CJC-1295. Growth Hormone Signalling, Stretched to Days
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| GHRH ANALOGUE · ALBUMIN-BINDING | |
| Type | Synthetic analogue of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) |
|---|---|
| Built from | GHRH(1-29), the active first 29 amino acids of the natural hormone |
| Modifications | Four amino acids replaced, plus an extra lysine carrying a reactive linker known as DAC |
| How it lasts | The linker bonds to albumin in the blood |
| Half-life in people | About 6 to 8 days in the 2006 trials |
| Developer | ConjuChem, a biotechnology company in Montreal, Canada |
| Status | Not an approved medicine; prohibited by WADA at all times |
The body's own growth hormone releasing hormone is broken down within minutes. CJC-1295 was designed in Canada to hitch a ride on albumin, the most common protein in blood, so that a single dose keeps working for about a week. Here is what that design achieved and where the evidence stops.
Why CJC-1295 Was Made
Growth hormone is not released in a steady stream. The hypothalamus, at the base of the brain, sends a signalling hormone called GHRH to the pituitary gland, which answers with bursts of growth hormone. The liver then makes IGF-I, the messenger behind many of growth hormone's effects.
Natural GHRH, and the shorter 29-amino-acid fragment that carries its activity, vanish from the blood within minutes because enzymes cut them apart. That made them awkward to use as medicines. ConjuChem, a company in Montreal, set out to build a version that survives for days.
The result was CJC-1295. In small studies in healthy adults, one injection of CJC-1295 raised growth hormone and IGF-I for days. It was never developed into a medicine. The sections below explain what was tested, what is still unknown and why the name now refers to two different molecules.
- Based on the first 29 amino acids of GHRH
- Half-life of about one week in people
- Named in WADA section S2
CJC-1295 is not an approved medicine anywhere, and the World Anti-Doping Agency names it on its Prohibited List. Research-grade material is meant for laboratory work only. This website is for information.
Explore the Site
- What is CJC-1295? – The design, how it acts on the pituitary and the DAC naming confusion
- Background – From a Montreal lab to clinical trials, and why development stalled
- The Evidence – Rat, mouse and human results, plus what doping labs have found
- Rules & Safety – The WADA ban, medicines law and the open safety questions
- Sourcing – Short practical points for research laboratories