NOT FDA-APPROVED

CJC-1295

A modified piece of growth-hormone-releasing hormone, with two flavors. The "No DAC" version is the one most people use today, paired with Ipamorelin. The "DAC" version had its clinical development halted in Phase 2, important context.

The 30-second read

CJC-1295 is a 29-amino-acid synthetic peptide modeled on the active part of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). It comes in two versions. The short-acting "No DAC" form (also called Modified GRF 1-29) has a half-life of about 30 minutes and is designed to produce brief, natural-looking GH pulses, that's the form research-peptide circles use, almost always paired with Ipamorelin. The long-acting "DAC" version was designed for sustained GH elevation; ConjuChem developed it through Phase 2 clinical trials, which were halted following adverse events. The molecule most people are talking about today is the No-DAC form. Not FDA-approved (either form). On the FDA's Category 2 list as of September 2023.

Why this peptide is on people's radar

CJC-1295 came out of work to fix a basic problem with native GHRH, the body's natural growth-hormone-releasing hormone. Native GHRH has a plasma half-life measured in minutes, broken down by an enzyme called DPP-IV almost as fast as it's released. ConjuChem Biotechnologies designed CJC-1295 with four amino-acid substitutions to resist DPP-IV degradation, making the peptide last meaningfully longer than native GHRH.

Then ConjuChem made a second version. CJC-1295 with DAC (Drug Affinity Complex), designed to last days rather than minutes. The DAC linker binds to plasma albumin, dramatically extending the peptide's half-life to roughly a week. The pitch was sustained GH elevation from a once-weekly injection. ConjuChem advanced that version through Phase 2 clinical trials, which were halted following adverse events. The company subsequently faced financial difficulties and didn't pursue further regulatory pathways.

What's left in active research-peptide use is the "No DAC" version (sometimes called Modified GRF 1-29), a peptide with the DPP-IV-resistant substitutions but without the long-acting DAC linker. Half-life is about 30 minutes, which is short enough to produce pulsatile GH release rather than sustained elevation. That pulsatile pattern is widely considered safer than continuous GH elevation, and the No-DAC form is what almost everyone in modern peptide-research circles actually uses, almost always paired with Ipamorelin.

What people are usually trying to do with it

People exploring CJC-1295 (almost always as part of a stack with Ipamorelin) are typically focused on:

Triggering pulsatile GH release that mimics the body's natural pattern
Better deep sleep and recovery
Holding lean body composition into adulthood
Skin and connective-tissue support from elevated IGF-1
An alternative to direct GH replacement that's less blunt
Adding a GHRH-pathway component to a research-peptide stack

What the science actually shows

Most of the published research is on the longer-acting DAC version (now historical). The No-DAC version most people use has a smaller and more pharmacokinetic-focused literature. Plain-English summary:

DPP-IV resistance and extended GHRH activity

The four amino-acid substitutions in CJC-1295 successfully prevent DPP-IV breakdown, extending biological activity meaningfully versus native GHRH. The basic biochemistry works as designed.1

Pulsatile GH release with No-DAC

CJC-1295 (No DAC) produces discrete GH pulses rather than sustained elevation. Combined with a GH secretagogue like Ipamorelin, these pulses are 2 to 3 times higher than either peptide alone.2

Sustained elevation with DAC version

The DAC version produced sustained GH and IGF-1 elevation in early trials, rather than pulsatile release. The Phase 2 program was halted following adverse events; sustained-elevation pharmacology was implicated in the safety picture.3

IGF-1 elevation

Studies of the combo (CJC-1295 No-DAC + Ipamorelin) report measurable IGF-1 elevation over weeks of treatment, the standard downstream marker of GH activity.4

What hasn't been demonstrated

That the GH and IGF-1 elevation reliably produces the downstream outcomes (sleep, body composition, recovery, longevity) people use the peptide for. Long-term safety with chronic No-DAC use in healthy adults. Direct head-to-head comparison with conventional GH therapy at matched IGF-1 levels.

The honest read

What's solid:

The basic pharmacology, that CJC-1295 (No DAC) extends GHRH activity enough to produce a meaningful GH pulse, and that this combines synergistically with Ipamorelin, is well-characterized. The pulsatile nature of the No-DAC version is biologically more natural than sustained synthetic-GH elevation.

What's still unproven:

Whether the GH/IGF-1 elevation translates into the outcomes people are actually after, better sleep, more lean mass, better recovery, slower aging. Those claims rest on extrapolation. Long-term safety in healthy adults using nightly CJC-1295/Ipamorelin combinations isn't characterized.

