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Hormones & growth

CJC-1295 with DAC

A long-acting GHRH analogue. Raises GH and IGF-1 over days, so only once a week is needed.

3 min read 9 sources

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CJC-1295 with DAC vial with white powder and the black TPD label on a white podium, next to a large blue 3D peptide model in a bright lab
Phase 2, terminated early · not approved

Summary

At a glance

Sources checked on 26 Oct 2026

Half-life
8.1 days

estimated 5.8 to 8.1 days after one dose, healthy adults1

More growth hormone
10 -fold

2- to 10-fold depending on dose, for 6 days or more after one dose1

IGF-1 raised
11 days

1.5- to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days after one dose1

GH baseline level
7.5 -fold

trough levels one week after one dose, the pulses were preserved2

Phase 3 in the registry
0 trials

only one phase 2 trial, terminated early in 2006, as of 26 Oct 20267

  • CJC-1295 with DAC is a modified fragment of the body's own GHRH (the first 29 building blocks) with a chemical anchor. Through it it binds firmly to albumin in the blood and so stays in the body for days.38
  • In healthy adults growth hormone rose 2- to 10-fold after a single dose depending on the dose, for 6 days or more. IGF-1 stayed raised for 9 to 11 days, the half-life was 5.8 to 8.1 days.1
  • One week after a dose the pituitary still released its growth hormone in pulses. Mainly the baseline level between pulses rose, 7.5-fold, while IGF-1 was 45 percent higher.2
  • No serious side effects occurred in the two small studies. The abstract does not give frequencies of single side effects.1
  • The only registered phase 2 trial was terminated early in 2006 and there is no approval. Everything here is the state of research, not a recommendation.7
Profile

Updated May 2026

Class
Long-acting GHRH analogue

with DAC

Route
Subcutaneous
Frequency
Once weekly

DAC extends the action

Form
Lyophilised powder

reconstituted with BAC water

Sizes
2 to 10 mg

3 sizes in the shop

Contents 16 sections
  1. At a glance
  2. What is CJC-1295 with DAC?
  3. How it works
  4. What you need
  5. Reconstitution
  6. Injection
  7. Dosing
  8. What the research shows
  9. Research status
  10. Side effects
  11. Practice
  12. Storage
  13. Related compounds
  14. FAQ
  15. Glossary
  16. Sources

What is CJC-1295 with DAC?

CJC-1295 is an analogue of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). It nudges the pituitary to release the body's own growth hormone (GH). The "with DAC" variant (Drug Affinity Complex) binds albumin in the blood and therefore lasts very long, with a half-life of roughly six to eight days.

That is exactly the difference from the variant without DAC: with DAC, one application per week is enough; without DAC you have to inject several times a day. It ships as a freeze-dried powder you dissolve in bacteriostatic water.

Comparison

GHRH, ghrelin or the hormone itself

Where each compound acts, as stated in the TPD lexicon. Tap a card to open its entry.

GHRH analogue, short CJC-1295 without DAC GHRH GHRH analogue, short Sermorelin GHRH GHRH analogue, approved Tesamorelin GHRH Ghrelin mimetic Ipamorelin Ghrelin Growth hormone itself HGH 191AA (Somatropin) GH
GHRH analogue, long (DAC) CJC-1295 with DAC GHRH

How it works

CJC-1295 binds the GHRH receptors on the pituitary and increases GH release. The released GH drives IGF-1 production in the liver, through which a large part of the effects run. Because the body still regulates GH release itself, the release stays pulsatile and therefore more physiological than direct GH.

CJC-1295 is often combined with a GH secretagogue like ipamorelin, because the two act on the same axis through different routes.

Where it acts

Where CJC-1295 with DAC acts

Tap a point or a card. Colour = GHRH receptor, grey = observed in studies.

  1. Pituitary

    Releases more of its own growth hormone, still in pulses2

    GHRH
  2. Liver

    Makes more IGF-1, up to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days1

    Observed in trials
  3. Blood

    Binds firmly to albumin and so stays in circulation for days3

    Observed in trials
  4. Bone and growth

    Normal body length in mice lacking their own GHRH, with daily dosing4

    Observed in trials

Known targets3

Compound PubChem CID 91971820: one described target, Activates the receptor like the body's own GHRH.

