Compound Class:

Peptide

Mechanism of Action:

CJC-1295 binds to receptors in the pituitary gland, stimulating the release of plasma growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).

Notable studies:

CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog, stimulates growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion in healthy adults over a long period of time
Once-daily administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, restores growth to normal in GHRH knockout mice
Sleep and endocrine changes after intranasal administration of growth hormone-releasing hormone in adolescents and older adults
Also known as:
UNII-62RC32V9N7, 62RC32V9N7

Research applications:

Growth hormone deficiency
Body composition

Sleep quality; anti-aging

Risks:

Limited human data
Lack of FDA approval
WADA banned list
Chemical structure
CJC-1295 structure
What is CJC-1295?
CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) developed by ConjuChem Technologies in the mid-2000s. Originally designed to treat obesity in HIV/AIDS patients, the peptide was later shown to be effective in treating growth hormone deficiency, improving sleep quality and promoting longevity, and is listed as a prohibited substance under Section S2 of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List

What is CJC-1295?

CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) developed by ConjuChem Technologies in the mid-2000s. Originally designed to treat obesity in HIV/AIDS patients, the peptide was later shown to be effective in treating growth hormone deficiency, improving sleep quality and promoting longevity, and is listed as a prohibited substance under Section S2 of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.

While the standard CJC-1295 peptide is composed of 29 amino acids, the most common is CJC-1295 DAC, or "drug affinity complex." DAC is a biological binding platform that improves the ability of the CJC-1295 peptide to bind to blood proteins, giving it a much longer half-life than regular CJC-1295.

The confusion arises from the fact that the original CJC-1295 from ConjuChem Technologies contained DAC, but other manufacturers subsequently began producing CJC-1295 without DAC. To eliminate this confusion, CJC-1295 without DAC is often labeled "CJC-1295 without DAC" or "CJC-1295 without DAC."

All references to CJC-1295 in this article refer to CJC-1295 with the addition of the DAC technology developed by ConjuChem.

At the time of writing, no products containing CJC-1295 have been approved by the FDA, and the peptide is classified as an investigational new drug in the United States and is available only as a reference material to researchers.

CJC-1295

What does CJC-1295 do?

CJC-1295 binds to receptors in the pituitary gland and stimulates the release of plasma growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Its mechanism of action is similar to sermorelin in that it increases GH levels and acts on GHRH receptors. However, CJC-1295 takes longer to be cleared from the body than sermorelin, and GH levels remain high for longer, whereas sermorelin releases GH more naturally.

CJC-1295 selectively binds to endogenous albumin, and its half-life is significantly prolonged after the addition of DAC. The half-life of CJC-1295 without DAC is only 30 minutes, while the half-life of CJC-1295 with DAC is estimated to be 6 to 10 days.

Animal studies have confirmed that CJC-1295 is a long-acting GRF analog that activates GRF receptors in the anterior pituitary of rats. Based on this research, multiple studies have investigated the effects of CJC-1295 on GH and IGF-1 in various animal models.

CJC-1295 Benefits | Clinical Trials
While we have limited human data on CJC-1295, we can still draw on small-scale studies and animal studies to summarize the main benefits of CJC-1295 observed to date:

CJC-1295 may promote deep sleep: Multiple studies have shown that GHRH plays a direct role in improving sleep quality. Because CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of GHRH, there is a lot of research interest in its possible role in sleep.

Fehm et al. investigated the intranasal administration of GHRH and documented its effects on sleep quality. The study used a double-blind crossover design and involved 12 young and 11 elderly healthy male test subjects, each of whom received 300 μg of GHRH or placebo intranasally 30 minutes before bedtime.

Sleep was recorded by polysomnography until 7 a.m., and blood was collected every 15 minutes for the determination of cortisol and GH. In addition to the well-known age-related changes in hormone secretion and sleep, intranasal GHRH had the following effects:

Decrease in the lowest cortisol concentration at sleep onset (P < 0.05)
Decrease in the sleep-induced rise in GH concentration during early sleep
Increase in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep
Increase in slow wave sleep (SWS), with this effect concentrated in the second half of the sleep time
Based on these findings, intranasal GHRH appears to contribute to the regulation of sleep processes and hypothalamic hypophyseal secretory activity in young and elderly male subjects. This suggests that GHRH mimics the dual neuronal and endocrine functions of hypothalamic GHRH activity.

Sleep aids recovery after muscle damage. Research has shown that GH improves non-REM sleep after a period of sleep deprivation. As a GHRH analog, CJC-1295 is being actively studied for its potential to induce deep, restorative sleep in subjects.

CJC-1295 May Increase Muscle Mass: CJC-1295 has a documented ability to increase GH and IGF-1 levels, which has sparked research interest in its possible role in increasing muscle mass. CJC-1295 stimulates protein synthesis and supports muscle mass growth. While research in this area is ongoing, it remains to be determined whether healthy subjects can gain anabolic benefits from increased GH and IGF-1. Researchers interested in exploring the purported effects of CJC-1295 on muscle mass may consider combining CJC-1295 with ipamorelin. This peptide combination has been associated with increased protein synthesis and muscle mass growth.

CJC-1295 May Stimulate Fat Loss: Studies have shown that prolactin promotes visceral fat accumulation in various animal models, and that CJC-1295 can normalize prolactin levels, as shown in GHRH knockout mice, leading to increased fat metabolism. These findings have generated intense research interest in the role that CJC-1295 may play in fat loss through regulation of prolactin.

Researchers interested in exploring the ability of CJC-1295 to stimulate fat loss may consider combining CJC-1295 with GHRP-2. GHRP-2 also stimulates GH release from the anterior pituitary by acting on a different receptor than CJC-1295, called the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR). Animal model studies have shown that GHRP-2 has positive effects on muscle mass, heart function, and the immune system, suggesting that there may be synergistic effects when used with CJC-1295.

Is CJC-1295 safe?

While several short-term studies involving CJC-1295 have shown a positive safety profile for the peptide, long-term studies are lacking and further research is needed to confirm its safety.

One key safety concern for researchers is that CJC-1295 has an extremely long half-life of 6-10 days. This means it has no natural mode of action and could cause adverse side effects during long-term use.

Clearly, a well-designed Phase 1 safety study with independent validation is needed before any conclusions can be drawn.

Description

CJC-1295 is a very potent growth hormone that works by causing another substance to be secreted. It stimulates the release of the body's own growth hormone. Studies have shown that after the age of 30, the body's growth hormone levels decline rapidly, by about 15% every decade. CJC-1295 is able to naturally increase growth hormone by binding to the growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) receptors on the brain, more specifically the pituitary gland.