CJC-1295 (No DAC)
Short-acting GHRH analogue (modified GRF 1-29)
GHRH is the hormone that triggers growth hormone release. “No DAC” means without the chemical anchor that would extend its action for several days.
CJC-1295 (No DAC) takes the first 29 amino acids of GHRH with four substitutions (positions 2, 8, 15 and 27): they protect it from the DPP-4 enzyme, which cuts natural GHRH within two minutes.
It activates the pituitary's GHRH receptor, which then releases stored growth hormone, and its action stops: one pulse, with no continuous rise.
It is studied for sleep, recovery and body composition: sermorelin, its unmodified form and a formerly approved drug, increased IGF-1 and lean mass in older men (Vittone, 1997).
- Half-life
- About thirty minutes; a GH pulse within the hour that follows.
- Route
- Subcutaneous injection, timed to align with the natural rhythm (bedtime is the most studied timing for GH).
Technical sheet
- Family
- Short-acting GHRH analogue (modified GRF 1-29)
- Half-life
- About thirty minutes; a GH pulse within the hour that follows.
- Route
- Subcutaneous injection, timed to align with the natural rhythm (bedtime is the most studied timing for GH).
- Time to effect
- Sleep and recovery within one to two weeks; body composition over several months alongside training.
- Level of evidence
- Laboratory research : In humans: related molecules (sermorelin, CJC-1295 with DAC); for this version, data are limited.
Chemical identity
- Chemical name
- GRF modifié (1-29)
- Form
- Synthetic peptide, values for the base form
Salt form: as stated on the lot's certificate of analysis.
The GHRH receptor
GHRH binds to the pituitary's somatotrope cells: cyclic AMP rises and the stored growth hormone is released. CJC-1295 (No DAC) reproduces this signal: it doesn't contain growth hormone, it authorizes its release.
Four substitutions against DPP-4
DPP-4 cleaves natural GHRH within two minutes. The modified GRF 1-29 replaces four amino acids (positions 2, 8, 15, and 27) to resist this cleavage and bind the receptor better. Without the DAC, the half-life stays short, the length of a single pulse.
Studied effects and observed timelines
Sleep: the largest GH pulse occurs in the first hours of deep sleep
One to two weeks
Recovery: GH drives the production of IGF-1, which supports tissue repair
Two to four weeks
Body composition: sermorelin increased IGF-1 and lean mass (Vittone, 1997)
Several months
What you may feel
- Flushing, facial redness right after injection.
- Headaches, brief dizziness.
- Water retention, tingling in the hands if stimulation is too strong.
- Reaction at the injection site.
Stop and consult if
- Persistent tingling or joint pain.
- Intense thirst, heavy urination.
- Unusual, recurring headaches.
When to abstain
- Active cancer or a recent history of it.
- Uncontrolled diabetes.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- A pituitary disorder or history of an adenoma.
- Minors.
Anti-doping : Prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (growth hormone-releasing factors, S2).
The effects to watch for, and how to reduce them
This sheet is educational. It replaces neither a diagnosis nor follow-up: for any medical condition, pregnancy, breastfeeding or current medication, talk to a health professional.
- IpamorelinBoth of GH's switches: a complementarity of mechanism, never tested for this pair.
- CJC-1295 + IpamorelinThe combined formula, together in a single pen.
- RetatrutideCJC-1295 acts on growth hormone, retatrutide on appetite and blood sugar: two distinct axes, paired for body composition.
- BPC-157BPC-157 acts on the injury, CJC-1295 on the growth hormone pulse, which is studied for recovery: they complement each other without doubling up.
To avoid
- Exogenous growth hormone: effects add up, natural rhythm lost.
- CJC-1295 with DAC at the same time: double stimulation of the same receptor.
The GHRH mechanism has been established in humans for decades: sermorelin (the unmodified GRF 1-29) was an approved drug, and CJC-1295 with DAC has published human trials (GH and IGF-1 up, pulsatility preserved).
The No DAC version has no published trial of its own: what is known about it in humans comes from these related molecules.
2006 · Teichman et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
Healthy human volunteers, CJC-1295 with DAC, single or repeated injection
GH elevated two- to tenfold and IGF-1 elevated 1.5- to threefold for six days or more after a single injection, with good tolerability. A result for the long-acting version.
2006 · Ionescu and Frohman, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
Healthy human volunteers, CJC-1295 with DAC, GH measured every 10 minutes
CJC-1295 increases the amplitude of GH pulses without changing their frequency: natural pulsatility is preserved.
1997 · Vittone et al., Metabolism
Healthy older men, GRF 1-29 (sermorelin) over several months
Increased IGF-1 and lean mass, with no notable adverse effect: the human evidence for the GHRH mechanism's effect on body composition.
With or without DAC?
With DAC, the action lasts several days and raises GH continuously; without DAC, it lasts a single pulse, closer to the natural rhythm. Peptiva doesn't sell the DAC version.
Why inject it at bedtime?
Because the body's largest natural GH pulse occurs in the first hours of deep sleep: you align with that rhythm. The protocol provided with the product specifies the timing.
Does it replace training?
No. GH supports recovery and protein synthesis; resistance training and protein provide the stimulus and the amino acids. A body composition goal rests on all three.
Glossary (5)
- GHRH
- Growth hormone-releasing hormone, produced by the hypothalamus.
- Somatotrope
- A pituitary cell that manufactures and stores growth hormone.
- DPP-4
- An enzyme that rapidly breaks down several hormonal peptides, including GHRH and GLP-1.
- DAC
- Drug affinity complex: a chemical anchor that binds a molecule to albumin to extend its action over several days.
- Cyclic AMP
- An intracellular messenger that carries a receptor's signal inside the cell.