Tesamorelin vs CJC-1295: Dosing and Units
Last updated: July 2026
Tesamorelin and CJC-1295 are both growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analogues, but they sit at opposite ends of the regulatory and dosing spectrum: tesamorelin is an FDA-approved daily injection measured in milligrams, while CJC-1295 is an unapproved research peptide usually measured in micrograms and dosed either weekly or several times a day depending on the version. Because they run on different schedules and different units, you cannot map a dose of one onto the other — and the number of syringe units you draw always depends on your vial's concentration, not on which peptide it is.
Reconstituting a vial and need the exact draw? Turn any mg or mcg dose into mL and U-100 syringe units in seconds.
Open the peptide reconstitution calculator →TL;DR — key takeaways
- Different legal status. Tesamorelin is FDA-approved (as Egrifta) for reducing excess visceral abdominal fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy. CJC-1295 has no FDA approval for any use — it is a research chemical only.
- Different units. Tesamorelin is dosed in milligrams (a daily 1.4–2 mg injection); CJC-1295 protocols are typically written in micrograms.
- Different rhythm. Tesamorelin is injected once daily. CJC-1295 with DAC is long-acting and dosed roughly weekly; CJC-1295 without DAC (mod-GRF 1-29) is short-acting and dosed one to three times a day.
- Units follow concentration. Whether a dose is 5 units or 100 units depends on the mg/mL strength you reconstitute to — identical arithmetic for both peptides.
Two GHRH analogues, two regulatory worlds
Both molecules are engineered versions of the body's own GHRH, the hypothalamic signal that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone (GH), which in turn raises insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). The clinical difference is not the mechanism but the evidence and the approval behind it.
Tesamorelin is a stabilised GHRH(1-44) analogue. In a 412-patient randomised trial it reduced visceral adipose tissue by about 15% versus a 5% increase on placebo over 26 weeks, which is the basis for its FDA-approved label — and that label is only for HIV-associated lipodystrophy, not for weight loss, bodybuilding, or anti-ageing use.
CJC-1295 is a modified GRF(1-29) fragment. It exists in two forms that people constantly confuse: with a Drug Affinity Complex ("DAC") it binds albumin and stays active for days; without DAC — the peptide often sold as "mod-GRF 1-29" or "CJC-1295 no-DAC" — it clears in well under an hour. Neither form is FDA-approved; the human data is limited to small pharmacokinetic studies showing sustained GH and IGF-1 elevation. Treat every CJC-1295 figure below as a description of research-protocol arithmetic, not a recommendation.
Side-by-side: dosing at a glance
| Property | Tesamorelin | CJC-1295 |
|---|---|---|
| Molecule | Stabilised GHRH(1-44) | Mod-GRF(1-29), ± DAC |
| FDA status | Approved (Egrifta) | Not approved (research) |
| Approved use | HIV visceral fat | None |
| Usual dose unit | Milligrams (mg) | Micrograms (mcg) |
| Typical dose | 1.4–2 mg / day | DAC: ~1–2 mg / week |
| Frequency | Once daily | DAC weekly; no-DAC 1–3×/day |
| Approx. half-life | ~26–38 min | DAC ~6–8 days; no-DAC ~30 min |
| Route | Subcutaneous | Subcutaneous |
Figures for tesamorelin reflect the FDA-approved Egrifta and Egrifta SV labels. CJC-1295 figures summarise published pharmacokinetic studies and common research protocols; there is no official label to standardise them.
Why the schedules differ
The whole point of the DAC on CJC-1295 is to stretch a GHRH signal that would normally last minutes into one that lasts days, which is why a DAC protocol uses a single weekly injection. Tesamorelin has no such albumin anchor, so its GHRH pulse is short and it is given every day. Mod-GRF (no-DAC) sits at the fast end and is split into small, frequent doses. Same drug family, three completely different calendars:
The takeaway: dose size and dose frequency are set by the molecule and the protocol. The syringe-unit maths below is the same for all three — only the numbers you feed in change.
Turning a dose into syringe units
A U-100 insulin syringe reads in units, where 100 units equals 1 mL. So the conversion is always the same three steps: find the concentration (mg/mL) you reconstituted to, divide your dose by it to get millilitres, then multiply by 100 to get units. Keep your dose and concentration in the same unit — convert mg to mcg (1 mg = 1000 mcg) first when a protocol mixes them.
Worked example 1 — tesamorelin, daily
A 5 mg tesamorelin vial reconstituted with 1 mL BAC water → 5 mg/mL. Daily dose 2 mg.
2 mg ÷ 5 mg/mL = 0.4 mL. 0.4 mL × 100 = 40 units.
Draw 40 units on a U-100 syringe, once daily.
Worked example 2 — tesamorelin, lower dose
Same 5 mg/mL vial, but a 1.4 mg daily dose (the Egrifta SV strength).
1.4 mg ÷ 5 mg/mL = 0.28 mL × 100 = 28 units.
Worked example 3 — CJC-1295 with DAC, weekly
A 2 mg CJC-1295 (DAC) vial reconstituted with 2 mL BAC water → 1 mg/mL = 1000 mcg/mL. Weekly research dose 1 mg.
