Entry 0010Rev 1.0Long-acting GHRH analogue

CJC-1295

[D-Ala2, Gln8, Ala15, Leu27] GRF (1–29) + Lys30 maleimide · C165H269N47O46

Reviewed

2 Nov 2026

Scientific editor

[Name, PhD]

References

7 sources

CJC-1295 is the first 29 residues of growth hormone-releasing hormone with four amino acids swapped for stability, plus an extra lysine carrying a chemical hook. Once injected, that hook bonds to albumin in the blood, which stretches the half-life from minutes to days.1,2

Two different products are sold under this name. The original, "with DAC", has the hook. "CJC-1295 without DAC", also called modified GRF (1–29), does not, and behaves like a short-acting peptide. Most papers mean the first, and several have confused the two.6

Residues

30

Avg mass

3647.3 g/mol

Half-life, with DAC

6–8 days

WADA class

S2.2.4

01

Identity

With DAC (CJC-1295)Without DAC (mod GRF 1–29)
Length30 residues29 residues
ChangesD-Ala2, Gln8, Ala15, Leu27Same four
ExtraLys30 with maleimidopropionyl groupNone
Binds albuminYes, after injectionNo
Avg mass3647.3 g/mol3367.9 g/mol
CAS446262-90-4—
Half-lifeAbout 6–8 days in people2Not established in a full study

Always check which form a lot certificate describes. The mass spectrum tells them apart at once: the two differ by about 280 g/mol.

02

History

  1. ConjuChem reports CJC-1295 as a long-lasting GRF analogue that binds albumin.1

  2. Two studies in healthy adults measure growth hormone and IGF-1 for days after one injection.2,3

  3. Phase 2 trial halted after a participant died; the treating physician judged the death unrelated.4

  4. Doping-control labs find it in seized products and report the DAC confusion.5,6

  5. Named on the WADA list as a GHRH analogue.7

03

What the studies measured

StudyPeople or modelWhat was measuredSource
Jetté 2005RatsAlbumin binding, half-life, growth hormone release[1]
Teichman 2006Healthy adults, single and repeated dosesHalf-life; growth hormone 2–10 times baseline for 6 days or more; IGF-1 1.5–3 times for 9–11 days[2]
Ionescu 2006Healthy menWhether growth hormone kept its normal pulses under continuous stimulation[3]
Henninge 2010Seized productIdentification of CJC-1295 in an unknown sample[5]
04

Regulatory and sport status

WhereStatus
UK, EU, USNot approved anywhere. Development stopped in 2006. Not a controlled drug in the UK. May not be supplied or promoted for human use.
SportProhibited at all times. Named in WADA class S2.2.4: "GHRH and its analogues (e.g. CJC-1293, CJC-1295, sermorelin and tesamorelin)".7
05

Open questions

  1. Long-term safety. The only human data are short studies from 2006, and development stopped that year.
  2. What "without DAC" actually does in people. It has no published human study of its own.
  3. Which form a given paper or product used, which the literature often fails to say.6
06

Common questions

What does DAC mean?

Drug Affinity Complex. It is the lysine with a maleimide group that bonds to albumin after injection, giving CJC-1295 a half-life of days.

Is CJC-1295 without DAC the same peptide?

No. It is modified GRF (1–29): the same 29 residues without the albumin hook. It is shorter-acting and lighter by about 280 g/mol.

Was CJC-1295 tested in people?

Yes, in two 2006 studies in healthy adults. A phase 2 trial was halted the same year after a participant died, and development stopped.

Is CJC-1295 banned in sport?

Yes, by name, under WADA class S2.2.4, at all times.

How is it different from tesamorelin?

Both are GHRH analogues. Tesamorelin is all 44 residues with a hexenoyl cap and is licensed in the US. CJC-1295 is 29 residues plus the DAC lysine and is not licensed anywhere.

—

See also

Ipamorelin Entry 0009Tesamorelin Entry 0004Growth hormone axis ShelfSermorelin Entry 0016
07

References

  1. Jetté L, et al. Human growth hormone-releasing factor (hGRF)1-29-albumin bioconjugates activate the GRF receptor on the anterior pituitary in rats: identification of CJC-1295 as a long-lasting GRF analog. Endocrinology. 2005;146(7):3052–3058. PMID 15817669
  2. Teichman SL, et al. 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. PMID 16352683
  3. 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. PMID 17018654
  4. Hartvig RA, et al. [Forensic review covering CJC-1295 and the halted trial]. Scand J Forensic Sci. 2014;20(2):42–49. doi:10.2478/sjfs-2014-0003
  5. Henninge J, et al. Identification of CJC-1295, a growth-hormone-releasing peptide, in an unknown pharmaceutical preparation. Drug Test Anal. 2010;2(11–12):647–650. PMID 21204297
  6. Memdouh S, et al. [Review of GHRH analogues in doping control, noting the DAC and no-DAC confusion]. Drug Test Anal. 2021;13(11–12):1871–1887. PMID 34665524
  7. World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List. wada-ama.org Class S2.2.4.

Peptidarium Library. CJC-1295 (entry 0010), revision 1.0, 2 November 2026. peptidarium.com/library/cjc-1295

08

Revision history

RevDateChangeBy
1.02 Nov 2026Entry created.[Scientific editor]

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