studied in preclinical models
32 papers · 2 clinical trials
What CJC-1295 has been studied for
The reasons people look it up, roughly in order of how often, and what research exists for each. Interest in a use is not evidence that it works; the evidence is stated under each one.
Mechanism of Action
How CJC-1295 works
Your brain sends a short message to the pituitary meaning release growth hormone. It has to be short-lived, because a signal that never stops is not a signal. An enzyme in your blood chops it up within minutes.
CJC-1295 is that message rewritten to survive the chopping. A few amino acids in the chain were swapped for ones the enzyme cannot cut.
Two compounds under one name
This compound exists in two versions, and they behave so differently that they are effectively different drugs.
The version with DAC carries an extra attachment that lets it hitch onto a protein in your blood and ride around for days. Growth hormone stays elevated the whole time. In healthy adults, a single injection raised it several-fold for six days or more.
The version without DAC, also called mod GRF 1-29, clears in minutes. It produces a pulse and then nothing, which is much closer to how the body does it naturally.
The one human trial used the version with DAC, and its findings do not transfer to the version without it. Much of what is written about this compound mixes the two up.
An open question nobody settles
Your body releases growth hormone in pulses rather than a steady stream, and that pattern appears to matter. The DAC version deliberately overrides it and holds levels up continuously. Whether that is better than pulses, or worse, has not been established. It is a genuine unknown rather than a technicality.
CJC-1295 side effects: what studies reported
Most of what is reported comes from holding water, which is what happens when growth hormone goes up. In the 2006 trial, side effects were mostly mild and related to the injection or to flushing.
Most commonly reported
- Puffiness, especially hands and face
- Flushing or a head rush
- Vivid dreams and heavier sleep
- Injection-site redness
- Tiredness
Worth keeping an eye on
- Numbness or tingling in the hands, from fluid pressing on the nerve at the wrist
- Aching joints
- Blood sugar drifting up, since growth hormone works against insulin
Dose-related findings. Water retention and the tingling that comes with it are effects of raised growth hormone, and are reported as dose-related.
Source: Teichman et al., 2006, plus reports collected outside trials. This is a summary of published findings, not a complete safety profile and not medical advice. Questions about CJC-1295 belong with a licensed clinician who knows your history.
Your Genetics & CJC-1295
The genes involved in how CJC-1295 works
CJC-1295 works through the receptors these genes build, and the genes vary from person to person. Researchers have linked some of that variation to differences in how people respond. A DNA report tells you which versions you carry.
GHRHR · ••
This gene builds the pituitary receptor CJC-1295 acts on. Variants have been studied for their association with receptor expression and growth hormone secretion. No study has tested whether any GHRHR genotype changes response to CJC-1295.
GHR · ••
The exon 3 deletion (d3-GHR) produces a shorter receptor that some human studies have associated with greater sensitivity to growth hormone, mostly in children treated with approved growth hormone. No study has tested it with CJC-1295.
Promoter variants here have been associated with differences in baseline IGF-1 levels in population studies. That is a statement about baseline, not about response to any peptide.
SOCS2 is a brake on growth hormone signalling inside the cell. Variants are studied for their association with growth hormone signalling and body size. Any link to CJC-1295 is a hypothesis; it has not been tested.
The dots after each gene are where your own result goes. Your report fills them in with the two letters you carry at that position.
Which of these variants do you carry?
Your report reads the DNA file you already have against this research.
Often discussed alongside
Compounds that come up next to CJC-1295 in research and discussion. Each has its own page. None of this is a suggestion to combine them.
Ipamorelin
the CJC-1295 and ipamorelin pairingModerate EvidenceIpamorelin Acetate
Presses the same switch the stomach uses to say it is empty, the one that also triggers a growth hormone release, but largely without the hunger. What set it apart in early pharmacology work is what it did not do: older peptides in its family also pushed up cortisol and prolactin, and this one mostly stopped at growth hormone. It is not an approved medicine.
4
Gene variants
40+
Studies
Named combinations
A combination people search for by name, and what research exists on it.
Access
Access and legal status
CJC-1295 is not an FDA-approved drug. Products sold online as “research chemicals” are labelled not for human use, and FDA treats them as unapproved drugs when they are marketed for people. We don't link to any seller, and nothing on this page is a recommendation to obtain or use it.
