CJC-1295
CJC-1295 (Modified GRF 1-29)
Also called CJC1295, mod GRF 1-29, modified GRF (1-29), DAC:GRF
The GH amplifier
CJC-1295 copies the brain signal that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone. It comes in two versions that behave very differently: with DAC it lasts days, without DAC it lasts minutes. Blends sold with Ipamorelin nearly always use the short-acting one, which is why dosing advice for it contradicts itself everywhere.
A copy of the brain signal that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone, rewritten so the enzyme that normally destroys it in minutes cannot. Before you read any dose, check which version you have: with DAC it keeps growth hormone up for days, without DAC it produces a short pulse, and nearly every blend sold with ipamorelin contains the second one.
- Half-life
- 6–8 days (with DAC); 30 min–2 hr (without DAC)
- Typical dose
- 100 mcg/injection (no DAC) or 2 mg/week (DAC)
- Availability
- Research-only
Studied in people, and well studied in animals
32 papers · 2 clinical trials
What people use CJC-1295 for
Reported uses, roughly in order of how often they are the reason someone goes looking. Whether it works for any of them is a separate question, answered under each one.
Mechanism of Action
How CJC-1295 works
Your brain sends a short message to the pituitary meaning release growth hormone. It has to be short-lived, because a signal that never stops is not a signal. An enzyme in your blood chops it up within minutes.
CJC-1295 is that message rewritten to survive the chopping. A few amino acids in the chain were swapped for ones the enzyme cannot cut.
The one thing you have to check before anything else
This compound exists in two versions, and they behave so differently that they are effectively different drugs.
The version with DAC carries an extra attachment that lets it hitch onto a protein in your blood and ride around for days. Growth hormone stays elevated the whole time. In healthy adults, a single injection raised it several-fold for six days or more.
The version without DAC, often sold as mod GRF 1-29, clears in minutes. You get a pulse and then nothing, which is much closer to how your body does it naturally.
Nearly every blend sold with ipamorelin contains the second one. Nearly every dosing chart quotes the trial that used the first. That single mismatch is why advice about this compound contradicts itself everywhere you look, and checking which one is in your vial resolves most of the confusion by itself.
An open question nobody settles
Your body releases growth hormone in pulses rather than a steady stream, and that pattern appears to matter. The DAC version deliberately overrides it and holds levels up continuously. Whether that is better than pulses, or worse, has not been established. It is a genuine unknown rather than a technicality.
CJC-1295 dosage calculator
Opens at 100 mcg, from the doses reported for CJC-1295. Change any box to match your own vial. It works out where to pull the plunger to.
How much is in the vial?
Printed on the label, in milligrams
How much water did you add?
Bacteriostatic water, in millilitres
What dose are you taking?
The dose you already intend to use
Which syringe?
Barrel size, printed on the wrapper
Draw to
2 units
on a 0.5 mL insulin syringe (0.02 mL)
- Strength once mixed
- 5 mg/mL
- Doses in the vial
- 100
10 mg in 2 mL makes 5 mg/mL. A 100 mcg dose is 0.02 mL of that, which is 2 units.
Want a rounder number? Adding 10 mL instead would put this dose at exactly 10 units, which is easier to draw accurately.
This is arithmetic, not advice. It converts a dose you already have into a mark on a syringe. It does not tell you what dose to take, and CJC-1295 is not prescribed by us. Dosing belongs with a qualified clinician.
CJC-1295 side effects: what people reported
Most of what people report comes from holding water, which is what happens when growth hormone goes up. It is usually worst in the first couple of weeks and settles.
What most people notice
- Puffiness, especially hands and face, in the first weeks
- A head rush or flushing in the minutes after injecting
- Vivid dreams and heavier sleep, since it works overnight
- Injection-site redness
- Tiredness the next morning early on
Worth keeping an eye on
- Numbness or tingling in the hands, from fluid pressing on the nerve at the wrist. It is the most common reason people lower the dose
- Aching joints
- Blood sugar drifting up, since growth hormone works against insulin
Dose matters. Water retention and the tingling that comes with it track the dose and ease when people drop it.
Source: Trial data plus widely reported use. This is a summary of published findings, not a complete safety profile and not medical advice. CJC-1295 should only be considered with a qualified clinician who knows your history.
Your Genetics & CJC-1295
The genes involved in how CJC-1295 works
CJC-1295 works through the receptors these genes build, and the genes vary from person to person. Researchers have linked some of that variation to differences in how people respond. A DNA report tells you which versions you carry.
GHRHR · ••
Variants in the GHRH receptor gene affect receptor density and binding affinity on pituitary somatotrophs. Reduced receptor expression means fewer targets for CJC-1295, potentially requiring dose adjustment to achieve equivalent GH elevation.
GHR · ••
The GHR exon 3 deletion (d3-GHR) creates a shorter receptor with increased GH sensitivity. d3 carriers may achieve greater IGF-1 response from the same CJC-1295-induced GH pulse, potentially needing lower doses.
Promoter region variants affect baseline IGF-1 levels. Low-IGF1 genotypes may see more dramatic improvements from CJC-1295, while high-baseline carriers may need monitoring to avoid supraphysiological IGF-1.
SOCS2 is a negative regulator of GH signaling — it puts the brakes on the JAK/STAT pathway. Variants reducing SOCS2 function may amplify CJC-1295's downstream effects, increasing sensitivity to GH pulses.
The dots after each gene are where your own result goes. Your report fills them in with the two letters you carry at that position.
Which variants do you carry?
Upload your DNA data, or get tested through our partner, to find out.
