CJC-1295
CJC-1295 is a man-made peptide that copies the action of growth hormone-releasing hormone. It is not approved as a medicine anywhere in the UK, US or EU, and there is little human research on it.
Reference information, not medical advice. Enhanced Training Studio doesn't sell, supply or recommend any substance. Doses are left out on purpose: only a prescriber can set one. How this library is written.
What it is
CJC-1295 is a synthetic peptide designed as an analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), the hormone from the brain that tells the pituitary gland to release growth hormone. It was developed as an experimental medicine but has never been approved. The name "with DAC" (drug affinity complex) refers to a version with a chemical attachment intended to make it last longer in the body; "without DAC" refers to a shorter-acting form.
Products sold online as CJC-1295 are not licensed medicines. They are not made or checked to medicine standards, so their content, purity and sterility are unknown. US anti-doping authorities warn that the safety of experimental peptides sold online, often labelled "not for human use", has not been established [3].
How it works
CJC-1295 is classed as a GHRH analogue [2]. Like other GHRH analogues, it is expected to act on the pituitary gland to increase the body's own release of growth hormone, which then raises insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). This is how the approved GHRH analogue tesamorelin works [4]. Its effects in people are not well described: the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that available clinical data are limited [1].
Approved medical uses
None in people. CJC-1295 is not approved by the FDA, the European Medicines Agency or the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for any use. The FDA has reviewed it as a substance proposed for use in pharmacy compounding and identified significant safety concerns [1].
What the research shows
- Limited human data: the FDA describes the available clinical data on CJC-1295 as limited [1]. Its safety and effectiveness for any medical condition have not been established by a regulator [1].
- Safety signals: the FDA has identified serious adverse events associated with CJC-1295, including increased heart rate and a systemic vasodilatory reaction (widespread widening of blood vessels) [1].
- Product quality: the FDA notes that compounded CJC-1295 may cause immune reactions (immunogenicity) and raises concerns about peptide-related impurities and how well the substance can be characterised [1].
- Class effects: what is known about raising growth hormone and IGF-1 comes mainly from studies of approved medicines such as tesamorelin and somatropin, not from CJC-1295 itself [4, 5].
Known risks and side effects
- Increased heart rate and systemic vasodilatory reactions have been reported as serious adverse events [1].
- Possible immune reactions, and unknown impurities in products made outside regulated manufacturing [1, 3].
- Medicines that raise growth hormone and IGF-1 can cause fluid retention, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, raised blood sugar and new diabetes. High IGF-1 is a concern for people with cancer or a history of cancer [4, 5]. It is not known how often these effects occur with CJC-1295.
- GHRH analogues, including CJC-1295, are prohibited at all times in sport under the WADA Prohibited List [2].
Blood tests commonly monitored
There are no official monitoring guidelines for CJC-1295, because it is not an approved medicine. For the closest approved medicines that act on the growth hormone system, product labels recommend:
- IGF-1 levels (tesamorelin, somatropin) [4, 5].
- Blood glucose and HbA1c (tesamorelin, somatropin) [4, 5].
- Thyroid function and, in people at risk, adrenal function (somatropin) [5].
If you and your doctor are monitoring treatment, Enhanced Training Studio keeps a private log on your phone: what you take and when, your blood test results over time, and how you feel. How tracking works.
Sources
- US Food and Drug Administration. Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks. Updated April 2026. FDA
- World Anti-Doping Agency. Prohibited List 2026, class S2: peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances and mimetics (English text as reproduced by the German Sport University Cologne). DSHS Cologne
- US Anti-Doping Agency. 6 things to know about peptide hormones and releasing factors. Updated March 2026. USADA
- US Food and Drug Administration. Egrifta WR (tesamorelin for injection): prescribing information. Revised March 2025. FDA label (PDF)
- US Food and Drug Administration. Genotropin (somatropin) for injection: prescribing information. Revised 2025. FDA label (PDF)
Related
Last reviewed 7 October 2026. General information, not medical advice. Found a mistake? Email [email protected].