GHRH receptor agonist (short-acting; chemically stabilised)
CJC-1295 (No DAC)
Modified GRF(1-29) — Mod GRF 1-29 (Tyr1-D-Ala2-Ala8-Ala15-GHRH(1-29)NH2)
Overview
The compound the research community calls 'CJC-1295 No DAC' has an unusual identity: it is a retronym. When ConjuChem Biotechnologies developed CJC-1295 in the early 2000s, there was only one product — the long-acting, albumin-binding version now known as CJC-1295 DAC. The peptide chemistry underneath (a GHRH(1-29) analogue with four amino acid substitutions) existed as an intermediate. The 'No DAC' name emerged years later, from research-supply channels that needed a way to distinguish the stabilised backbone from the finished long-acting drug. Peptide chemists know it under its systematic name, Modified GRF 1-29.
The molecule is elegant. Four hand-picked substitutions solve four different degradation problems: D-alanine at position 2 blocks dipeptidyl peptidase-IV cleavage; glutamine at position 8 prevents asparagine deamidation; alanine at position 15 resists tryptic proteolysis; leucine at position 27 blocks methionine oxidation. The half-life stretches from sermorelin's ~10–20 minutes out to ~30 minutes — long enough for once-daily research protocols, short enough that the GH response is still a pulse rather than a plateau.
This matters editorially because the peer-reviewed 'CJC-1295' human data — Teichman JCEM 2006, Ionescu JCEM 2006 — are on the DAC form, not on this one. Modern controlled human data for No-DAC specifically is thin: the mechanism is well characterised (Alba 2006 in GHRH-knockout mice) but the peptide has never entered a modern human clinical trial program under this identity. Anywhere a source claims 'CJC-1295 half-life is 8 days' or 'CJC-1295 causes joint pain,' they are almost certainly discussing the DAC form.
Quick Facts & Evidence
- Category
- GHRH receptor agonist (short-acting; chemically stabilised)
- Research area
- GHRH analogue
- Most studied for
- GH-axis pharmacology research (preclinical)
- Comparison studies with other GHRH analogues (research)
- Combined GHRH + GHSR pulse-amplification research (with Ipamorelin)
- Clinical status
- Research use only — no approved clinical indication
- Human evidence
- Moderate Human Evidence
- Regulatory status
- Not approved by FDA, EMA or MHRA
Moderate Human Evidence
Supported by human trials, but of limited size, duration, or replication. May be approved for related but not identical indications.
Research Protocols
Research Protocol Snapshot
Preparation covered on this page
Freeze-dried injectable research format
This page covers the RUO lyophilized CJC-1295 (No DAC) vial reconstituted with bacteriostatic water for subcutaneous research use, following the standard Healthy Mango preparation convention.
CJC-1295 (No DAC) research values at a glance.
| Item | Example value |
|---|---|
| Vial size | 5 mg |
| Liquid used to mix | Bacteriostatic water |
| Amount of liquid added | 2.0 mL |
| Final concentration | 2.5 mg/mL |
| How it's given | Subcutaneous injection |
| Research dose | 0.1–0.3 mg (100–300 mcg) per pulse |
| Frequency | 5×/week, fasted, pre-sleep |
| After mixing | Refrigerate; use within 7–10 days |
Reported Dosing
The practitioner-reference research protocol for CJC-1295 (No DAC) is 0.1–0.3 mg per subcutaneous pulse, 5×/week, fasted, pre-sleep, across a 3-month cycle. It is educational reference, not a recommendation.
The Reported Protocol
| Dose | Frequency | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1–0.3 mg | 5×/week, fasted, pre-sleep, subcutaneous | 3 months on / 1 month off | 0.04–0.12 mL at 2.5 mg/mL |
Why protocols vary
The No-DAC form has an ~30-minute plasma half-life, giving a short and sharp physiologic GH pulse rather than the sustained plateau produced by the DAC form. Pre-sleep fasted dosing aligns the pharmacologic pulse with the body's own overnight GH release.
The 3-month-on / 1-month-off cadence prevents pituitary receptor desensitisation. This is deliberately different from CJC-1295 DAC, which uses 1× per week (or 1× per 2 weeks) dosing because its 8-day half-life would accumulate at higher frequency.
