- "CJC-1295 without DAC" is not a compound with its own literature. The substance sold under that name is Mod GRF 1-29 (tetrasubstituted GRF 1-29), with a half-life of about 30 minutes.
- CJC-1295 with DAC binds albumin in the blood, which stretches its half-life to 5.8 to 8.1 days. In a 2006 JCEM trial in healthy adults (Teichman et al.), growth hormone rose 2 to 10-fold for over 6 days and IGF-1 1.5 to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days.
- A companion 2006 JCEM study (Walker et al.) found growth hormone pulses were preserved while trough growth hormone rose about 7.5-fold.
- Mod GRF 1-29 has no dedicated published human trial. Every human efficacy and safety figure for "CJC-1295" comes from the DAC form.
- In December 2024 the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted against recommending any of the five reviewed forms of CJC-1295 for the 503A bulks list. Neither is FDA-approved.
Two different peptides are sold under the name CJC-1295, and the difference between them is larger than the name suggests. One has published human trials. The other has none. This page explains what each one is and what the research measured. Neither compound is an approved medicine.
The rise in trough (between-pulse) growth hormone after CJC-1295 with DAC, per Walker et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2006. Growth hormone pulses continued, but the floor between them rose about seven and a half times.
What DAC does, in plain English.
DAC stands for Drug Affinity Complex. It is a small chemical handle attached to the CJC-1295 molecule that latches onto albumin, the most abundant protein in blood. Attached to albumin, the peptide stays in circulation for days instead of minutes. Without the handle you have Mod GRF 1-29, which shares the same four amino acid substitutions that protect it from rapid breakdown but clears in about half an hour.
The human trials: Teichman 2006 and Walker 2006
The main human trial was published in 2006 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism by Teichman and colleagues. It enrolled 64 healthy adults and measured growth hormone and IGF-1 after CJC-1295 with DAC.
Mean plasma growth hormone rose 2 to 10-fold and stayed raised for more than six days. Mean IGF-1 rose 1.5 to 3-fold and stayed above baseline for 9 to 11 days. The estimated half-life was 5.8 to 8.1 days. Reported side effects included flushing, nausea and local skin reactions.
A companion study by Walker and colleagues, also in JCEM in 2006, profiled growth hormone overnight after CJC-1295 with DAC. Pulse frequency and amplitude were preserved, trough growth hormone rose about 7.5-fold, mean growth hormone secretion rose 46 percent and mean IGF-1 rose 45 percent.
"Overnight GH profiling confirmed preservation of episodic GH secretory patterns, but basal trough GH levels were increased approximately 7.5-fold."
Walker et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2006
Both studies measured hormone levels, not health outcomes. Neither measured lean mass, fat mass, function or long-term safety.
| Feature | CJC-1295 with DAC | Mod GRF 1-29 ("no DAC") |
|---|---|---|
| Half-life | 5.8 to 8.1 days (Teichman 2006) | About 30 minutes |
| Growth hormone pattern | Raised trough with preserved pulses (Walker 2006) | Short single pulse, inferred from native GHRH kinetics |
| Published human trials | Yes: Teichman 2006, Walker 2006 | None |
| FDA approval | None | None |
Why the naming matters
When a page compares "CJC-1295 with and without DAC", it is comparing human trial data for one compound with extrapolation for another. Reports of what "CJC-1295" did often do not say which compound was involved, and the two behave very differently in the body. Any claim about Mod GRF 1-29 rests on preclinical work and on how native GHRH behaves, not on a human study of the compound itself.
What is not known
- Mod GRF 1-29 in humans. No published human pharmacokinetic or efficacy trial.
- Long-term effects of sustained IGF-1 elevation. The FDA briefing for the 2024 committee review raised this concern, drawing on acromegaly literature.
The regulatory picture
In December 2024 the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee reviewed five forms of CJC-1295 (the free base, the acetate, and three DAC salt forms) and voted against recommending any of them for the 503A bulks list. The FDA briefing raised synthesis impurities from solid-phase manufacturing, possible immunogenicity, and sustained IGF-1 elevation. Neither form is FDA-approved, and both are prohibited at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency list.
For how the GHRH-receptor compounds compare with the ghrelin-receptor ones, see ipamorelin vs CJC-1295 and sermorelin vs CJC-1295.
What genetics research does and does not say
Both forms act on the GHRH receptor (GHRHR); the growth hormone they release then acts through GHR, and the signal reaches IGF-1 production through STAT5B. Rare mutations in GHRHR and STAT5B cause recognised forms of growth hormone deficiency or insensitivity, which shows how central those steps are. No study has tested whether any common variant in these genes changes response to either form of CJC-1295. A DNA report can show which versions you carry and what the research on each does and does not show. See the GHR exon 3 deletion guide for the most studied receptor variant.
The short version: CJC-1295 with DAC and Mod GRF 1-29 are different peptides. The DAC form has two human hormone studies from 2006; Mod GRF 1-29 has none. Neither has outcome data, and neither is approved. If you want to see which growth hormone axis variants you carry and what the research on each does and does not show, your report reads the DNA file you already have against the published research. More is on the CJC-1295 reference page.
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What is the difference between CJC-1295 with DAC and without DAC?
CJC-1295 with DAC carries a chemical handle that binds albumin, giving it a half-life of about 6 to 8 days. "CJC-1295 without DAC" is a market name for Mod GRF 1-29, which has a half-life of about 30 minutes. They are different peptides, and only the DAC form has published human trials.
What did the human trials of CJC-1295 find?
In Teichman et al. (JCEM 2006), 64 healthy adults received CJC-1295 with DAC; growth hormone rose 2 to 10-fold for over six days and IGF-1 1.5 to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days. Walker et al. (JCEM 2006) found growth hormone pulses were preserved while trough levels rose about 7.5-fold. Both measured hormone levels, not health outcomes.
Has Mod GRF 1-29 been tested in humans?
Not in a dedicated published human trial. What is said about it is inferred from preclinical work and from the known behaviour of native GHRH, not from a human study of the compound.
Is CJC-1295 FDA-approved?
No. Neither form is FDA-approved. In December 2024 the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted against recommending any of the five reviewed forms of CJC-1295 for the 503A bulks list. Both forms are prohibited at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency list.
Why does the FDA have concerns about CJC-1295?
The briefing for the December 2024 committee review raised synthesis impurities from solid-phase manufacturing, possible immunogenicity, and the long-term effects of sustained IGF-1 elevation, drawing on acromegaly literature. It also noted the lack of domestic safety data.
This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It reports what published research found; it is not medical advice, it does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and nothing in it is a dose or a recommendation to use any compound. Talk to a licensed clinician about any medical decision.