CJC-1295 with DAC
CJC-1295 with DAC is a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog chemically conjugated to a Drug Affinity Complex (DAC) that binds circulating albumin, extending its half-life to roughly a week and producing sustained elevations in growth hormone and IGF-1 in the peer-reviewed human study that established its pharmacology.
This page is a research-orientation summary, not a dosing guide. For anything beyond general background, read the primary literature or talk to a qualified clinician — specifics like amount, frequency, or administration aren't something we publish here.
What it does & how it works
Like unconjugated GHRH analogs, CJC-1295 with DAC activates the pituitary GHRH receptor (Gs-coupled), raising cAMP and driving PKA-dependent GH synthesis and secretion from somatotrophs. The added DAC moiety is a small-molecule linker that forms a covalent bond with a reactive lysine on circulating albumin, effectively creating a long-circulating albumin-peptide complex that resists renal clearance and proteolytic degradation. This albumin-binding strategy converts a peptide with a native half-life of minutes into one with a half-life reported at roughly one week, allowing near-continuous rather than purely pulsatile receptor stimulation.
Typical results seen in research
In the pivotal human study, single subcutaneous doses produced dose-dependent increases in mean plasma GH of roughly 2- to 10-fold sustained for 6 days or more, with parallel, more gradual increases in IGF-1 that remained elevated for at least 9-11 days; repeated dosing sustained elevated IGF-1 levels above baseline throughout a multi-week dosing period. These effects were shown in a small, industry-sponsored trial in healthy adults, so evidence on long-term efficacy, optimal dosing, and safety in broader populations remains limited compared with FDA-approved growth hormone axis therapies.
How it’s commonly used
CJC-1295 with DAC is administered by subcutaneous injection and, owing to its extended albumin-bound half-life, is studied using much less frequent dosing intervals than short-acting GHRH analogs. It is used exclusively in a research context and has no approved clinical indication.
- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2006 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
- American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism · 2006 Once-daily administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, normalizes growth in the GHRH knockout mouse
- Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis · 2011 Identification of CJC-1295, a growth-hormone-releasing peptide, in an unknown pharmaceutical preparation
Curated from published literature for research orientation. Not an exhaustive review, and not a substitute for reading primary sources.