CJC-1295 with DAC
Long-acting GHRH analog, albumin-bound
Experimental material. Read before using anything from here.
Nothing on this page is a medical recommendation, prescription or treatment plan. It is an organized translation of protocols circulating in research communities and, where it exists, of what published trials tested. The two are marked differently — and they are not equivalent.
Most of the compounds here have no FDA approval for human use. Several are sold labeled "research use only", which means they have not gone through purity, sterility or dosage controls for human consumption. A community-reported dose is not a validated dose: it is what someone reported having done.
Talk to a licensed health professional before considering any of these compounds. If you already use one and feel anything unexpected, seek care — do not wait for the next routine test.
Summary
30-amino-acid GHRH analog with a modification called DAC (Drug Affinity Complex) at position 30, which lets the peptide bind to circulating albumin. That binding protects it from degradation and greatly extends the half-life — hence the weekly or biweekly frequency, instead of daily.
Quick reference
- Route
- Subcutaneous. Reconstitute the lyophilized powder with bacteriostatic water.
- Schedule
- The most common cadence is 1×/week. Some protocols split it into two doses (Mon/Thu).
- Measure
- 10 mg vial + 3.0 mL of bacteriostatic water ≈ 3,333 mcg/mL.
- Status
- Investigational. Phase 2 was halted in 2006 after the cardiovascular death of a participant, attributed to pre-existing disease.
Protocol and dosing schedule
| Phase | Window | Weekly dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initiation | Weeks 1-2 | 500-1,000 mcg 1×/week | Start low to assess tolerance. Evening administration is common in protocol planning. |
| Therapeutic range | Weeks 3-8 | 1,000 mcg 1×/week | Most common maintenance dose in research and community workflows. |
| Elevated dose | Weeks 3-12 | 2,000 mcg 1×/week or 1 mg 2×/week | Some protocols split the weekly dose for a smoother GH/IGF-1 profile. |
| Maximum studied | Phase 2 trial | Up to 240 mcg/kg/week | HIV lipodystrophy protocol used weight-based dosing far above community ranges. |
Cycle structure
| Approach | Cycle length | Off period | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 8–12 weeks | 4-6 weeks | General research planning to limit desensitization risk. |
| Extended | 12-16 weeks | 6–8 weeks | Longer-research-window contexts where steady-state IGF-1 is the target. |
| Split-dose | 8–12 weeks | 4-6 weeks | 1 mg 2×/week for a smoother GH/IGF-1 curve. |
Reconstitution guide
| Vial size | BAC water added | Concentration | 500 mcg | 1,000 mcg | 2,000 mcg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 mg | 1.0 mL | 10,000 mcg/mL | 0.05 mL (5 units) | 0.10 mL (10 units) | 0.20 mL (20 units) |
| 10 mg | 2.0 mL | 5,000 mcg/mL | 0.10 mL (10 units) | 0.20 mL (20 units) | 0.40 mL (40 units) |
| 10 mg | 3.0 mL | ~3,333 mcg/mL | 0.15 mL (15 units) | 0.30 mL (30 units) | 0.60 mL (60 units) |
Timeline and what to monitor
| Window | What was measured |
|---|---|
| 0-6 days post single dose | GH elevated 2-10 fold (Teichman 2006). |
| 0-9 to 11 days post single dose | IGF-1 elevated 1.5-3 fold (Teichman 2006). |
| Weeks 3-4 of weekly dosing | Approximate steady state for IGF-1. |
| Through 28 days of weekly dosing | Cumulative IGF-1 elevation reported. |
CJC-1295 with DAC vs. without DAC vs. tesamorelin vs. ipamorelin
| Feature | CJC-1295 with DAC | CJC-1295 No DAC | Tesamorelin | Ipamorelin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | Long-acting GHRH analog (albumin-binding) | GHRH analog | GHRH analog | GHRP (ghrelin mimetic) |
| Half-life | 6-8 days | ~30 minutes | ~26 minutes | ~2 hours |
| Dosing frequency | 1-2x per week | 1-3x daily | 1×/day | 1-3x daily |
| Common dose range | 1,000-2,000 mcg per week | 100-300 mcg per injection | 1-2 mg daily (FDA label) | 100-300 mcg per injection |
| GH pattern | Sustained elevation | Pulsatile | Pulsatile | Brief pulse |
| FDA status | Not approved | Not approved | FDA-approved (HIV lipodystrophy) | Not approved |
| Practical advantage | Weekly cadence; strongest long-acting PK | Faster titration; physiologic pulses | Only approved GHRH analog | Selective GH pulse with minimal cortisol/prolactin impact |
Storage and handling
The rules below apply to practically every lyophilized peptide in this reference. Where a compound has its own requirement, it appears in the table in the previous section.
- Lyophilized powder, sealed: refrigerator, between 2 and 8 °C, protected from light. Many tolerate room temperature for short transport periods, but that is tolerance, not a recommendation.
- After reconstitution: always refrigerated, between 2 and 8 °C. The stability window drops to days or a few weeks, depending on the compound.
- Never freeze after reconstituting. The freeze–thaw cycle degrades the peptide.
- Do not shake. Swirl the vial slowly. Shaking breaks the peptide chain.
- Bacteriostatic water down the wall of the vial, in a slow stream, not squirted directly onto the powder.
- Cloudy solution, with particles or a color change: discard. There is no recovery.
Lab tests and monitoring
This list is the one that appears recurrently in the source, with small variations by compound. It serves as a starting point for a conversation with a professional — not as a substitute for that conversation.
- Before starting: complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, lipid panel, fasting glucose and HbA1c, TSH and free T4, blood pressure and resting heart rate.
- Depending on the compound: IGF-1 (GH axis), lipase and amylase (VIP and the incretin agonists), serum copper and ceruloplasmin (GHK-Cu and blends containing it), CRP.
- Reassessment: most protocols review between week 4 and week 8, and then every 8–12 weeks.
- Do not wait for the routine lab test in the face of abdominal pain, visual changes, a change in a mole, shortness of breath, asymmetric swelling or any new and persistent symptom. That is a reason to seek care, not a spreadsheet item.
Evidence limits
Data source: peptidedosingprotocols.com, accessed on September 3, 2026. Translation and organization in Portuguese are original work. No primary source (PubMed, trial registry, package insert) was checked in building this page — the check was against the secondary source, and that alone.