GHRH receptor
Gene
GHRHR
UniProt
Q02643
ChEMBL
CHEMBL2032
Action
Activates the receptor like the body's own GHRH
Glass gland shape with two blue 3D peptide chains docking on, from there trails of light run to a cluster of glass cell vesicles
Symbolic image.

What you need

For subcutaneous use you need:

Supplies

5 things, numbered as in the picture

Tick off what you already have. Vial and BAC water are our real shop photos at the same size.

CJC-1295 with DAC vial and bacteriostatic water at the same size with the black TPD label, next to two U-100 insulin syringes, two alcohol swabs and a sharps container with a blue lid

  1. CJC-1295 vial

    The CJC-1295 vial with the freeze-dried powder

    In the shop

  2. Bacteriostatic water

    Bacteriostatic water to dissolve it

    In the shop

  3. U-100 insulin syringes

    U-100 insulin syringes

    Amazon (opens a new tab)

  4. Alcohol swabs

    Alcohol swabs for the vial cap and the skin

    Amazon (opens a new tab)

  5. Sharps container

    A sealable sharps container for used needles

As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links open Amazon - no extra cost for you.

Reconstitution

The powder is dissolved in bacteriostatic water. How much water you add sets the concentration and therefore how many units you draw for your dose on the insulin syringe.

Use the peptide calculator for this: pick your vial size and the water volume to see the concentration and units per dose.

When dissolving, just add the bac water, it does not matter if it hits the powder directly. Then swirl or shake until everything has dissolved, both are fine.

Step by step

Dissolving the powder

Four steps, the same for every vial size.

  1. 1Wipe the cap

    Clean the rubber stopper with an alcohol swab.

  2. 2Add BAC water

    Just add it, it does not matter if it hits the powder directly.

  3. 3Swirl or shake

    Until everything has dissolved, both are fine.

  4. 4Draw up

    With the U-100 insulin syringe.

Less water higher concentration fewer units on the syringe Example: 5 mg + 2 ml = 2.5 mg/ml

Injection

The injection is subcutaneous, into the fat layer under the skin, classically the abdomen (keep clear of the area around the navel), the front and the inner side of the thigh or the back of the upper arm.

Injection

Where and at what angle

Pick a spot or switch the angle. Subcutaneous means: into the fat layer, not the muscle.

Rotate the spot each time, never the same one twice in a row.

90°More fat under the skin

Rule of thumb: where there is more fat under the skin, insert straight at 90 degrees. In lean people with little fat, 45 degrees, so the needle stays in the fat layer. Simplified diagram.

  1. Clean the spot with an alcohol swab and let it dry

  2. Pinch up a small fold of skin

  3. Insert the needle: at 90 degrees where there is more fat under the skin, at 45 degrees in lean people with little fat

  4. Inject slowly, wait a moment, then withdraw

  5. Put the needle straight into the sharps container

Rotate the site.

Dosing

Dosing

Dosing, titration and syringe

Loading the dosing information …

  • Getting started and stepping up, drawn as a staircase
  • Units on the U-100 syringe for every step
  • How long one vial lasts

What the research shows

CJC-1295 with DAC is comparatively solidly studied for a GH peptide. In a study in healthy adults, a single dose raised growth hormone several-fold and kept IGF-1 elevated for days, with a half-life of roughly six to eight days. That is exactly the basis for weekly use.

The study with a link is in the source block below.

Study results

What the trials measured

Interactive: switch tabs, tap points, show or hide arms. Arms are named relative to each other, no dosing advice.

Rise after a single dose1

Highest mean rise over baseline, healthy adults

Growth hormone (GH)1 for 6 days or more
CJC-1295 with DAC 10-fold 2- to 10-fold depending on dose
IGF-11 for 9 to 11 days
CJC-1295 with DAC 3-fold 1.5- to 3-fold depending on dose

Two randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trials with ascending doses over 28 and 49 days. The rise depended on the dose, shown is the upper value of the range in the abstract. After several doses IGF-1 stayed above baseline for up to 28 days.

Growth hormone one week after a dose2

Change from the measurement before the dose, young healthy men, blood every 20 minutes over 12 hours at night

Mean GH level2
CJC-1295 with DAC +46%
IGF-12
CJC-1295 with DAC +45%

The number and height of GH pulses did not change. The baseline level between pulses, however, rose 7.5-fold. There was no clear difference between the two doses tested. Small study without a placebo group.

