CJC-1295 (Without DAC)

Technical data

INN name

CJC-1295 without DAC

Identity and composition

CJC-1295 sin DAC (también mod GRF 1-29 o Modified Growth Hormone Releasing Factor 1-29) is a synthetic 30-amino-acid peptide derived from the first 29 of human GHRH (Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone), with four strategic substitutions (D-Ala²-Gln⁸-Ala¹⁵-Leu²⁷-GHRH) that confer resistance to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4).

Origin of the name: the Canadian laboratory ConjuChem developed two versions of the GHRH analog: "with DAC" (Drug Affinity Complex, half-life ~7 days) and "without DAC" (half-life ~30 min). The without-DAC version is also known as CJC-1295 SDAC o mod GRF 1-29.

Structure and difference from DAC:

• Same 30-amino-acid peptide backbone.
• Without the maleimidopropionyl (MPA) chain que en el DAC permite unión covalente a albúmina.
• Short plasma half-life (~30 min).
• Liberación de GH fisiológica pulsátil, preserving endogenous circadian architecture.

Physicochemical properties: molecular mass 3,367.9 Da; high aqueous solubility after reconstitution; good stability when lyophilized; moderate sensitivity to temperature, extreme pH and light.

Unlike native GHRH (degraded in <2 min by DPP-4), it maintains activity ~30 min, enough to induce a pulse of endogenous GH sin alterar el ritmo circadiano, lo que lo diferencia del DAC en algunos protocolos. Se usa exclusivamente como research molecule del eje somatotropo, composición corporal y neuroendocrinología. No tiene aprobación regulatoria.

Mechanism of action

CJC-1295 Without DAC is a GHRH receptor (GHRHR) agonist from the somatotroph cells of the anterior pituitary.

Molecular cascade:

1. Unión al GHRHR acoplado a proteína Gs.
2. Activación de adenilato ciclasa → incremento de cAMP.
3. Activación de PKA → fosforilación de CREB.
4. Transcripción del gen GH1 y liberación de gránulos preformados de GH.
5. Plasma GH pulse (3–10× over baseline), peaking at 15–30 min post-administration.
6. GH acts on the liver and peripheral tissues inducing IGF-1 (via JAK2/STAT5).
7. IGF-1 mediates much of the anabolic and proliferative effects.

Induced secretion pattern: single well-defined pulse, similar to the nocturnal physiological one; duration ~2–3 h; return to baseline before the next dose (avoids suppression by somatostatin/IGF-1).

Synergy with ghrelin secretagogues (GHRP): combinado con Ipamorelina o GHRP-6 la liberación es synergistic (not additive), potentially reaching 5–10× the sum of individual pulses. Mechanism: GHRH stimulates somatotrophs; GHRP acts on somatotrophs AND on the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus inhibiting somatostatin (removes the brake).

Efectos fisiológicos secundarios: sustained increase in plasma IGF-1 (mediated by hepatic GH), lipolysis in adipose tissue (direct GH effect), stimulation of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle (via IGF-1), improved sleep quality (nocturnal GH pulses), and modulation of cellular immunity.

Preservation of the endogenous axis: a diferencia de la GH exógena (que suprime totalmente la producción endógena por retroalimentación negativa), lo stimulates sin sustituirlo, característica que reduce el riesgo de atrofia hipofisaria y dependencia funcional.

Pharmacokinetics

Absorption: vía subcutánea con biodisponibilidad alta (>70% estimado); Tmax 15–30 min.

Distribution: extensive after parenteral administration; moderate crossing of the blood-brain barrier.

Plasma half-life: approximately 30 minutes, similar to the range of modified endogenous GHRH.

Metabolism: degradación proteolítica por peptidasas séricas (pese a resistencia DPP-4) y captación tisular.

Elimination: predominantly renal; rapid clearance.

Duration of the biological effect: pulso de GH ~2–3 h; elevación secundaria de IGF-1 de 24–48 h; recuperación basal antes de la siguiente dosis.

Frequency: 1–3 times/day allows separate physiological pulses; more frequent dosing may desensitize the GHRHR.

Serum stability: degradación en 1–2 h in vitro en suero humano.

Diferencia PK con el DAC: Sin DAC = vida media ~30 min, pulsos discretos, patrón fisiológico; Con DAC = vida media ~7 días, elevación sostenida y aplanada de GH/IGF-1, no fisiológica.