Preparing the Solution
Turning the freeze-dried powder into a measurable liquid.
Documented preparation
The documented research protocol is based on this preparation concentration.
Freeze-dried powder: 5 mg vial
Diluent: 2.0 mL bacteriostatic water
Final concentration: 2.5 mg/mL
Vial and volume from the practitioner reference; concentration calculated · Research-practitioner guide
Your vial
Matching preparation
Bacteriostatic water
2mL
Resulting concentration
2.5 mg/mL
Equivalent volume
The reported research amount of 0.10–0.30 mg is contained within
0.04–0.12mL
of the prepared solution now in your vial.
Show calculation
- Documented concentration
- 5 mg ÷ 2 mL = 2.5 mg/mL
- Bacteriostatic water to match the documented concentration
- 5 mg ÷ 2.5 mg/mL = 2 mL
- Equivalent volume at this concentration
- 0.10–0.30 mg ÷ 2.5 mg/mL = 0.04–0.12 mL
This tool performs arithmetic conversions using the preparation example and reported research amount shown on this page. It does not recommend an amount, route, preparation method, or use.
This tool performs arithmetic conversions using the preparation example and reported research amount shown on this page. It does not recommend an amount, route, preparation method, or use.Sources for these values
- Documented in the practitioner referenceResearch-practitioner guide
This example explains how concentration and volume are calculated for the standard RUO preparation. It is not a preparation guide.
How It's Given
Method used for this format
Subcutaneous injection, 5×/week fasted pre-sleep
Documented in the practitioner reference · Research-practitioner guide
Why this method
CJC-1295 (No DAC) is a 30-amino-acid peptide; the subcutaneous route delivers it into circulation without the gastrointestinal degradation that would break the molecule down.
Pre-sleep timing aligns the pharmacologic pulse with the body's own overnight GH release; fasted timing avoids carbohydrate blunting of the same pulse.
Injection sites reported
- Abdomen (rotate sites)
- Front of the thigh
- Avoid scarred, bruised, inflamed, or infected skin
Storage
Before mixing
- Refrigerate 2–8 °C
- Protect from light
- Do not freeze
Documented in the practitioner reference; general RUO practice · Research-practitioner guide
After mixing
- Refrigerate 2–8 °C
- Use within 7–10 days
- Do not freeze
- Discard if cloudy or discoloured
Documented in the practitioner reference · Research-practitioner guide
Handling
- Direct diluent slowly down the vial wall
- Gently swirl until dissolved — do not shake
- New sterile needle each draw
- Do not share vials
General RUO practice · Research-practitioner guide
Storage guidance summarises documented practitioner practice and standard RUO peptide handling. Verify the specific vial's supplied instructions before use.
Common Cycle
The practitioner-reference cadence is a 3-month active cycle followed by a 1-month washout — a duration chosen to prevent pituitary receptor desensitisation.
- Cycle Length
- 3 months on
- Break Before the Next Cycle
- 1-month washout between cycles
- What the Research Shows
- Not defined (No-DAC has no phase-3 program under this identity)
Documented in the practitioner reference · Research-practitioner guide
The peer-reviewed CJC-1295 human data (Teichman 2006, Ionescu 2006) tested the DAC form on a different schedule. Neither is the No-DAC practitioner-reference cadence above.
Compound Overview
Current areas of research
There is no approved indication for CJC-1295 No-DAC. The following are effects reported in preclinical or research contexts.
- Stimulation of the pituitary GHRH receptor producing a physiologic GH pulse (preclinical)
- Downstream IGF-1 elevation with sustained administration (small human PK studies)
- Research use as an additive to GHSR agonists (Ipamorelin) for combined-mechanism GH pulse amplification
Mechanism of action
The compound the research community calls 'CJC-1295 No DAC' has an unusual identity: it is a retronym. When ConjuChem Biotechnologies developed CJC-1295 in the early 2000s, there was only one product — the long-acting, albumin-binding version now known as CJC-1295 DAC. The peptide chemistry underneath (a GHRH(1-29) analogue with four amino acid substitutions) existed as an intermediate. The 'No DAC' name emerged years later, from research-supply channels that needed a way to distinguish the stabilised backbone from the finished long-acting drug. Peptide chemists know it under its systematic name, Modified GRF 1-29.