Commonly combined with
What CJC-1295 is most often paired with, and why:
Ipamorelin
GH Synergy StackModerate EvidenceIpamorelin Acetate
Presses the same switch your stomach uses to say it is empty, the one that also triggers a growth hormone release, but largely without the hunger. Its selling point is what it does not do: older peptides in its family also pushed up cortisol and prolactin, and this one mostly stops at growth hormone. It is almost always sold blended with CJC-1295.
4
Gene variants
40+
Studies
BPC-157
Recovery StackModerate EvidenceBody Protection Compound 157
BPC-157 is the peptide people reach for when something will not heal. Tendons, ligaments, a gut that has been irritated by painkillers, an injury that has stalled. It is a short chain of amino acids copied from part of a protein your stomach already makes, and the animal research on it is unusually consistent for this category: across a lot of separate rat studies, injured tissue healed faster than it did without it. The gap is that this has largely not been repeated in people, and it is not an approved medicine, so nobody is checking what is in the vial you buy.
3
Gene variants
19+
Studies
Common Stacks
One of these pairings has a name people search for, and a page of its own.
Sourcing & access
Where to buy CJC-1295
CJC-1295 is sold as a research compound, not a licensed medicine, so quality and legal status vary widely by country and vendor. If you're sourcing it, treat independent purity testing as non-negotiable.
- Insist on a recent third-party Certificate of Analysis (COA) for the exact batch — labs like Janoshik verify purity and identity.
- Check the legal status where you live before ordering — it differs from country to country.
- Reconstitute correctly with bacteriostatic water and start at a conservative dose.
Before you buy: see whether your DNA actually responds to CJC-1295, and at what dose. Analyze my DNA — $99 →
Educational information only, not medical advice. Some outbound links are affiliate links (disclosed, at no extra cost to you). Most peptides are not FDA-approved — consult a qualified professional and check your local laws before purchasing.
Worth knowing before you consider CJC-1295
Interactions and situations where there is a specific reason to be careful. Where the honest answer is that nobody has studied something, it says so and says what that leaves open.
- With DAC and without DAC are effectively two different drugs
- With DAC it holds growth hormone elevated for days; without it, often sold as mod GRF 1-29, you get a short pulse closer to the body's own rhythm. Check which one is in your vial before reading any protocol, because the same number means different things for each.
- Sustained elevation is not obviously the goal
- Your body releases growth hormone in pulses, and that pattern appears to matter. The DAC version deliberately overrides it. Whether continuous elevation is better or worse than pulses has not been settled, which is a real open question rather than a technicality.
- Not an approved medicine, and banned in sport
- It is not approved anywhere, is not on the 503A list for compounding, and is prohibited at all times under WADA rules.
The evidence behind CJC-1295
One human trial matters here and it is a good one, but read which version it used. Teichman 2006 tested CJC-1295 with DAC, the long-acting form, and showed clear, prolonged rises in growth hormone and IGF-1. The blends sold with Ipamorelin almost always contain the version without DAC, which clears in minutes and produces a pulse instead. Doses and expectations do not transfer between the two, and most pages quoting this trial do not mention which one they are describing.
The literature, counted
Counted in PubMed on 3 August 2026 for CJC-1295. Every figure links to the search that produced it, so you can re-run it. “Tagged human” is not the same as a human trial: that tag also covers work on human cells and reviews discussing people, which is why the trial count is given separately.
Reviews
1 of 3Papers that gather other studies rather than run new ones.Every source behind this page42 more
- Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine PhysiciansMayfield CK, Bolia IK, Feingold CL, et al. · American Journal of Sports Medicine · 2026Review
- Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic PerformanceMendias CL, Awan TM · Sports Medicine · 2026Review
Everything we cite for CJC-1295, including animal work and early research. Each link goes to the source itself, so you can judge it rather than take our word for it.
Last updated · literature counts verified against PubMed on
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CJC-1295 used for?
CJC-1295 is used to amplify natural growth hormone production for body composition, recovery, anti-aging, and sleep quality. It extends the duration of your natural GH pulses rather than replacing them, making it a physiologically conservative approach to GH optimization.
Why stack CJC-1295 with Ipamorelin?
CJC-1295 (GHRH analog) and Ipamorelin (ghrelin mimetic) work through different receptors. CJC-1295 amplifies pulse duration while Ipamorelin increases pulse amplitude. Together, they produce synergistic GH elevation — typically 2-3x more than either alone — while maintaining pulsatile release patterns.
Does genetics affect CJC-1295 response?
Yes. GHRHR variants affect how many receptor targets CJC-1295 has on your pituitary. The GHR d3 deletion determines downstream GH sensitivity. IGF1 promoter variants set your baseline, influencing how much room there is for improvement. A genetic peptide report maps these factors.
Learn more about CJC-1295
41 guides mention CJC-1295→stacking
Peptide Stacking 101: The Rules, the Risks, and the Science
13 min read
stacking
How to Build a Peptide Stack: A DNA-Guided Approach
13 min read
safety
Peptides for Beginners: The Complete Starter Guide (2026)
18 min read
comparisons
In depthCJC-1295 With DAC vs Without DAC: Why the Most Popular GH Stack Is Using the Wrong Version
12 min read
comparisons
In depthIpamorelin vs CJC-1295: Same Goal, Very Different Biology
12 min read
comparisons
In depthSermorelin vs CJC-1295: Why One Has 25 Years of Data and the Other Has One Study
12 min read
Your next move
Two ways forward with CJC-1295.
Not sure it's for you?
How does CJC-1295 relate to your genes?
Your report scores CJC-1295 against your receptor, pharmacogene and pathway variants and shows the genetic markers relevant to it, with commonly cited dosing information to review with a clinician.
Analyze my DNA — $99Already decided?
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