CJC-1295 vs tesamorelin
Both are lab-made versions of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), the brain signal that triggers growth hormone release. Tesamorelin is an approved drug with large trials; CJC-1295 was never approved, and the short-acting version without DAC has never been tested in people.
- CJC-1295 (no DAC)
- Preclinical1–3× daily (bedtime most common)
- Tesamorelin
- Approved drugOnce daily
- Head-to-head trials
- None published
The short answer
Tesamorelin is the full 44-amino-acid GHRH with a stabilizing group added at the front. CJC-1295 without DAC (Mod GRF 1-29) is GHRH’s first 29 amino acids with four swapped to slow its breakdown; CJC-1295 with DAC adds a linker that binds albumin, the main protein in blood, stretching its half-life to about a week. All three act on the pituitary’s GHRH receptor so it releases the body’s own growth hormone, but only tesamorelin is an approved drug, as Egrifta.
Tesamorelin is FDA-approved to reduce excess belly fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy, based on trials in 806 people. CJC-1295 without DAC has no published human trials. The DAC version raised GH and IGF-1 for days after one injection in healthy adults in 2006; that year its developer halted a Phase 2 trial in people with HIV and excess belly fat, the use tesamorelin is approved for, after a participant died, and no results were published.
At a glance
| Field | CJC-1295 (no DAC)Mod GRF 1-29 | TesamorelinEgrifta SV, Egrifta WR |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Preclinical | Approved drug |
| Class | GHRH analog | GHRH analog |
| Approval | Not approved as a drug in the US or EU. | Approved in the US as Egrifta WR and Egrifta SV, to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy. |
| Sport (WADA 2026) | Banned in sport | Banned in sport |
| Common dose | 100 mcg, 1–3× daily | 1–2 mg daily |
| Frequency | 1–3× daily (bedtime most common) | Once daily |
| Cycle | 12 weeks on, 4 off | Continuous |
| Route | Subcutaneous injection | Subcutaneous injection (abdomen) |
| Half-life | – | about 8 to 11 minutes Label |
| Typical draw | 5 units5 mg with 2.5 mL, 100 mcg | 40 units10 mg with 2 mL, 2 mg |
| Vial sizes or form | 2, 5, 10 mg | 2, 5, 10, 20 mg |
| Human studies | None found | 5 listedLargest: 806 people (2010) |
| Main cautions |
|
|
| Open CJC-1295 (no DAC) | Open Tesamorelin |
Doses shown are what labels, trials or community reports reference, not recommendations. Each compound’s page has the full detail and sources.
Key differences
Structure
Tesamorelin: 44 amino acids plus a hexenoyl group at the front. CJC-1295 without DAC: 29 amino acids, with D-alanine at position 2, glutamine at 8, alanine at 15 and leucine at 27. With DAC: the same 29 plus a lysine carrying a linker that binds albumin.
Half-life
Tesamorelin: 8 to 11 minutes after injection under the skin (label). CJC-1295 without DAC: about 30 minutes is commonly cited, but no human measurement has been published. With DAC: about 6 to 8 days in healthy adults (trial).
Human evidence
TrialTesamorelin: Phase 3 trials in 806 adults with HIV; visceral fat, the fat around the organs, fell 15.4% more than on placebo at 26 weeks, and IGF-1 rose. CJC-1295 without DAC: none. With DAC: dose studies in healthy adults in 2006, where one injection raised GH for 6 days or more and IGF-1 for 9 to 11 days; none lasted more than 49 days.
Doses
Tesamorelin: 1.28 mg (Egrifta WR) or 1.4 mg (Egrifta SV) once a day (label). CJC-1295 without DAC: 100 mcg, 1–3 times a day, usually with ipamorelin (community). With DAC: usually 1 mg once a week (community).
Side effects
Tesamorelin’s label lists injection-site reactions (25% vs 14% on placebo), joint pain, swelling, numbness and higher blood sugar. CJC-1295 users report flushing, headache, injection-site reactions and water retention; with DAC these can last for days because the drug clears slowly.
