Skip to content
For research use only. Not for human or veterinary use. Not a drug, food, or dietary supplement.
AMIRAVOResearch Library
Growth Hormone Axis · Dosing reference

CJC-1295 (with DAC) dosage

What the human evidence does and does not show, how long studies ran, and the arithmetic for working with vials.

Not approved — research use onlyBLimited human dataNone established
Full research pageCycle-length evidenceComparePrefer Amiravo on Google
Regulatory status
Not approved — research use only
Human amounts
None established in humans
Route studied
—
Frequency
Not established
Half-life
Estimated half-life of 5.8 to 8.1 days after subcutaneous administration in healthy adults 1.
Evidence grade
Grade B · Limited human data
Vial sizes on the market
10 mg
Other forms seen
—

What CJC-1295 (with DAC) is

CJC-1295 with DAC is a synthetic growth hormone-releasing hormone analog designed to bind serum albumin and thereby persist in the circulation for days. Published human data come from short studies in healthy adults, and a later phase 2 trial was terminated without publication. It has no approved use.

CJC-1295 is a modified fragment of human GHRH (the 1-29 sequence) that acts at the pituitary GHRH receptor to stimulate growth hormone secretion 3. The DAC form carries a maleimidopropionamide-lysine unit at the C-terminus that reacts with the free thiol on Cys34 of serum albumin, forming a covalent conjugate that extends circulating half-life 3,6. Duration of action In rats, the albumin-bound conjugate was… How it works →

Key evidence

  • Teichman et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2006 · Humans (healthy adults aged 21 to 61)
    Dose-dependent increases in GH (2- to 10-fold for 6 days or more) and IGF-I (1.5- to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days); estimated half-life 5.8 to 8.1 days; no serious adverse reactions reported 1. 1
  • Ionescu and Frohman, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2006 · Humans (healthy men aged 20 to 40)
    GH pulse frequency and magnitude were unchanged, trough GH rose 7.5-fold, mean GH rose 46% and IGF-I rose 45% 4. 4
  • Alba et al., American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism · 2006 · Animals (GHRH knockout mice)
    The most frequent schedule produced normal body weight and length; less frequent schedules produced partial normalization; pituitary RNA and GH mRNA increased 2. 2
All studies on the research page

What the human evidence shows

No approved or established human dose

We searched PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov and found no human studies that administered CJC-1295 (with DAC). The research described on its page is from cells or animals, and animal amounts do not translate to people.

How long did human studies run?

No human study durations are recorded for CJC-1295 (with DAC).

Cycle-length evidence for CJC-1295 (with DAC)

Side effects reported in studies

  • Any adverse event
    94% with CJC-1295 vs 29% with placebo · Study 1 of Teichman et al., healthy adults (as summarized by FDA) 6
  • Injection site reactions
    Reported in all subjects who received CJC-1295 in Study 2 · Teichman et al., Study 2, healthy adults 6
  • Systemic vasodilatory reactions (flushing, warmth, transient hypotension)
    Not quantified in the FDA summary · Healthy adults 6
  • Headache, nausea or abdominal pain, diarrhea
    Not quantified in the FDA summary · Healthy adults 6
  • Increase in heart rate
    Dose dependent; not quantified in the FDA summary · Ionescu and Frohman, healthy men 6
  • Serious adverse reactions
    None reported in the two healthy-adult studies · Teichman et al., short-duration studies 1
  • Fatal myocardial infarction (anecdotal)
    One reported participant · Unpublished phase 2 trial in HIV lipodystrophy 6
Full adverse-event data

CJC-1295 (with DAC) draw calculator

Pick the vial strength and the water added, enter an amount, and see the concentration, the units to draw and how many draws the vial holds. Arithmetic only.

1 · Vial strength
sizes on the market
2 · Water added
3 · Amount per draw
4 · Syringe
Your mix
10 mg + 2 mL water = 5 mg/mL
10 units holds 0.5 mg (500 mcg)
Draw toEnter an amount in step 3
0102030405060708090100
U-100 syringe · 100 units = 1 mL

Computed from your inputs. Not a dose or a recommendation.

Compare water volumes for this vialShow

More water = lower concentration = a larger, easier-to-measure draw. Tap a row to use it.

Watermg/mLDraw
0.5 mL20—
1 mL10—
1.5 mL6.667—
2 mL5—
2.5 mL4—
3 mL3.333—
5 mL2—

Supplies and handling

  • Lyophilized vial
    Sealed vial with the freeze-dried cake. Check the label, lot and the certificate of analysis before opening.
  • Sterile diluent
    The diluent named on the product documentation. Bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol; sterile water does not.
  • Graduated syringes
    Sized to the volume being measured. U-100 insulin syringes are graduated in units where 100 units = 1 mL.
  • Alcohol prep pads
    For wiping vial stoppers before each puncture.
  • Nitrile gloves
    Clean gloves for aseptic handling.
  • Sharps container
    Puncture-resistant container for used needles.
Step-by-step reconstitution guideStorage and transport accessories

Storage

Handling of research-grade lyophilized peptide generally follows the supplier's documentation, which should be treated as authoritative. FDA noted that a CJC-1295 acetate manufacturer recommended refrigerated or frozen long-term storage, but this relates to a bulk substance specification, not to a regulated product 6.

