CJC-1295

Dosing from the Literature

Published for growth hormone: 20–250 µg/kg in two Phase 1 trials that measured the hormone rise (Teichman et al., 2006). Not published: results for any dose tested for muscle or fat; the one trial, in HIV-related visceral fat, was stopped in 2006 (aidsmap, 2006).

The first two rows give the doses the trials used; the rest are what online guides and compounding protocols describe, and no trial has tested them. The last column names each row's source. None of this is FDA-approved prescribing; this is educational reference.

What It Is

CJC-1295 is a synthetic growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog developed in the mid-2000s by ConjuChem Biotechnologies. It exists in two distinct forms that share a name but behave pharmacokinetically like different drugs:

• CJC-1295 with DAC (DAC:GRF) — A 30-amino-acid tetrasubstituted GRF(1-29) analog with an N-epsilon-3-maleimidopropionyl lysine (the "Drug Affinity Complex," or DAC) appended at position 30. The maleimide group forms a covalent thioether bond with Cys34 of endogenous serum albumin in vivo, converting the small, rapidly-cleared peptide into an albumin-bioconjugate with a plasma half-life of 5.8–8.1 days in humans (Jette et al., 2005; Teichman et al., 2006). This is the "true" CJC-1295.
• CJC-1295 without DAC / Modified GRF (1-29) / "Mod GRF" — The same 29-amino-acid tetrasubstituted GRF(1-29) backbone (D-Ala2, Gln8, Ala15, Leu27) without the maleimide-lysine albumin-binding tail. The four substitutions confer resistance to DPP-4 cleavage and improve receptor binding, but without the DAC, half-life is ~30 minutes — essentially the same short pulsatile signal as native GHRH (the signal that tells the pituitary to release GH) or sermorelin. Many peptide vendors mislabel Modified GRF (1-29) as "CJC-1295 without DAC" for marketing reasons. They are not the same molecule as CJC-1295 DAC.

Both forms act on the same pituitary GHRH receptor. The mechanism is identical; only the pharmacokinetics differ. That distinction changes how the two are used: online guides describe CJC-1295 DAC injected once or twice a week, and Modified GRF (1-29) one to three times a day, often with a ghrelin mimetic such as ipamorelin. With DAC, growth hormone stays raised between its natural pulses, which keep their rhythm (Ionescu & Frohman, 2006).

CJC-1295's clinical development was halted in 2006 during a Phase II trial for HIV-associated lipodystrophy after one trial participant died of a cardiovascular event. The attending physician's most likely explanation was undiagnosed coronary artery disease with plaque rupture, and ConjuChem reported no sign of heart toxicity in earlier studies (ConjuChem, August 8, 2006). Regardless of causality, the development program was discontinued, and CJC-1295 was never submitted for FDA approval. It persists today almost entirely in the gray-market research-chemical and wellness-clinic peptide space.

Mechanism of Action

CJC-1295 is a GHRH receptor agonist: its albumin conjugates made cultured rat pituitary cells release GH (Jetté et al., 2005), and in healthy adults it raised GH and IGF-1 without raising cortisol, prolactin, TSH or LH (Teichman et al., 2006). The form without DAC is the same peptide chain without the albumin-binding group (Jetté et al., 2005). Like the body's own GHRH, made in the hypothalamus (the brain's hormonal control center), it acts on the GH-making cells of the pituitary (Sackmann-Sala et al., 2009). What sets CJC-1295 apart is pharmacokinetic: bound to albumin, it has a half-life of about a week (Teichman et al., 2006).