What's hyped beyond the evidence:

The CJC-1295-with-DAC Phase 2 halt is a real piece of context that often gets glossed over in the marketing for the No-DAC form. The two are different drugs with different pharmacology, and the No-DAC's pulsatile profile differs from the sustained-elevation pharmacology that was implicated in the DAC-version safety issues. But "GH-modulating peptide whose long-acting cousin was halted in Phase 2" is part of the honest picture, not a footnote. The "same as natural GH but safer" framing also overstates how well-characterized the long-term picture is in healthy adults.

Things to know if you're looking into it

Two versions, very different pharmacology: "CJC-1295" without further qualification often means the No-DAC version (short half-life, pulsatile release). The DAC version was a separate drug-development project that was halted. Make sure you know which you're discussing.
Almost always stacked: CJC-1295 (No DAC) is most commonly paired with Ipamorelin in research. The combo page covers the synergy and dosing in detail. Combo page →
How it's used in research: typically a small subcutaneous injection at night before bed, on an empty stomach.
Athlete bans: CJC-1295 is on the World Anti-Doping Agency banned list and most professional sports prohibited-substance lists.
Regulatory status: not FDA-approved (either version). Both forms are on the FDA's Category 2 list as of September 2023, making compounding-pharmacy access legally restricted.
Caution populations: avoid in active malignancy (theoretical concerns about GH/IGF-1 effects on tumor biology). Use cautiously with diabetes, sleep apnea, or carpal tunnel syndrome.
Specific dosing protocols, mechanism, and the full reference list: all in the "Want to go deeper?" section below.

What people often ask

What's the difference between CJC-1295 and CJC-1295 with DAC?

Same backbone, different pharmacokinetics. CJC-1295 (No DAC) has a 30-minute half-life and produces brief GH pulses. CJC-1295 with DAC has a half-life of roughly a week and produces sustained GH elevation. The DAC version's clinical development was halted in Phase 2; the No-DAC version is what most modern protocols use.

Should I use CJC-1295 alone or with Ipamorelin?

The dominant research-community approach is to combine them. Used alone, CJC-1295 produces a smaller GH pulse than the combination. Most people who care enough to use CJC-1295 care enough to want the synergy. Talk to a clinician about which approach makes sense.

Does the Phase 2 halt for the DAC version matter for the No-DAC version?

The two are different in pharmacology, pulsatile vs. sustained elevation. The DAC-version safety issues were largely tied to the sustained-elevation pharmacology, which the No-DAC form doesn't replicate. But the family-level story is worth knowing: this isn't a peptide class with a clean long-term safety record.

Is CJC-1295 FDA-approved?

No. Neither form is FDA-approved. Both are on the FDA's Category 2 list as of September 2023.

Why empty stomach and bedtime?

Eating, especially carbs and fats, can blunt the GH response. The body's natural GH pulses are largest during early slow-wave sleep, bedtime dosing aligns the secretagogue's pulse with the body's natural rhythm.

Are there side effects?

For the No-DAC form, reported side effects in research-community use are uncommon and generally mild, mild flushing, occasional injection-site reactions, sometimes brief lightheadedness. The No-DAC form does not produce the sustained-elevation pharmacology associated with the DAC-version safety issues.

Will I test positive on a drug test?

Yes. CJC-1295 is on the WADA banned list. Competitive athletes will test positive.

FDA and regulatory status

Status as of May 5, 2026: Neither CJC-1295 (No DAC) nor CJC-1295 with DAC is FDA-approved for any medical indication. The DAC version's Phase 2 clinical development was discontinued by ConjuChem Biotechnologies following adverse events. Both forms appeared on the FDA's Category 2 list in September 2023. The April 2026 FDA advisory-committee review of seven compounded peptides did not include CJC-1295 in scope. Status updates land here when they happen.

Want to go deeper? Mechanism, the No-DAC vs DAC distinction in detail, dosing, side-effect profile, and references. The synergy with Ipamorelin lives on the dedicated combo page.

Background and the two versions

CJC-1295 is a 29-amino-acid synthetic GHRH analog designed by ConjuChem Biotechnologies. The base molecule incorporates four amino-acid substitutions (D-Ala at position 2, Gln at position 8, Ala at position 15, and Leu at position 27) that confer resistance to dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV), the enzyme that rapidly degrades native GHRH.

