Tesamorelin vs CJC-1295.
Tesamorelin and CJC-1295 are both analogues of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and act on the same receptor. They differ in length, in how each was modified to outlast the native hormone, and in the depth of their published record.
Two GHRH analogues.
Native GHRH is a 44-amino-acid hypothalamic peptide that drives growth hormone release through the GHRH receptor on pituitary somatotrophs; a 2025 review describes it as the primary regulator of pulsatile growth hormone secretion. Its activity sits in the first 29 residues, the fragment known as GHRH(1-29), and the unmodified hormone is cleaved quickly by enzymes. Tesamorelin and CJC-1295 are two different answers to that instability.
The full sequence, capped.
Tesamorelin keeps all 44 residues of human GHRH and adds a trans-3-hexenoyl group to the N-terminus. The cap protects the end of the peptide where native GHRH is first cleaved, while the rest of the sequence stays identical to the natural hormone. It has an extensive clinical literature, including randomized phase 3 trials.
A shorter, substituted sequence.
CJC-1295 starts from GHRH(1-29), the same active fragment as sermorelin, and replaces four amino acids, at positions 2, 8, 15 and 27, to improve its stability. It comes in two forms. CJC-1295 with DAC adds a lysine linker that binds albumin in circulation, and a study in healthy adults reported a half-life of 5.8 to 8.1 days for that form. CJC-1295 without DAC, also called modified GRF (1-29), has no albumin linker. The DAC vs no DAC guide covers the difference.
Tesamorelin and CJC-1295 at a glance.
| Tesamorelin | CJC-1295 (no DAC) | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | GHRH analogue | GHRH analogue |
| Built from | Full human GHRH(1-44) | GHRH(1-29), the active fragment |
| Length | 44 amino acids | 29 amino acids |
| Modification | N-terminal trans-3-hexenoyl group | Four amino-acid substitutions; the DAC form adds an albumin-binding linker |
| Molecular weight | 5136 g/mol | 3367.9 g/mol |
| Receptor | GHRH receptor | GHRH receptor |
| Literature | Extensive clinical literature, including randomized trials | Rat and mouse studies and early human studies (2005 to 2006) |
| At Helion | Tesamorelin 5mg | In the CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin 10mg blend |
Molecular weights from PubChem; the CJC-1295 no DAC figure is calculated from its sequence.
What the comparison is used for.
Because both act on the GHRH receptor, the two are compared in research on how chain length and end protection change a GHRH analogue's stability and duration of action. Neither works through the ghrelin receptor; that is ipamorelin's route, covered in CJC-1295 vs ipamorelin and in the tesamorelin, sermorelin and ipamorelin guide.
What Helion supplies.
Helion carries Tesamorelin 5mg and CJC-1295 without DAC in the CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin 10mg blend, whose lot 335XA tested 99.85% pure by HPLC at ILS Laboratories. It does not sell CJC-1295 with DAC or CJC-1295 on its own. Helion supplies these compounds as lyophilized research reference materials for laboratory use only, to buyers 21 and over. Published lab reports are in the COA Portal.
Specs and storage by compound.
Questions (5)
What is the difference between tesamorelin and CJC-1295?
Both are GHRH analogues that act on the GHRH receptor. Tesamorelin is the full 44-residue GHRH sequence with an N-terminal trans-3-hexenoyl cap; CJC-1295 is the 29-residue active fragment with four amino-acid substitutions, made with or without an albumin-binding DAC linker.
Do tesamorelin and CJC-1295 act on the same receptor?
Yes. Both bind the growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) receptor. Ipamorelin, which is often paired with CJC-1295, uses a different receptor, the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a).
Which form of CJC-1295 is long-acting?
CJC-1295 with DAC. Its linker binds albumin, and a study in healthy adults reported a half-life of 5.8 to 8.1 days. CJC-1295 without DAC and tesamorelin have no albumin linker.
Is tesamorelin a modified GHRH?
Yes. It is the full 44-amino-acid sequence of human GHRH with a trans-3-hexenoyl group added to the N-terminus to protect it from rapid enzymatic cleavage.
Does Helion sell CJC-1295 with DAC?
No. Helion sells CJC-1295 without DAC, combined with ipamorelin in the CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin 10mg blend (5mg of each), and Tesamorelin 5mg, for laboratory research use only.
Published studies (6)
- Hypothalamic GHRH
- Tesamorelin, a human growth hormone releasing factor analogue
- Tesamorelin: a growth hormone-releasing factor analogue for HIV-associated lipodystrophy
- Sermorelin: a review of its use in the diagnosis and treatment of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency
- Human growth hormone-releasing factor (hGRF)1-29-albumin bioconjugates activate the GRF receptor on the anterior pituitary in rats: identification of CJC-1295 as a long-lasting GRF analog
- 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
Citations from PubMed for reference. They describe the compound in the literature, not any Helion lot, and nothing here is guidance on use.