CJC-1295 (no DAC)

What is CJC-1295?

CJC-1295 is a tetrasubstituted analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). It exists in two forms: CJC-1295 with DAC (Drug Affinity Complex), which uses an albumin-binding modification to extend half-life to roughly one week, and CJC-1295 without DAC (also called modified GRF 1-29 or Mod-GRF), which has a half-life of about 30 minutes. Both versions activate the GHRH receptor on pituitary somatotrophs and trigger growth-hormone release.

The base molecule is the same as sermorelin: a 29-amino-acid peptide corresponding to the receptor-binding domain of native GHRH. The four substitutions, at positions 2, 8, 15, and 27, protect the peptide from enzymatic degradation. The result is a "modified GRF 1-29" that resists DPP-IV cleavage and has a substantially longer half-life than sermorelin.

The DAC addition is a separate modification. The Drug Affinity Complex is an N-3-maleimidopropionamide derivative of lysine attached at the C-terminus. It binds covalently to serum albumin, extending circulation time from minutes to days. With DAC, CJC-1295 produces sustained GH and IGF-1 elevation across roughly a week. Without DAC, the modified-GRF form has the short pulsatile profile that more closely resembles physiological GH release.

The molecule was developed by ConjuChem Biotechnologies in the early 2000s under the codes CJC-1295 and CJC-1131. ConjuChem ceased operations in 2010. The compound has had no commercial sponsor since. Every batch of "CJC-1295" sold today is synthesized by research-chemical or specialty peptide suppliers without the pharmaceutical development infrastructure that produced the original Phase 1 dataset.

Mechanism of Action

CJC-1295 activates the GHRH receptor with the same downstream effects as sermorelin and tesamorelin. The differentiation is pharmacokinetic, not mechanistic.

GHRH receptor activation on pituitary somatotrophs triggers GH release through the standard G-protein coupled receptor cascade involving cAMP, protein kinase A, and intracellular calcium. The pituitary stores releasable GH in secretory granules that are emptied in pulses lasting roughly 30 to 90 minutes. The system is rate-limited by how much GH the pituitary can produce and store.

This is where the DAC variant's pharmacology gets complicated. CJC-1295 with DAC produces continuous GHRH receptor stimulation for days. The pituitary cannot maintain continuous GH output at supraphysiological levels indefinitely. Reported Phase 1 data showed sustained GH elevation, but the long-term consequences of continuous receptor activation, including potential receptor desensitization and disruption of normal pulsatile patterns, have not been characterized in published human trials.

CJC-1295 without DAC behaves more like a long-acting sermorelin. The 30-minute half-life produces a discrete GH pulse with each injection and allows the natural pulsatile pattern to recover between doses. This is the version most commonly stacked with ipamorelin in clinical compounding settings.

The Published Human Evidence

Two trials make up the published human evidence base for CJC-1295.

Teichman et al., JCEM, 2006. The pivotal Phase 1 trial in healthy subjects aged 21 to 61. Two randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, ascending-dose studies with durations of 28 and 49 days. CJC-1295 with DAC was administered subcutaneously in one of four ascending single doses in the first study and in two or three weekly or biweekly doses in the second study. Key findings: dose-dependent increase in plasma GH of 2 to 10 times baseline for 6 days or more, IGF-1 increase of 1.5 to 3 times baseline for 9 to 11 days, half-life of 5.8 to 8.1 days, sustained IGF-1 elevation above baseline for up to 28 days after multiple doses, and no serious adverse reactions reported.

Limited additional human data. ConjuChem published one earlier Phase 1 study in growth hormone-deficient adults and several preclinical reports. No Phase 2 efficacy trial in any indication was completed before the company shut down.

For comparison, sermorelin has multiple human trials including the pediatric Phase 3 program that supported its 1997 FDA approval. Tesamorelin has more than 800 patients in published Phase 3 trials. CJC-1295 has a few dozen subjects across two Phase 1 studies, no Phase 2 program, and no Phase 3 data. This is the smallest published human evidence base of any GHRH analog in widespread compounding use.

CJC-1295 With DAC vs Without DAC

The two versions are not interchangeable, and most online discussion conflates them.