No accumulation: the short half-life prevents accumulation; each dose generates an independent pulse. IGF-1 kinetics: observable elevation at 12–24 h; with chronic daily dosing, IGF-1 stabilizes 30–80% over baseline.

Scientific evidence

La evidencia se concentra en preclinical models and some phase I/II studies with the DAC version (partially extrapolable).

Pharmacokinetics/farmacodinámica:

• Teichman et al. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006): caracterización en humanos sanos del CJC-1295 DAC, con datos de liberación GH/IGF-1.
• Studies with mod GRF 1-29 (No DAC equivalent): GH pulses of 3–10× baseline with doses of 50–100 µg subcutaneous in healthy subjects.

Animal models: in rat and mouse, increased muscle mass, reduced fat and improved wound healing after chronic dosing; in pig and cattle, improved carcass composition (agricultural context).

Somatotropic axis: estudios neuroendocrinológicos confirman preservación de pulsatilidad con Sin DAC vs supresión con DAC; la combinación con ghrelina/GHRP muestra sinergia consistente.

Clinical research: no phase II/III trials with the No-DAC form for approved human indications. ConjuChem halted development around 2010 after phase II in HIV-associated lipodystrophy, with no commercialization.

Body composition: small uncontrolled studies in somatotropic aging show modest increases in lean mass and reduced visceral fat (12–24 weeks). Sleep: la polisomnografía muestra incremento de fase III–IV tras dosis nocturnas.

Limitations: most human studies are small, uncontrolled, or non-indexed; rigorous data come mostly from animal models.

Research applications

Applications documented in research:

Eje somatotropo/endocrinología: respuesta GH/IGF-1 a estímulo GHRH en sujetos sanos y patológicos; deficiencia parcial de GH del adulto (modelo de provocación); envejecimiento somatotropo (somatopausa).

Body composition: increased lean mass (12–24 week studies); reduced visceral fat (direct GH lipolysis); muscle preservation under caloric restriction.

Recovery/regeneration (sports research): cicatrización tisular (IGF-1 mediado), reparación muscular post-ejercicio, tendinopatía crónica.

Sleep: mejora de fase de sueño profundo; insomnio asociado a deficiencia GH del adulto mayor.

Fragilidad geriátrica: sarcopenia experimental; restauración parcial de composición corporal en modelos murinos de envejecimiento.

Standard combinations:

• Sin DAC + Ipamorelina: the best documented for synergy and selectivity; 100 µg + 100–200 µg subcutaneous, 1–3 times/day.
• Sin DAC + GHRP-6: similar, with additional appetite (ghrelinergic effect).
• Sin DAC + GHRP-2: higher GH pulses, greater marginal stimulation of cortisol/prolactin.

Routes of administration: subcutaneous (standard route); intramuscular (acceptable, no clear advantage); intranasal (explored in research, reduced bioavailability). All clinical application remains strictly investigational; no use has been approved for formal human therapeutics.

Research protocols

Los protocolos preclínicos e investigacionales siguen un esquema de physiological pulses.

Dosis típicas: 100 µg por dosis subcutánea (rango 50–200 µg); frecuencia 1–3 veces/día.

Best-documented regimen (100 µg × 3/day): morning while fasting; mid-afternoon before training (sports research); night before sleep (takes advantage of the nocturnal GH pulse).

Esquema simplificado (200 µg × 1/día nocturno): maximiza el pulso GH durante el sueño, con mejor adherencia.

Combinaciones:

• Sin DAC 100 µg + Ipamorelina 100–200 µg: the most studied, consistent synergy.
• Sin DAC 100 µg + GHRP-2 100 µg: high GH pulse.
• Sin DAC + Tesamorelina: NO recomendable (ambos GHRH análogos, redundantes).

Duration: short research 8–12 weeks; extended 12–24 weeks with 2–4 week breaks to avoid desensitization. Typical cycling "5 days on / 2 off" or "12 weeks on / 4 off".

Timing con comidas: en ayunas o ≥2 h post-comida (la insulina elevada reduce la respuesta GH); esperar 20–30 min post-dosis antes de comer.

Animal models: rata 5–20 µg/kg/dosis; ratón 10–30 µg/kg/dosis.

