CJC-1295 vs sermorelin: both are lab-made versions of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) that prompt the pituitary to release growth hormone. The key difference is duration. Sermorelin is the natural 29-amino-acid fragment and lasts minutes, so it was given daily.[1] CJC-1295 with DAC binds to albumin in the blood and had a half-life of 5.8 to 8.1 days in healthy adults.[3] Sermorelin was FDA-approved for children with growth hormone deficiency until it was discontinued in 2008;[5] CJC-1295 was never approved, and FDA advisers voted 0 to 13 in 2024 against allowing it in compounding.[10]
See the CJC-1295 and sermorelin profiles, or the growth hormone peptides hub.
CJC-1295 vs sermorelin at a glance
| CJC-1295 (with DAC) | Sermorelin | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | GHRH 1-29 with 4 swaps plus albumin-binding DAC[2] | GHRH 1-29, unmodified[1] |
| Half-life in people | 5.8 to 8.1 days[3] | Short; given daily[1] |
| Dosing in studies | Weekly or every 2 weeks[3] | Once or twice daily[6][7] |
| Main human data | Three studies in healthy adults[9] | Pediatric growth trials and small studies in older men[6][7] |
| FDA history | Never approved; development stopped 2006[9] | Approved as Geref 1990 and 1997; discontinued 2008[5] |
| Compounding | Advisers voted 0 to 13 against[10] | Listed by a pharmacy trade group as compoundable[12] |
| Banned in sport | Yes[15] | Yes[15] |
How each works
Natural GHRH is 44 amino acids long and lasts only minutes in the blood. Its first 29 amino acids carry full activity, and that fragment is sermorelin.[1]
CJC-1295 starts from the same 29 amino acids, swaps four of them to resist breakdown, and, in the “DAC” form, adds a chemical group that latches onto albumin. In rats it was still in the blood after 72 hours.[2] In healthy adults, a single injection raised growth hormone 2- to 10-fold for at least 6 days and IGF-1 1.5- to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days.[3] Growth hormone kept its natural overnight pulses, with trough levels 7.5 times higher.[4]
A naming trap: “CJC-1295 without DAC,” sold as mod GRF 1-29, is a different substance with no published human studies.[16] FDA notes that sellers use many names for related CJC-1295 substances, so it can be hard to know which is in a vial.[9]
Evidence quality
Sermorelin has the broader human record:
- Children with growth hormone deficiency: in 110 children treated nightly, growth rate rose from 4.1 to 8.0 cm a year at 6 months.[6] Growth hormone itself worked faster in a comparison study.[17]
- Older men: 1 mg twice daily for two weeks raised growth hormone and IGF-1 to young-adult levels in 10 men.[7] Six weeks of 2 mg nightly raised nighttime growth hormone without changing IGF-1 in 11 men.[8]
CJC-1295 has short studies in 63 healthy adults that measured hormone levels.[9] FDA found no studies of any form in people with a disease or condition. A phase 2 trial for HIV-related belly fat was stopped in 2006 after a participant died of a heart attack; the treating physician thought undiagnosed heart disease was the most likely cause, and the data were never published.[11][9]
Side effects and safety
CJC-1295 with DAC (FDA summary of the healthy-adult studies):[9]
- Injection-site reactions in about 70%, including short-lived hive-like rashes
- Headache in 63% (vs 14% on placebo) and diarrhea in 43%
- Flushing, warmth and a temporary drop in blood pressure, plus a dose-related rise in heart rate
- IGF-1 above the normal range at the highest dose
FDA has listed increased heart rate and widespread blood vessel dilation among its concerns.[13]
Sermorelin
- Most commonly temporary facial flushing and injection-site pain.[1]
- In one pediatric study, 39 of 40 children developed antibodies to GHRH, which mostly disappeared after stopping.[17]
Long-term safety in healthy adults is unknown for both.
Doses used in studies
No dose of either peptide is approved for adults today, so the only reference points come from research. A clinician decides whether any use is appropriate and sets the dose.
| Study setting | Dose |
|---|---|
| Sermorelin, children with growth hormone deficiency | 30 mcg per kg once nightly[1] |
| Sermorelin, older men | 1 mg twice daily for 2 weeks,[7] or 2 mg nightly for 6 weeks[8] |
| CJC-1295 with DAC, healthy adults | 30 to 250 mcg per kg, repeated every 7 or 14 days[3][9] |
| CJC-1295 with DAC, pulsatility study | One dose of 60 or 90 mcg per kg[4] |
The practical difference is frequency: sermorelin was studied as a daily or twice-daily shot, while CJC-1295 with DAC was studied as a weekly or every-other-week shot. Side effects with CJC-1295 were more common at the higher doses of 125 and 250 mcg per kg.[9] Doses promoted online come from sellers and forums, not from these studies. For the math of measuring any vial, see our peptide calculator; it does not make an untested dose safe.
Legal status and access
- Sermorelin: in 2013, FDA determined that Geref was not withdrawn for safety or effectiveness reasons.[5] The Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding lists it among peptides that meet the legal criteria for compounding, so a prescriber can order it from a compounding pharmacy.[12] It is not on FDA’s significant-safety-risk list.[13]
- CJC-1295: in December 2024, FDA’s compounding advisory committee voted 0 to 13 against both the DAC and non-DAC forms.[10]
- Sport: WADA bans both at all times.[15]
Compounded sermorelin prices vary by pharmacy and are not set by any manufacturer, so we do not list them. See are peptides legal? for more. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions to discuss with a clinician
- Has growth hormone deficiency been tested for? Approved growth hormone treats diagnosed deficiency; see peptides vs HGH.
- Is daily injection acceptable? Sermorelin was studied as a daily shot.[6]
- Do you have heart disease? CJC-1295 raised heart rate and lowered blood pressure in studies.[9]
- Would an approved GHRH analog fit? Tesamorelin is approved for HIV-associated belly fat; see tesamorelin vs sermorelin.
The verdict
Sermorelin is shorter-acting and less convenient but has a regulatory history, pediatric efficacy data and a legal path through compounding.[5][6][12] CJC-1295 with DAC lasts far longer and reliably raises growth hormone and IGF-1, but it has more side effects in its small studies, no patient data, and no legal compounding route.[3][9][10] Neither has shown adult health benefits. Related reading: sermorelin vs ipamorelin and MK-677 vs CJC-1295 ipamorelin.
