CJC 1295 DAC.

CJC 1295 DAC is a research compound in the growth-hormone secretagogues.

Stimulating the pituitary's GHRH receptor to release growth hormone.

It draws interest for growth-hormone secretagogues.

F-tier evidence: human evidence is limited; most support is preclinical.

What it is

CJC-1295 with DAC (also written DAC:GRF, CJC-1295 DAC) is a synthetic, long-acting analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). It is built on the bioactive N-terminal GHRH(1-29) fragment with several amino-acid substitutions, plus a "Drug Affinity Complex" (DAC): a maleimidopropionyl group that lets the peptide bind covalently to circulating albumin after injection. It was developed in the mid-2000s by ConjuChem Biotechnologies as an investigational drug; it is not an approved medicine and today circulates mainly as a research/gray-market peptide.

How it works

Like native GHRH, CJC-1295 binds the GHRH receptor on anterior pituitary somatotrophs and stimulates synthesis and pulsatile release of growth hormone (GH), which in turn drives hepatic and peripheral IGF-1 production. Two engineering features extend its action: amino-acid substitutions in the GHRH(1-29) backbone resist cleavage by dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 (DPP-4), and the DAC maleimide group forms a covalent bond with cysteine-34 of serum albumin, shielding the peptide from renal filtration and proteolysis so it persists in plasma for days rather than minutes. Because it amplifies the body's own GH axis rather than supplying exogenous GH, secretion remains somewhat pulsatile and subject to negative feedback (e.g., somatostatin).

What the evidence shows

Human evidence comes mainly from early-phase ConjuChem trials in healthy adults. Teichman et al. (JCEM, 2006) reported that single subcutaneous doses produced dose-dependent, sustained elevations of GH and IGF-1, with IGF-1 remaining above baseline for several days and repeated weekly/biweekly dosing maintaining elevated IGF-1. Ionescu and Frohman (JCEM, 2006) showed that despite continuous GHRH-receptor stimulation, GH secretion remained pulsatile in healthy men. Preclinical support includes Alba et al. (Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 2006), where once-daily CJC-1295 normalized growth in GHRH-knockout mice, and Sackmann-Sala et al. (Growth Horm IGF Res, 2009), which characterized GH/IGF-1-axis-driven serum protein changes. Crucially, there are no published controlled trials demonstrating clinical outcomes (body composition, strength, fat loss, anti-aging, or healing) in humans; the human data establish a pharmacodynamic GH/IGF-1 effect, not proven therapeutic benefit, and the program was discontinued without an approved indication.

Safety considerations

In the short early-phase human studies, the most consistently noted effects were injection-site reactions and transient flushing; sustained IGF-1 elevation also raises theoretical concerns common to GH-axis stimulation, such as fluid retention, joint discomfort, carpal-tunnel-type symptoms, and reduced insulin sensitivity. Long-term human safety is essentially uncharacterized: no large or long-duration controlled trials were completed, and chronically elevated GH/IGF-1 is a biologically plausible (though unproven for this compound) concern for promoting growth of existing neoplasms. Real-world risk is compounded by the fact that material sold as "CJC-1295 DAC" is unregulated and may vary in purity, identity, or sterility. No dosing or administration guidance is provided here.

Regulatory status

CJC-1295 (with or without DAC) is not approved by the FDA or any major regulator for any use; clinical development was discontinued and it is treated as an unapproved/investigational substance, with U.S. authorities also flagging it as unsuitable for pharmacy compounding. It is prohibited in sport at all times by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a GH-releasing factor under Category S2 of the Prohibited List.

1. [1]Prolonged Stimulation of Growth Hormone (GH) and Insulin-Like Growth Factor I Secretion by CJC-1295, a Long-Acting Analog of GH-Releasing Hormone, in Healthy Adults — J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2006; PMID 16352683 (Teichman SL et al.)
2. [2]Pulsatile Secretion of Growth Hormone (GH) Persists During Continuous Stimulation by CJC-1295, a Long-Acting GH-Releasing Hormone Analog — J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2006; PMID 17018654 (Ionescu M, Frohman LA)
3. [3]Once-Daily Administration of CJC-1295, a Long-Acting GHRH Analog, Normalizes Growth in the GHRH Knockout Mouse — Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 2006; PMID 16822960 (Alba M et al.)
4. [4]S2. Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics — WADA Prohibited List — World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List (GH-releasing factors)

• Not FDA-approved; research-only.
• Sustained GH elevation differs physiologically from natural pulses; long-term human safety is unknown.

Stack fit

Why not D: held back by human evidence, preclinical depth, safety clarity, regulatory clarity, practical relevance.

What would move it up: Larger controlled human trials, clearer long-term safety, replicated findings, and regulatory progress.

What would move it down: Failed confirmatory trials, new safety signals, or evidence that popular claims don't translate.

• CJC 1295 DAC is not FDA-approved for human use; it is discussed in a research context.
• It belongs to the Growth-hormone secretagogues class.
• Its principal mechanism is characterized in the literature.

• Whether observed effects reliably translate to humans at large.
• Long-term safety in healthy users, and full drug-interaction risk.
• Optimal studied parameters outside any approved indication.
• Claim-by-claim verdicts — these are authored against verified sources and shown when complete.
• Quality and purity of material from non-pharmaceutical sources.

1. What it is
2. The GHRH signalling mechanism
3. The early-evidence lane
4. Why Preliminary, and not higher or lower
5. Proven lane vs speculative lane
6. What people report
7. Regulatory status
8. What changed recently