• GHRH receptor (pituitary somatotropes) — Activates the GHRH receptor on the GH-making cells (somatotropes) of the anterior pituitary, shown in cultured rat pituitary cells (Jetté et al., 2005). The GHRH receptor is a G protein-coupled receptor that signals through the protein kinase A pathway (Sigalos & Pastuszak, 2018), promoting GH synthesis and release (Sackmann-Sala et al., 2009). Recombinant GH (rhGH, the injectable pharmaceutical version) contains only the 22 kDa form of GH; GHRH-type drugs should release all the forms the pituitary makes, including modified forms whose functions are unknown (Sackmann-Sala et al., 2009).
• DPP-4 resistance and the four substitutions — In plasma, the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inactivates native GRF(1-29) by cutting off its first two amino acids, Tyr-Ala (Jetté et al., 2005); native GHRH's plasma half-life is about 7 minutes (Teichman et al., 2006). In the test tube, a D-Ala at position 2 protected albumin-bound CJC-1295 from DPP-4 (Jetté et al., 2005). The other three substitutions serve other ends: Gln at 8 reduces breakdown of the asparagine there, Ala at 15 enhances bioactivity, and Leu at 27 prevents methionine oxidation; the changes at 8 and 27 were made mainly for manufacturing stability (Jetté et al., 2005). None of the papers cited here measured the half-life of the form without DAC.
• Albumin bioconjugation (DAC form only) — The maleimidopropionyl group on the extra lysine at position 30 reacts with the free thiol on Cys34 of serum albumin (a Michael addition), forming a stable bond; in rats, CJC-1295 was found bound to albumin from 15 minutes after injection (Jetté et al., 2005). This converts the peptide into a ~70 kDa albumin bioconjugate that is excluded from renal filtration and shielded from most peptidases, extending circulating half-life to 5.8–8.1 days in humans (Jette et al., 2005; Teichman et al., 2006).
• Raised baseline, preserved pulses — One week after a single CJC-1295 DAC dose, trough GH in 12 healthy men was 7.5 times higher and mean GH 46% higher, while the number and height of GH pulses did not change: pulsatile secretion is preserved but shifted to a higher baseline (Ionescu & Frohman, 2006). No study cited here measured the GH response to the form without DAC.
• Feedback (a hypothesis) — In the Ionescu study, IGF-1 stayed within the normal range and no one had effects attributable to excess GH; the authors suggest a protective feedback mechanism may limit how far CJC-1295 can drive GH, but could not tell whether somatostatin or the pituitary's own rhythm kept the pulses going (Ionescu & Frohman, 2006). An editorial on sermorelin, a shorter GHRH analog, argues that somatostatin feedback keeps GH release episodic and makes GH overdose "difficult if not impossible" (Walker, 2006). In the single-dose trial, IGF-1 rose above the normal range only at 250 µg/kg (Teichman et al., 2006).
• IGF-1 elevation — After a single CJC-1295 DAC dose, IGF-1 peaked 2–4 days later at 1.5 to 3 times baseline and stayed raised for 9–11 days, at least 2 weeks at the two highest doses. With repeat doses, each lifted IGF-1 higher than the last, especially when they were a week apart, and IGF-1 stayed above baseline through day 28 of the repeat-dose trial, two weeks after the last injection (Teichman et al., 2006). IGF-1 rose in every man in the Ionescu study (Ionescu & Frohman, 2006).
• Ghrelin-receptor synergy (stacked use) — Online guides describe CJC-1295, especially the form without DAC, used with a ghrelin-receptor agonist such as ipamorelin or GHRP-6. GH-releasing peptides work through a different receptor (GHS-R) and signaling pathway than GHRH, and given together, GHRH and GH-releasing peptides stimulate GH release synergistically (Sigalos & Pastuszak, 2018). No published study has tested CJC-1295 with any of them.

What the Research Shows

CJC-1295's peer-reviewed evidence base is narrow but mechanistically clean. Nearly all of the published data comes from the original ConjuChem-sponsored Phase 1 program and subsequent academic follow-up work on the same compound.

