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Guide

How is CJC-1295 dosed?

“CJC-1295” names two different molecules with two different half-lives. Every published human study on this page used the form with DAC. No human study of the form without DAC was found — stated directly, not left for a reader to discover.

Topic: Reading which form of CJC-1295 every study actually used

Audience: Anyone comparing a CJC-1295 dose figure against what was actually studied, and in which form

Reading time: 9–11 minutes

No approved product; every study used CJC-1295 DAC specifically

CJC-1295 has not been approved by the FDA, EMA, or any regulatory body. FDA’s own evaluation treats CJC-1295 with DAC and CJC-1295 without DAC as two different active moieties, “not interchangeable.” Every human study on this page used the DAC form — including one trial, terminated after a subject death, whose data was never published. Every figure below is a fact about a specific study — not a recommendation.

On this page
  1. 1.CJC-1295 with DAC vs. without: two molecules, one name
  2. 2.What the trials administered — all of them the DAC form
  3. 3.Has the no-DAC form been studied in humans?
  4. 4.Is there a community-reported dose?
  5. 5.Regulatory position: withdrawn from Category 2, weighed against 503A
  6. 6.Related pages
  7. 7.FAQ
  8. 8.References

CJC-1295 with DAC vs. without: two molecules, one name

CJC-1295 is a synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). FDA’s own December 2024 evaluation for its Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee describes CJC-1295 (free base) and CJC-1295 DAC (free base) as “two different active moieties” forming “five different BDS[s]” when salt forms are counted, and states plainly that they are “not interchangeable.” The DAC (Drug Affinity Complex) modification allows the peptide to bind circulating serum albumin in vivo, which is what extends its half-life from minutes to days. Without that modification, the same core sequence — sometimes called Modified GRF (1-29) — clears far faster.

The CJC-1295 profile covers the mechanism and broader research context in more depth; this page exists specifically to read every trial’s own form and dosing directly, and to keep that DAC distinction visible throughout rather than presenting one dose figure as if it covered both molecules.

What the trials administered — all of them the DAC form

Two studies exist. Each is graded against Prof. Peptide’s standing citation convention — a claim is attributed when it resolves to a named, checkable source. One grades as attributed and peer-reviewed; the other is reported with the evidentiary weakness FDA’s own document assigns it, stated directly rather than smoothed over.

Teichman et al. 2006 — Pharmacokinetics, GH/IGF-1 Response, and Safety (CJC-1295 DAC)

Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, Gagnon C, Castaigne JP, Frohman LA. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(3):799–805. PMID 16352683.

Form studied: CJC-1295 DAC (free base) — no NCT number found; likely predates or was not entered into the ClinicalTrials.gov registry.

Design: Two randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, ascending-dose trials (28 and 49 days respectively) at two investigational sites, in healthy adults ages 21–61.

Arms: Single ascending subcutaneous doses in the first study; two or three weekly or biweekly doses in the second. In study 1: 35 participants received CJC-1295 DAC, 7 received placebo.

Endpoint reported: Dose-dependent increases in mean plasma GH (2- to 10-fold) for 6 or more days, and mean plasma IGF-1 (1.5- to 3-fold) for 9–11 days after a single injection. Estimated half-life 5.8–8.1 days. After multiple doses, mean IGF-1 remained above baseline for up to 28 days. Safety and tolerability were best at 30 or 60 mcg/kg specifically.

Adverse events reported: In study 1, adverse events were reported in 33 of 35 (94%) CJC-1295 DAC participants versus 2 of 7 (29%) on placebo. No serious adverse reactions were reported in this trial.

Attributed — verbatim PubMed abstract read directly, peer-reviewed. This is the strongest single piece of human evidence on this page, and it studied the DAC form exclusively.

HIV-Associated Visceral Obesity — Terminated, Never Published

NCT00267527

ClinicalTrials.gov registry record; narrative details drawn from FDA's own December 2024 PCAC briefing document, which itself cites two contemporaneous anecdotal news reports (aidsmap.com and natap.org, both July/August 2006) rather than a peer-reviewed publication.

Form studied: CJC-1295 DAC (referred to in press coverage as "DAC:GRF") — sponsored by ConjuChem Biotechnologies Inc., the original developer.

Design: Multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase 2 trial; 12-week treatment period with a 6-week follow-up. TERMINATED, per the registry; data never published.

Arms: 192 subjects with HIV-associated visceral obesity enrolled (per FDA's own briefing document), randomized to a low-dose escalation (60, then 90, then 120 mcg/kg), a high-dose escalation (60, then 120, then 240 mcg/kg), or placebo, once weekly.

Endpoint reported: No efficacy data was ever published or posted to the registry — reported here as that absence.

Adverse events reported: Per FDA's account of anecdotal press reports (not the trial's own published data, since none exists): one subject developed chest discomfort roughly 2 hours after an 11th weekly dose, an ECG confirmed acute myocardial infarction, and the subject died approximately one hour later. The attending physician's stated most-likely explanation was pre-existing asymptomatic coronary artery disease with plaque rupture and occlusion. The study was terminated as a result.

Weakly sourced by design — FDA's own document treats its account of this trial as anecdotal, not as data from a completed, published study. Reported here with that same caveat, not upgraded to trial-reported fact.

Separately, FDA’s own review of nonclinical toxicology literature reports that repeated daily subcutaneous injections of CJC-1295 DAC at doses of 0.25 mg/kg or higher, in rats and dogs, for up to 14 days, produced local injection-site hemorrhage, inflammation, and necrosis; a genotoxicity signal was also reported in mouse pituitary cell cultures in vitro at 10 ng/mL over a 16-hour incubation. These are animal findings, reported as such, not converted into a human dose or risk figure.

