Which is better, tesamorelin or CJC-1295?
Tesamorelin wins on evidence and on legality. It has large randomized trials with a visceral fat endpoint, an FDA approval, and a lawful prescription path as Egrifta WR (as a biologic it cannot be compounded). CJC-1295 has raised GH and IGF-1 in healthy adults but was never tested for fat loss, body composition, or any clinical outcome, and its 503A nomination was withdrawn after FDA placed it on Category 2 in 2023. Tesamorelin's proven use is still limited to HIV associated abdominal fat; fat loss in other adults is off label. [1] [2] [4] [6] [8] [9] [12]
How do tesamorelin and CJC-1295 compare?
| Dimension | TesamorelinFavored | CJC-1295 |
|---|---|---|
| Molecule [4] [6] | Full 44 amino acid GHRH analog with an N-terminal trans-3-hexenoic acid group that resists enzymatic cleavage; injected once daily. | 29 amino acid GHRH(1-29) analog with four stabilizing substitutions and a drug affinity complex that binds circulating albumin, giving a half life of 5.8 to 8.1 days. |
| Note: Products sold as CJC-1295 without DAC are a different molecule (modified GRF 1-29) with no published human trials under that name. | ||
| Best human evidence [1] [4] | Pooled phase 3 trials in 806 adults with HIV: visceral fat minus 24 versus plus 2 cm2 at 26 weeks (treatment effect minus 15.4%), triglycerides minus 37 versus plus 6 mg/dL. | Two randomized, placebo controlled ascending dose trials in healthy adults aged 21 to 61: a single injection raised mean GH 2 to 10 fold for 6 or more days and IGF-1 1.5 to 3 fold for 9 to 11 days. |
| Body composition outside HIV [2] [4] [5] | 60 abdominally obese adults with reduced GH secretion, 12 months: visceral fat treatment effect minus 35 cm2 versus placebo, with lower triglycerides and C-reactive protein and no change in glucose or HbA1c. | No trial has measured body composition, fat loss, strength, or sleep. The only other human study found trough GH up 7.5 fold and IGF-1 up 45% a week after one dose, with GH pulses preserved. |
| Liver fat [3] [4] | HIV with fatty liver (61 adults, 12 months): hepatic fat fraction down an absolute 4.1%; 35% versus 4% on placebo reached normal liver fat. | No liver fat or metabolic outcome trial. |
| FDA status [4] [6] | FDA approved as Egrifta (2010), Egrifta SV (2019), and Egrifta WR to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy. | Never approved anywhere; development for HIV lipodystrophy and GH deficiency was discontinued. |
| Compounding status [8] [9] [10] | Biologic since March 2020 (BLA 022505), so it is not eligible for 503A or 503B compounding; Egrifta WR by prescription is the only lawful product. | Placed on the 503A Category 2 list in September 2023, then listed as a withdrawn nomination; not reviewed at the July 2026 advisory committee meeting. No lawful basis for compounding. |
| Dosing [4] [6] | Egrifta WR label: 1.28 mg injected under the skin of the abdomen once daily. Egrifta WR and the earlier Egrifta SV are not interchangeable. | No dose established for any use. Trials tested only single and short repeated doses over 28 to 49 days to measure hormone levels. |
| Side effects [4] [6] [9] | Arthralgia (about 13%), injection site reactions, peripheral edema, myalgia, paresthesia; the label advises monitoring glucose and IGF-1. | Injection site reactions, flushing, and headache in the small trials; FDA cited increased heart rate and a systemic vasodilatory reaction in its Category 2 review. No long term safety data. |
| Typical cost [7] [9] | Egrifta WR retail cash price about 10,709 USD per 28 day kit at a listing checked 2026-09-22; plans cover it for the HIV indication, usually with prior authorization. | Not available through licensed channels. Products sold as research chemicals are not lawful for human use and are not verified for identity or purity. |
| Note: Prices at the verification date change often. | ||
Evidence grade and regulatory status
Pulled from each peptide’s own record, so it stays in step with the peptide pages.
| Attribute | Tesamorelin | CJC-1295 |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Synthetic 44 amino acid analog of human growth hormone releasing hormone with an N-terminal trans-3-hexenoic acid modification that resists enzymatic degradation | 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 | FDA approved lab-made growth hormone releasing hormone (Egrifta, 2010) that cuts deep belly fat about 15% in HIV lipodystrophy and cut liver fat in a trial. | 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: FDA approved | Regulatory: Removed from Category 2 (Apr 2026) |
| Compounding | FDA approved as Egrifta (tesamorelin for injection) on November 10, 2010, for reduction of excess abdominal fat in HIV infected adults with lipodystrophy; Egrifta SV, a 2 mg vial formulation, was approved in 2019, and Egrifta WR, an 11.6 mg vial formulation, in March 2025. Tesamorelin is a 44 amino acid protein, and on March 23, 2020 FDA deemed the Egrifta application (022505) to be a biologics license. FDA states that biological products are not eligible for the 503A or 503B compounding exemptions, so compounded tesamorelin sold by telehealth and anti-aging clinics has no lawful basis, and Egrifta WR by prescription is the only lawful product. A clinician may prescribe Egrifta WR off-label, but use for fat loss in people without HIV has only limited trial support. | 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 into the abdomen once daily (Egrifta WR, Egrifta SV), No oral, sublingual, or nasal form is FDA approved or tested in a published trial | Subcutaneous injection (human trials and as sold) |
| Typical cost | Egrifta WR has no published list price; a retail cash listing put one 28 day kit at about 10,709 USD, and a manufacturer co-pay program helps eligible commercially insured patients with the approved HIV indication. Compounded tesamorelin has no lawful price, because tesamorelin is a biologic and biologics cannot be compounded. Prices checked 2026-09-22. | 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 |
Has tesamorelin been tested directly against CJC-1295?