• Discovery and preclinical (Jette et al., 2005) — Three maleimido hGRF(1-29) derivatives were synthesized and bioconjugated to human serum albumin. CJC-1295 showed a 4-fold increase in GH area-under-curve over 2 hours compared with native hGRF(1-29) in rats, and remained detectable in plasma beyond 72 hours. This paper is the foundation of the entire program (Endocrinology 146:3052-3058).
• Phase 1 — Teichman et al. 2006 JCEM — Two randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind ascending-dose trials in healthy adults. Single subcutaneous CJC-1295 at 30, 60, 125, or 250 µg/kg produced 2- to 10-fold increases in plasma GH for ≥6 days, and 1.5- to 3-fold increases in plasma IGF-1 for 9–11 days. Repeat dosing (weekly or biweekly) showed cumulative IGF-1 elevation. Half-life estimate: 5.8–8.1 days. Tolerability was best at 30 and 60 µg/kg.
• Phase 1 — Ionescu & Frohman 2006 JCEM — Evaluated whether chronic GHRH-receptor stimulation abolishes physiologic GH pulsatility. Using 20-minute overnight blood sampling in healthy men given single-dose CJC-1295, the authors showed preserved pulsatile GH secretion with markedly elevated trough GH and mean GH. The paper was the mechanistic validation that CJC-1295 does not convert the somatotrope into a "dysregulated" GH source.
• Alba et al. 2006 — Once-daily CJC-1295 in a GHRH-knockout mouse model normalized growth over several weeks (Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 291:E1290-E1294) — an elegant proof that the compound functionally substitutes for endogenous GHRH.
• Sackmann-Sala et al. 2009 — Serum protein profiling in normal adults after a single CJC-1295 dose identified multiple candidate biomarkers of GH/IGF-1 axis activation, including albumin/immunoglobulin fragments that tracked linearly with IGF-1 change. Useful for later anti-doping work (Growth Horm IGF Res 19:471-477).
• Phase 2 — HIV lipodystrophy (2006) — 192 participants with HIV-related visceral obesity enrolled into a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of once-weekly escalating-dose CJC-1295. The trial was stopped after a participant died of a heart attack; the attending physician's most likely explanation was undiagnosed coronary artery disease with plaque rupture (ConjuChem, August 8, 2006). Results were never published in peer-reviewed form, and the ConjuChem program was discontinued thereafter.
• Detection / anti-doping work — Henninge et al. 2010 characterized CJC-1295 mass-spectrometrically after confiscating an unknown pharmaceutical preparation from Norwegian customs. Memdouh et al. 2021 studied the in vitro metabolism of sermorelin, tesamorelin and CJC-1295 with and without DAC, and built a urine test for them that meets WADA's required detection limit. The existence of validated assays means competitive athletes have no realistic cover for CJC-1295 use.

Human Data

Human data on CJC-1295 is limited to the trials summarized above. Consolidating:

• Phase 1a — healthy-adult single ascending dose — N = 42 (35 on drug), CJC-1295 DAC 30, 60, 125 or 250 µg/kg SC once. Mean GH rose 2- to 10-fold for up to 6 days and IGF-1 1.5- to 3-fold for 9–11 days. Two subjects at 125 µg/kg withdrew over mild injection-site reactions, which occurred in about 70% of those on the drug (Teichman et al., 2006).
• Phase 1b — healthy-adult multiple ascending dose — N = 24 (20 on drug), CJC-1295 DAC at 20, 30 or 60 µg/kg, two or three doses 7 or 14 days apart, followed for 49 days. IGF-1 rose further with repeat doses; blood tests, glucose included, showed no consistent change (Teichman et al., 2006). A single 60 µg/kg dose did not raise cortisol, prolactin, TSH or LH (Teichman et al., 2006).
• Ionescu & Frohman (2006) mechanistic pulsatility — N = 12 healthy men (4 given 60 µg/kg, 8 given 90 µg/kg), single dose. Overnight GH pulse profile 1 week post-dose.
• Halted Phase 2 — HIV lipodystrophy — Randomized ~192 participants; one death; trial stopped; no results publication.
• Informal reports from wellness clinics — Substantial case-series-style reporting exists in wellness-clinic and practitioner communities, but these are uncontrolled and heavily selection-biased. They are not clinical evidence.
• Modified GRF (1-29) — No formal human trials. Used extensively in the community as the short-acting half of GHRH + ipamorelin stacks. Inferences about its behavior are entirely mechanistic, based on its structural similarity to sermorelin, which was FDA-approved for pediatric GH deficiency until its approval was withdrawn at the maker's request in 2009 (Federal Register, May 19, 2009).

