CJC-1295

CJC-1295 was created by the Canadian company ConjuChem. It starts from the first 29 amino acids of human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), the part that carries its activity, with four amino acids swapped. ConjuChem then added an extra lysine carrying a chemical group that latches on to albumin, the most common protein in blood. Bound to albumin, the peptide stays in circulation for days instead of minutes (Jetté 2005). Sellers call this albumin-binding add-on "DAC".

The name is now used for two different molecules. CJC-1295 with DAC is the original compound: in healthy adults its half-life was about 6 to 8 days (Teichman 2006). CJC-1295 without DAC, also sold as "modified GRF (1-29)" or "mod GRF 1-29", is the 29-amino-acid peptide without the albumin-binding lysine, so it is expected to act for a much shorter time. A 2010 analysis of a seized product sold as CJC-1295 found a 29-amino-acid peptide, which fits the version without DAC (Henninge 2010). Every published human study we found used the version with DAC; we could not find any published human study of the version without it.

ConjuChem tested CJC-1295 in healthy volunteers in the mid-2000s and started a phase 2 trial in people with HIV and abdominal fat (NCT00267527). ClinicalTrials.gov lists that trial as terminated in 2006, and we could not find published results. The compound was not developed further and was never approved.

• Type: synthetic GHRH analogue, 29 amino acids, with or without an albumin-binding group (DAC).
• Studied for: long-lasting increases in growth hormone and IGF-1.
• Strongest evidence: two small placebo-controlled dose studies and one hormone-pulse study in healthy adults, all with the DAC version.
• Legal status: not approved as a medicine anywhere in the US; prohibited in sport by WADA.

At a glance: 6 studies report a dose (3 in people, 3 in animals).

Doses used in human studies

• Teichman SL 2006: Study 1: one of four ascending single doses. Study 2: two or three doses given weekly or every two weeks. The abstract names 30 and 60 µg/kg as the best tolerated; full dose levels are in the paper (Subcutaneous; 28 and 49 days)
• Ionescu M 2006: 60 or 90 µg/kg, single injection (Subcutaneous, single injection; Measured before and 1 week after the injection)

Every study

CJC-1295 acts like the body's own GHRH, but for longer. The pathways come from rat, mouse and small human studies of the DAC version:

• GHRH receptor in the pituitary: it is built from the active part of GHRH and released growth hormone from rat pituitary cells and in rats (Jetté 2005).
• Albumin binding (DAC): the added group binds albumin in the blood, which extended its presence in rat plasma beyond 72 hours (Jetté 2005) and its half-life in people to about 6 to 8 days (Teichman 2006).
• Higher baseline growth hormone: continuous stimulation mainly raised growth hormone levels between pulses, which the authors linked to the rise in IGF-1 (Ionescu 2006).
• Pituitary cell growth: in mice it increased pituitary growth hormone mRNA and the number of growth hormone-producing cells (Alba 2006).

1. Wash your hands and work on a clean, uncluttered surface. Let a refrigerated vial reach room temperature so the stopper is easier to pierce.
2. Wipe the rubber stopper of the peptide vial and of the bacteriostatic water with a fresh alcohol swab, and let them air-dry.
3. Draw the chosen volume of bacteriostatic water into a sterile syringe. With 2 mL, a 10 mg vial ends up at 5,000 mcg/mL, or 50 mcg per U-100 unit.
4. Insert the needle through the stopper and let the water run slowly down the inside wall of the vial, not straight onto the powder.
5. Swirl or roll the vial gently until the powder dissolves. Do not shake it: foaming can damage some peptides.
6. Check the solution against the light. It should be clear; cloudiness or particles mean something is wrong with the vial or the water.
7. Write the date and the volume of water on the label. Every unit calculation later depends on that volume.
8. Store the reconstituted CJC-1295 vial in the refrigerator, away from light.

• A U-100 insulin syringe holds 1 mL in 100 units, so each unit is 0.01 mL. The marks measure volume, not peptide.
• Syringes come in 0.3 mL (30 units), 0.5 mL (50 units) and 1 mL (100 units) sizes. The smaller ones have finer marks and are easier to read for small volumes.
• Read the volume at the top edge of the plunger's rubber seal, at eye level.
• Tap out air bubbles before reading: a bubble takes up volume and makes the reading wrong.
• Use a new sterile syringe and needle every time, and dispose of them in a sharps container.

• The peptide vial, with its certificate of analysis (COA) for that batch. See how to read a COA.
• Bacteriostatic water (water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol), which keeps a multi-use vial from growing bacteria. Sterile water has no preservative.
• Sterile syringes to add the water, and U-100 insulin syringes to measure.
• Alcohol swabs for the stoppers.
• A sharps container for used needles.
• A label or marker to write the date and the volume of water on the vial.

Human safety data come from small groups of healthy adults followed for up to about 7 weeks. No serious adverse reactions were reported, and the authors described doses of 30 or 60 µg/kg as relatively well tolerated (Teichman 2006). Long-term effects are unknown.

• Two products, one name: the version with DAC lasts about a week in the body; the version without DAC is expected to last a much shorter time. A vial labelled only "CJC-1295" may contain either, so the exposure can differ greatly from what the buyer expects (Henninge 2010).
• Long-lasting exposure: with a half-life of about a week, the effects of the DAC version cannot be stopped quickly if side effects appear.
• Sustained IGF-1 rise: IGF-1 is a growth factor. The long-term effects of keeping it raised for weeks or months have not been studied for CJC-1295.
• Pituitary changes: in mice, CJC-1295 increased the number of growth hormone-producing cells in the pituitary (Alba 2006). Whether this happens in people is unknown.
• Product quality: products sold online are not checked by any regulator for identity, purity, dose or sterility.
• Sport: growth hormone releasing factors, including CJC-1295, are on the WADA prohibited list at all times.

Before mixing

• Freeze-dried (lyophilised) peptide is the most stable form. It is usually kept refrigerated, or frozen for long storage, sealed and away from light.
• Heat, moisture and light speed up degradation. Keep the vial in its box and avoid leaving it in a car or by a window.

After mixing

• Keep the reconstituted vial refrigerated and away from light. Do not freeze it again: freezing and thawing a solution can break the peptide down.
• How long a mixed vial stays good depends on the peptide and the diluent, and for most research peptides there is no published stability data. Follow the supplier's guidance and discard any vial that turns cloudy.
• Pierce the stopper as few times as possible, and always with a new sterile needle after wiping it with alcohol.
• Write the volume of water on the label (for example "2 mL"). Without it, the unit calculations cannot be checked later.