No published trial has compared tesamorelin 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 tesamorelin and CJC-1295 cost?
| Dimension | Tesamorelin | CJC-1295 |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | $10,709 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 | Tesamorelin 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 a longer acting version of tesamorelin?
No. Both act on the GHRH receptor, but they are different molecules. Tesamorelin is the full 44 amino acid hormone with a protective chemical group and is injected daily. CJC-1295 is a 29 amino acid fragment linked to albumin so one injection lasts about a week. Only tesamorelin has been tested for a clinical outcome. [4] [6]
Which is better for belly fat?
Tesamorelin is the only one with trial evidence: it reduced visceral fat by 15.4% relative to placebo in adults with HIV, and by 35 cm2 versus placebo over 12 months in abdominally obese adults with low GH. No trial has measured fat loss with CJC-1295. [1] [2] [4]
Can either be prescribed legally?
Neither can be compounded. Tesamorelin is available by prescription as Egrifta WR, but it became a biologic in 2020 and biologics are not eligible for 503A compounding. CJC-1295 has no lawful path: it was placed on Category 2 in 2023, its nomination was withdrawn, and it is not on the bulks list. [6] [8] [9] [12]
Does either help build muscle?
Neither is proven to. Tesamorelin's trials measured visceral fat, liver fat, and blood lipids, and muscle gain is not an approved use. CJC-1295's trials measured only GH and IGF-1 levels in healthy adults. [1] [2] [4]
Are they allowed in sport?
No. Both are growth hormone releasing hormone analogs prohibited at all times under WADA section S2. [11]
Conditions studied
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.
- Tesamorelin vs HGH: how they differ and which is approved
Tesamorelin (Egrifta) signals the pituitary to release growth hormone and is approved for HIV-associated belly fat; HGH (somatropin) is the hormone itself, approved for other conditions.
- Peptide stacks: what each common component has shown alone
No trial has tested a multi-peptide stack for muscle growth or fat loss. Nine common stack components ranked by their own human evidence, legal status, and WADA status. No protocols.
- Does tesamorelin build muscle? What the trials show
Tesamorelin raised lean body mass about 1.2 kg in HIV trials and slightly increased trunk muscle area, but no trial tested strength or muscle growth, and it is prohibited in sport.
- Tesamorelin vs sermorelin vs ipamorelin: evidence and legality
Tesamorelin, sermorelin, and ipamorelin compared in one table: mechanism, FDA approval, compounding status, human evidence, and WADA status, with links to each pairwise comparison.
Sources
Numbered citations above point to these primary sources. PubMed entries link to the indexed abstract.
- [1]Falutz J et al. Effects of tesamorelin (TH9507), a growth hormone-releasing factor analog, in HIV-infected patients with excess abdominal fat: a pooled analysis of two multicenter, double-blind placebo-controlled phase 3 trials with safety extension data. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2010PubMed 20554713, 2010
- [2]Makimura H et al. Metabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in obese subjects with reduced growth hormone secretion: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2012PubMed 23015655, 2012
- [3]Stanley TL et al. Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial. Lancet HIV 2019PubMed 31611038, 2019
- [4]Teichman SL et al. 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 2006PubMed 16352683, 2006
- [5]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 2006PubMed 17018654, 2006
- [6]FDA prescribing information for Egrifta WR (tesamorelin) for injection, via DailyMed (Indications, Dosage and Administration, Adverse Reactions, and How Supplied sections)FDA
- [7]Published retail cash price listing for tesamorelin (Egrifta WR) kits, accessed 2026-09-22
- [8]FDA: Compounding and the FDA, questions and answersFDA
- [9]FDA: Bulk drug substances used in compounding under section 503A of the FD&C Act (503A bulks list, Category 1, 2, and 3 lists, and withdrawn nominations)FDA
- [10]FDA: July 23-24, 2026 meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (BPC-157, KPV, TB-500, MOTS-c, DSIP, semax, epitalon)FDA
- [11]WADA Prohibited List, section S2 (growth hormone releasing hormone and its analogues, including tesamorelin and CJC-1295)WADA
- [12]FDA: List of approved NDAs for biological products that were deemed to be BLAs on March 23, 2020 (includes tesamorelin, Egrifta and Egrifta SV, application 022505)FDA, 2020
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