What Is CJC-1295?
Quick Answer
CJC-1295 (DAC:GRF) is a synthetic analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) engineered by ConjuChem Biotechnologies (Montréal, Canada) using their proprietary Drug Affinity Complex (DAC) technology. [1] The DAC platform covalently conjugates a reactive maleimide group to the peptide, which...
CJC-1295 (DAC:GRF) is a synthetic analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) engineered by ConjuChem Biotechnologies (Montréal, Canada) using their proprietary Drug Affinity Complex (DAC) technology. [1] The DAC platform covalently conjugates a reactive maleimide group to the peptide, which then irreversibly binds the free cysteine residue (Cys-34) of circulating serum albumin — the most abundant plasma protein with a plasma half-life of approximately 19 days. [2]
This albumin-piggybacking strategy transforms CJC-1295 from a rapidly cleared peptide (t½ ~30 min for no-DAC analogue) into a long-acting GHRH agonist with an effective half-life of 6–8 days. In the landmark Phase I clinical study by Teichman et al. (2006) in healthy adults, a single subcutaneous dose of CJC-1295 produced sustained, dose-dependent increases in GH and IGF-1 concentrations lasting 9–11 days — without disrupting pulsatile GH secretion patterns. [3]
CJC-1295 has been investigated in preclinical and clinical research across several domains: adult growth hormone deficiency (GHD), somatopause (age-related GH decline), body composition (lean mass vs. fat mass), and as a pharmacological model for sustained GH axis stimulation. It also progressed to Phase II clinical trials in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy (fat redistribution syndrome), though ConjuChem discontinued development before completion due to company closure. [4]
Unlike direct GH replacement (exogenous rhGH), CJC-1295 stimulates the pituitary to produce GH in a physiologically regulated manner — preserving the hypothalamic-pituitary feedback axis and pulsatile secretion profile. Unlike its no-DAC counterpart (Mod GRF 1-29), CJC-1295 with DAC produces continuous tonic GH elevation rather than discrete pulses, which has distinct physiological implications for IGF-1 synthesis and downstream anabolic signaling. [5]
References
- Jetté L, et al. (2005). Human growth hormone-releasing factor (hGRF)1-29-albumin bioconjugates activate the GRF receptor on the anterior pituitary in rats: identification of CJC-1295 as a long-lasting GRF analog. Endocrinology, 146(7):3052–3058.
- Ionescu M, Frohman LA. (2006). Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 91(12):4792–4797.
- Teichman SL, et al. (2006). Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 91(3):799–805.
- Alba M, et al. (2006). Once-monthly administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, normalizes growth in the GHRH-deficient dwarf rat. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 291(6):E1290–E1294.
- Walker RF. (2006). Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency? Clin Interv Aging, 1(4):307–308.
- Ben-Shlomo A, et al. (2020). Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and its analogues: from bench to bedside. Neuroendocrinology, 110(3–4):192–199.
- Gahete MD, et al. (2009). In vivo and in vitro evidence for the importance of growth hormone-releasing hormone in the regulation of GH secretion. Mol Cell Endocrinol, 309(1–2):40–47.
- FDA. (2024). Bulk Drug Substances Under Evaluation for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A: Category 2. Docket FDA-2013-N-1525. Federal Register, Dec 2024.
- WADA. (2024). List of Prohibited Substances and Methods. S2: Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances, and Mimetics. World Anti-Doping Agency.
- Frohman LA, Jansson JO. (1986). Growth hormone-releasing hormone. Endocr Rev, 7(3):223–253.
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