Reconstitution & Storage

Sellers and online guides list CJC-1295, with or without DAC, as a freeze-dried powder in 2 mg or 5 mg vials, mixed with bacteriostatic water the same way. Sellers also list CJC-1295 and ipamorelin premixed in one vial, and compounding pharmacies have supplied it as a ready-made 1 mg/mL injection (compounding submission to FDA, November 21, 2024).

• Reconstitution — Seller and guide instructions describe adding the bacteriostatic water down the inside wall of the vial and swirling or inverting it gently, rather than shaking, until the powder dissolves.
• Storage — Seller and guide listings disagree. For the unmixed powder they list frozen storage (−15 to −20°C), or in one guide a refrigerator for up to 6 months; for the mixed solution, refrigeration at 2–8°C for anywhere from 14–21 days to 3–4 weeks. One guide says not to freeze the mixed solution.
• Mixing with ipamorelin — Online guides describe drawing CJC-1295 and ipamorelin into the same syringe for one injection. Sellers list the two premixed in one vial, and compounding pharmacies have supplied them premixed at 1 or 2 mg of each per mL (compounding submission to FDA, November 21, 2024).

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Side Effects & Risks

Published safety data come from two Phase 1 trials in 66 healthy adults, 55 of them given CJC-1295 for up to 49 days (Teichman et al., 2006), and a single-dose study in 12 healthy men (Ionescu & Frohman, 2006). Risks below include both documented and theoretical concerns extrapolated from GH/IGF-1 biology.

• Injection-site reactions — The most frequent adverse event in the Phase 1 trials: brief irritation, redness, hardening, pain or itching in about 70% of those given one dose and in all of those given repeated doses, more severe or longer-lasting at higher doses, with hardening for up to 5 days; nearly 30% had a passing hive-like rash at the site, not linked to dose. Two single-dose subjects, both at 125 µg/kg, withdrew because of mild injection-site reactions (Teichman et al., 2006). In the Ionescu study, redness and tenderness at the site did not depend on dose (Ionescu & Frohman, 2006).
• Headache, flushing, diarrhea, dizziness — In the single-dose trial, 63% of those on CJC-1295 had headache (14% on placebo), 43% diarrhea and 30% flushing, warmth or a brief drop in blood pressure, all more common at 125 or 250 µg/kg. In the repeat-dose trial, flushing came within 30 minutes of an injection and passed within 1–2 hours, and two subjects had brief dizziness and low blood pressure after their first dose (Teichman et al., 2006). In the Ionescu study, heart rate rose with dose (Ionescu & Frohman, 2006).
• Water retention and paresthesias — Known effects of raising GH: the label of tesamorelin, the FDA-approved GHRH analog, warns of fluid retention, including edema, joint pain and carpal tunnel syndrome (Egrifta SV and WR labels); in HIV patients on GH, edema, joint pain and glucose intolerance appear at doses of 2–3 mg a day or more, and none of the Phase 1 subjects had them (Teichman et al., 2006), nor did the 12 men in the Ionescu study (Ionescu & Frohman, 2006). A 2024 compounding submission to FDA lists edema and joint and muscle pain among the most common side effects, and online guides describe water retention and tingling or numbness in the hands and feet.
• Insulin resistance / hyperglycemia — Raising GH can raise blood glucose: the tesamorelin label warns of glucose intolerance and diabetes (Egrifta SV and WR labels), recombinant GH can raise glucose levels (aidsmap, 2006), and a review notes some concern for higher blood glucose from reduced insulin sensitivity with GH secretagogues (Sigalos & Pastuszak, 2018). The CJC-1295 trials, up to 49 days long, found no consistent change in glucose (Teichman et al., 2006); no longer study has been published.
• Theoretical neoplastic concern — Studies have linked exogenous GH use and higher IGF-1 levels with a higher risk of cancer (Sigalos & Pastuszak, 2018), and the tesamorelin label contraindicates active malignancy because the GH it releases is a known growth factor (Egrifta SV and WR labels). Whether CJC-1295's IGF-1 rise changes anyone's cancer risk has not been studied; a review calls for long-term studies of cancer incidence with GH secretagogues (Sigalos & Pastuszak, 2018).
• Cardiovascular concern — ConjuChem stopped its Phase 2 trial in 2006 after a participant had a heart attack about two hours after his 11th weekly dose and died an hour later. The attending physician's most likely explanation was undiagnosed coronary artery disease with plaque rupture, and the company reported no sign of heart toxicity in earlier studies (ConjuChem, August 8, 2006). No results were ever posted (NCT00267527).
• Sleep changes — A 2024 compounding monograph filed with FDA says the pairing with ipamorelin promotes deep sleep, and online guides describe better sleep within 1–2 weeks; no trial measured sleep. Both describe bedtime injections, timed to the body's night-time GH pulse (compounding submission to FDA, November 21, 2024).
• Purity / contamination — CJC-1295 is not FDA-approved and is sold as a research chemical. In 2009, an unknown preparation sent for testing by Norwegian police and customs held a 29-amino-acid peptide matching one sold under the name CJC-1295 (Henninge et al., 2010).
• WADA / anti-doping — Prohibited at all times under Section S2 of the WADA Prohibited List (GHRH-class peptide). A urine test for GHRH analogs, including CJC-1295, meeting WADA's required detection limit was published in 2021 (Memdouh et al., 2021).
• Drug interactions — No interaction study exists for CJC-1295. In theory, somatostatin analogs such as octreotide, which is approved to lower GH and IGF-1 in acromegaly (Sandostatin label), would oppose its effect.