Monitoring: IGF-1 basal y a 4–8 semanas; glucemia (GH contrarregulador); función tiroidea; composición corporal por DXA en estudios prolongados.

Reconstitution

Lyophilized CJC-1295 Without DAC is reconstituted with bacteriostatic water (BAC) preferably.

Procedimiento:

1. Equilibrate vial and solvent to room temperature for 15 min.
2. Clean the stopper with 70% isopropanol.
3. Inject BAC slowly onto the side wall of the vial.
4. Do not shake: swirl gently to dissolve in 1–2 min.
5. La solución debe ser clear and colorless.

Reference concentrations:

2 mg vial:

• 1 mL BAC → 2,000 µg/mL (100 µg = 0.05 mL = 5 IU in a U-100 syringe)
• 2 mL BAC → 1,000 µg/mL (100 µg = 0.1 mL = 10 IU)

5 mg vial:

• 1 mL BAC → 5,000 µg/mL (100 µg = 0.02 mL = 2 IU)
• 2.5 mL BAC → 2,000 µg/mL (100 µg = 0.05 mL = 5 IU)
• 5 mL BAC → 1,000 µg/mL (100 µg = 0.1 mL = 10 IU)

Syringe: insulina U-100 de 0.3 mL, aguja 30–32G × 6–8 mm.

Route: subcutánea estricta (abdomen, muslo, deltoides), rotando sitios.

Calculation: volume (mL) = dose (µg) / concentration (µg/mL).

Combinaciones: can be mixed in the same syringe with Ipamorelin and GHRP-2/GHRP-6 immediately before injecting, with no documented loss of activity for immediate use. Do not mix in a vial for prolonged storage (uncharacterized peptide-peptide interactions).

Stability and storage

Sealed lyophilized vial: store at 2–8 °C protected from light; stability up to 24 months per manufacturer; transient tolerance to room temperature for up to 30 days.

Vial reconstituted with BAC: store at strict 2–8 °C; stability 14–21 days preserving activity (shorter than BPC-157/TB-500 due to the greater sensitivity of the GHRH analog). Do not freeze; protect from light.

Reconstituido con agua estéril sin conservador: uso inmediato o dentro de 24 h refrigerado.

Thermal sensitivity: transiently tolerates up to 25 °C; prolonged exposure to room temperature reduces activity faster than other peptides.

Chemical sensitivity: pH óptimo 5–7; degradación acelerada en pH alcalino; sensible a agitación vigorosa.

Degradation indicators: turbidez, partículas o cambio de color → descartar; precipitado al refrigerar → agitar suavemente y, si persiste, descartar.

Transport/alícuotas: strict cold gel pack; the lyophilized product tolerates 24–48 h up to 25 °C. Aliquots at -20 °C possible with a single freeze-thaw (shelf life up to ~60 days).

Safety profile

CJC-1295 Without DAC presents a acceptable safety profile in research, with adverse events generally mild and transient.

Eventos comunes (leves, transitorios):

• Rubor facial (flushing): 15–25%, 5–15 min post-dosis.
• Sensación de calor/hormigueo: 10–20%.
• Mild dizziness or brief headache: 5–10%.
• Injection site reactions: 2–5%, mild erythema.
• Somnolencia (con dosis nocturnas, deseable en algunos protocolos).

Asociados a respuesta GH/IGF-1 sostenida: retención hídrica leve ocasional; parestesias en manos (túnel carpiano funcional) poco común con dosis bajas; artralgias leves ocasionales; hiperglucemia leve (GH contrarregulador; vigilar en diabéticos).

Infrecuentes pero relevantes: changes in insulin sensitivity (monitoring with prolonged use); rare gynecomastia, from prolactin elevations (more with DAC or GHRP-2/6); occasional thyroid alteration with use >12 weeks.

Teóricas en uso prolongado: acromegalia funcional con dosis muy altas y prolongadas; riesgo oncológico por carácter mitogénico de GH/IGF-1 (precaución con neoplasia o predisposición tumoral).

Absolute contraindications: neoplasia activa o historia oncológica reciente; diabetes mal controlada; retinopatía proliferativa; embarazo, lactancia; menores.

