CJC-1295 (DAC)
Also known as CJC-1295 with DAC, DAC:GRF, Drug Affinity Complex GRF
CJC-1295 with DAC is a long-acting growth hormone releasing hormone analog that keeps growth hormone and IGF-1 elevated for about a week per injection. People use it for a steady rise in IGF-1 with only once or twice weekly dosing.
Reviewed by the amino101 editorial team. , first published .
Quick start
What people commonly do. Not a prescription.- Typical dose
- 1 to 2 mg per week
- How often
- once or twice weekly
- Where
- Subcutaneous, belly or thigh
- Timing
- Any time of day; evening is common; meal timing matters little because release is continuous
- Effects timeline
- IGF-1 rise within the first week, water retention 1 to 2 weeks, body composition 8 to 12 weeks
- Storage
- Lyophilized in freezer or fridge away from light; reconstituted in fridge 2 to 8 C, use within 4 weeks
- Cycle length
- 8 to 12 weeks
- Break between
- 4 weeks or until IGF-1 is back to baseline on bloodwork
Overview
CJC-1295 with DAC is the original ConjuChem compound. It takes the same modified GRF 1-29 sequence and adds a drug affinity complex, a reactive maleimide group that covalently binds to albumin in the bloodstream within minutes of injection. Once attached to albumin, the peptide is shielded from kidney clearance and enzymatic breakdown, giving it a half-life of roughly six to eight days. One injection can raise mean growth hormone and IGF-1 for a week or more, which is a completely different pharmacological profile from the short pulse of the no DAC version.
The compound was tested in healthy adults in the mid 2000s. Single injections of 60 to 90 mcg per kg increased mean plasma growth hormone two to ten fold for about six days and raised IGF-1 by 1.5 to 3 fold for up to 11 days. Repeated weekly or biweekly dosing kept IGF-1 elevated throughout. Importantly, the pituitary continued to release growth hormone in pulses even under this constant stimulation, so the pattern was amplified rather than flattened. Development stalled after a serious cardiac event in a trial participant that was never firmly attributed to the drug, and the program was later abandoned.
For the research community, the DAC version is a trade-off. It is convenient and raises IGF-1 reliably with far fewer injections. The downside is that growth hormone stays elevated around the clock, including during meals, which some people worry blunts the normal feedback loop and increases side effects like water retention and numbness. There is no long term safety data in humans beyond the early trials, and no body composition outcome trials at all.
How it works
After injection, the DAC group forms a covalent bond with cysteine 34 on circulating albumin. The albumin bound peptide then acts as a slow reservoir of GHRH receptor agonist, continually stimulating somatotrophs in the pituitary to synthesize and release growth hormone. Because albumin is recycled rather than filtered, the complex persists for days. The pituitary still responds to somatostatin and ghrelin signals, so growth hormone pulses continue, but the baseline between pulses is higher and each pulse is larger. The elevated growth hormone drives the liver to produce more IGF-1, which is the main marker people track when using it.
Where the research stands
Growth hormone and IGF-1 elevationStrong evidence
- Sustained IGF-1 increase. Human RCTs in healthy adults showed IGF-1 raised 1.5 to 3 fold for up to 11 days after a single dose.
- Amplified pulsatile growth hormone. Human RCT data showed pulses continued with larger amplitude rather than a flat line.
- Steady state with weekly dosing. Weekly and biweekly dosing over 28 days held IGF-1 up without accumulation in an RCT.
Visceral fat in HIV lipodystrophyEmerging
- Abdominal fat reduction. This was the Phase 2 target before development stopped; the expectation is borrowed from tesamorelin trials rather than proven with CJC-1295.
Body composition in healthy adultsEmerging
- Fat loss and lean mass. No outcome trials exist; anecdotal reports and the general growth hormone literature are all there is.
Sleep and recoveryWeak or mixed
- Sleep quality. Community reports only, and continuous stimulation does not line up with the natural nighttime pulse the way short acting analogs do.
- human RCTA single subcutaneous dose raised mean growth hormone 2-10 fold for about 6 days and IGF-1 1.5-3 fold for up to 11 days in healthy adults.
- human RCTGrowth hormone secretion remained pulsatile during continuous CJC-1295 stimulation, with increased pulse amplitude rather than loss of rhythm.
- human RCTEstimated half-life of 5.8 to 8.1 days after subcutaneous injection, consistent with albumin binding.
- human RCTWeekly and biweekly dosing kept IGF-1 elevated with no accumulation beyond steady state over 28 days.
Rodent and in vitro mean no human data for that finding. Human pilot means small, often uncontrolled. Human RCT means randomized and controlled. Clinical means an approved drug with regulatory data.
Levels over time
Modeled from the half-life. Illustrative, not measured.Dosing every 3.5 d with a half-life of 7 d means each dose lands on top of what is left from the last one. Levels climb to about 3.4 times a single dose before settling, roughly 28 d in.
The week-long half-life means once or twice weekly dosing keeps IGF-1 steadily elevated, but it also means side effects cannot be switched off by skipping a dose.