Quick Compare — CJC-1295 DAC vs Modified GRF (1-29) vs Tesamorelin vs Sermorelin

All four compounds are GHRH-class: they bind and activate the same pituitary GHRH receptor. They differ in protection strategy (and therefore half-life), development status, and availability.

Practical interpretation:

• Pulsatile vs sustained — With CJC-1295 DAC, GH stays raised between pulses that keep their rhythm (Ionescu & Frohman, 2006); the GH pattern on Mod GRF (1-29) has not been measured in people. No trial has compared the two. The daily schedules online guides describe for Mod GRF mean more injections; IGF-1 stays raised for about two weeks after a last DAC dose (Teichman et al., 2006).
• Evidence quality — Tesamorelin > Sermorelin > CJC-1295 DAC > Modified GRF (1-29), going by the human trials row above.
• Half-life and wash-out — After a dose, CJC-1295 DAC stayed measurable in blood for 10–14 days, and IGF-1 stayed above baseline for two weeks after the last of up to three doses (Teichman et al., 2006). Tesamorelin's half-life is 8–11 minutes (Egrifta SV and WR labels); native GHRH's is about 7 minutes (Teichman et al., 2006).
• Stacking logic — All four act on the GHRH receptor, and a review describes GHRH-receptor agonists, sermorelin and tesamorelin among them, acting synergistically with GH secretagogues (Sigalos & Pastuszak, 2018). No study has tested any of the four with ipamorelin.
• Legal status — US pharmacies can compound sermorelin under 503A (see Legal Status below). Tesamorelin is FDA-approved for one use (Egrifta SV and WR labels). CJC-1295 and Mod GRF are gray-market in the US at publication.

→ See full Tesamorelin profile  •  → See full Sermorelin profile

Bloodwork & Monitoring

No trial, label or guideline sets monitoring for CJC-1295. The two Phase 1 trials tracked GH and IGF-1, vital signs, physical examinations, blood chemistry, blood counts, urine tests, ECGs and antibodies to the drug, and found no consistent change in blood or urine tests, glucose and liver tests included; a 60 µg/kg dose did not raise cortisol, prolactin, TSH or LH (Teichman et al., 2006).

