What is CJC-1295?

CJC-1295 is a lab-made GHRH analogue built from the first 29 residues of human GHRH, with four amino acid substitutions and an extra lysine that carries a reactive maleimide group. Its developers at ConjuChem called it "a tetrasubstituted form of hGRF(1-29)" with a maleimidopropionamide lysine added at the C-terminus. ^[2]

The design goal was a longer-lasting version of GHRH. A 2006 mouse paper describes its use as "limited by its very short half-life". ^[9] The DAC fixes that by attaching the peptide to albumin in blood, so it circulates for days.

One naming problem shapes everything that follows. "CJC-1295" means the DAC molecule in the published trials. Sellers also use the name, often with "no DAC" or "without DAC" added, for the 29-residue peptide that lacks the albumin-binding lysine. The two molecules differ in mass, half-life and evidence base. CJC-1295 10mg is in stock with a batch certificate, and the certificate is how you confirm which molecule a vial holds.

CJC-1295 activates the GHRH receptor on pituitary cells, which releases growth hormone into the blood. The 2005 discovery paper showed the albumin conjugates were active in a GH secretion assay in cultured rat anterior pituitary cells, and its title describes them as activating "the GRF receptor on the anterior pituitary in rats". ^[2] A 2009 paper summarises the natural pathway: GHRH is made in the hypothalamus and binds receptors on pituitary somatotropes to promote GH synthesis and release. ^[4]

Albumin binding is the second half of the mechanism. The maleimide on the added lysine reacts with the free thiol on Cys34 of serum albumin. In rats, a CJC-1295 signal appeared on the albumin band within 15 minutes and stayed in circulation beyond 24 hours. ^[2] The albumin conjugates also showed greater in vitro stability against dipeptidyl peptidase-IV than the unmodified peptide.

In healthy adults, a single exposure raised mean GH 2- to 10-fold for 6 days or more and IGF-I 1.5- to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days. ^[1] A second study asked whether that constant stimulation flattened GH's natural rhythm. It found the frequency and size of GH pulses unchanged, with trough GH up 7.5-fold, mean GH up 46% and IGF-I up 45%. ^[7]

CJC-1295 is a 30-residue linear peptide with a D-alanine at position 2, a C-terminal lysinamide and a 3-maleimidopropionyl group on that lysine's side chain. PubChem's synonym for the record spells the chain as L-tyrosyl-D-alanyl through to L-lysinamide. ^[5]

We pulled these values from PubChem on 29 September 2026. ^[5] We then aligned the sequence against sermorelin, the native GHRH(1-29) amide, which PubChem lists as Tyr-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Asn-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Val-Leu-Gly-Gln-Leu-Ser-Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-Gln-Asp-Ile-Met-Ser-Arg-NH2. ^[10] The alignment shows the four substitutions the developers describe: D-alanine at 2, glutamine for asparagine at 8, alanine for glycine at 15 and leucine for methionine at 27.

The two CAS numbers point to two different molecules in PubChem. CAS 863288-34-0, the number in the Poisons Standard, belongs to CID 56841945. That record's drawn structure is the 29-residue peptide ending in argininamide, formula C152H252N44O42 and 3367.9 g/mol, with no DAC lysine. ^[6] Its depositor synonyms mix "CJC 1295 with DAC" and "CJC-1295-no DAC acetate", so the labels in that record contradict its structure.

For a buyer, the mass is the useful number. A vial of the DAC molecule should give a mass spectrometry result near 3647 g/mol. The version without DAC should read near 3368 g/mol.

Published research on CJC-1295 covers four human studies from 2006 to 2009, rodent work in rats and GHRH-knockout mice, and a later body of anti-doping detection methods. No published trial has examined CJC-1295 in a patient population, and no human study has run beyond 49 days.

In the knockout mice, the schedules that were spaced further apart gave higher weight and length than placebo without full normalisation. ^[9] The mouse and rat results describe pharmacology in animals. The human results are hormone and protein measurements over weeks.

The Australian detail in that table deserves a note. The equine method came from a Victorian racing laboratory, so CJC-1295 is a target of Australian racing integrity testing as well as WADA testing. ^[12]

The CJC-1295 evidence stops at hormone levels in small groups of healthy volunteers. The trials measured GH, IGF-I and pharmacokinetics, and the 2009 paper looked for serum protein markers. ^[1][4] None measured a clinical outcome.

Four limits matter when you read claims about CJC-1295.

1. Short exposure. The longest human trial ran 49 days. ^[1]
2. Few independent groups. Lawrence, Castaigne and Frohman appear as authors on both the 2006 adult trials paper and the mouse paper, and the discovery work came from ConjuChem's own research department. ^[2][1][9]
3. Narrow populations. Healthy adults and young men. The pulsatility and proteomics studies enrolled men only. ^[7][4]
4. One molecule studied. The trials used the DAC molecule. The 2010 Norwegian analysis found the 29-residue peptide sold under the CJC-1295 name, and we found no published human trial of that shorter peptide. ^[11]

Purity, identity and peptide content of a research vial are separate questions, and a batch certificate answers them.

