CJC-1295 (no DAC)
Pairs with Ipamorelin to amplify your natural growth-hormone pulses. A GHRH analog whose 'no-DAC' version stays short-acting on purpose.
CJC-1295 (no DAC): Pairs with Ipamorelin to amplify your natural growth-hormone pulses. A GHRH analog whose 'no-DAC' version stays short-acting on purpose. CJC-1295 (the 'no-DAC' version) is the partner peptide to Ipamorelin.
CJC-1295 (the 'no-DAC' version) is the partner peptide to Ipamorelin. Together they push a stronger natural GH pulse. Always paired, never run alone in this protocol.
Its nomination was withdrawn in 2024, and FDA's advisory committee voted against including it in December 2024. It is not on the 503A list and is not scheduled for another review.
Some longevity clinics prescribe via compounding pharmacies, off-label.
Wear a CGM the first 14 days.
GH spikes can transiently raise glucose; verify it normalizes. A two-week sensor (~$80, OTC, no prescription) tells you more about how YOUR body is responding to CJC-1295 (no DAC) than any protocol guide can. Most users wear one and don't again. The first cycle is the one that matters.
Who it's for
- →Users stacking with Ipamorelin (the canonical pair)
- →People wanting GH benefits while preserving the natural pulse rhythm
What to expect
- Week 1
Stronger GH pulse felt as deeper sleep, more vivid dreams.
- Week 4
Recovery and skin improvements compound.
- Week 8
IGF-1 measurably higher in most users.
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The companion supplements and the bloodwork worth tracking on this kind of protocol.
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How it works (mechanism)
Synthetic GHRH analog (no-DAC version). Binds the growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor on the pituitary, signaling 'release GH'. Short half-life keeps natural GH pulses distinct rather than smoothing them into a flat elevation.
Dosing protocol
Stacks well with
Stack essentials
Side effects
When NOT to use
- ⚠Active malignancy
- ⚠Pregnancy / nursing
Bloodwork to monitor
- • IGF-1 baseline + week 8
Common mistakes
- • Using the DAC version expecting the same pulse profile (it's not the same)
- • Eating right after the dose
- • Skipping the cycle break
What it actually is
CJC-1295 is a modified version of growth hormone releasing hormone, the signal your hypothalamus normally sends to tell the pituitary to release growth hormone. The naming here is genuinely confused, and worth untangling. CJC-1295 as originally identified IS the albumin-binding DAC compound. What most vials labelled CJC-1295 no DAC actually contain is modified GRF(1-29) — a stabilised GHRH fragment that is a different molecule, deliberately short-acting. Treating a published CJC-1295 result as evidence for the no-DAC product is the most common mistake made with it, and it runs in that direction.
It binds the GHRH receptor on the pituitary and triggers growth hormone release. Ipamorelin, its usual partner, works on a different receptor — the ghrelin receptor — to do the same thing by another route, plus it suppresses somatostatin, the brake. Pushing the accelerator and releasing the brake at once is the rationale for pairing them, and it is sound pharmacology. The short-acting form is used on the reasoning that brief stimulation keeps release pulsatile. It is worth knowing that the DAC compound did not flatten pulsatility either — the human study found it preserved — so the pulsatility argument for choosing one over the other is weaker than it is usually presented.
Forms, and which is which
Short-acting by design and dosed several times a day. The commonly quoted 30-minute half-life is not backed by a human pharmacokinetic study of this exact molecule. This is what most vials under the CJC-1295 name actually contain, and it is not the compound the published trial studied.
Verdict: The community protocol's molecule, and a misnomer.
A drug affinity complex binds it to albumin, extending the half-life to roughly a week. It raises basal and trough growth hormone — and notably, the human study found secretion RETAINED its pulsatility rather than flattening. This is the compound the 2006 trial studied.
Verdict: The original CJC-1295. Different molecule, different dosing.
Two mechanisms onto one pulse. Sold pre-mixed as a convenience.
Verdict: Coherent rationale, no controlled human trial of the combination.
The unmodified GRF(1-29). It has a prescription history, where CJC-1295 has none.
Verdict: Less stable, and the one with an actual regulatory track record.
What it is claimed to do, graded
A 2006 randomised human trial demonstrated sustained GH and IGF-1 elevation with the DAC compound. That is real evidence for the DAC molecule, and it is routinely cited for the short-acting product most people actually buy, which is a different molecule.
Two indexed human-trial records for this compound in total, and none testing fat loss or lean mass.
The most common reason people run it. No controlled human data.
The argument is structural rather than evidential: acting through the pituitary means release is self-limiting and stays pulsatile. That is a real difference. It has not been demonstrated in a safety trial.
Grades describe how much human evidence exists for that specific claim, not whether it will work for you or whether it is safe.
Pros and cons
- • Works through your own pituitary, so release is self-limiting and keeps its natural pulse pattern
- • The pairing with ipamorelin is genuinely coherent pharmacology, not just stacking for its own sake
- • Short half-life in the no-DAC form means a mistake clears within the hour
- • Cheap relative to injected growth hormone
- • Only two indexed human-trial records, and the well-known one used the DAC version
- • Never approved anywhere
- • The naming is a mess: CJC-1295 properly refers to the DAC compound, and most product sold under that name is modified GRF(1-29)
- • Requires 1-3 injections a day, away from food, which is a real adherence burden
- • Banned in sport
When to stop
- • Fasting glucose drifting up across cycles
- • Persistent hand numbness or tingling
- • Swelling that does not settle
- • Any new cancer diagnosis
- • You are drug-tested in sport
Interactions
Exogenous growth hormone suppresses the signal this works through, and stacks the insulin-resistance risk.
The intended pairing — different receptors, complementary mechanism.
Elevated glucose and insulin blunt the growth hormone pulse, which is why doses go away from meals.
Steroids suppress the growth hormone response, shrinking the pulse.
Directly opposing mechanisms — one blocks exactly what the other triggers.
Is this for you?
- • People running the ipamorelin pairing who understand which version they have
- • Anyone willing to dose multiple times a day away from food and check IGF-1 to see if it worked
- • You have active cancer
- • You are pregnant or nursing
- • You are drug-tested in sport
- • You will not dose consistently away from meals — the protocol does not survive being done casually
The one number
Sources for the claims above
- Prolonged stimulation of GH and IGF-1 secretion by CJC-1295 with DAC
- Documented patterns of non-medical use
- Listed among unapproved peptide therapies in sports medicine
Drug & supplement interactions
- ⚠Eating within 30 minutes blunts GH pulse
- ⚠Limited documented drug interactions
The Pepdex take
The 'no-DAC' specification is the whole game. With-DAC keeps GH levels elevated continuously which flatlines the natural pulse rhythm, that's not what you want. If a vendor sells 'CJC-1295' without specifying no-DAC, assume it's DAC and pass. Pair with Ipamorelin pre-bed and forget about it. Cycle 8-12 weeks on, 4 weeks off.
Community patterns
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Common questions about CJC-1295 (no DAC)
Head-to-head with CJC-1295 (no DAC)
Tracked alongside CJC-1295 (no DAC)
Same goal, different aisle — each graded on its own evidence in the Pepdex catalog.
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