Practical User Notes

• Form selection — A 2024 compounding submission to FDA says the DAC form is often prescribed as one weekly injection, but many clinicians prefer the form without DAC, combined with ipamorelin and injected in the early evening, arguing that it better matches the body's night-time GH peak. No study has compared the two forms.
• Injection timing — Compounding protocols describe one injection at bedtime or in the early evening, on an empty stomach at least 2–3 hours after the last meal (compounding submission to FDA, November 21, 2024). Online guides add a dose on waking and describe waiting about 30 minutes before eating, saying food blunts the GH response. No study has tested timing with CJC-1295.
• Stacking with ipamorelin (practical) — Online guides describe drawing CJC-1295 and ipamorelin into the same insulin syringe for one injection; compounding pharmacies have also supplied the two premixed in one vial (compounding submission to FDA, November 21, 2024).
• DAC cumulative effect — In the repeat-dose trial, each dose lifted IGF-1 higher than the one before, especially with doses a week apart, and IGF-1 stayed above baseline through day 28, two weeks after the last of up to three doses (Teichman et al., 2006). No published trial has gone beyond three doses.
• Sourcing — CJC-1295 is not FDA-approved and is sold as a research chemical. In 2009, an unknown preparation sent for testing by Norwegian police and customs held a 29-amino-acid peptide matching one sold under the name CJC-1295 (Henninge et al., 2010).

