CJC-1295 (no-DAC)

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Snapshot

Chemistry and make-up

This is native human GHRH(1-29), also called sermorelin, with four amino acid substitutions engineered to slow enzymatic breakdown [A/D]:

• Position 2: Ala -> D-Ala. The D-isomer at residue 2 blocks cleavage by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), the enzyme that clips native GHRH at the N-terminus. This is the single most important stability change.
• Position 8: Asn -> Gln. Removes an asparagine prone to deamidation and rearrangement, a common degradation route.
• Position 15: Gly -> Ala. Increases helical stability and resistance to trypsin-like cleavage.
• Position 27: Met -> Leu. Removes the oxidation-sensitive methionine. This substitution is also a clean identity fingerprint: native sermorelin keeps Met27 and therefore its formula contains sulfur (C149H246N44O42S), whereas this molecule has Leu27 and no sulfur (C152H252N44O42). The two differ by only about 10 Da yet are distinguishable by exact mass and by the presence or absence of the sulfur isotope pattern.

The peptide is a linear chain, C-terminally amidated, with no cysteine, no disulfide, no lipid, and no albumin-binding linker. That last point is what “without DAC” means: this molecule is the short-acting parent of CJC-1295 with DAC (see `cjc-1295-dac.md`). Because there is no albumin tether, plasma half-life is short, on the order of ~30 minutes [D, mechanism-consistent], versus days for the DAC form.

Naming trap worth stating on any CoA. The original “CJC-1295” from ConjuChem *was* the DAC (albumin-binding) drug. The market later applied “CJC-1295 without DAC” to plain modified GRF(1-29), so the same catalogue name now points at two different molecules with two different masses (3367.9 vs 3647.2). Always resolve by observed mass, not by the trade name.

What it is studied for (evidence)

• Mechanism: a GHRH-receptor agonist on pituitary somatotrophs, amplifying the natural pulsatile release of endogenous GH rather than supplying GH directly [A, class-level from the GHRH/CJC-1295 literature].
• Established (good evidence): the *only* well-characterised human clinical data on the CJC-1295 name are for the DAC form (Teichman et al., JCEM 2006 [A]). For the no-DAC molecule specifically there is no published randomised controlled efficacy trial. What is established is the DPP-4-resistance rationale of the four substitutions, which is mechanistically sound and shared with the DAC drug.
• Emerging / thin / preclinical only: human pharmacokinetic and efficacy data for modified GRF(1-29) on its own are essentially limited to vendor and community reports [D]. Treat the “~30 min half-life, multiple short pulses” narrative as mechanism-plausible but not trial-proven for this exact form.
• Marketing claims vs data: vendors present no-DAC CJC-1295 as a “more physiological” GH pulse generator and often import the DAC form’s human GH/IGF-1 numbers as if they applied here. They do not. Claims of fat loss, muscle gain, anti-ageing, or sleep benefit in humans are unsupported extrapolation from mechanism and from the distinct DAC molecule.
• Human clinical status: none for this exact molecule. No approval anywhere. Regulated human GHRH analogues are sermorelin (former medicine) and tesamorelin (approved), not this.

Handling, format and stability

Supplied lyophilised, reconstituted with bacteriostatic or sterile water for research handling (no dosing guidance here). The four substitutions improve resistance to DPP-4 and to oxidation/deamidation versus native GHRH, so the dry powder is comparatively robust, but the reconstituted peptide is far less stable and is cold-chain dependent. Store lyophilised material cold and protected from light. Because Met27 has been replaced by Leu, this molecule does not carry sermorelin’s methionine-oxidation liability, which is a genuine handling advantage over native GHRH.

Regulatory and trade status

• UK/EU RUO: research use only; not a medicine, not licensed. Any healing, anti-ageing, or performance language risks reclassification as a “medicinal product by presentation”, so keep listings strictly research-use.
• US: not FDA-approved. CJC-1295 was placed on the FDA interim 503A Category 2 bulks list (substances raising significant safety concerns) in September 2023, but the FDA removed CJC-1295 from Category 2 effective 27 September 2024 after the nominator withdrew the nomination. It is therefore no longer on Category 2, is not eligible for 503A pharmacy compounding today, and could be reconsidered at a future PCAC review. It was not among the peptides reviewed at the 23-24 July 2026 PCAC meeting (that agenda was BPC-157, KPV, TB-500, MOTS-C, DSIP/emideltide, Semax and Epitalon) [B].
• WADA (sport): GHRH and its analogues are named on the Prohibited List under S2.2 (Growth Hormone, its fragments and releasing factors); prohibited at all times. CJC-1295 is named explicitly among the GHRH analogues, and the class heading also covers “other substances with a similar chemical structure or similar biological effect”, which captures modified GRF(1-29) even under alternative names [B].
• Customs / labelling: the identity ambiguity (no-DAC vs DAC vs sermorelin) is the main trade and QC risk; see below.

Sources

• [A] Teichman SL et al., “Prolonged Stimulation of GH and IGF-I Secretion by CJC-1295 … in Healthy Adults”, *J Clin Endocrinol Metab* 2006;91(3):799 (PubMed 16352683) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16352683/ (this is the DAC form; cited here for mechanism and the shared substitution rationale)
• [B] WADA 2026 Prohibited List, S2.2 (GHRH and analogues, CJC-1295 named) — https://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list
• [B] WADA S2 summary (Drugs.com mirror) — https://www.drugs.com/wada/s2-peptide-hormones-growth-factors-and-related-substances.html
• [B] FDA, Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding Under 503A (CJC-1295 removed from Category 2 effective 27 Sept 2024 on withdrawal of nomination) — https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/bulk-drug-substances-used-compounding-under-section-503a-fdc-act
• [B] PubChem CID 56841945 (formula C152H252N44O42, MW 3367.9) — https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/56841945
• [D] Vendor/community explainers on the four substitutions and ~30 min half-life (BOC Sciences, Jay Campbell, RethinkPeptides) — commercial; used only as leads, dosing content not used — e.g. https://www.bocsci.com/resources/what-is-cjc1295-without-dac.html

Plain summary

CJC-1295 without DAC is just native GHRH(1-29) (sermorelin) with four tweaks that stop enzymes chewing it up, so it nudges the pituitary to release growth hormone in short bursts. There is essentially no human trial evidence for this exact molecule (the real human data belong to the longer-acting DAC version), so treat fat-loss and anti-ageing claims as unproven. The big commercial trap is identity: it weighs ~3367.9, the DAC form weighs ~3647.2, and sermorelin is only ~10 Da lighter and contains sulfur, so a CoA must prove which molecule is actually in the vial by observed mass.

For laboratory and research use only (RUO). Not for human or veterinary use, not for consumption, and not a medicine. Information is a research summary, not medical advice, and contains no dosing guidance.

For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use, not for consumption, and not a medicine. This is a research summary, not medical advice, and contains no dosing guidance.