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CJC-1295 vs MK-677: What the Research Shows

CJC-1295 and MK-677 side by side: what they are, how they are regulated and what is still unknown.

Medically reviewed by Juan Pablo Frías, MD · · DisclosureUpdated
GHRH analogNot FDA approved · research chemicalCJC-1295CJC-1295, a GHRH analog; in healthy adults a single injection produced dose-dependent rises in mean plasma GH of 2- to 10-fold and in IGF-I of 1.5- to 3-fold.[4]Growth hormone+49% searches
Oral ghrelin agonist (not a peptide)Not FDA approved · research chemicalMK-677Oral growth hormone secretagogue (not a peptide); in a randomized trial in obese men it raised IGF-I about 40% versus placebo.[10]
Quick verdict

Where the research points

Summary of studies, not a recommendation

Consider CJC-1295 if…

  • you want randomized human hormone data (hormone levels, not a clinical benefit): a single injection raised mean plasma GH 2- to 10-fold for 6 days or more[4]

Consider MK-677 if…

  • you want an oral option with randomized human data: in obese men, MK-677 25 mg daily raised serum IGF-I by about 40% versus placebo over 8 weeks (a hormone outcome)[10]
  • you are weighing trade-offs: in that trial an oral glucose tolerance test showed impairment of glucose homeostasis at 2 and 8 weeks[10]
  • you want to see a negative human trial: in Alzheimer disease, MK-677 raised serum IGF-1 but was ineffective at slowing disease progression[11]

What they have in common

  • WADA prohibits GHRH and its analogues at all times; its list names CJC-1295, sermorelin and tesamorelin[1]
  • WADA prohibits growth hormone secretagogues at all times; its list names ibutamoren (MK-677) and ipamorelin[1]
CJC-1295 is prohibited in tested sport (WADA). Status labels come from public FDA and WADA records; see the sources below.
Side by side

Spec comparison

Showing 8 of 10 fields where the two differ. FDA status, PCAC vote, Jul 2026 are the same or both unknown.

FieldCJC-1295MK-677
ClassGHRH analogOral ghrelin agonist (not a peptide)
Also calledCJC, mod GRF, GRF 1-29ibutamoren
WADAProhibited by WADA (S2.2.4)CJC-1295 is named as a GHRH analogue in S2.2.4 (growth hormone releasing factors), prohibited at all times.No WADA record in our data
Anti-doping detection
  • A urine assay detects CJC-1295 and other GHRH analogues at very low concentrations.PMID 35298973
  • Labs expect GHRH analogues like CJC-1295 to be hard to find because of tiny urine concentrations; the study reports no detections in routine anti-doping samples.PMID 34665524
None reportedanti-doping literature, as of 2 Oct 2026
Half-lifeNo published half-life foundPubMed search, 2 Oct 2026[half-life by route]
Evidence strengthHuman RCT evidence, 4 of 4Strongest: The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 2006, PMID 16352683[evidence grade]
Human studies we summarised4 human (1 randomized or controlled) of 7 summarised[n]
Typical study doses[dose range]

Bracketed values are pending a sourced figure. Legal data reflects the regulatory events in our tracker.

Sources

  1. 1World Anti-Doping Code International Standard Prohibited List 2026World Anti-Doping Agency · 2026wada-ama.orgAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  2. 2An antibody-free, ultrafiltration-based assay for the detection of growth hormone-releasing hormones in urine at low pg/mL concentrations using nanoLC-HRMS/MS.Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis · 2022PMID 35298973Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  3. 3Advances in the detection of growth hormone releasing hormone synthetic analogs.Drug testing and analysis · 2021PMID 34665524Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  4. 4Prolonged 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.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2006PMID 16352683Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  5. 5Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2006PMID 17018654Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  6. 6Once-daily administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, normalizes growth in the GHRH knockout mouse.American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism · 2006PMID 16822960Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  7. 7PubMed search: ("CJC-1295"[tiab] OR CJC1295[tiab]) (33 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  8. 8PubMed search: ("CJC-1295"[tiab] OR CJC1295[tiab]) AND (half-life[tiab] OR pharmacokinetic*[tiab]) (7 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  9. 9PubMed search: ("CJC-1295"[tiab] OR CJC1295[tiab]) AND (ibutamoren[tiab] OR "MK-677"[tiab] OR MK0677[tiab])PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  10. 10Two-month treatment of obese subjects with the oral growth hormone (GH) secretagogue MK-677 increases GH secretion, fat-free mass, and energy expenditure.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 1998PMID 9467542Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  11. 11Growth hormone secretagogue MK-677: no clinical effect on AD progression in a randomized trial.Neurology · 2008PMID 19015485Accessed 2 Oct 2026

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