Also called: CJC 1295, mod GRF 1-29, modified GRF
CJC-1295 is a man-made chemical messenger. It is a short chain of building blocks that tell your body to make more of its own growth hormone. Growth hormone is a natural body chemical that helps with muscle, energy, and healing. Clinics and online sellers offer it as a shot under the skin. It is mostly used by people who want more muscle, less fat, faster recovery, or better aging.
When CJC-1295 enters the body, it attaches to a part of the brain that controls growth hormone release. This makes the body release more of its own growth hormone instead of getting it from a drug. Some wellness clinics say this supports muscle growth, fat burning, and recovery. Some also say it may be safer than taking growth hormone directly, because your body stays in charge of how much it makes. Women over 40 are sometimes told to use it because growth hormone levels drop with age.
Here is the big problem: CJC-1295 is not approved by the FDA. Most of the research has been done in small studies or in animals, not large human trials. Doctors who study these compounds warn that people may be injecting things that were never fully tested in humans. We do not know all the side effects or the long-term risks. If you are thinking about it, talk to a real doctor first and know that the safety proof is thin.
Building Blocks
CJC-1295 is one of the building blocks in this blend or stack people actually buy:
Natural growth-hormone release — recovery, body composition, sleep
Paired with Ipamorelin
Established GH blend
Two Forms Exist
Both are valid research forms — they differ in how long they stay active. Neither is sold on its own here; each page shows the blend it comes in.
The longer-acting form of CJC-1295 — an extended-release GH secretagogue.
Half-life: ≈ 6–8 days (DAC extends it from minutes to days)
The short-acting form of CJC-1295 — a precise, injection-time GH pulse.
Half-life: ≈ 30 minutes (native-like Mod GRF 1-29 kinetics)
Benefits
The main themes across 20 research studies, in plain language.
Research suggests that the peptide may stimulate the release of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), potentially elevating their levels in the body for extended periods.
Research indicates the peptide has an extended half-life and sustained activity due to mechanisms like albumin binding, allowing for less frequent dosing.
Evidence suggests that combining this peptide with other agents (like Ipamorelin) may activate dual pathways to produce a synergistic increase in growth hormone output.
Research indicates the peptide may selectively stimulate GH release without significantly elevating stress hormones like cortisol, prolactin, or ACTH.
Limited evidence suggests the peptide may support reproductive health by promoting ovulation and modulating hormonal axes like LH/FSH.
Research suggests the peptide may mimic or preserve the body's natural pulsatile secretion patterns of growth hormone, rather than causing a constant flat elevation.
Research suggests the peptide may support recovery from injuries and exercise by promoting protein synthesis, collagen production, and the repair of connective tissues.
Animal models suggest the peptide may support skeletal health by improving bone mineral density and normalizing growth.
Findings suggest the peptide may stimulate appetite, which can be relevant for conditions involving wasting or poor nutritional intake.
Some findings suggest the peptide may modulate immune system activity and reduce inflammatory tone in adipose tissue.
Studies indicate potential shifts in body mass, including the reduction of adipose tissue (particularly visceral fat) and the preservation or increase of lean muscle mass.
Studies suggest the peptide may influence metabolic markers, potentially promoting fat oxidation, improving insulin sensitivity, and favorably altering lipid profiles.
Preliminary research points to potential protective effects on the heart and kidneys, such as improving post-infarct remodeling and reducing renal stress.
Some studies suggest the peptide may influence the central nervous system, potentially improving executive function, verbal memory, and sexual arousal.
Findings imply that increased collagen synthesis could improve skin elasticity, hydration, and overall quality, as well as support joint and tendon health.
Evidence points to improvements in sleep patterns, specifically increases in slow-wave (deep) sleep and sleep duration, possibly linked to nocturnal GH release.
Studies note logistical and stability factors such as peptide solubility, storage requirements, and the reproducibility of experimental data.
See where CJC-1295 fits — the most-used combinations, dosing notes from the research, and what to check before you buy.