1 mg ÷ 1 mg/mL = 1 mL × 100 = 100 units — a full 1 mL syringe, once a week.
Worked example 4 — CJC-1295 no-DAC (mod-GRF), per dose
A 5 mg vial reconstituted with 2.5 mL → 2 mg/mL = 2000 mcg/mL. Per-injection dose 100 mcg.
100 mcg ÷ 2000 mcg/mL = 0.05 mL × 100 = 5 units.
Worked example 5 — same mcg, different concentration
The same 100 mcg dose from a thinner 1 mg/mL (1000 mcg/mL) vial: 100 ÷ 1000 = 0.1 mL × 100 = 10 units.
Half the concentration, double the units — for the identical microgram dose. This is why "how many units" has no single answer without the vial strength.
Worked example 6 — the scale gap, in numbers
Tesamorelin runs at 2 mg = 2000 mcg daily (14,000 mcg/week). A no-DAC CJC protocol of 100 mcg twice daily is 1400 mcg/week — an order of magnitude apart, which is exactly why you never reuse one drug's dose for the other.
Dose-to-units reference chart
Common doses for each peptide shown as units on a U-100 syringe at two reconstitution strengths. Always confirm against your own vial label and prescriber's instructions.
| Dose | At 2 mg/mL | At 5 mg/mL |
|---|---|---|
| 100 mcg (no-DAC) | 5 units | 2 units |
| 200 mcg (no-DAC) | 10 units | 4 units |
| 1 mg (CJC DAC/wk) | 50 units | 20 units |
| 1.4 mg (tesamorelin) | 70 units | 28 units |
| 2 mg (tesamorelin) | 100 units | 40 units |
Notice 2 mg at 2 mg/mL fills the whole 1 mL barrel; a stronger reconstitution keeps the draw small and the vial lasting longer. For research context, the pharmacokinetic study of CJC-1295 dosed up to 60 mcg/kg — about 4,800 mcg (4.8 mg) for an 80 kg adult in a single injection — far above any tesamorelin daily dose.
How this is calculated
Every figure here uses two facts only: a U-100 syringe holds 100 units per mL, and concentration is dose divided by volume. There is no peptide-specific constant — the arithmetic is identical for tesamorelin, either CJC-1295 form, or any other reconstituted peptide. The calculators on this site automate exactly this so you can cross-check the chart above. None of it is medical advice; it is the maths behind a dose someone else has set.
Safety and honesty notes
Tesamorelin is a prescription medicine approved for one narrow indication; using it outside that context, or using CJC-1295 at all, is off-label or unapproved and unstudied for safety over the long term. GHRH analogues raise IGF-1 and can affect glucose tolerance and fluid balance, so bloodwork and medical supervision matter. Product sold as "CJC-1295" online is unregulated and may not match its label; purity and identity are not guaranteed. This guide is an educational arithmetic reference, not clinical guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Is CJC-1295 just a longer-lasting tesamorelin?
No. They are separate GHRH analogues with different structures. Tesamorelin is an FDA-approved daily drug; CJC-1295 with DAC is a long-acting research peptide dosed weekly, and CJC-1295 without DAC is short-acting and dosed multiple times daily. The longer action of the DAC version comes from albumin binding, not from tesamorelin's design.
Why is tesamorelin dosed in mg but CJC-1295 in mcg?
It is mostly convention plus potency and half-life. Tesamorelin's approved daily dose is 1.4–2 mg, so milligrams are convenient. CJC-1295 research protocols use smaller per-injection amounts, so micrograms are the practical unit. Always convert both to the same unit (1 mg = 1000 mcg) before doing syringe maths.
Do I draw more units for one than the other?
Not inherently — units depend on vial concentration, not the peptide name. A 2 mg tesamorelin dose from a 5 mg/mL vial is 40 units; a 100 mcg no-DAC CJC dose from a 2 mg/mL vial is 5 units. Reconstitute stronger and both fall.
Can I swap a tesamorelin dose onto CJC-1295?
No. The two run on different unit scales and schedules, and only tesamorelin has an approved dose. Mapping one onto the other has no clinical basis; dosing decisions belong to a qualified prescriber.
Sources
- Falutz J, et al. Metabolic Effects of a Growth Hormone-Releasing Factor in Patients with HIV (tesamorelin) (N Engl J Med 2007)
- Teichman SL, et al. Prolonged Stimulation of GH and IGF-I Secretion by CJC-1295, a Long-Acting Analog of GHRH (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006)
- Ionescu M, Frohman LA. Pulsatile Secretion of GH Persists During Continuous Stimulation by CJC-1295 (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006)
- EGRIFTA SV (tesamorelin) for injection — Prescribing Information (DailyMed / FDA label)
- EGRIFTA WR (tesamorelin) for injection — Prescribing Information (DailyMed / FDA label)
- Bedimo R. Growth Hormone and Tesamorelin in the Management of HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy (HIV AIDS (Auckl) 2011)
- Stanley TL, et al. Reduction in Visceral Adiposity Is Associated with an Improved Metabolic Profile in HIV-Infected Patients Receiving Tesamorelin (Clin Infect Dis 2012)
This guide is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always follow your prescriber’s specific instructions and consult a qualified clinician before changing any protocol.