CJC-1295 (DAC) dosage and protocols
Typical runs are 8 to 12 weeks with no loading phase, since steady state IGF-1 is reached within a couple of weeks on its own. Some people taper down to a single 500 mcg dose in the last week or two, then take about 4 weeks off and recheck IGF-1.
| Goal | Dose | Frequency | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tolerance check | 500 mcg | once weekly for the first 1 to 2 weeks | Subcutaneous |
| Standard | 1 mg | once weekly | Subcutaneous |
| Split dosing | 1 mg | twice weekly, 2 mg per week total | Subcutaneous |
| Layered with a GHRP | 1 mg | once weekly, plus 100 mcg ipamorelin nightly | Subcutaneous |
Because the peptide rides on albumin for days, timing relative to food or sleep has almost no effect on the result. Many people inject in the evening simply so the flushing passes while asleep, and keep the same weekday so blood levels stay even.
commonly split into 1-2 injections per week; some start at 500 mcg to assess tolerance
Dose calculator
U-100 insulin syringeUnits are a volume on the syringe, not an amount of peptide. Concentration changes every time you change the water volume. The standalone calculator explains the math.
| Vial | Suggested water | Concentration | Low dose draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mg | 1 mL | 2 mg/mL | 50 units |
| 5 mg | 2 mL | 2.5 mg/mL | 40 units |
How to reconstitute CJC-1295 (DAC)
- 1
Wash your hands and wipe the work surface. Swab both vial stoppers with alcohol and let them dry.
- 2
Pick the water volume with the calculator above and write it on the vial. The concentration means nothing without it.
- 3
Draw the bacteriostatic water into a mixing syringe.
- 4
Insert at an angle and let the water run down the inside wall. Never squirt it straight onto the powder.
- 5
Swirl gently or leave it to dissolve. Do not shake.
- 6
Label with the date and water volume. Store in the fridge at 2 to 8 C and use within about 4 weeks.
- 7
Unmixed vials keep for months in the fridge and longer in the freezer, sealed and out of light.
- Full walkthrough with syringe reading and site rotation: reconstitution guide.
- ✓White, fluffy cake
Lyophilized powder should look like a small white puck or fluffy cake at the bottom of the vial. That is a proper freeze-dry.
- ✓Clear after mixing
Once dissolved the solution should be water-clear with nothing floating in it.
- !Slight clumping
Small clumps that dissolve with gentle swirling are fine. Shipping compacts powder.
- ✕Collapsed or melted
Powder stuck to the sides, glassy, or shrunken means it got hot in transit. Contact the vendor.
- ✕Cloudy or particles
Persistent cloudiness or visible particles after mixing means degraded or contaminated product. Do not use it.
- Week 1 to 2
Flushing and head rush after the first doses, IGF-1 already climbing, some puffiness in the hands and face.
- Week 2 to 4
Water retention and tingling either settle or become the reason to drop the dose; sleep may feel deeper; IGF-1 near steady state.
- Week 4 to 8
Bloodwork shows IGF-1 in the upper normal range or above, recovery improves, gradual fat loss around the midsection in some people.
- Week 8 to 12
Modest body composition change if diet and training support it; reassess and plan the break.
Interactions and stacking
Ipamorelinsynergistic
Adds sharp GHRP driven pulses on top of the elevated baseline, through a separate receptor.
CJC-1295 (no DAC)caution
Same receptor and the DAC version already occupies it all week; the addition mostly raises side effects.
Tesamorelincaution
Another GHRH analog on the same receptor; combining the two is redundant and pushes IGF-1 higher than needed.
HGHcaution
Exogenous growth hormone shuts down the pituitary output the DAC version depends on, so the two work against each other.
IGF-1 LR3caution
Doubles up on IGF-1 exposure for weeks at a time, which magnifies glucose and cell growth concerns.
Insulin and diabetes medicationscaution
Continuous growth hormone elevation reduces insulin sensitivity; fasting glucose and HbA1c need checking.
Corticosteroidscaution
Glucocorticoids blunt the pituitary response to GHRH and can undercut the effect.
Safety
- ▲Water retention with puffy hands, feet, or face
- ▲Tingling or numbness in the fingers, carpal tunnel type symptoms
- ▲Head rush and flushing after injection
- ▲Headache or fatigue in the first weeks
- ▲Rising fasting glucose
- ▲Joint aches
- ▲Continuous growth hormone elevation can cause water retention, puffy hands and face, and carpal tunnel like tingling; lower the dose if these appear.
- ▲Head rush and flushing right after injection are common, especially at the first few doses.
- ▲Because it lingers for a week, side effects cannot be stopped quickly by simply skipping a dose.
- ▲Raising IGF-1 for weeks at a time is inappropriate for anyone with active or prior hormone sensitive cancer.
- ▲Do not confuse it with the no DAC version; the dosing and frequency are completely different.
- ■Numbness or carpal tunnel symptoms persist after lowering the dose, since the effect will linger for weeks
- ■Fasting glucose or HbA1c rises above your baseline range
- ■IGF-1 is well above the reference range for your age
- ■Chest pain, palpitations, or any cardiac symptom, given the unexplained event that halted the trials
- ■A new lump, growth, or any cancer diagnosis
Community poll
Self-reported by visitors. Not clinical evidence.CJC-1295 (DAC): frequently asked
What does DAC actually do?
DAC stands for drug affinity complex. It is a chemical group that grabs onto albumin in your blood, so the peptide rides along with albumin for days instead of being cleared in minutes. That is what turns a 30 minute peptide into a once a week one.
Is the DAC or no DAC version better?
It depends on what you want. The DAC version is convenient and raises IGF-1 steadily with one or two shots a week. The no DAC version keeps growth hormone pulsatile and lets you time doses around sleep and fasting, which many people believe gives better results with fewer side effects.
How much will it raise IGF-1?
In the original trials, healthy adults saw IGF-1 rise 1.5 to 3 fold depending on dose. Individual response varies a lot, so bloodwork before and about 4 weeks in is the only way to know your own number.
Why was the drug discontinued?
ConjuChem paused development after a participant in a trial had a serious cardiac event. It was not clearly linked to the drug, but the company shifted priorities and the program never reached late stage trials.
References
- Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone and IGF-1 secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GHRH, in healthy adults. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2006
- Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2006
- Drug affinity complex technology for extending peptide half-life via albumin conjugation. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 2005