CJC-1295

What it is

Mimics growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH): it activates GHRH receptors in the pituitary, which releases growth hormone and in turn raises IGF-I. In the DAC form, an added chemical linker binds albumin in blood, giving a half-life of 5.8 to 8.1 days in healthy adults.

What it is studied for

CJC-1295 with DAC was developed as a long-acting way to raise the body's own growth hormone. Two randomized, placebo-controlled trials in healthy adults measured growth hormone, IGF-I and safety after injections, and another study tracked overnight growth-hormone pulses in healthy men aged 20 to 40.

What the evidence says

Small human studies of the DAC form

Single injections raised growth hormone 2- to 10-fold for 6 days or more and IGF-I for 9 to 11 days, with natural pulses preserved. The studies did not measure lean or fat mass. Reported effects included injection reactions, flushing and faster heart rate; a 2006 trial in HIV patients stopped after a death the attending doctor thought most likely due to silent heart disease.

How it was studied

Human studies gave CJC-1295 with DAC as injections under the skin; FDA found no human studies of the form without DAC. No study of CJC-1295 in a dissolving strip or any other oral form was found.