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1 reported routine — each line links to the source it came from.
Self-reported & vendor-suggested
Routines shared by users and sellers in forums and product pages — anecdotal, not tested in clinical trials. We show them for completeness, not as a recommendation.
SubQ
mg vs mcg: one milligram (mg) equals 1,000 micrograms (mcg) — multiply by 1,000 going from mg to mcg, divide by 1,000 going from mcg to mg. Mixing the two up is a thousand-fold dosing error: 1 mg taken instead of 1 mcg is a 1,000× overdose; 1 mcg instead of 1 mg is a 1,000× underdose. Always double-check the unit label and the decimal place.
Safety
Adverse effects reported in the research and by community use.
Reported in research and community sources — not exhaustive. Discontinue use and consult a healthcare professional if side effects occur.
CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH). The Drug Affinity Complex (DAC) binds serum albumin, extending half-life to roughly a week and producing sustained, dose-dependent increases in GH (2-10x) and IGF-1 lasting days to weeks. It is not FDA-approved.
Evidence
Every claim above traces back to a source you can check — here are 8 of them.
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.
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.
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.
Once-daily administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, normalizes growth in the GHRH knockout mouse.
Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog.
Identification of CJC-1295, a growth-hormone-releasing peptide, in an unknown pharmaceutical preparation.
CJC-1295 - AdisInsight
The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis: bridging the gap between clinical evidence and patient self-administration
Timeline
Key moments in CJC-1295’s research and regulatory timeline — sourced and dated.
News
Dated, sourced reporting that mentions CJC-1295.
A November 2025 CNN report documents how celebrities and wellness influencers are fueling mass consumer use of unapproved peptides like BPC-157, TB-500, ipamorelin, and CJC-1295, many sold with a "for research use only" label that lawyers and regulators describe as a loophole to evade FDA oversight. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has vowed to end the agency's "war on peptides," while named sellers such as biohacker Gary Brecka market injectable vials for $350 to $600 each. Independent experts — including Scripps' Dr. Eric Topol and UC Davis biologist Paul Knoepfler — stress that none of these compounds have passed adequate clinical trials and that "research-grade" powders often contain contaminants. BPC-157 and TB-500 are also banned by international sports authorities as doping substances.
The New Zealand Rugby Anti-Doping Judicial Committee decision records Customs-intercepted mail containing, among other items, Biotech peptides, CJC-1295 (ipamorelin) 5/5mg, 3 x vials — a single combination vial naming both peptides, which the committee lists as a prohibited non-specified substance. The source labels the vial CJC-1295 (ipamorelin) without further DAC qualification; it is attributed to the with-DAC compound because unqualified CJC-1295 denotes the DAC form. A recreational athlete received a two-year sanction (backdated to provisional suspension on 9 August 2023) for importing and using the prohibited substances.
FDA's running list of bulk drug substances that present significant safety risks in compounding names GHRP-2, GHRP-6, ipamorelin acetate, CJC-1295 and AOD-9604. GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 were added to the 503B risk list on September 29, 2023 over immunogenicity concerns, and FDA notes serious adverse events for CJC-1295 (increased heart rate, systemic vasodilatory reactions). The list confirms these peptides are treated by FDA as unsafe-for-compounding substances.
FDA warned Tailor Made Compounding LLC (Nicholasville, KY) after a 2018 inspection found it compounded drug products with bulk substances ineligible for 503A exemptions. The letter explicitly lists the compounded substances: Follistatin, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, AOD 9604, BPC 157, Bremelanotide (PT-141), Cerebrolysin, DSIP, Epitalon, GHK-Cu, Ipamorelin, LL-37, Melanotan II, Selank, Semax, and CJC 1295, among others. The firm was cited for insanitary aseptic processing (adulteration), unapproved new drugs, and misbranding, and removed GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 from its formulary in response.
Wondering how CJC-1295 pricing compares across suppliers? Our original market data shows the full picture.
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