The molecule is elegant. Four hand-picked substitutions solve four different degradation problems: D-alanine at position 2 blocks dipeptidyl peptidase-IV cleavage; glutamine at position 8 prevents asparagine deamidation; alanine at position 15 resists tryptic proteolysis; leucine at position 27 blocks methionine oxidation. The half-life stretches from sermorelin's ~10–20 minutes out to ~30 minutes — long enough for once-daily research protocols, short enough that the GH response is still a pulse rather than a plateau.
This matters editorially because the peer-reviewed 'CJC-1295' human data — Teichman JCEM 2006, Ionescu JCEM 2006 — are on the DAC form, not on this one. Modern controlled human data for No-DAC specifically is thin: the mechanism is well characterised (Alba 2006 in GHRH-knockout mice) but the peptide has never entered a modern human clinical trial program under this identity. Anywhere a source claims 'CJC-1295 half-life is 8 days' or 'CJC-1295 causes joint pain,' they are almost certainly discussing the DAC form.
- Systematic name Modified GRF 1-29; the 'No DAC' label is retrospective, applied to distinguish it from the long-acting DAC form
- The famous CJC-1295 human trials (Teichman, Ionescu 2006) study the DAC form — modern controlled human data on the No-DAC form specifically is limited
- Rarely used alone in research; almost always paired with a GHSR agonist (ipamorelin) to exploit additive pulse amplification
Human research
The published evidence base has two distinct centres of gravity. Receptor-level pharmacology — the four amino acid substitutions produce a peptide that binds GHRH-R and resists degradation — is well characterised by Alba AJP-Endo 2006, which showed once-daily CJC-1295 normalising growth in GHRH-knockout mice. This is Level-C animal evidence, but it is direct evidence for the No-DAC molecule.
Human evidence, by contrast, is indirect. Teichman JCEM 2006 and Ionescu JCEM 2006 are the foundational CJC-1295 human papers, and both use the DAC form. Ionescu's finding — that pulsatile GH release persists even under continuous GHRH-R stimulation — is a fundamental insight into somatotroph pharmacology and applies broadly, but the pharmacokinetic parameters (half-life, dosing frequency, IGF-1 profile) belong to DAC, not No-DAC. Anyone reading 'CJC-1295' in a phase-1 paper should ask, before extrapolating: which form did they study?
Evidence level is Level B (moderate) — better characterised than a novel compound, weaker than a compound with dedicated human data. Extrapolation from the DAC papers to the No-DAC form is reasonable at the receptor level and unreasonable at the pharmacokinetic level.
Teichman JCEM 2006
Phase-1 in healthy adults of CJC-1295 (DAC form). Demonstrated prolonged GH and IGF-1 stimulation vs placebo across single- and multiple-dose cohorts. Foundational human PK/PD paper for the DAC form.
Ionescu JCEM 2006
Detailed characterisation of pulsatile GH secretion under CJC-1295 (DAC) stimulation in healthy adults. Demonstrated that pulsatile GH release persists even under continuous GHRH-receptor stimulation.
Alba AJP-Endo 2006
Preclinical study in GHRH-knockout mice showing that once-daily CJC-1295 administration normalised growth. Foundational preclinical support for the CJC-1295 mechanism.
The peptide has never had a regulatory identity of its own. Within ConjuChem's development program in the early 2000s, the Modified GRF 1-29 backbone was an intermediate — the target product was the long-acting DAC form. When ConjuChem's program stalled and the company ultimately went bankrupt in 2011, both forms were left in a kind of pharmaceutical orphan status. The DAC form has published human phase-1/2 data; the No-DAC form does not.
That means the answer to 'is CJC-1295 No DAC approved?' has always been no, but the shape of that 'no' is unusual. It isn't a failed candidate or a withdrawn product — it is a compound that was never seriously advanced under its own identity. Contemporary access is through compounding pharmacies (where legally permitted) or research-supply channels. There is no post-marketing surveillance dataset.