Glass cross-section of a pituitary with a warmly glowing core on a bright reflective surface
Symbolic image.

Research status

Where the research stands

From rat experiments to two small studies in healthy adults and a terminated phase 2 trial: what is registered and published on CJC-1295 with DAC. As of 26 Oct 2026. 7

  1. Preclinical Rats: binding to albumin, in the blood beyond 72 hours
  2. Phase 1 no registered trial
  3. Phase 2 1 trial, 0 completed, 1 stopped early
  4. Phase 3 no registered trial
  5. Approval not yet
Not approved. The only registered trial (phase 2) ended early in 2006 and no results are posted. The two studies in healthy adults are not listed in the registry.7
Show all 1 phase 2 trial on a timelineHide timeline 0 completed 0 running 1 stopped early 0 with results
Phase 2

Bar: start to primary endpoint (planned for running trials). Green = completed, blue = progress until 26 Oct 2026, grey = stopped early.

Side effects

The side effects are those of elevated GH: water retention, occasionally tingling in the hands, joint aches, sometimes tiredness after dosing. All of it is dose-dependent, so it pays to start low and not go unnecessarily high.

Practice

  1. Often combined with ipamorelin: CJC provides the GHRH signal, ipamorelin the ghrelin stimulus.

  2. With some gap from carb-heavy meals, since insulin blunts GH release.

  3. In phases rather than endlessly continuous.

White bedside table with a light blue sleep mask, a glass of water and a bowl of nuts next to a bed in warm lamp light

Storage

The undissolved powder is robust, normal room temperature (around 20 to 25 degrees) is fine, ideally kept in the dark. The reconstituted solution goes into the fridge (2 to 8 degrees) and stays stable there for at least 4 to 6 months with barely any loss of potency, in practice considerably longer. The bacteriostatic water brings a preservative that keeps the dissolved form stable for longer.

Shelf life

How long it keeps

Undissolved (powder) Room temperature, around 20 to 25 degrees, dark

Robust, no fridge needed. Keeps for several months without trouble.

Dissolved (mixed) Fridge, 2 to 8 degrees

At least 4 to 6 months with barely any loss of potency. The bacteriostatic water brings a preservative.

  • Keep it dark
  • Dissolved: 2 to 8 degrees
  • Note the mixing date on the vial
Nine vials with white powder and blue caps in the door shelf of a bright fridge
Powder dark at room temperature, once dissolved into the fridge (2 to 8 degrees), stable there for at least 4 to 6 months. Symbolic image.

Related

Related compounds

Same receptors or a different path: all in the TPD lexicon.

CJC-1295 with DAC
CJC-1295 without DAC Same peptide without the albumin anchor, acts only briefly Sermorelin The first 29 building blocks of GHRH, unmodified Tesamorelin GHRH analogue, approved in the US CP10 (CJC + IPA) CJC-1295 without DAC plus ipamorelin in one vial Ipamorelin Different path: ghrelin receptor GHRP-2 Ghrelin receptor, short peptide GHRP-6 Ghrelin receptor, short peptide MK-677 (Ibutamoren) Ghrelin receptor, studied as a tablet HGH 191AA (Somatropin) Growth hormone directly instead of via the pituitary IGF-1 LR3 Acts at IGF-1, one step further down

FAQ

Common questions about CJC-1295 with DAC

Short answers, each backed by the sources below.

Is CJC-1295 with DAC approved?

No. The registry ClinicalTrials.gov lists exactly one trial with CJC-1295: a phase 2 trial on belly fat in HIV that was terminated early in 2006. No results are posted there. It is not approved in any country.7

What does DAC mean?

DAC stands for Drug Affinity Complex: a small chemical anchor at the end of the peptide. After injection it attaches firmly to the blood protein albumin. In rats CJC-1295 was bound to albumin after 15 minutes and still in the blood after more than 72 hours. Without this anchor the enzyme DPP-4 breaks the peptide down much faster.3

What did the studies in healthy adults show?

Two small double-blind placebo-controlled studies with ascending doses. After one dose growth hormone rose 2- to 10-fold depending on the dose, for 6 days or more. IGF-1 rose 1.5- to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days. After several doses IGF-1 stayed raised for up to 28 days.1

Is the natural GH rhythm preserved?

