Growth hormone axis
CJC-1295 vs Tesamorelin: Research Comparison
CJC-1295 and tesamorelin are both synthetic analogues of GHRH, the hormone that signals the pituitary to release growth hormone. Tesamorelin is the full 44-amino-acid hormone with a fatty-acid group added. CJC-1295 is the first 29 amino acids with four substitutions, sold with or without a DAC linker.
Side-by-side comparison
| Attribute | CJC-1295 | Tesamorelin |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | GHRH(1-29) with four substitutions, with or without DAC | Full GHRH(1-44) with a hexenoyl group |
| Receptor | GHRH receptor | GHRH receptor |
| Developer | ConjuChem | Theratechnologies |
| Human data | Short hormone-level studies of the DAC version in healthy adults | Two phase 3 placebo-controlled trials in more than 800 people with HIV |
| Licensed status | Not approved by the FDA or EMA | Licensed in the US since 2010 for one use in people with HIV; not licensed in the UK or EU |
Detailed analysis
Both compounds act on the GHRH receptor on growth-hormone-producing cells in the pituitary, which triggers the body's own growth hormone release and in turn raises IGF-1. They differ in structure and in how long they last. Tesamorelin's hexenoyl group makes it resistant to the enzyme DPP-4, so it breaks down more slowly than natural GHRH (Ferdinandi et al., 2007). CJC-1295 with DAC bonds to albumin and, in healthy adults, kept growth hormone raised for six days or more after a single administration (Teichman et al., 2006).
On human data: The US FDA approved tesamorelin in 2010 for one use in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy, based on two phase 3 placebo-controlled trials (Falutz et al., 2007 and 2010). The European application was withdrawn in 2012 after questions about clinical meaning and long-term safety. CJC-1295 has only short studies in healthy volunteers that measured hormone levels, and the version without DAC has almost no published data.
Key differences
- ·Both act on the GHRH receptor; tesamorelin is the full 44-amino-acid hormone, CJC-1295 is a modified 29-amino-acid fragment.
- ·Tesamorelin has phase 3 trials in one patient group; CJC-1295 has only short studies in healthy volunteers.
- ·Tesamorelin is licensed in the US for one use; CJC-1295 is not approved by the FDA or EMA.
Research summary
Tesamorelin has animal studies and phase 3 human trials in people with HIV (Falutz et al., 2007). CJC-1295 has rat studies (Jetté et al., 2005) and short hormone-level studies of the DAC version (Teichman et al., 2006). Long-term safety is not established for either. Supplied for laboratory research use only.