From that base molecule, ConjuChem developed two clinical candidates:

CJC-1295 (No DAC) / Modified GRF 1-29: the base molecule with no further modification. Half-life ~30 minutes. Produces brief pulsatile GH release. This is the form most commonly used in modern peptide-research protocols.
CJC-1295 with DAC: the base molecule with a Drug Affinity Complex (DAC) linker that binds plasma albumin. Half-life ~6 to 8 days. Produces sustained GH and IGF-1 elevation. ConjuChem advanced this version into Phase 2 clinical trials, which were halted following adverse events.

The No-DAC vs DAC distinction in detail

The two versions are different drugs with meaningfully different pharmacology, even though they share the same name and base sequence:

No-DAC pharmacokinetics

Half-life ~30 minutes. After a single dose, GH levels rise briefly and return to baseline within 1 to 2 hours. The brief pulse mimics the body's natural pulsatile GH pattern. This is widely considered safer than sustained elevation.

DAC pharmacokinetics

Half-life ~6 to 8 days. The DAC linker binds plasma albumin, slowly releasing the active peptide over time. Result: sustained GH and IGF-1 elevation rather than discrete pulses. The sustained-elevation pharmacology departed meaningfully from the body's natural pattern.

Why the distinction matters

The DAC-version Phase 2 halt was tied to safety signals that emerged with sustained GH/IGF-1 elevation. Modern peptide-research use of CJC-1295 (No DAC) deliberately preserves the pulsatile release pattern to avoid replicating that pharmacology. Whether the No-DAC form is meaningfully safer in long-term healthy-adult use, versus simply not having had its long-term safety properly tested, is genuinely unclear.

Mechanism of action

GHRH receptor activation

CJC-1295 binds the GHRH receptor on pituitary somatotrophs, activating the same Gs-coupled signaling pathway that native GHRH activates. The result is increased intracellular cAMP and triggered GH release.

Synergy with GHS-R agonists

Combined with a ghrelin-receptor agonist like Ipamorelin, CJC-1295 produces a synergistic GH pulse 2 to 3 times larger than either alone. Full combo explainer →

Commonly studied dosing protocols

These are not recommendations. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider before any clinical decision.

CJC-1295 (No DAC), research-community range: 100 mcg per dose, once nightly before bed, on an empty stomach. Most commonly stacked with Ipamorelin.

CJC-1295 with DAC, historical clinical range: not in modern use. Phase 2 trials had used weekly dosing in the 60 mcg/kg range. Development discontinued.

Treatment duration: typical research-community cycle ranges for the No-DAC form are 8 to 12 weeks. Long-term continuous use in healthy adults has not been formally characterized.

Side effects and safety profile

For CJC-1295 (No DAC), reported side effects in research-community use:

Mild flushing or warmth shortly after injection (common, transient)
Injection-site redness or tenderness (common, mild)
Brief lightheadedness (uncommon)
Mild fluid retention (uncommon)
Numbness or tingling (uncommon, may suggest carpal-tunnel-type effects)

For CJC-1295 with DAC, the historical Phase 2 clinical trials reported adverse events serious enough to halt development. The exact nature of those events has not been comprehensively published, but the sustained-elevation pharmacology was implicated.

Theoretical concerns: GH/IGF-1 elevation interacts theoretically with cancer biology, avoid in active malignancy. Cautious use in diabetes (GH can raise blood glucose), sleep apnea, and carpal tunnel-prone individuals.

References

Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, et al. (2006). "Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295." J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 91(3), 799–805. PubMed
Ionescu M, Frohman LA. (2006). "Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog." J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 91(12), 4792–4797. PubMed
ConjuChem Biotechnologies. "CJC-1295 with DAC clinical development discontinuation." Public regulatory disclosures.
Sigalos JT, Pastuszak AW. (2018). "The safety and efficacy of growth hormone secretagogues." Sex Med Rev, 6(1), 45–53. PubMed
Alba M, Fintini D, Bowers CY, et al. (2005). "Effects of long-term treatment with GHRP-2 in different forms of GH deficiency." J Endocrinol Invest, 28(5 Suppl), 178–183. PubMed
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023). "Pharmacy Compounding Guidance. FDA Category 2 List." FDA.gov

For educational and research purposes only. This is not medical advice. Neither version of CJC-1295 is FDA-approved; both are on the FDA's Category 2 list as of September 2023. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before considering any peptide. PeptideLibraryHub is independent and does not sell peptides or accept money from anyone who does.