With another GH/IGF-axis medicine
Safety flag
Duplicate GH/IGF-axis stimulation may amplify IGF-1 elevation, edema, joint symptoms, and glucose intolerance.
Interaction evidence source All research profiles
GH secretagogue
CJC-1295 (no DAC)
Prepared by the ezGLP team. Sources last checked . Profile reviewed .
Also known as Mod GRF 1-29
Routes represented in the knowledgebase: Subcutaneous (SubQ).
Educational overview
CJC-1295 (no DAC) is listed in the ezGLP knowledgebase under GH secretagogue. Evidence and regulatory status can vary by formulation, route, and jurisdiction.
CJC-1295 without DAC, also sold as Modified GRF (1-29) or Mod GRF 1-29, is a synthetic analogue of the first 29 amino acids of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). It carries four amino acid substitutions intended to resist enzymatic breakdown, but it lacks the lysine-linked Drug Affinity Complex (DAC) that lets the full CJC-1295 molecule bind to serum albumin. Pharmacologically it belongs to the GHRH-analogue class alongside sermorelin and tesamorelin, acting on pituitary GHRH receptors to trigger a pulse of growth hormone release. The 'no DAC' label is a marketing convention rather than a name found in the peer-reviewed literature.
Published human pharmacology exists only for the albumin-binding form. Teichman and colleagues reported in 2006 that CJC-1295 with DAC raised growth hormone and IGF-1 in healthy adults in a small phase I and II program, and Ionescu and Frohman showed in the same year that pulsatile GH secretion persisted during exposure. No controlled human trial has been published for the tetrasubstituted GRH(1-29) fragment marketed without DAC; expectations about its short duration of action are extrapolated from GHRH physiology and from the with-DAC data. A 2018 review by Sigalos and Pastuszak summarised the limited safety evidence for growth hormone secretagogues generally, noting a lack of long-term outcome data.
No CJC-1295 product of either form is approved by the FDA, the EMA, or comparable regulators for any indication, so it is available in the United States only as a compounded or research-labelled injectable. In its 2024 Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee review, the FDA proposed against adding CJC-1295 salts to the section 503A bulk-substance list and cited possible immunogenicity, tachycardia, and vasodilatory reactions. The World Anti-Doping Agency lists CJC-1295 by name among growth hormone-releasing factors under section S2 of the Prohibited List, banned at all times in and out of competition.
The product is typically supplied as a lyophilised powder that is reconstituted with bacteriostatic or sterile water before subcutaneous injection. Because it is unapproved, there is no standard label governing storage or beyond-use dating; the dispensing pharmacy's or supplier's documentation is the only formal reference, and stability data in the open literature are sparse. People who record their use in a dose log commonly note the lot or batch number, the reconstitution date, the concentration produced, and the storage temperature, because the short-acting GHRH fragment is chemically similar to peptides that degrade with heat, agitation, and repeated needle entry.
- Category
- GH secretagogue
- Routes represented
- Subcutaneous (SubQ)
- Storage context
- Follow the dispensed product or pharmacy label; storage and beyond-use time vary by formulation.
Published literature
Safety evidence
Common or reported: injection-site reactions, flushing or vasodilation, increased heart rate, headache, nausea, dizziness.
Serious or important: hypotension, immunogenicity or peptide-impurity concerns.
Not FDA-approved; long-term safety is unknown.
Safety evidence sourceInteraction evidence
These are general, pairwise evidence notes. Green identifies the potential-synergy category, while Lv3/Lv2/Lv1 communicates evidence strength; it does not guarantee benefit or cancel a safety warning.
Common questions
What is the difference between CJC-1295 with and without DAC?
Both share the same modified GHRH(1-29) backbone. The version with DAC carries a lysine-linked maleimidopropionic acid group that binds covalently to circulating albumin, which is why Teichman and colleagues measured a half-life of about six to eight days and elevated GH and IGF-1 for a week or more after a single injection. The version without DAC lacks that anchor and is expected to act for minutes rather than days, resembling sermorelin in duration.
Is CJC-1295 no DAC FDA approved?
No. Neither form of CJC-1295 holds marketing approval from the FDA, the EMA, or other major regulators. In the United States it exists only as a compounded or research-use product. In December 2024 the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee reviewed CJC-1295 acetate and CJC-1295 DAC acetate, and the agency proposed that neither be placed on the list of bulk substances allowed in section 503A compounding, citing immunogenicity and cardiovascular signals.
Is Mod GRF 1-29 the same as CJC-1295 no DAC?
In commercial usage the two names refer to the same molecule: a GHRH(1-29) amide with substitutions at positions 2, 8, 15, and 27 designed to slow enzymatic cleavage. The peer-reviewed literature generally describes this peptide as tetrasubstituted GRF(1-29) or as the CJC-1295 core without the DAC moiety. No published human trial uses either commercial label, which is one reason evidence for it is thin.
Is CJC-1295 banned in sport?
Yes. The World Anti-Doping Agency's Prohibited List names CJC-1295 as an example of a growth hormone-releasing hormone analogue under section S2.2, peptide hormones and releasing factors. Substances in this class are prohibited at all times, not only during competition, and are non-specified substances for sanctioning purposes. Anti-doping laboratories publish detection methods for growth hormone-releasing factors, including the GHRH fragments this compound belongs to.
Further reading
- Teichman et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006 (CJC-1295 pharmacokinetics in healthy adults)
- Ionescu & Frohman, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006 (pulsatile GH secretion during CJC-1295 exposure)
- Sigalos & Pastuszak, Sex Med Rev 2018 (safety and efficacy of growth hormone secretagogues)
- FDA, Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks
- FDA, Bulk drug substances used in compounding under section 503A
- World Anti-Doping Agency, The Prohibited List (section S2.2)
Summarised from published literature for reference only, with citations to the source. Evidence is graded as reported and is not a recommendation to combine, dose, or use any compound.
For personal tracking and education only. Not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and not a medical device. Peptides may be prescription-only or unapproved where you live. Consult a licensed healthcare professional.