CJC-1295 (with DAC) vs CJC-1295 without DAC

Same peptide, one linker, completely different behaviour

This is the most mislabelled pair in the library. “CJC-1295” properly means the DAC version; the “no DAC” form is really modified GRF (1-29), the bare peptide before the linker is attached. That linker binds albumin and stretches the half-life from under half an hour to six to eight days. The trade is pulses versus a plateau: the no-DAC form preserves the body's natural pulsatile growth hormone release, the DAC form produces a continuous elevation. Check the molecular weight rather than the label. 3367.9 is the bare peptide, 3647.2 carries the DAC.

Pituitary anterior lobe microscopic tissue with small endocrine cells and fine capillary loops, macro histology-inspired view.

CJC-1295 (with DAC) Growth hormone CJC-1295, DAC:GRF, Drug Affinity Complex GRF Full entry →

A human hypothalamus-pituitary stalk close-up anatomical view.

CJC-1295 without DAC Growth hormone Modified GRF (1-29), Mod GRF, Tetrasubstituted GRF (1-29), CJC-1295 no DAC Full entry →

CJC-1295 (with DAC) compared with CJC-1295 without DAC
	CJC-1295 (with DAC)	CJC-1295 without DAC
Evidence behind it	Human trials	Human trials
Worth knowing	Sustained IGF-1 elevation is the whole point of the DAC, and also the concern: the body's pulsatile pattern exists for a reason, and continuous elevation may blunt the pituitary's own response over time. Development was discontinued after early trials rather than completed, so long-term safety was never established.	Studied for hormone response, not for outcomes like body composition or recovery. Be careful with identifiers: public databases conflate this with the DAC version — PubChem CID 56841945 is labelled "CJC 1295 with DAC" but carries this compound's molecular weight (3367.9), not the DAC form's (3647.2). Vendors mislabel the two constantly, so check the weight rather than the name.
Approval	In trials	Research only
Category	Growth hormone	Growth hormone
What it is	The original CJC-1295, and the reason the naming is a mess: this is modified GRF (1-29) with a linker bolted on that grabs hold of albumin in the blood. Albumin circulates for weeks, so the peptide goes from lasting about half an hour to lasting about a week.	A 29-amino-acid version of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) with four amino acids swapped to make it harder to break down. It signals the pituitary to release growth hormone in pulses. 'Without DAC' means it lacks the add-on that gives the DAC version a multi-day half-life.
How it works	A maleimidopropionic acid group forms a covalent bond with cysteine-34 on albumin, the most abundant protein in plasma. The peptide then circulates with it, giving a half-life of roughly 6–8 days instead of under 30 minutes — but producing a continuous elevation rather than the pulses the body normally releases.	Binds pituitary GHRH receptors to stimulate the body's own pulsatile growth hormone release, leaving normal feedback control intact.
What studies report	Sustained increases in growth hormone and IGF-1 for over a week after a single dose in phase 1 studies Dose-dependent IGF-1 elevation maintained with weekly or twice-weekly injection Development was discontinued after early-phase trials	Pulses of growth hormone release in human pharmacology studies Raised IGF-1 in combination studies with ghrelin-receptor peptides
Dosing	From studies 30–60 mcg/kg, subcutaneous — Phase 1 in healthy adults. GH rose 2–10 fold; IGF-1 stayed elevated for 9–11 days Reported, not evidence 1–2 mg weekly or split twice weekly Often paired with a ghrelin-receptor peptide to add a pulse on top of the baseline	From studies 100 mcg, subcutaneous — Human pharmacology studies, often alongside a GHRP. Pulsatile GH release; IGF-1 rise with repeated use Reported, not evidence 100 mcg, typically before bed Paired with ipamorelin rather than used alone
Why people take it	Growth hormone and IGF-1 elevationBody compositionConvenience of weekly rather than daily injection	Lean muscle preservationFat lossTissue repairSleep qualityGrowth hormone releaseBody composition
In practice	Chosen over the no-DAC version for convenience — one or two injections a week instead of daily Criticised within the community for flattening the natural GH pulse, which is the argument for using the no-DAC form instead The two are constantly confused, and vendors frequently mislabel one as the other	Almost always paired with ipamorelin rather than used alone Taken before bed to align with natural growth hormone release Often run five days on, two off
Route	Subcutaneous injection, weekly or twice weekly	Subcutaneous injection, from reconstituted lyophilised powder

Rows describing reported use say what people do, not what has been shown to work. Evidence strength is graded the same way across the whole library, so the two columns are directly comparable.

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