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 (with DAC)
Prepared by the ezGLP team. Sources last checked . Profile reviewed .
Routes represented in the knowledgebase: Subcutaneous (SubQ).
Educational overview
CJC-1295 (with DAC) is listed in the ezGLP knowledgebase under GH secretagogue. Evidence and regulatory status can vary by formulation, route, and jurisdiction.
CJC-1295 with DAC, sold variously as CJC-1295 DAC or DAC:GRF, is a synthetic growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analogue built on a modified GHRH(1-29) backbone that carries four amino acid substitutions to resist enzymatic cleavage. Its distinguishing feature is the Drug Affinity Complex, a maleimidopropionyl group attached through a lysine linker that forms a covalent bond with cysteine 34 of circulating serum albumin. Tethering the peptide to albumin shields it from peptidases and renal clearance, turning a molecule that would otherwise act for minutes into one that circulates for days while still stimulating pituitary GHRH receptors and downstream IGF-1 production.
Human evidence is confined to an early-phase program run by the developer, ConjuChem, and published in 2006. Teichman and colleagues reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism that single subcutaneous doses in healthy adults produced sustained rises in growth hormone and IGF-1, with a mean terminal half-life of roughly six to eight days. Ionescu and Frohman showed in the same journal that pulsatile growth hormone secretion persisted during continuous stimulation rather than being flattened. Alba and colleagues reported normalised growth in GHRH knockout mice. No later-phase trial was published, development did not continue, and long-term outcome and safety data are absent.
No CJC-1295 product, with or without DAC, holds marketing approval from the FDA, the European Medicines Agency, or any comparable regulator for any indication or route. In the United States it circulates only as a research-labelled or compounded injectable. The FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee reviewed CJC-1295 acetate and CJC-1295 DAC acetate in December 2024, and the agency proposed against adding either to the section 503A bulk-substances list, citing immunogenicity, tachycardia, and vasodilatory reactions. The World Anti-Doping Agency names CJC-1295 among growth hormone-releasing factors in section S2.2 of its Prohibited List, prohibited both in and out of competition.
The peptide is supplied as a lyophilised powder that is reconstituted with bacteriostatic or sterile water before subcutaneous injection. Because no approved label exists, no official storage temperature or beyond-use date governs it, and published stability data for reconstituted albumin-binding GRF solutions are sparse; the compounding pharmacy's or supplier's documentation is the only formal reference. The multi-day duration of action means a single administration remains pharmacologically active long after it is entered in a dose log, so records commonly capture the calendar date rather than clock time, alongside lot number, reconstitution date, resulting concentration, and storage temperature, with an inventory record tracking how long a reconstituted vial has been open.
- Category
- GH secretagogue
- Routes represented
- Subcutaneous (SubQ)
- Approximate library half-life
- 144 hours; formulation-dependent and not dosing guidance
- 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 DAC and CJC-1295 no DAC?
Both share the same tetrasubstituted GHRH(1-29) backbone. The DAC version adds a lysine-linked maleimidopropionyl group that binds covalently to albumin in the bloodstream, which is why Teichman and colleagues measured a terminal half-life of about six to eight days and elevated growth hormone and IGF-1 for a week or more after one injection. The version without DAC lacks that anchor and acts over minutes, resembling sermorelin in duration.
How long does CJC-1295 with DAC stay in the body?
Teichman and colleagues' 2006 phase I study in healthy adults reported a mean terminal half-life of roughly six to eight days after a single subcutaneous dose, with growth hormone elevated for about six days and IGF-1 for nine to eleven days. That is the only published human pharmacokinetic dataset for the molecule. The library entry lists a half-life of about 144 hours, which reflects the lower end of that published range.
Is CJC-1295 with DAC FDA approved?
No. Neither CJC-1295 with DAC nor the form without DAC has marketing approval from the FDA or any other national regulator, and clinical development was not carried past early-phase work. In December 2024 the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee reviewed CJC-1295 DAC acetate, and the agency proposed that it not be placed on the section 503A bulk-substances list, citing immunogenicity and cardiovascular signals including tachycardia and vasodilatory reactions.
Does CJC-1295 with DAC raise IGF-1?
In the published human data, yes. Teichman and colleagues recorded IGF-1 increases of roughly 1.5 to 3 times baseline lasting nine to eleven days after single subcutaneous doses in healthy adults, alongside growth hormone increases of two to ten times baseline. Whether sustained IGF-1 elevation translates into any change in body composition, recovery, or health outcomes has not been examined in a controlled trial of this peptide.
Is CJC-1295 with DAC banned in sport?
Yes. The World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List names CJC-1295 as an example of a growth hormone-releasing hormone analogue under section S2.2, peptide hormones and releasing factors, without distinguishing between the DAC and non-DAC forms. Substances in section S2 are prohibited at all times, in and out of competition, and are treated as non-specified for sanctioning. WADA-accredited laboratories have published urine detection methods for GHRH analogues.
Further reading
- Teichman et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006 (prolonged stimulation of GH and IGF-1 by CJC-1295 in healthy adults)
- Ionescu & Frohman, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006 (pulsatile GH secretion persists during continuous CJC-1295 stimulation)
- Alba et al., Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2006 (once-daily CJC-1295 normalises growth in GHRH knockout mice)
- 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.