Sermorelin vs CJC-1295: evidence, cost, and legality

Which is better, sermorelin or CJC-1295?

Both carry a human RCT evidence grade, but the content differs: sermorelin's trials include a 12 month pediatric growth study and a placebo controlled adult study with lean mass and skin thickness endpoints, while CJC-1295's two trials lasted 28 to 49 days and measured only GH and IGF-1. On regulation, sermorelin was FDA approved as Geref from 1990 to 2009 and FDA later confirmed the withdrawal was not for safety or effectiveness, which is the basis on which many 503A pharmacies compound it; CJC-1295 was placed in 503A Category 2 in September 2023 citing serious adverse events and is now a withdrawn nomination with no lawful basis for compounding. [1] [2] [5] [6] [9] [11]

How do sermorelin and CJC-1295 compare?

Sermorelin and CJC-1295 compared by dimension
Dimension	SermorelinFavored	CJC-1295
Human evidence [1] [2] [3] [4] [6] [7]	Dose response in healthy men (Vance 1986), a 12 month open study in 18 children with idiopathic short stature (Kirk 1994), a single blind placebo controlled 5 month study in 19 adults aged 55 to 71 (Khorram 1997), plus the pediatric registration trials behind the 1997 Geref approval.	Two randomized, placebo controlled, double blind ascending dose trials of 28 and 49 days in healthy adults (Teichman 2006) and a single dose overnight sampling study in healthy men (Ionescu 2006). All endpoints were hormonal.
Clinical outcomes measured [1] [2] [6] [8]	Height velocity rose from 4.8 to 7.2 cm per year in children; in older adults, skin thickness increased in both sexes, lean body mass and insulin sensitivity improved in men only, and sleep quality did not change.	None. No trial has measured body composition, strength, fat loss, sleep, or any clinical endpoint. The only outputs are GH and IGF-1 concentrations and a serum proteomic profile consistent with GH axis activation.
Duration of action [4] [6] [7]	Plasma half life of minutes; GH release is a single pulse after each injection, which is why the label used nightly dosing.	Half life of 5.8 to 8.1 days because the drug affinity complex binds serum albumin. GH stayed elevated 2 to 10 fold for 6 or more days and IGF-1 1.5 to 3 fold for 9 to 11 days after one dose, with trough GH up 7.5 fold but pulsatility preserved.
Note: The version sold as CJC-1295 without DAC (modified GRF 1-29) lacks the albumin linker, has a half life of about 30 minutes, and has no published human trial under that name.
Dosing frequency in the literature [1] [2] [4] [6]	Geref pediatric label: 30 ug/kg subcutaneously once daily at bedtime. Adult trial: 10 ug/kg nightly for 16 weeks. Children in Kirk 1994: 20 ug/kg twice daily.	Single subcutaneous doses in ascending cohorts, with 30 or 60 ug/kg best tolerated, repeated weekly or every two weeks over 28 to 49 days. No maintenance regimen was ever established.
Regulatory history [5] [9] [10]	FDA approved as Geref for diagnosis (1990) and for pediatric idiopathic GH deficiency (1997); the sponsor discontinued it in 2008 and FDA withdrew the approvals in 2009. In 2013 FDA determined in the Federal Register that the withdrawal was not for safety or effectiveness. Not on Category 2 and not on the 503A bulks list.	Never approved anywhere. Programs in HIV lipodystrophy and GH deficiency were discontinued. Placed in 503A Category 2 on September 29, 2023 citing limited clinical data, peptide impurities, and serious adverse events; the nomination was later withdrawn and FDA's April 2026 update lists it under withdrawn nominations.
Compounding and access [5] [9]	Many 503A pharmacies compound sermorelin under a prescription on the basis of the former approval, commonly through telehealth clinics; whether that satisfies the approved drug component condition depends on the state board and the pharmacy. No FDA approved product is currently marketed.	No lawful basis for 503A or 503B compounding: no approved product, no bulks list entry, and a withdrawn nomination. Clinics that still advertise it are dispensing outside FDA's stated categories.
Side effects in trials [1] [2] [4] [6] [9]	Injection site pain and redness, facial flushing, headache, dizziness; transient hyperlipidemia in the adult trial; rising fasting glucose and insulin in children; antibody formation without loss of effect in the pediatric program.	Injection site reactions, flushing, headache, and transient warmth in the 2006 trials with no serious adverse reactions; FDA's Category 2 evaluation cited increased heart rate and a systemic vasodilatory reaction among serious adverse events. Risks of week long IGF-1 elevation have not been studied.
WADA status [11]	Prohibited at all times under section S2, which names GHRH and its analogues including sermorelin.	Prohibited at all times under section S2, which names CJC-1295 specifically.
Typical cost [5] [9]	Compounded only, paid in cash through telehealth clinics that include the visit; there is no branded product. Dated prices are on the sermorelin cost page.	Not available through licensed channels. Products sold as research chemicals are not lawful for human use and are not verified for identity or purity.

Evidence grade and regulatory status

Pulled from each peptide’s own record, so it stays in step with the peptide pages.