CJC-1295 with DAC is the long-acting form. Once or twice weekly subcutaneous injection. Sustained GH and IGF-1 elevation across the week. Produces continuous GHRH receptor activation rather than physiological pulses. The Phase 1 evidence base above refers to this form.

CJC-1295 without DAC (modified GRF 1-29, Mod-GRF, "Mod-GRF 1-29") is the short-acting form. Daily subcutaneous injection, often split into multiple smaller doses per day. Produces a discrete GH pulse with each injection that decays within an hour. No human pharmacokinetic trial of the no-DAC form has been published. The dosing protocols used in compounding settings are extrapolated from sermorelin data and from the early CJC-1295 with DAC trial.

In practice, the no-DAC form is more commonly prescribed in compounded settings because it preserves physiologic pulsatility. The DAC form is preferred when convenience or sustained IGF-1 elevation is the goal. Both are typically combined with ipamorelin to produce a stronger GH pulse than either compound alone, exploiting the synergy between GHRH receptor activation and ghrelin receptor activation.

This compound is on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. Use in competitive sport, in-competition or out-of-competition, constitutes an anti-doping rule violation.

Dosing Reporting

No standardized human dosing protocol exists for CJC-1295 without DAC. The compound has never been formally tested in a published human pharmacokinetic trial. The original Teichman et al. Phase 1 work used CJC-1295 with DAC, not the no-DAC form. Adult research-use dosing is extrapolated from three sources: sermorelin (which has a similar mechanism and a published pediatric dosing program), the with-DAC PK data adjusted for the much shorter no-DAC half-life, and compounding pharmacy practice in telehealth wellness clinics prior to the September 2023 Category 2 listing.

Off-Label and Pre-Restriction Compounded Doses

Before September 2023, telehealth and compounding pharmacy protocols for CJC-1295 without DAC typically used the following ranges.

Standard adult protocol: 100 to 300 mcg administered subcutaneously once daily, most commonly before bed to align with the natural nocturnal GH pulse. Some protocols split the daily dose into two or three smaller injections of 100 mcg each, given before meals and at bedtime, to mimic physiological pulsatility more closely.

Stack with ipamorelin: 100 to 300 mcg of CJC-1295 (no DAC) combined with 100 to 300 mcg of ipamorelin in the same injection. The combination exploits two distinct receptor pathways on the somatotroph. GHRH receptor activation comes from CJC-1295. Ghrelin receptor activation comes from ipamorelin. Neither pathway saturates the other. The stack typically produces a larger GH pulse than either compound alone, although no clinical trial has tested the combination at any specific dose level in humans.

Cycling pattern: Continuous daily use for 8 to 12 weeks, followed by a 4 to 6 week rest period. The rationale is to limit potential receptor desensitization from sustained daily stimulation. No human pharmacokinetic data supports this specific cycling pattern, and the cycling rationale is mechanistic rather than evidence-based.

Pharmacokinetics

The half-life of CJC-1295 without DAC is reported as approximately 30 minutes, mirroring sermorelin. The data is limited. The short half-life produces a discrete GH pulse with each injection that decays within 60 to 90 minutes. This is the basis for the multi-dose daily schedules used in compounding practice. The peptide is cleared by proteolytic degradation in plasma and tissue. No formal pharmacokinetic study has been published on the no-DAC form specifically, so the 30-minute half-life is a model-based estimate from the parent sermorelin sequence rather than from direct human measurement.

Why Dosing Schedules Vary So Much

Adult off-label CJC-1295 (no DAC) dosing varies more widely than approved-label dosing for any FDA-approved GHRH analog. Three factors drive the variability.

First, no controlled efficacy trial has identified an optimal dose. The 100 to 300 mcg range comes from analogous sermorelin protocols and clinical compounding experience, not from a dose-response trial in the no-DAC form.

Second, dosing depends on whether the goal is mimicking physiological pulsatility (favoring multiple small daily doses) or producing a single strong GH pulse before sleep (favoring a single larger evening dose).

Third, individual GH response varies substantially with age, body composition, and existing IGF-1 status. Adult research-use protocols typically titrate based on IGF-1 monitoring rather than fixed dosing, although the supporting evidence for IGF-1-guided dosing in adult off-label use is itself observational rather than controlled.