Who shouldn’t use them
Tesamorelin’s label rules out pregnancy, active cancer and a damaged pituitary (after surgery, a pituitary tumor, head radiation or head trauma). CJC-1295 has no label; because it raises GH and IGF-1, the same concerns about cancer and blood sugar apply, and the death in the DAC trial adds caution with heart disease.
Status
Tesamorelin is approved in the US as Egrifta WR and Egrifta SV. CJC-1295 was never approved, and its compounding nomination was withdrawn after FDA’s advisory committee voted 0 to 13 against it in December 2024. WADA’s S2.2.4 names both, so both are banned in sport at all times.
Head-to-head studies
Taking them together
CJC-1295 (no DAC) and tesamorelin both act on the same receptor (the GHRH receptor), so they double up rather than add a different effect.
Source: Egrifta and Geref labels; WADA 2026 list, S2.2.4
CJC-1295 (no DAC) and tesamorelin each raise growth hormone or IGF-1 activity. Tesamorelin’s label advises monitoring IGF-1 and lists fluid retention, joint pain and higher blood sugar as side effects.
Source: Egrifta prescribing information
Open them in the stack check for sport status and one combined tracking checklist.
Questions
What is the difference between CJC-1295 (no DAC) and tesamorelin?
Tesamorelin is the full 44-amino-acid GHRH with a stabilizing group added at the front. CJC-1295 without DAC (Mod GRF 1-29) is GHRH’s first 29 amino acids with four swapped to slow its breakdown; CJC-1295 with DAC adds a linker that binds albumin, the main protein in blood, stretching its half-life to about a week. All three act on the pituitary’s GHRH receptor so it releases the body’s own growth hormone, but only tesamorelin is an approved drug, as Egrifta.
Was CJC-1295 tested for the same use as tesamorelin?
Yes, the DAC version. Its developer, ConjuChem, ran a 12-week Phase 2 trial in people with HIV and excess belly fat (NCT00267527), the condition tesamorelin is approved for, and halted it in 2006 after a participant died. No results were published, and CJC-1295 was never approved for anything.
Is CJC-1295 a longer-lasting tesamorelin?
Only the DAC version lasts longer: about 6 to 8 days, vs 8 to 11 minutes for tesamorelin, because it binds albumin in the blood. CJC-1295 without DAC, the one usually paired with ipamorelin, is short-acting too. All three act on the same GHRH receptor, but only tesamorelin has large trials and an approval.
Can CJC-1295 (no DAC) and tesamorelin be taken together?
The stack check flags two GHRH analogs and several growth hormone compounds. CJC-1295 (no DAC) and tesamorelin both act on the same receptor (the GHRH receptor), so they double up rather than add a different effect. CJC-1295 (no DAC) and tesamorelin each raise growth hormone or IGF-1 activity. Tesamorelin’s label advises monitoring IGF-1 and lists fluid retention, joint pain and higher blood sugar as side effects. No published study has tested them together.
Which has more evidence in people, CJC-1295 (no DAC) or tesamorelin?
CJC-1295 (no DAC) isn’t approved anywhere and rests mainly on cell and animal studies; its page lists no published human studies. Tesamorelin is approved in the US; its page lists 5 key human studies. They haven’t been compared directly in a published trial.
Are CJC-1295 (no DAC) and tesamorelin banned in sport?
CJC-1295 (no DAC) and tesamorelin are banned at all times. This follows the WADA 2026 Prohibited List; athletes should confirm with their anti-doping organization.
Sources
- Egrifta WR and Egrifta SV prescribing information (DailyMed, rev. 07/2026)
- Falutz et al., pooled Phase 3 tesamorelin trials (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2010) PMID 20554713
- Teichman et al., CJC-1295 in healthy adults (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006) PMID 16352683
- Phase 2 trial of CJC-1295 in HIV-associated visceral obesity (ConjuChem), terminated 2006: ClinicalTrials.gov registry entry NCT00267527
- FDA briefing document: CJC-1295-related bulk drug substances, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (December 2024)
- Jetté et al., design of CJC-1295 from GHRH 1–29 and albumin binding (Endocrinology 2005) PMID 15817669
- WADA 2026 Prohibited List, in force January 1, 2026
Each compound’s page lists its full sources: CJC-1295 (no DAC), Tesamorelin.