Commonly Stacked With

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Legal Status

Related Compounds

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References

1. Jetté L, Léger R, Thibaudeau K, Benquet C, Robitaille M, Pellerin I, et al. 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. 2005;146(7):3052-3058. PMID: 15817669.
2. Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, Gagnon C, Castaigne JP, Frohman LA. 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. 2006;91(3):799-805. PMID: 16352683.
3. Ionescu M, Frohman LA. Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(12):4792-4797. PMID: 17018654.
4. Alba M, Fintini D, Sagazio A, Lawrence B, Castaigne JP, Frohman LA, Salvatori R. Once-daily administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, normalizes growth in the GHRH knockout mouse. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2006;291(6):E1290-E1294. PMID: 16822960.
5. Sackmann-Sala L, Ding J, Frohman LA, Kopchick JJ. Activation of the GH/IGF-1 axis by CJC-1295, a long-acting GHRH analog, results in serum protein profile changes in normal adult subjects. Growth Horm IGF Res. 2009;19(6):471-477. PMID: 19386527.
6. Henninge J, Pepaj M, Hullstein I, Hemmersbach P. Identification of CJC-1295, a growth-hormone-releasing peptide, in an unknown pharmaceutical preparation. Drug Test Anal. 2010;2(11-12):647-650. PMID: 21204297.
7. Memdouh S, Cowan DA, Walker C, Board K, Kicman AT, Parkin MC. Advances in the detection of growth hormone releasing hormone synthetic analogs. Drug Test Anal. 2021;13(11-12):1871-1884. doi: 10.1002/dta.3183.
8. Alba M, Fintini D, Bowers CY, Parlow AF, Salvatori R. Effects of long-term treatment with growth hormone-releasing peptide-2 in the GHRH knockout mouse. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2005;289(5):E762-E767. PMID: 15985453.
9. Izdebski J, Pinski J, Horvath JE, Halmos G, Groot K, Schally AV. Synthesis and biological evaluation of superactive agonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1995;92(10):4872-4876. PMID: 7761415. (Parent work on tetrasubstituted GHRH analogs.)
10. Grouzmann E, Lamine F. Determination of catecholamines in plasma and urine. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013;27(5):713-723. PMID: 24094641. (Companion reference methodology for peptide/hormone quantification.)
11. Sigalos JT, Pastuszak AW. The Safety and Efficacy of Growth Hormone Secretagogues. Sex Med Rev. 2018;6(1):45-53. PMID: 28400207.
12. Ishida J, Saitoh M, Ebner N, Springer J, Anker SD, von Haehling S. Growth hormone secretagogues: history, mechanism of action, and clinical development. JCSM Rapid Commun. 2020;3(1):25-37. DOI: 10.1002/rco2.9.
13. Bowers CY. Unnatural growth hormone-releasing peptide begets natural ghrelin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2001;86(4):1464-1469. PMID: 11297568.
14. Walker RF. Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency? Clin Interv Aging. 2006;1(4):307-308. PMID: 18046908.
15. Alwatban MZ, Al-Lohedan HA. A review of CJC-1295 as a GHRH analog: Pharmacology and clinical relevance. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2023 (review series).
16. Alexopoulou O, Abs R, Maiter D. Treatment of adult growth hormone deficiency: who, why and how? A review. Acta Clin Belg. 2010;65(1):13-22. PMID: 20373593.
17. Falutz J. Growth hormone and HIV infection: contribution to disease manifestations and clinical implications. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;25(3):517-529. PMID: 21663844.
18. aidsmap. Lipodystrophy study halted after patient death. July 2006. (Reports the ConjuChem Phase 2 CJC-1295 trial halt.)
19. World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List. Section S2 — Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics. wada-ama.org.
20. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bulk Drug Substances That Raise Significant Safety Risks (Category 2) Under Section 503A / 503B. FDA.gov. Updated 2025.
21. FDA. Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the FD&C Act (503A categories list), versions updated April 15, April 22 and May 14, 2026. fda.gov/media/94155/download. Read October 3, 2026. (Notice that 12 peptides would leave Category 2 because their nominations were withdrawn; their removal; GHK-Cu, except injectable, back in Category 1.)
22. Stone W. The wellness world is eager for RFK Jr.’s promised move on peptides. NPR, March 31, 2026. npr.org/2026/03/31/nx-s1-5768206/peptides-rfk-fda-compounding-pharmacies. Read October 3, 2026. (The HHS secretary’s late-February podcast remarks, “about 14” peptides; reported, not a rule.)
23. Theratechnologies. EGRIFTA SV (tesamorelin) for injection, prescribing information. DailyMed set ID 3d783378-b02d-4f19-99dd-0fc91a042224 (version effective July 29, 2026). dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. Read October 3, 2026.
24. Theratechnologies. EGRIFTA WR (tesamorelin) for injection, prescribing information. DailyMed set ID 839334d3-8c1d-4c26-9036-2ab524a6ea75 (version effective July 29, 2026). dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. Read October 3, 2026.
25. Thorner M, Rochiccioli P, Colle M, Lanes R, Grunt J, Galazka A, et al. Once daily subcutaneous growth hormone-releasing hormone therapy accelerates growth in growth hormone-deficient children during the first year of therapy. Geref International Study Group. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996;81(3):1189-1196. PMID: 8772599.
26. Novartis. SANDOSTATIN (octreotide acetate) injection, prescribing information. DailyMed set ID 4e2c9856-1836-49f0-9472-4dbeeb408f39 (version effective July 22, 2026). dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. Read October 3, 2026.
27. Compounding submission to FDA: public comment with the 503A bulk drug substance nomination of CJC-1295 acetate and a practitioner monograph ("CJC 1295 v2"), Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee docket FDA-2024-N-4777, document FDA-2024-N-4777-0002, attachments 5 and 7, posted November 21, 2024. regulations.gov. Read October 3, 2026. (Compounded strengths, routes and dosing.)
28. FDA. Final Summary Minutes of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee Meeting, December 4, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/media/185642/download. Read October 18, 2026.

Related Research

• SermorelinGHRH Analog, Growth Hormone Secretagogue
• GHRP-2Growth Hormone Secretagogue (Ghrelin Receptor Agonist)
• GHRP-6Growth Hormone Secretagogue (Ghrelin Receptor Agonist)
• HexarelinGHRP (Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptide)
• GH StackCJC-1295 · Ipamorelin — pulsatile growth hormone protocol
• FDA TrackerPCAC voted on 7 of the 12 peptides on July 23–24, 2026; FDA plans a PCAC review of the other 5 before the end of February 2027.