What Is CJC-1295? The Growth Hormone Peptide, Explained for 2026

CJC-1295 is a synthetic peptide that copies part of growth hormone-releasing hormone, or GHRH. It's studied for its ability to signal the pituitary gland to release more of the body's own growth hormone. It comes in two forms: one with a "DAC" modification that lasts about a week, and one without it that clears in under an hour. CJC-1295's compounding status is under review in 2026. Exploring a growth hormone peptide is a proactive step worth taking through a licensed physician.

What is CJC-1295?

CJC-1295 is a synthetic analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). It's built from the first 29 amino acids of natural GHRH, the shortest piece that still activates the GHRH receptor. Four amino acid swaps make it resist the enzymes that normally break GHRH down within minutes, so it lasts far longer in the body. The result is a peptide studied for its ability to prompt the pituitary gland to release more of the body's own growth hormone (GH).

CJC-1295 was developed by the biotech company ConjuChem in the mid-2000s. It reached early human trials but development stopped there, and no company has taken it back into clinical development since. Today it appears mostly in compounding and grey-market settings, which is why understanding what it is and where it comes from matters. For the closely related peptide pru does offer, see the sermorelin guide.

What's the difference between CJC-1295 with DAC and without DAC?

The difference between CJC-1295 with DAC and without DAC is how long each stays active. "DAC" stands for Drug Affinity Complex, a small chemical tail that latches onto albumin, a protein that circulates in blood for weeks. That anchor stretches the peptide's half-life to roughly 6 to 8 days. The no-DAC version, often sold as "Modified GRF (1-29)," skips the tail and clears in about 30 minutes.

Both forms bind the same receptor with the same strength. What changes is the pattern. The short no-DAC form produces a brief pulse of GH that mimics the body's natural rhythm. The long DAC form keeps GH and IGF-1 elevated at a steadier, higher baseline for days. That distinction drives most dosing decisions, which are covered in the CJC-1295 dosage guide.

How does CJC-1295 work in the body?

CJC-1295 works by acting like GHRH, the hormone your hypothalamus normally uses to tell the pituitary gland when to release growth hormone. When CJC-1295 binds the GHRH receptor on pituitary cells, those cells release a wave of stored GH. Because the peptide resists rapid breakdown, that signal keeps working long after natural GHRH would have faded.

Growth hormone then travels to the liver and other tissues, where it prompts the release of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 is the messenger behind many of GH's downstream effects on muscle, tissue repair, and metabolism. This is why growth hormone peptides are grouped together and studied as a class. For the broader picture, see the growth hormone peptides guide.

What does the research on CJC-1295 show?

The human research on CJC-1295 centers on studies from the mid-2000s. The most cited is a 2006 trial published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. In healthy adults, a single injection of CJC-1295 with DAC raised average GH levels 2- to 10-fold for six or more days and IGF-1 levels 1.5- to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days. With repeated weekly doses, IGF-1 stayed elevated for about a month.

These findings show the peptide can raise GH and IGF-1 in people. IGF-1 is the growth signal the liver releases in response to GH, and it acts on muscle and connective tissue to drive repair. Because higher GH and IGF-1 support muscle repair, tissue recovery, and lean-mass goals, CJC-1295 is studied for exactly those outcomes.

Why is CJC-1295 often paired with ipamorelin?

CJC-1295 is often paired with ipamorelin because the two peptides push growth hormone through different doors at the same time. CJC-1295 is a GHRH analogue, so it tells the pituitary it's time to release GH. Ipamorelin is a growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP) that mimics ghrelin and amplifies the size of each GH pulse. Used together, they're thought to produce a larger, cleaner GH release than either alone.

This combination is the most common growth hormone peptide stack discussed online. It's covered in depth, along with the important caveats, in the CJC-1295 and ipamorelin stack guide. To understand ipamorelin on its own, see the ipamorelin guide.

How is CJC-1295 different from sermorelin?

CJC-1295 and sermorelin are both GHRH analogues that signal the pituitary to release growth hormone, but they differ in how long they last and how much clinical history they carry. Sermorelin is a short-acting GHRH analogue with a long track record in medicine, including a period as an FDA-approved product. CJC-1295, especially the DAC form, was engineered to last far longer, but it remained investigational and has a thinner safety record.

