CJC-1295 no DAC (Mod GRF 1-29)

Typical use cases

Dosing guidelines

Titration

Some protocols describe beginning at the lower end and assessing tolerance before adjusting frequency; this is educational, not a recommendation.

Reconstitution

Lyophilized powder reconstituted with bacteriostatic water (commonly 1-2 mL per vial); swirl gently, do not shake

Injection sites

Subcutaneous injection, typically into abdominal subcutaneous fat (also thigh)

Storage & handling

Lyophilized powder stored cold (refrigerated 2-8 C; long-term freezing); reconstituted solution refrigerated and used within several weeks; protect from light and heat

Side effects

• Injection-site reactions (redness, itching, swelling) Mild · Common
• Facial flushing / warmth shortly after dosing Mild · Common
• Headache Mild · Uncommon
• Transient dizziness or lightheadedness Mild · Uncommon
• Water retention / peripheral edema Moderate · Uncommon
• Numbness/tingling or joint discomfort (carpal-tunnel-like, linked to GH/IGF-1 elevation) Moderate · Rare

Research summary

CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH 1-29) developed by ConjuChem; the "no DAC" form (Mod GRF 1-29) carries four amino-acid substitutions (D-Ala2, Gln8, Ala15, Leu27) that confer resistance to enzymatic degradation but lacks the maleimidopropionyl drug-affinity-complex (DAC) group that binds serum albumin, so it is short-acting rather than long-acting. It binds the GHRH receptor on pituitary somatotrophs, activates adenylate cyclase/cAMP, and evokes discrete GH pulses that tend to preserve the body's natural pulsatile secretion pattern. The strongest human evidence comes from studies of the DAC-conjugated version: a randomized, placebo-controlled JCEM trial in healthy adults (Teichman et al., 2006) reported plasma GH rising 2- to 10-fold for 6+ days and IGF-1 1.5- to 3-fold for 9-11 days with no serious adverse reactions, and a proteomic study confirmed sustained GH/IGF-1 elevation. Direct controlled human trials of the no-DAC/Mod GRF 1-29 form specifically are scarce; its roughly 30-minute half-life means it produces brief GH pulses rather than the multi-day elevation seen with DAC. The compound's clinical development was halted after a participant death in a DAC-version phase II trial, though investigators judged that event (attributed to pre-existing coronary disease) most likely unrelated to treatment. Mod GRF 1-29 is not an FDA-approved drug; it is sold for research use only, and most dosing information derives from community/research protocols rather than rigorous human efficacy or long-term safety studies. Limitations include small sample sizes, a focus on the DAC analog, lack of long-term safety data, and theoretical concerns about sustained IGF-1 elevation.

Key references

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CJC-1295
• https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/91/3/799/2843281
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2787983/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34665524/
• https://pure.johnshopkins.edu/en/publications/once-daily-administration-of-cjc-1295-a-long-acting-growth-hormon-4/

Related compounds