In a study with young men yes. One week after a dose the GH pulses came as often and as high as before. What rose was mainly the baseline level between pulses, 7.5-fold. The mean GH level was 46 percent higher, IGF-1 45 percent.2

How does it differ from CJC-1295 without DAC?

Both have the same 29 modified GHRH building blocks. Only the DAC version carries the albumin anchor and therefore lasts days instead of only briefly. All published human studies use this long version. An analysis of seized material in 2010, by contrast, found a peptide without the anchor sold under the name CJC-1295.315

Why is it combined with ipamorelin?

Because both act on growth hormone release through different receptors: CJC-1295 via the GHRH receptor, ipamorelin via the ghrelin receptor. That the two paths amplify each other was shown in a study in healthy men with GHRH and an older ghrelin mimetic. There is no study of exactly this combination.6

Which side effects are known?

According to the abstract there were no serious side effects in the two studies in healthy adults and the lower doses were tolerated best. The abstract gives no frequencies for single complaints. Long-term data are missing because the only phase 2 trial ended early.17

Glossary

Terms explained briefly

Dotted words in the text open these explanations directly.

Albumin
The most common protein in blood plasma. It carries many substances and is itself broken down only slowly.
DAC
Drug Affinity Complex: a chemical anchor on the peptide that attaches firmly to albumin in the blood. This keeps the peptide in the body for days instead of only briefly.
Ghrelin receptor
Receptor on the pituitary through which ghrelin and peptides such as ipamorelin trigger GH release. A second path besides the GHRH receptor.
GHRH
Growth hormone-releasing hormone: a hormone from the hypothalamus that prompts the pituitary to release growth hormone. An analogue is a synthetically modified version of it.
Growth hormone (GH)
Pituitary hormone. It is released in pulses (mostly in deep sleep) and promotes fat breakdown and tissue build-up.
Half-life
Time after which only half of a substance is left in the blood. For CJC-1295 with DAC it is several days.
IGF-1
Insulin-like growth factor 1: messenger made mainly by the liver under growth hormone. Many effects of GH run through it.
Lyophilisate
Freeze-dried powder. Without water a peptide keeps much longer.
Pituitary
Small gland below the brain (hypophysis). It controls many hormones, including growth hormone.
Pulsatile
In bursts rather than evenly. Growth hormone is naturally released in several pulses over the day and night.
Subcutaneous
Into the fat layer just under the skin.

Evidence

Sources

Show all 9 sourcesHide sources 6 Studies1 Trial registry2 Database checked 26 Oct 2026

Studies

  1. Two studies in healthy adults: GH, IGF-1 and half-life

    Teichman et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2006

    DOI 10.1210/jc.2005-1536 PMID 16352683
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  2. GH pulses persist under CJC-1295

    Ionescu und Frohman, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2006

    DOI 10.1210/jc.2006-1702 PMID 17018654
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  3. Development of CJC-1295: binding to albumin (rats)

    Jetté et al., Endocrinology, 2005

    DOI 10.1210/en.2004-1286 PMID 15817669
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  4. Growth in mice lacking their own GHRH

    Alba et al., American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2006

    DOI 10.1152/ajpendo.00201.2006 PMID 16822960
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  5. Analysis of a seized sample named CJC-1295

    Henninge et al., Drug Testing and Analysis, 2010

    DOI 10.1002/dta.233 PMID 21204297
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed
  6. GHRH and a ghrelin mimetic amplify each other (healthy men)

    Bowers et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1990

    DOI 10.1210/jcem-70-4-975 PMID 2108187
    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via doi.org, Crossref, PubMed

Trial registry

  1. Search on ClinicalTrials.gov (one trial)

    ClinicalTrials.gov, U.S. National Library of Medicine

    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2

Database

  1. Structure of CJC-1295 in PubChem

    PubChem, U.S. National Library of Medicine (CID 91971820)

    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via PubChem
  2. GHRH receptor in ChEMBL

    ChEMBL, EMBL-EBI (CHEMBL2032, UniProt Q02643)

    Checked 26 Oct 2026 via ChEMBL, UniProt

In the shop

CJC-1295 with DAC in the catalog

Sizes, prices and shipping times are on the product page.

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