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PeptidesEvidence: Limited human data

CJC-1295 With DAC: The 8-Day GHRH Analog, Explained From Its One Human Trial

Written by
Daniel Reyes, PhD
Medically reviewed by
Dr. Sarah Lindqvist, MD
Published
June 20, 2025
Updated
June 20, 2025
Last medical review
June 20, 2025
Reviewer scope
Metabolic health
Researcher silhouetted at a microscope — CJC-1295 with DAC has exactly one published human trial program

CJC-1295 with DAC is a GHRH analog engineered to bind serum albumin, stretching its half-life to roughly 6–8 days. Its single published human program showed dose-dependent GH and IGF-1 elevations lasting up to two weeks after one injection. Development stopped, long-term safety was never characterized, and the FDA has flagged it among compounding substances with significant safety risks.

What the phase-I data showed

In healthy adults, single injections produced sustained increases in GH (cumulative) and IGF-1 lasting 6–14 days depending on dose. That paper remains essentially the entire human evidence base — pharmacology, not outcomes.

3D molecular structure render representing the albumin-binding Drug Affinity Complex that gives CJC-1295 its 6-8 day half-life

Why sustained release is the concern, not the selling point

Natural GH secretion is pulsatile; downstream tissues read the pulses. Multi-day flat elevation is a different physiological signal with unknown long-term consequences — the classic worry list includes insulin resistance, fluid retention, and growth signaling in tissue you do not want growing.

The compound usually paired with it has its own file — the ipamorelin guide includes the failed phase-II trial. The pairing itself is graded in our stack evidence review, and the oral alternative in the MK-677 explainer. Compare status across compounds in the peptide comparison table.

DAC vs no-DAC ("Mod GRF 1-29")

Without DAC, the molecule’s half-life drops to minutes, restoring a pulse-like profile — which is why the no-DAC version is often paired with a GHRP like ipamorelin in community protocols. Both versions remain unapproved and safety-flagged.

Frequently asked questions

What is the half-life of CJC-1295 with DAC?
Roughly 6–8 days. The Drug Affinity Complex binds serum albumin, stretching a GHRH analog that would otherwise clear in minutes into a compound producing GH and IGF-1 elevations lasting up to two weeks after a single injection in its phase-I data.
What is the difference between CJC-1295 with and without DAC?
Without DAC (often sold as Mod GRF 1-29), the half-life drops to minutes, restoring a pulse-like GH profile — which is why the no-DAC version is commonly paired with a GHRP in community protocols. Both versions are unapproved and FDA safety-flagged.
Is CJC-1295 FDA-approved?
No. Its development stopped after early trials, long-term safety was never characterized, and the FDA has flagged it among compounding substances with significant safety risks. The multi-day non-pulsatile GH elevation is the core unanswered safety question.

Questions to ask a licensed clinician

  • Why was development of this compound discontinued?
  • How would IGF-1 and glucose be monitored if any GH-axis therapy were appropriate?

References

  1. Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, et al. (2006). Prolonged stimulation of GH and IGF-I secretion by CJC-1295 in healthy adults. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. SourcePhase-I RCT
  2. US Food and Drug Administration (2023). Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks. FDA Human Drug Compounding. SourceAgency notice

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