  • Lyophilized (unmixed) vials: typically stored cold and dry, away from light, as the documentation directs. Many are stable longer frozen.
  • Reconstituted vials: typically refrigerated (about 2–8 °C), protected from light and not frozen.
  • Bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol, which inhibits bacterial growth in multi-use vials; sterile water has no preservative.

Handling mistakes and troubleshooting

Added the wrong volume of diluent
The concentration changes, not the amount of compound in the vial. Recalculate with the volume actually added and relabel the vial.
Shook the vial and it foamed
Let it settle in the refrigerator. Foam is a sign of agitation; some peptides aggregate when shaken. Note it on the label.
The solution is cloudy or has particles
Do not use it. Cloudiness can indicate incomplete dissolution, contamination or degradation. Record the lot and contact the supplier with the certificate of analysis.
The powder cake looks melted or shrunken before reconstitution
This can indicate the vial was exposed to heat or moisture. Record the lot and condition on arrival.
Liquid sprayed back when the needle was removed
Pressure built up in the vial. Withdraw a small volume of air while adding diluent to keep pressure neutral.

Regulatory status

Status
Not approved by the FDA for any use; an investigational compound whose phase 2 trial in HIV-associated lipodystrophy was terminated, and which FDA reviewed in 2024 for the compounding bulks list and proposed not to include 5,10,11.
United States (FDA)
Not FDA-approved; no label for CJC-1295 was found in DailyMed 10. In December 2024, FDA presented its evaluation of CJC-1295-related bulk drug substances (including the DAC forms) to its Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee and concluded there was no information establishing effectiveness of subcutaneous use for growth hormone deficiency, and it proposed that none of the CJC-1295-related substances be included on the 503A bulks list 6,11. FDA's public list of substances in compounding that may present significant safety risks includes CJC-1295 among nominated-but-withdrawn substances 7.
Sport (WADA)
Named on the WADA Prohibited List 2026 under S2.2.4, growth hormone releasing factors, as a GHRH analog (listed as CJC-1295 and CJC-1293), prohibited at all times 8.

Status varies by country and changes over time. How we describe regulatory status.

CJC-1295 (with DAC) compared with related compounds

CompoundStatusEvidenceHuman amountsHalf-life
CJC-1295 (with DAC)Not approved — research use onlyBNone establishedEstimated half-life of 5.8 to 8.1 days a
CJC-1295 (no DAC)Not approved — research use onlyCNone establishedNo half-life data specific to the no-DAC
VesugenNot approved — research use onlyCNone established—
IpamorelinNot approved — research use onlyBNone establishedTerminal half-life of about 2 hours in h
SermorelinNot approved — research use onlyBNone established—
TesamorelinFDA-approvedAFDA labelMean elimination half-life about 11 minu

Frequently asked questions

What doses of CJC-1295 (with DAC) have been studied in humans?
None that establish an amount. CJC-1295 (with DAC) is not approved anywhere and we found no human studies that administered it. Amiravo does not publish community or vendor figures.
Is there an established CJC-1295 (with DAC) cycle length?
No. We found no human studies that report treatment duration for CJC-1295 (with DAC).
How much bacteriostatic water should be added to a CJC-1295 (with DAC) vial?
There is no compound-specific volume. The diluent volume only sets the concentration: concentration = mass in the vial ÷ volume added (for example, 10 mg in 2 mL gives 5 mg/mL). The calculator on this page shows the arithmetic for any combination.
How many units is a given amount on an insulin syringe?
On a U-100 syringe, 100 units = 1 mL. Units for an amount = amount ÷ (concentration per unit). The calculator converts any amount you enter at the concentration you choose; a unit is a volume mark, not an amount of compound.
What is the half-life of CJC-1295 (with DAC)?
Estimated half-life of 5.8 to 8.1 days after subcutaneous administration in healthy adults 1.
Is CJC-1295 (with DAC) FDA-approved?
Not approved — research use only. Not approved by the FDA for any use; an investigational compound whose phase 2 trial in HIV-associated lipodystrophy was terminated, and which FDA reviewed in 2024 for the compounding bulks list and proposed not to include 5,10,11.

References

  1. Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adults J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006
  2. Once-daily administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, normalizes growth in the GHRH knockout mouse Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2006
  3. Human growth hormone-releasing factor (hGRF)1-29-albumin bioconjugates activate the GRF receptor on the anterior pituitary in rats: identification of CJC-1295 as a long-lasting GRF analog Endocrinology. 2005
  4. Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006
  5. A Study to Evaluate CJC 1295 in HIV Patients With Visceral Obesity (NCT00267527) ClinicalTrials.gov. 2006
  6. Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee Meeting, December 4, 2024: FDA presentations on CJC-1295-related bulk drug substances FDA. 2024
  7. Substances in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks FDA. 2024
  8. WADA Prohibited List US Food and Drug Administration. 2026
  9. CJC-1295 (CID 91971820) PubChem. 2026
  10. DailyMed drug label search for CJC-1295 (zero labels returned on 22 Oct 2026) DailyMed (NLM). 2026
  11. Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, December 4, 2024: FDA briefing document and points to consider for CJC-1295-related bulk drug substances FDA. 2024

Last reviewed October 22, 2026 by the Amiravo editorial team. Editorial policy · Report an error