Relativas: túnel carpiano preexistente; trastornos tiroideos no controlados; insuficiencia hepática/renal moderada–severa.

Hypersensitivity: extremely rare. Interactions: glucocorticoids may reduce the GH response; insulin requires adjustment because of the counter-regulatory effect. WADA: CJC-1295 (Sin DAC y DAC) prohibidos desde 2008 (categoría S2, hormonas peptídicas y factores liberadores). HPLC purity: ideally >99%; lower purity may contain fragments with immunogenic potential.

Comparative context

vs CJC-1295 with DAC: Sin DAC = vida media ~30 min, pulsos fisiológicos, 1–3×/día; DAC = ~7 días, elevación sostenida y aplanada, 1×/semana. Sin DAC preserva la pulsatilidad endógena; el DAC produce mayores incrementos absolutos de IGF-1.

vs Tesamorelin: GHRH analog with half-life ~30 min, the only one approved by the FDA (HIV lipodystrophy); very similar pattern, more formal clinical evidence but higher cost.

vs Sermorelin: GHRH 1-29 sin modificar, vida media ~10–20 min, menos potente; Sin DAC es un Sermorelin mejorado con resistencia a DPP-4.

vs native GHRH: endogenous with half-life <2 min, not viable as a drug; No DAC is the stable analog with a physiological pattern.

vs GH recombinante: la GH exógena suprime el eje y no es pulsátil; Sin DAC lo estimula y genera pulsos fisiológicos sin "hipófisis perezosa" en uso intermitente.

vs Ipamorelina: agonista de ghrelina/GHSR (no GHRHR); mecanismos complementarios → frequently combined. Ventaja de Sin DAC: patrón fisiológico, menor desensibilización, flexibilidad y costo accesible. Disadvantage: requiere múltiples dosis diarias.

History and development

CJC-1295 fue desarrollado por la biofarmacéutica canadiense ConjuChem Biotechnologies (Montreal, Quebec), within a program to extend the half-life of peptides through albumin conjugation (DAC™ technology).

Hitos:

• 1980s–1990s: desarrollo de Sermorelin (GHRH 1-29) por Serono.
• ~2000: ConjuChem identifies the modifications (D-Ala²-Gln⁸-Ala¹⁵-Leu²⁷) that confer resistance to DPP-4.
• 2003–2006: caracterización preclínica y fase I con y sin DAC.
• 2006: publication by Teichman et al. (JCEM) on CJC-1295 with DAC in humans.
• 2008: WADA lo incluye en la lista prohibida (S2).
• 2010: ConjuChem suspende el desarrollo tras fase II en lipodistrofia HIV, sin comercialización.

Name: CJC = ConjuChem Inc.; 1295 = código interno. Tras la suspensión, la versión Sin DAC siguió produciéndose como mod GRF 1-29, functional and structural equivalent.

Regulatorio: without approval from any authority (FDA, EMA, COFEPRIS) for human use; Tesamorelin (analog) does have FDA approval. Available as a research reagent.

FAQ

Customer reviews

Average rating: 4.2 out of 5, based on 5 customer ratings.

Certificate of analysis per batch

CJC-1295 (No DAC) batch with certificate of analysis published in the COA catalog:

• Lot EXO010626042B — 10 mg, issued 2026-05-30

Scientific references (4)

Peer-reviewed literature on CJC-1295 (No DAC), with its PubMed identifier where available:

• 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 (Teichman, et al. · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism · 2006) PMID 16352683.
• Advances in the detection of growth hormone releasing hormone synthetic analogs (Semenistaya, et al. · Drug Testing and Analysis · 2021) PMID 34665524.
• Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Physicians (Mayfield CK, et al. · The American Journal of Sports Medicine · 2026) PMID 41476424.
• Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic Performance (Mendias CL, et al. · Sports Medicine · 2026) PMID 41966639.

Otras presentaciones de CJC-1295 (Sin DAC)

• CJC-1295 (DAC)
• CJC-1295 (No DAC) + Ipamorelin

Guides and articles about CJC-1295 (No DAC)

Lecturas del blog de EXOMA que la editorial asoció a este compuesto:

• CJC-1295 Without DAC (Mod GRF 1-29) in Mexico: physiological GH pulses
• Tesamorelin: Growth Hormone-Releasing Agent with Clinical Evidence

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