cjc-1295 vs igf-1 lr3

updated October 25, 2026

cjc-1295 (tier A) vs igf-1 lr3 (tier F): what each is, why each got its grade, half-life and source counts side by side.

cjc-1295 · tier A

growth hormone without injecting growth hormone. tells your pituitary to make its own. paired with ipamorelin.

tier rationale

a synthetic GHRH analog engineered by ConjuChem to have a dramatically extended half-life, achieved by covalent binding to endogenous albumin via a drug affinity complex (DAC). comes in two forms: with DAC (6-8 day half-life, single weekly dose) and without DAC (short-acting, "Mod GRF 1-29," used in stacked protocols). the GHRH-receptor agonism mechanism is well-characterized, but a phase 2 HIV-lipodystrophy trial was discontinued after a patient death (attending physician concluded unrelated). A-tier based on mechanism plausibility and consistent user reports from peptide clinics, held back from S by the absence of a completed clinical program and no FDA approval.

igf-1 lr3 · tier F

a free-circulating IGF-1 analog used by bodybuilders chasing muscle growth. sustained IGF-1 elevation carries one of the clearer cancer-risk signals in the literature.

tier rationale

F-tier because the risk profile is qualitatively different from the D-tier compounds. D-tier is 'this doesn't really work' or 'this is obsoleted by a cleaner alternative.' F-tier is 'the mechanism itself carries a specific, well-documented, serious risk that the use case doesn't justify.' IGF-1 LR3 is engineered specifically to bypass the regulatory system that evolution put in place to keep IGF-1 signaling controlled, and IGF-1 elevation is one of the best-characterized cancer risk factors in clinical epidemiology. The muscle-growth benefit is real; so is the risk. The tier reflects the judgment that the calculation doesn't work out.

at a glance

reptides grades the research record and cites the literature behind every call. research reference only; not medical advice.