Head-to-head

TB-500 vs CJC-1295

A field-by-field comparison of TB-500 and CJC-1295 drawn from the PeptideIndex database: mechanism, evidence grade, half-life, administration route, reported dosing, side effects, storage and legal status. They belong to different categories — recovery & repair and growth hormone — so this page focuses on what each one actually does rather than which is "better".

TB-500 vs CJC-1295 at a glance

Attribute	TB-500	CJC-1295
Category	Recovery & repair	Growth hormone
Evidence grade	Emerging	Moderate
Also known as	Thymosin Beta-4 fragment, TB4	Modified GRF 1-29, DAC:GRF
Chain	7 amino acids (actin-binding domain of Tβ4)	30 amino acid GHRH analogue
Mechanism	Binds G-actin and promotes actin polymerisation, which drives cell migration into damaged tissue. It also stimulates endothelial cell differentiation and new capillary growth, and downregulates inflammatory cytokines.	Binds pituitary GHRH receptors to increase both the amplitude of GH pulses and total GH secretion. The DAC (drug affinity complex) version binds serum albumin, extending the half-life from minutes to about a week.
Reported benefits	Improved cell migration and wound closure in animal studies · Reported flexibility gains and reduced muscle spasm · Systemic action rather than site-specific, unlike BPC-157	Elevated GH and IGF-1 across the dosing window · Improved sleep depth reported by most users · Supports lean mass retention and fat oxidation
Reported side effects	Fatigue or head-rush after dosing · Injection-site reaction · Theoretical tumour-growth concern given angiogenic activity	Water retention · Tingling or numbness in hands · Head rush and flushing after injection · Elevated fasting glucose at higher doses
Half-life	Roughly 2–3 hours, with tissue effects lasting far longer	~30 minutes without DAC; ~6–8 days with DAC
Administration	Subcutaneous or intramuscular injection	Subcutaneous injection, typically before bed on an empty stomach
Dosing overview	Loading phase of 2–5 mg twice weekly for 4–6 weeks, then a lower maintenance dose	100 mcg (no-DAC) 1–3× daily, or 1–2 mg weekly for the DAC version
Storage	Powder at room temperature short term; reconstituted 2–8 °C for up to 30 days	Refrigerate reconstituted product; protect from light and avoid shaking
Legal status	Not approved for human use; sold for research purposes only.	Not FDA-approved. Prescribed off-label by some clinics; banned in sport.

Key differences between TB-500 and CJC-1295

Different categories, different goals

TB-500 is indexed under recovery & repair, while CJC-1295 sits under growth hormone. They are not substitutes for one another: TB-500 is described as "A synthetic version of the active region of thymosin beta-4, a naturally occurring wound-healing protein present in nearly all human cells." and CJC-1295 as "A growth-hormone-releasing hormone analogue that raises the baseline of natural GH output rather than replacing it."

Mechanism of action

TB-500: Binds G-actin and promotes actin polymerisation, which drives cell migration into damaged tissue. It also stimulates endothelial cell differentiation and new capillary growth, and downregulates inflammatory cytokines. CJC-1295: Binds pituitary GHRH receptors to increase both the amplitude of GH pulses and total GH secretion. The DAC (drug affinity complex) version binds serum albumin, extending the half-life from minutes to about a week.

Evidence quality is not equal

TB-500 carries a Emerging evidence grade and CJC-1295 a Moderate grade on this index. The grade describes the quality of published human data, not how well a compound works — CJC-1295 has the better-documented record of the two, and claims made about TB-500 rest on thinner human evidence.

Half-life and dosing frequency

TB-500 is listed at roughly 2–3 hours, with tissue effects lasting far longer; CJC-1295 at ~30 minutes without dac; ~6–8 days with dac. That difference is what drives the reported schedules: Loading phase of 2–5 mg twice weekly for 4–6 weeks, then a lower maintenance dose versus 100 mcg (no-DAC) 1–3× daily, or 1–2 mg weekly for the DAC version

Route of administration

TB-500 is administered by subcutaneous or intramuscular injection. CJC-1295 is administered by subcutaneous injection, typically before bed on an empty stomach.

Legal and regulatory status differs

TB-500: Not approved for human use; sold for research purposes only. CJC-1295: Not FDA-approved. Prescribed off-label by some clinics; banned in sport. This is usually the most practical difference between two compounds, because it determines whether a supply chain is labelled and regulated at all.

Handling and storage

TB-500 is stored powder at room temperature short term; reconstituted 2–8 °c for up to 30 days. CJC-1295 is stored refrigerate reconstituted product; protect from light and avoid shaking.

What TB-500 and CJC-1295 have in common

On the attributes tracked in this database — category, evidence grade, mechanism, half-life, administration, dosing overview, storage and legal status — TB-500 and CJC-1295 share no identical values. They are compared here because they come up together in the same searches, not because they overlap.

Each compound in brief

TB-500

Recovery & repair · Emerging evidence

A synthetic version of the active region of thymosin beta-4, a naturally occurring wound-healing protein present in nearly all human cells.

Considerations: Frequently stacked with BPC-157 in anecdotal recovery protocols · Human data is limited to Tβ4 trials in dry-eye and cardiac injury · Prohibited by WADA at all times

CJC-1295

Growth hormone · Moderate evidence

A growth-hormone-releasing hormone analogue that raises the baseline of natural GH output rather than replacing it.

Considerations: Usually paired with a GHRP such as Ipamorelin for a synergistic pulse · No-DAC (Mod GRF 1-29) suits pulsatile dosing; DAC suits steady elevation · GH elevation is not desirable for everyone — screen for cancer history