One consequence: when a search returns 'CJC-1295 phase-1 data,' those papers almost invariably refer to the DAC form. Ionescu 2006 and Teichman 2006 are essential references for understanding CJC-1295-family pharmacology, but they are not evidence about the No-DAC form specifically. The receptor-level mechanism generalises; the human PK/PD does not.
Safety considerations
The following are class-typical GHRH-analogue side effects reported in the research literature and in mechanistically-related compounds.
- Injection-site reactions — Erythema, pain, mild swelling — the most common
- Mild flushing
- Headache
- Water retention — Especially with sustained daily use
- Elevated IGF-1 — Attributable to sustained GH pulses; monitor with prolonged use in research settings
- Hyperglycaemia risk — In participants with pre-existing glucose dysregulation
- Rare: hypersensitivity
There is no approved-label list of contraindications because there is no approved indication. The following draws on the general GHRH-analogue safety class.
- Disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (hypophysectomy, hypopituitarism, pituitary tumour surgery, head irradiation, head trauma)
- Active malignancy (theoretical risk from IGF-1 elevation)
- Pregnancy
- Known hypersensitivity to GHRH-related peptides
- Not appropriate for concurrent use with rhGH replacement
Monitoring
- IGF-1 (baseline and periodic if used long-term in research)
- Fasting glucose and HbA1c in participants with diabetes or prediabetes
- Injection-site reactions across rotation sites
- Signs of fluid retention
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called 'No DAC' — is that a formal name?
No. 'Modified GRF 1-29' is the systematic name; 'No DAC' is a research-community retronym that emerged to distinguish the stabilised GHRH backbone from the long-acting DAC form after both existed in supply channels. The naming came from need, not from ConjuChem's development program. If a vial is labelled only 'CJC-1295' without a qualifier, treat that as ambiguous and verify before use.
Aren't the famous CJC-1295 phase-1 papers about this molecule?
No — and this is the most common source of confusion in the literature. Teichman JCEM 2006 and Ionescu JCEM 2006 are the foundational human CJC-1295 papers, and both use the DAC form. Their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic findings (the ~8-day exposure, the sustained IGF-1 elevation) belong to DAC. The mechanism findings — GH pulses persisting under continuous receptor stimulation — generalise across the family, but the numbers do not.
Why is it almost always paired with ipamorelin in research?
Because the pharmacologic rationale for using No-DAC alone is weaker than the rationale for using it with a GHSR agonist. CJC-1295 No-DAC activates GHRH-R; ipamorelin activates GHSR-1a. Both receptors sit on the same somatotroph. Their signals are additive, and the combined pulse is meaningfully larger than either alone. As a solo compound in research contexts, No-DAC is a modest improvement over sermorelin. As a partner to ipamorelin, it's the standard combination in the field.
What do the four amino acid substitutions actually do?
Each solves a specific degradation problem. D-alanine at position 2 blocks DPP-IV (dipeptidyl peptidase-IV) cleavage — the same enzyme that inactivates endogenous GLP-1. Glutamine at position 8 prevents asparagine deamidation. Alanine at position 15 blocks tryptic proteolysis. Leucine at position 27 blocks methionine oxidation. The combined effect is a peptide with roughly 3× the plasma stability of sermorelin, still short enough to preserve physiologic pulsatility.
Is there any modern human data specifically on the No-DAC form?
Very limited. Small research-context observations exist, but there is no phase-2 or phase-3 program under this identity. That absence is a real limitation. If you want human PK/PD data on a GHRH analogue in this general design space, the sermorelin literature (native sequence, published data) or tesamorelin (longer stabilised sequence, active FDA product) offer more grounded starting points.
References
- [1]
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 SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2006)
- [2]
Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog — Ionescu M, Frohman LA, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2006)
- [3]
Once-daily administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, normalizes growth in the GHRH knockout mouse — Alba M, Fintini D, Sagazio A, et al., American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism (2006)
- [4]
Peptides & Compounds — The No-Jargon Guide (v5) — Healthy Mango Editorial, Healthy Mango practitioner reference (2026)
Laboratory Reference Notice
This section summarizes procedures and study parameters reported in published scientific literature and laboratory protocols. It is provided for educational and research reference only and must not be interpreted as medical advice, clinical guidance, or instructions for personal use.
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