For someone new to growth hormone peptides, that history is the key contrast: sermorelin works with the body's natural pulse and is available today through licensed telehealth, while CJC-1295 remains investigational. See the full comparison in the sermorelin vs ipamorelin guide and the tesamorelin vs sermorelin guide for how these GH peptides line up.

Is CJC-1295 safe, and what are the side effects?

CJC-1295's safety is not fully established, because it was never studied in large or long-term trials. The most commonly reported side effects in early research and clinical use are injection-site reactions like redness or itching, flushing, headache, and temporary water retention. These mirror what's seen with other growth hormone peptides.

The more serious history is why the drug stalled. ConjuChem halted development after a participant died during a Phase 2 lipodystrophy trial. Investigators attributed the death to pre-existing heart disease rather than the drug, but the program was suspended as a precaution and never resumed. Because higher, sustained IGF-1 can carry theoretical risks, growth hormone peptides are best explored only with a licensed physician who reviews your history first.

Is CJC-1295 legal, and what's its FDA status in 2026?

As of 2026, CJC-1295 is not FDA-approved and sits in a regulatory gray zone for compounding. In September 2024, the FDA removed CJC-1295 from its Category 2 bulk substances list after the original nominators withdrew, and in April 2026 the agency confirmed it had not been placed on Category 1 either. That leaves it pending broader FDA review, with no cleared, regulated compounding pathway yet.

CJC-1295 is not on the July 23-24, 2026 PCAC agenda, which focuses on seven other peptides including BPC-157 and TB-500. Its path forward depends on future review. This matters for buyers: a peptide without a clear compounding pathway is one that responsible pharmacies may not fill, which pushes demand toward the unregulated grey market.

What's the risk of buying CJC-1295 online?

The main risk of buying CJC-1295 online is that most of it is grey-market product with no prescriber, no pharmacy oversight, and no verified purity. Vials sold as "research chemicals" or labeled "not for human use" exist specifically to sidestep the rules that protect patients. There's no guarantee of what's in them, at what dose, or whether they're sterile.

• No licensed physician reviews whether it's appropriate for you.
• No 503A pharmacy verifies identity, purity, or sterility.
• "Research-grade" and "not for human use" labels mean no one is accountable if something goes wrong.
• Dosing is guesswork, and contamination is a real risk with injectables.

This caution applies specifically to those unregulated vials, not to peptides prescribed by a physician and filled by a licensed pharmacy. The safe version of exploring growth hormone peptides runs through people who are licensed and accountable, which is exactly the model described next.

How does pru approach growth hormone peptides?

pru approaches growth hormone peptides through licensed physicians and FDA-regulated 503A compounding pharmacies, never through grey-market vials. A physician reviews your health history and confirms whether a peptide is an appropriate fit, and a licensed pharmacy compounds and fills it as pharmacy-grade medicine. You select the peptide with the help of pru's content; the physician confirms it's right for you.

Today, pru's live growth hormone peptide is sermorelin, a well-studied GHRH analogue in the same family as CJC-1295. pru does not currently offer longer-acting GHRH peptides like CJC-1295 until there is a safe pathway for physician oversight and FDA-regulated 503A pharmacies. CJC-1295 is still pending FDA review and has no cleared, regulated compounding pathway yet, and pru only offers peptides a licensed physician can prescribe and an FDA-registered 503A pharmacy can compound.

Until CJC-1295 reaches that kind of overseen, legitimate pathway, the sound move is to wait for it rather than order a research-only vial with no prescriber or pharmacy behind it. Pricing follows pru's at-cost model: a flat monthly membership funds the platform, and the medicine itself is priced at cost with no markup, itemized on your bill. See membership pricing for how that works.

Curious where sermorelin fits? Start with the sermorelin benefits guide or browse the Muscle & Performance catalog. Being proactive about your growth hormone health is a smart move, and pru exists to make the licensed, at-cost path the accessible one when you're ready to take the next step.

Related reading

• Growth hormone peptides: a complete guide
• Sermorelin guide: what it is and how it works
• CJC-1295 and ipamorelin stack, explained
• CJC-1295 dosage and protocols
• Best peptides for muscle growth
• Shop sermorelin at pru

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