Sermorelin and CJC-1295: grade, status, and cost
Attribute	Sermorelin	CJC-1295
Class	Synthetic 29 amino acid N-terminal fragment of human growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH 1-29), the shortest fragment with full GHRH receptor activity	Synthetic 29 amino acid GHRH(1-29) analog with four stabilizing amino acid substitutions and a drug affinity complex (maleimidoproprionic acid) that binds covalently to circulating albumin
What it is	Formerly FDA approved piece of growth hormone releasing hormone (Geref, withdrawn 2009 for business reasons); small trials show higher GH and IGF-1.	Long acting lab-made growth hormone releasing hormone: small randomized trials raised GH 2 to 10 fold and IGF-1 1.5 to 3 fold per dose; no lawful compounding.
Evidence	Evidence: Human RCT evidence	Evidence: Human RCT evidence
FDA status	Regulatory: Regulatory status unknown	Regulatory: Removed from Category 2 (Apr 2026)
Compounding	There is no currently approved sermorelin product in the United States. Geref (sermorelin acetate) was approved as a diagnostic on December 28, 1990 (NDA 19-863) and for treatment of idiopathic growth hormone deficiency in children on September 26, 1997 (NDA 20-443); the sponsor discontinued both in 2008 and FDA withdrew the approvals effective June 18, 2009. In March 2013 FDA determined in the Federal Register that Geref was not withdrawn for reasons of safety or effectiveness, which allows generic applications. Sermorelin was not placed on the 503A Category 2 list in 2023 and is not on the 503A bulks list; many 503A pharmacies compound it on the basis of the former approval, and whether that satisfies the component of an approved drug condition depends on how a state board and the pharmacy read it. Compounded sermorelin for adult anti-aging, fat loss, or sleep is an unapproved use with no supporting trial.	Not FDA approved for any use and never approved anywhere; the developer's programs in HIV lipodystrophy and GH deficiency were discontinued in the late 2000s. FDA placed CJC-1295 on the 503A Category 2 list on September 29, 2023, citing limited clinical data, peptide related impurities, and serious adverse events including increased heart rate and a systemic vasodilatory reaction. The nomination was later withdrawn and FDA's April 2026 update lists CJC-1295 under nominated but withdrawn substances rather than Category 1 or the bulks list. It was not among the peptides the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee reviewed in July 2026. With no active nomination, no bulks list entry, and no approved product, licensed 503A pharmacies and 503B facilities have no lawful basis to compound it. Products sold as CJC-1295 without DAC are a different molecule (modified GRF 1-29) with the same non-status.
WADA	WADA: WADA prohibited	WADA: WADA prohibited
Routes	Subcutaneous injection, usually at bedtime (approved and trial use), Intravenous bolus (former diagnostic use), Intranasal (research only, lower bioavailability), Oral tablets and troches sold by some compounders have no published pharmacokinetic data	Subcutaneous injection (human trials and as sold)
Typical cost	About 105 to 180 USD per month for compounded sermorelin through licensed telehealth programs, including the consultation and medication. Research chemical listings are not lawful for human use. Prices checked 2026-09-22 on published provider and pharmacy price pages.	Not available through licensed channels. Products sold as research chemicals are not lawful for human use and are not verified for identity or purity.
Last verified	Sep 23, 2026	Sep 23, 2026

Has sermorelin been tested directly against CJC-1295?

No published trial has compared sermorelin and CJC-1295 directly. The dimensions above come from separate studies and labels, and cross-trial comparisons are less reliable than a direct trial.

What do sermorelin and CJC-1295 cost?

Typical cost of Sermorelin and CJC-1295
Dimension	Sermorelin	CJC-1295
Typical cost	$105 to $180 per month	Not available through licensed channels. Products sold as research chemicals are not lawful for human use and are not verified for identity or purity.
Price detail	Sermorelin price by channel	CJC-1295 price by channel

Where a price index exists, the range is the cash price per month across branded, compounded, and telehealth channels, without insurance. The cost pages give each channel separately with its sources. Otherwise the typical cost from the peptide record is shown. Legal access depends on your state: see peptide legality by state.

Frequently asked questions

Is CJC-1295 just a longer acting sermorelin?

Chemically, close to it. Both are GHRH(1-29) analogs, but CJC-1295 adds four stabilizing substitutions and a drug affinity complex that binds albumin, stretching the half life from minutes to 5.8 to 8.1 days. That changes the pharmacology from a nightly GH pulse to a week of elevated trough GH and IGF-1, and no trial has established whether that is better or worse for any outcome. [4] [6] [7]

Which has better evidence for body composition?

Sermorelin, narrowly. The only trial with a body composition endpoint is Khorram 1997, where 16 weeks of nightly sermorelin increased lean mass and insulin sensitivity in men but not women, with no change in sleep. CJC-1295 has never been tested for body composition at all. [1] [6]

Why can pharmacies compound sermorelin but not CJC-1295?

Sermorelin was an FDA approved drug (Geref) until 2009, and FDA confirmed in 2013 that it was not withdrawn for safety or effectiveness; many pharmacies treat that as satisfying the approved drug component pathway. CJC-1295 was never approved, was placed in 503A Category 2 in 2023 for safety concerns, and its nomination was then withdrawn, leaving no lawful basis. [5] [9]

Do they have the same side effects?

Largely the same GHRH class effects: injection site reactions, flushing, and headache. Sermorelin's trials also recorded transient hyperlipidemia in adults and rising glucose in children. For CJC-1295, FDA cited increased heart rate and a systemic vasodilatory reaction among the serious adverse events in its Category 2 evaluation, and the effects of sustained IGF-1 elevation over months are unstudied. [1] [2] [9]

Are both banned for athletes?

Yes. WADA section S2 prohibits GHRH and its analogues at all times and names both sermorelin and CJC-1295. [11]

Conditions studied

Growth hormone deficiency and GH secretagogue use

From the blog

CJC-1295 side effects: what the human studies reported
CJC-1295 side effects in small human studies included injection site reactions, headache, flushing, diarrhea, and a faster heart rate. It has no FDA approval and no lawful compounding path.

Sources

Numbered citations above point to these primary sources. PubMed entries link to the indexed abstract.

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Sermorelin vs CJC-1295

The short answer