The 2006 trials in healthy adults reported no serious adverse reactions. ^[1] The abstract lists no specific non-serious events. We could not access the full text, so the trial's complete adverse-event table is outside this summary. The 2006 pulsatility study abstract contains no safety statement. ^[7]

Two wider sources add context without CJC-1295-specific figures:

• Class review (2026). A narrative review of research-market peptides acting on the GH-IGF-1 axis, including both CJC-1295 forms, lists reported adverse effects across the class: prolactin and cortisol elevations, appetite changes, dysglycaemia, fluid retention and myalgia or arthralgia. ^[15] The review groups compounds together, so it does not attribute each effect to CJC-1295.
• Regulator reports. The TGA names CJC-1295 among examples of unapproved peptide products. It reports receiving adverse events for these products, including severe allergic reactions requiring hospitalisation and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. ^[16]

These are the published observations. They come from short trials, a pooled review and regulator reports.

CJC-1295 is listed in Schedule 4 of the Poisons Standard (prescription only), and it is listed in Appendix D clause 5, which makes possession without authority an offence. The June 2026 instrument (F2026L00633), which commenced on 1 June 2026, lists it as "CJC-1295 (CAS No. 863288-34-0)" and marks it with the # symbol for Appendix D. ^[3] The same Appendix D table also lists growth hormone releasing hormones (GHRHs) as a class, "including those separately specified in Schedule 4".

The TGA describes unapproved peptide products as goods not included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), and it names CJC-1295 as an example of an unapproved peptide product. ^[16] Our guide to peptide scheduling under Australian law explains Schedule 4, Appendix D and what "without authority" means.

For sport, CJC-1295 is prohibited at all times, in and out of competition. The WADA 2026 Prohibited List names it under S2.2.4, growth hormone releasing factors, as an example of a GHRH analogue. ^[8] The List took effect on 1 January 2026 and classes all S2 substances as non-Specified. WADA revises the List every year.

CJC-1295 is the long-acting member of a small family of peptides that act on GH release. The main comparisons are its own shorter form, sermorelin and ipamorelin.

The mass and structure columns come from PubChem. ^[5][6][10] WADA lists sermorelin and CJC-1295 as GHRH analogues and ipamorelin as a growth hormone secretagogue. ^[8]

Ipamorelin reaches GH release through a different receptor, which is why the two compounds are often discussed together. The full side-by-side is in CJC-1295 vs ipamorelin, and the wider group sits in our growth hormone research peptides range.

Lyophilised CJC-1295 keeps best sealed, dry, dark and frozen. No published stability study covers research-grade CJC-1295, so general peptide guidance applies. Bachem advises keeping peptides as the lyophilisate in a tightly closed container below -15 °C for long-term storage, with a refrigerator at 4 °C acceptable for short-term use. ^[17]

The sequence tells you what to watch. CJC-1295 contains three glutamine residues (positions 8, 16 and 24) and no methionine, cysteine or tryptophan. Bachem notes that peptides containing glutamine have limited shelf lives, and Sigma-Aldrich lists glutamine among the residues that make peptides unstable in solution. ^[17][18] Sigma-Aldrich gives about a week at 4 °C as a general limit for peptide solutions and advises against repeated freezing and thawing. ^[18]

Two handling steps protect a vial:

1. Let a cold vial reach room temperature before opening it. Peptides absorb moisture, which lowers peptide content. ^[17]
2. Split a reconstituted solution into single-use portions and freeze them below -20 °C. ^[19]

On solvent, CJC-1295 is a basic peptide: it carries three arginine and three lysine residues against two aspartic acid residues. Bachem suggests dissolving basic peptides in a small amount of dilute acetic acid before diluting, and names PBS at pH 7.0 to 7.4 as the safest diluent at 1 mg/mL or less. ^[19] We stock BAC Water (sterile water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol) and dilute acetic acid, both in 3ml vials at A$8. Our peptide storage guide covers temperatures, light and labelling in detail.

Peptides Collective sells CJC-1295 for laboratory research use only, in 10mg vials at A$85. A 10mg CJC-1295 and ipamorelin blend is A$108. Stock ships from Western Australia with tracking.

An independent lab tests every batch before it goes on sale. The certificate reports purity by HPLC and identity by mass spectrometry. We publish it under the batch number printed on the vial, and you can search the certificate of analysis library by that number.

Check the identity result against the structure table above. A reading near 3647 g/mol matches the DAC molecule, and a reading near 3368 g/mol matches the version without DAC. Our guide on how to read a peptide certificate of analysis explains the HPLC trace, the mass spectrum and net peptide content. The CJC-1295 product page links the certificate for the current batch.

CJC-1295 is a 30-residue GHRH analogue that binds albumin and keeps GH and IGF-I raised for days, based on a handful of 2006 studies in healthy volunteers. The published record holds no clinical outcomes and no human data beyond 49 days. The name also covers a shorter peptide without DAC, which differs in mass by about 280 g/mol. In Australia CJC-1295 is Schedule 4 and Appendix D, WADA prohibits it at all times, and a batch certificate is how you confirm which molecule a vial contains.