Comparison
Tesamorelin vs CJC-1295
Two GHRH analogues acting on the same receptor, separated by the largest evidence gap on this site: one completed a phase 3 programme and holds an approval, the other has neither.
These act on the same receptor by the same mechanism, which makes the comparison unusually clean, and unusually stark. The difference is not pharmacological. It is that one of them was taken through a full clinical development programme and the other was not.
Tesamorelin has randomised placebo-controlled phase 3 trials with CT-measured endpoints and an FDA approval for a specific indication. CJC-1295 has early pharmacology showing it raises growth hormone, and nothing after that.
This page exists because the two are routinely discussed as interchangeable options at different price points. They are not. If you want to know what 'well studied' actually looks like in this category, tesamorelin is the reference point.
| Attribute | Tesamorelin | CJC-1295 |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | GHRH analogue | GHRH analogue |
| Evidence level | Approved for another indication. Phase 3 trials completed | Early human pharmacology only |
| Regulatory status (US) | Approved prescription medicine for HIV-associated lipodystrophy | Not approved for any indication |
| Best evidence | Randomised placebo-controlled phase 3, n = 412, 26 weeks, CT-measured visceral fat | Early pharmacology measuring GH and IGF-1 |
| What was actually measured | Visceral adipose tissue, reduced about 15% against placebo | Hormone levels, not outcomes |
| Dosing | 2 mg once daily, subcutaneous | 100–300 mcg without DAC; 1–2 mg weekly with DAC |
| Half-life | About 25 minutes | About 30 minutes without DAC; about 6–8 days with DAC |
| Known adverse effects | Documented in trials: injection site reactions, joint pain, raised glucose, carpal tunnel | Community reports only |
Things worth knowing
- Tesamorelin's approval is narrow and specific: reducing excess visceral abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. It is not approved for body composition in healthy adults, and the trials did not enrol them.
- The dose scales differ tenfold: 2 mg daily against 100–300 mcg. Switching between them without re-checking the unit is a realistic error.
- Tesamorelin's adverse effects are known because somebody looked. CJC-1295's are unknown for the same reason in reverse, and absence of reported harm is not evidence of safety.
- Material sold as research-chemical tesamorelin is not the approved product, so the trial evidence does not transfer to it.
- Both are prohibited at all times in sport.
Full profile
Tesamorelin
A GHRH analogue approved by the FDA for reducing excess visceral fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy. The only compound in this category with completed phase 3 trials.
Full profile
CJC-1295
A GHRH analogue that raises growth hormone by amplifying the body's own release signal. Sold in two forms whose durations differ by two orders of magnitude.
Related
This page is educational. It describes what published research reports, not what you should do. Peptides discussed here are largely not approved for human use, and nothing on Bioalmanac is medical advice.