Educational reference, not medical advice. This page summarizes information from published research and regulatory filings for educational purposes. It is not a recommendation to use any compound and should not replace guidance from a licensed healthcare provider. Most peptides discussed here are not approved for the uses described.
What it is
CJC-1295 without DAC — frequently called "Mod GRF 1-29" — is a 29-amino-acid synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). It corresponds to the biologically active fragment of native GHRH (the first 29 residues) with four amino acid substitutions that protect it from rapid enzymatic breakdown. Unlike the closely related CJC-1295 DAC, this version lacks the Drug Affinity Complex — a maleimide group that binds the peptide to albumin and extends its action to roughly a week. Without that component, the molecule is short-acting and is the variant most commonly described in observational use today.
History
The parent molecule was developed at ConjuChem in Montreal in the early 2000s as part of a program to extend the half-life of native GHRH using albumin binding. The 2006 paper by Teichman and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism characterized the DAC-bearing version in healthy adults, while the non-DAC analog has been studied largely in preclinical settings and pharmacological characterization work. Ionescu and Frohman (2006) showed that even when GHRH receptors are stimulated continuously, growth hormone is released in pulses — a finding that informed how short-acting analogs are typically combined with ghrelin-receptor agonists in research.
The non-DAC variant has never been advanced as a drug candidate. It is described in the literature as a tool compound and is supplied by research-chemical vendors.
Regulatory status
CJC-1295 (no DAC) has no approved medical use in any major jurisdiction. The FDA has not approved any sermorelin-class analog beyond Geref (sermorelin acetate, withdrawn for commercial reasons in 2008). The compound is not on the 503A bulk substances list, and compounding pharmacies in the United States are not permitted to prepare it for patients.
The World Anti-Doping Agency lists GHRH agonists, including CJC-1295 in both DAC and non-DAC forms, under class S2 of the Prohibited List — peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances, and mimetics — banned in and out of competition.
How researchers describe its action
The published mechanism papers describe CJC-1295 (no DAC) as a GHRH receptor agonist on somatotroph cells in the anterior pituitary. Receptor activation increases intracellular cAMP and triggers pulsatile growth hormone secretion. Because the molecule mirrors endogenous GHRH activity, the GH pulse it produces remains under negative feedback from somatostatin — meaning peak GH is constrained by the body's own counter-regulatory signaling, in contrast to ghrelin-receptor agonists that drive secretion through a separate pathway.
In published pharmacology work, combining a GHRH analog with a ghrelin-receptor agonist (such as ipamorelin) produces a larger GH pulse than either alone, which is the rationale researchers cite for the common pairing in observational use.
Half-life and dosing intervals
Published pharmacokinetic estimates put the plasma half-life of CJC-1295 (no DAC) at roughly 30 minutes to 1 hour after subcutaneous injection — close to that of sermorelin and substantially shorter than the DAC variant (6 to 8 days). The brief exposure window is what allows the natural pulsatile pattern of GH secretion to remain intact.
There is no established human dose. In observational use the peptide is typically administered subcutaneously in 100 mcg increments, sometimes once daily and sometimes split across multiple injections to align with reported GH pulses (e.g., before bed and post-exercise). These dosing patterns are extrapolated from preclinical and early human pharmacokinetic work, not from controlled trials.
Reconstitution example
CJC-1295 (no DAC) is sold lyophilized in 2 mg or 5 mg vials. A 2 mg vial reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water yields 1 mg/mL — on a 1 mL U-100 insulin syringe, 10 units (0.1 mL) contains 100 mcg.
A 5 mg vial reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water yields 2.5 mg/mL — the same 10-unit mark then contains 250 mcg. Vial's calculator handles the unit-to-microgram conversion automatically when you enter the vial mass and water volume.
What to know
- Limited human data. The non-DAC analog has not been studied in a published Phase II or Phase III trial.
- Not approved. No regulator has authorized CJC-1295 for therapeutic use, and compounding for patients is not permitted in the United States.
- WADA banned. Use is prohibited in competitive sport.
- Reported side effects in observational use include injection-site flushing, transient lightheadedness, and a tingling sensation lasting minutes after injection. Water retention has been reported at higher doses.
- Storage. Lyophilized vials are best stored refrigerated. Once reconstituted, refrigerate and use within the stability window specified by the supplier — typically up to 4 weeks for bacteriostatic-water reconstitution.
- Distinction from CJC-1295 DAC. The two molecules are pharmacologically very different despite the shared name. The DAC version is long-acting and produces sustained, non-pulsatile GH elevation; the non-DAC version preserves the natural pulse pattern.
Sources
- 1.Teichman SL et al. (2006). 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. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
- 2.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. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
- 3.Sigalos JT, Pastuszak AW (2018). The Safety and Efficacy of Growth Hormone Secretagogues. Sexual Medicine Reviews.
- 4.World Anti-Doping Agency — Prohibited List (S2: Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances, and Mimetics).