The honest summary is that adult research-use dosing of CJC-1295 (no DAC) is grounded in mechanistic similarity to sermorelin rather than in published human pharmacokinetic data on the no-DAC form specifically. Any specific dose figure that circulates in compounding or research-chemical communities should be read with that caveat attached.

Safety and Side Effect Profile

The Teichman 2006 Phase 1 trial reported no serious adverse reactions across the 49-day follow-up. The most common adverse events were transient injection-site reactions, mild flushing, and headache. The study population was small and the follow-up was short.

Beyond that single trial, the safety profile for CJC-1295 is inferred from class effects of GHRH receptor stimulation. Expected adverse events at therapeutic doses include the same effects seen with sermorelin and tesamorelin: injection-site reactions, peripheral edema, mild glucose elevation, theoretical IGF-1-related risks, and carpal tunnel syndrome at higher doses or in susceptible patients.

The specific concern for CJC-1295 with DAC is the sustained receptor activation profile. Most physiological hormone systems are pulsatile for evolutionary reasons related to receptor sensitivity and downstream signaling. Continuous GHRH receptor stimulation across days may produce receptor desensitization, altered GH secretory dynamics, or sustained supraphysiological IGF-1 levels. None of these has been characterized in long-term human trials.

The FDA Category 2 designation cited insufficient safety data as the basis for restriction. The compound was not flagged for documented harm. That distinction matters. The agency is saying the safety database is too thin to support compounding, not that the molecule has caused specific adverse events.

Regulatory and Compounding Status

CJC-1295 is on the FDA Category 2 bulks list as of September 29, 2023. Category 2 status prohibits 503A and 503B compounding pharmacies from preparing the compound for patient use. This applies to both the DAC and no-DAC forms.

The compound is one of those scheduled for reconsideration at the PCAC meeting on July 23 and 24, 2026. Whether the committee will recommend Category 1 status, leave it in Category 2, or send it back for additional review is not predictable. The published human safety database is small, which limits the case for Category 1 placement.

Prior to the September 2023 categorization, CJC-1295 was widely prescribed through telehealth wellness clinics, particularly in combination with ipamorelin. Many of these clinics shifted to sermorelin (which is not on the Category 2 list) after the FDA action. The compound continues to be sold by online research-chemical vendors with "not for human use" labeling. Quality control on these products is variable. Independent testing has identified mislabeled, underpotent, and contaminated products under the "CJC-1295" name.

CJC-1295 is on the WADA Prohibited List under section S2 (Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances, and Mimetics). Use in competitive sport is a doping violation in-competition and out-of-competition.

CJC-1295 vs Sermorelin and Tesamorelin

For practical purposes, the three GHRH analogs map to different use cases.

Sermorelin is the legally cleanest option in 2026 (former FDA approval, not on Category 2 list, daily injection). Short half-life, physiologic pulsatility, broadest safety dataset in pediatric indications.

CJC-1295 without DAC (modified GRF 1-29) has similar pharmacology to sermorelin with a slightly longer half-life. No published human pharmacokinetic data on the no-DAC form specifically. Category 2 restriction since 2023.

CJC-1295 with DAC has the longest half-life (5 to 8 days) and supports weekly dosing. Sustained GH and IGF-1 elevation rather than pulsatile. Category 2 restriction since 2023.

Tesamorelin has current FDA approval, a complete Phase 3 file in HIV lipodystrophy, and the strongest published human data of any GHRH analog. It is the most expensive and is approved for a narrow indication.

For convenience and once-weekly dosing, CJC-1295 with DAC has theoretical appeal. For clinical-trial backing and regulatory clarity, the other three options are stronger choices.

What Comes Next

The PCAC vote in July 2026 will determine whether CJC-1295 returns to legal compounding in the United States. Without a Phase 2 trial program, the compound's clinical evidence base is unlikely to grow meaningfully in the next several years. The most likely future for the molecule is either Category 1 restoration based on the 2006 Phase 1 safety data, continued Category 2 status pending more rigorous evidence, or a shift toward grey-market supply outside the regulated compounding system. Which of these emerges depends on the PCAC committee's view of how much evidence is enough for a peptide developed two decades ago by a company that no longer exists.

For informational and educational purposes only. Not medical advice. Not for human consumption unless prescribed by a licensed physician for an FDA-approved indication. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any peptide or pharmaceutical product.