Your DNA and CJC-1295: see which of the variants studied alongside it you carry, and what that research does and does not show. Read my DNA, $99 →
Educational information only, not medical advice. Most peptides are not FDA-approved. Do not start, stop or change any medication or peptide because of this page; talk to a licensed clinician.
Worth knowing about CJC-1295
Interactions and situations where there is a specific reason to be careful. Where the honest answer is that nobody has studied something, it says so and says what that leaves open.
- With DAC and without DAC are effectively two different drugs
- With DAC it holds growth hormone elevated for days; without it, also called mod GRF 1-29, it produces a short pulse closer to the body's own rhythm. Research on one does not describe the other.
- Sustained elevation is not obviously the goal
- Your body releases growth hormone in pulses, and that pattern appears to matter. The DAC version deliberately overrides it. Whether continuous elevation is better or worse than pulses has not been settled, which is a real open question rather than a technicality.
- Not an approved medicine, and banned in sport
- It is not approved anywhere, is not on the 503A list for compounding, and is prohibited at all times under WADA rules.
The evidence behind CJC-1295
One human trial matters here and it is a good one, but read which version it used. Teichman 2006 tested CJC-1295 with DAC, the long-acting form, and showed clear, prolonged rises in growth hormone and IGF-1 in healthy adults. The version without DAC clears in minutes and produces a pulse instead. Findings do not transfer between the two, and most pages quoting this trial do not say which one they are describing.
The literature, counted
Counted in PubMed on 3 August 2026 for CJC-1295. Every figure links to the search that produced it, so you can re-run it. “Tagged human” is not the same as a human trial: that tag also covers work on human cells and reviews discussing people, which is why the trial count is given separately.
Reviews
1 of 3Papers that gather other studies rather than run new ones.Every source behind this page42 more
- Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine PhysiciansMayfield CK, Bolia IK, Feingold CL, et al. · American Journal of Sports Medicine · 2026Review
- Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic PerformanceMendias CL, Awan TM · Sports Medicine · 2026Review
Everything we cite for CJC-1295, including preclinical work and early research. Each link goes to the source itself, so you can judge it rather than take our word for it.
Last updated · literature counts verified against PubMed on
Frequently Asked Questions
What has CJC-1295 been studied for?
Its one published human trial (Teichman 2006) measured growth hormone and IGF-1 in healthy adults: a single injection of the DAC version raised both for days. It has not been tested in people for body composition, recovery, aging or sleep, and it is not an approved medicine.
Why is it so often mentioned with ipamorelin?
The two act on different receptors in the same system: CJC-1295 copies the hormone GHRH, and ipamorelin copies ghrelin. In laboratory and early human physiology work, signals through both receptors release more growth hormone than either alone. No trial has tested the two together in people.
Do genes change how CJC-1295 works?
No study has tested whether any genotype changes response to CJC-1295. The genes listed above build the receptors and signalling proteins of the growth hormone system, and some variants have been associated with differences in growth hormone or IGF-1 in human studies. A DNA report can show which versions you carry and what that research does and does not show.
Watch
What clinicians and researchers say about CJC-1295
1 hr 30 minPeptide Expert: What Do Peptides Actually Do? (EXPLAINED) - Dr Alex TatemThe Diary of a CEO · PodcastBPC-157TB-500MOTS-c
13 minDr. Explains Peptide Stacks Used for Muscle GrowthAshley Froese · EducatorSermorelinCJC-1295Tesamorelin
11 minDr Amazed - Tesamorelin DECIMATES Visceral Fat and MOREAshley Froese · EducatorTesamorelinSermorelinCJC-1295Learn more about CJC-1295
12 guides mention CJC-1295→how it works
Peptides for beginners: what they are, what is approved, and how to read the evidence (2026)
11 min read
comparisons
In depthCJC-1295 with DAC vs without DAC: two different compounds, and only one has human data
8 min read
comparisons
In depthIpamorelin vs CJC-1295: same goal, very different biology
9 min read
comparisons
In depthSermorelin vs CJC-1295: one was an approved drug, the other has one short trial
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comparisons
In depthTesamorelin vs MK-677 vs CJC-1295: what the body composition trials actually show
10 min read
peptide guides
Peptides studied for muscle recovery and injury repair: 7 compounds sorted by human evidence
11 min read
Your DNA and CJC-1295
What the research says about your variants.
The report
Which CJC-1295 variants do you carry?
Your report reads the DNA file you already have against the published research on 31 peptides, marker by marker, and says what that research does and does not show.
Read my DNA, $99