CJC-1295

with DAC · without DAC (Mod GRF 1-29) · C-tier (Dr. Alex Tatem) · Limited evidence

Tells the pituitary to release more of your own GH. “With DAC” lasts about a week; “without DAC” lasts minutes and is the version usually paired with ipamorelin.

Dr. Tatem’s take

C-tier. More potent than sermorelin, but still weaker than “two IUs of real growth hormone”, and quality product is hard to find.

In Dr. Tatem’s tier list

• “Sermorelin’s big brother” — more potent, and it raises IGF-1 more on average.
• Comes plain or with DAC (drug affinity complex). DAC is to CJC-1295 what an ester like cypionate is to testosterone: it doesn’t change the molecule’s action, only how long it lasts.
• Studied in humans with mostly positive data, but a patient in a lipodystrophy study died. That death is widely accepted as unrelated, yet development was scrapped — so it never reached compounding like sermorelin did.
• Still won’t match “two IUs of real growth hormone,” and quality product is hard to source. Verdict: C tier.

History & background

CJC-1295 was developed by ConjuChem Biotechnologies (Montreal) in the early 2000s. Its DAC technology lets the peptide bind to albumin in the blood, stretching its half-life from minutes to about a week; phase 1 studies published in 2006 showed sustained rises in GH and IGF-1.

In 2006 a participant in a phase 2 trial in HIV lipodystrophy died, the program was halted, and it was never resumed. The no-DAC version (“Mod GRF 1-29”) has never been through published human trials.

Benefits

• With DAC: a single dose raised GH 2–10× and IGF-1 1.5–3× for a week or more (phase 1).

Risks

• Injection-site reactions, flushing, headache.
• Theoretical GH/IGF-1 risks: insulin resistance, fluid retention, tumor growth.

Dosing protocols (informational, labeled by evidence)

• Community (bro science): No DAC: Community 'saturation dose' — 100 mcg (~1–2 mcg/kg), SubQ, 1–3x daily, fasted, usually with a GHRP, 8–12 wk
• Clinical trial / label: With DAC: Phase 1 healthy adults — 30 or 60 mcg/kg best tolerated (dose-ascending study), SubQ, Single dose, or 2–3 doses given weekly/biweekly, 28–49 days
• Community (bro science): With DAC: Community protocol — ~2 mg flat (some use 1–2 mg), SubQ, Once weekly, 8–12 wk
• Community (bro science): CJC/ipamorelin stack: Typical clinic/community stack — 100 mcg Mod GRF + 100–200 mcg ipamorelin, SubQ (often one premixed vial), 1–3x daily fasted, or once at bedtime; some do 5 days on/2 off, 8–12 wk

Status: Never approved. Removed from FDA Category 2 in April 2026 but not approved for compounding.

Grade and commentary: Dr. Alex Tatem. Watch: Truth About Popular Peptides Tier List (What Works, What’s Overhyped) | Pt. 3, Peptide Expert: What Do Peptides Actually Do? (EXPLAINED) - Dr Alex Tatem. Subscribe: @DrAlexTatem.