The Prof. Peptide dosage calculator performs the arithmetic of converting a vial and reconstitution volume into syringe units for a given milligram or microgram figure; it does not set a schedule.

Has the no-DAC form been studied in humans?

No human study was found. FDA’s own December 2024 evaluation states this directly, in its own words: “No clinical safety information on the other substances discussed in this memo (CJC-1295 (free base) [i.e., without DAC], CJC-1295 acetate, CJC-1295 DAC acetate, or CJC-1295 DAC TFA) were submitted by the nominators or found by FDA.” FDA also states that no studies were identified establishing whether CJC-1295 (free base) is even pharmacologically active in humans. Every dose and every finding reported on this page comes from a study of the DAC form specifically — there is no trial-derived dose to report for the no-DAC form at all.

Is there a community-reported dose?

Yes, and it splits by form, tracking each one’s reported half-life rather than either trial’s own dose-finding data. For the DAC form: 1–2 mg subcutaneously once or twice weekly, already documented on the CJC-1295 profile. For the no-DAC form: roughly 100 mcg, 2–3 times daily, typically paired with a GHRP such as ipamorelin. Both are reported here, below the trial evidence, as observed community practice — not derived from either published study’s dosing.

The DAC figure diverges from Teichman et al. 2006’s own weight-based dosing (30–60 mcg/kg, best tolerated) toward a flat 1–2 mg figure not tied to body weight. The no-DAC figure has no trial-derived comparison to diverge from at all, since — per the previous section — no human study of that form exists.

Regulatory position: withdrawn from Category 2, weighed against 503A

FDA’s own staff evaluation weighs against 503A eligibility for every form of CJC-1295.

Read directly from FDA’s own December 2024 Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee briefing document: the conclusion states that “a balancing of the criteria weighs against” CJC-1295 (free base), CJC-1295 acetate, CJC-1295 DAC (free base), CJC-1295 DAC acetate, and CJC-1295 DAC TFA all being placed on the 503A Bulks List — citing the absence of a monograph, characterization gaps, immunogenicity concerns for injectable use, and the safety and effectiveness findings summarized above.

Checked directly against FDA’s current bulk-substance safety-risk page, CJC-1295 is not on the active Category 2 list — it appears in the “nominated but withdrawn” table instead. This compound was not part of the July 2026 Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee public meeting that covered BPC-157, TB-500, and several other peptides; no committee vote result was found for CJC-1295 as of this page’s build.

Research-grade CJC-1295, of the kind sold by the vendors Prof. Peptide tracks elsewhere on this site, is neither an approved product nor a verified lawfully compounded one under the current regulatory position above. It is sold labeled for laboratory research use, not for human administration, and it is not dispensed against a prescription.

FAQ

Is CJC-1295 with DAC the same molecule as CJC-1295 without DAC?
No. FDA's own evaluation treats them as "two different active moieties." CJC-1295 DAC (free base) is conjugated to a Drug Affinity Complex that binds serum albumin in vivo, extending its half-life to days. CJC-1295 without DAC — also called Modified GRF (1-29) — lacks that modification and has a half-life of minutes. Every human study on this page used the DAC form.
Has CJC-1295 without DAC been tested in humans?
No human study was found. FDA's own December 2024 evaluation states directly: "No clinical safety information on the other substances discussed in this memo (CJC-1295 (free base) [i.e., without DAC], CJC-1295 acetate, CJC-1295 DAC acetate, or CJC-1295 DAC TFA) were submitted by the nominators or found by FDA." Every dose and finding on this page comes from a study of the DAC form.
What dose did the main published CJC-1295 trial use?
Teichman et al. 2006 (PMID 16352683) administered CJC-1295 DAC subcutaneously in ascending single doses (one study, 28 days) and in weekly or biweekly repeated doses (a second study, 49 days), in healthy adults ages 21-61. The paper reports safety and tolerability were best at 30 or 60 mcg/kg specifically, though doses up to 120-250 mcg/kg were also studied across the program per FDA's own review of the literature.
What happened in the HIV lipodystrophy trial?
NCT00267527, a Phase 2 trial in 192 subjects with HIV-associated visceral obesity (per FDA's own briefing document), randomized participants to a low-dose escalation (60, 90, 120 mcg/kg), a high-dose escalation (60, 120, 240 mcg/kg), or placebo, once weekly for 12 weeks. After an 11th weekly dose, one subject developed chest discomfort, was found by ECG to have had an acute myocardial infarction, and died about an hour later; the attending physician's stated most-likely explanation was pre-existing coronary artery disease with plaque rupture. The study was terminated and its data was never published — FDA's own account of this trial is explicitly sourced to anecdotal news reports, not a peer-reviewed paper, and this page reports that evidentiary weakness directly.
What adverse events were reported in the published trials?
In Teichman et al. 2006's first study, adverse events were reported in 33 of 35 subjects (94%) receiving CJC-1295 DAC versus 2 of 7 (29%) on placebo — the paper describes these as generally mild and states no serious adverse reactions were reported. Across the three published studies FDA reviewed (63 healthy adults total, 87% men, 73% receiving only a single dose), the most common adverse event was injection site reactions; others included systemic vasodilatory reactions, headache, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, transient involuntary leg muscle contractions, dizziness, hypotension, and increased heart rate.
Is there a commonly reported CJC-1295 dosing protocol?
Yes, and it splits by form, tracking each one's half-life rather than any trial dose directly. For the DAC form: 1-2 mg subcutaneously once or twice weekly. For the no-DAC form (Modified GRF 1-29): roughly 100 mcg, 2-3 times daily. Both figures are reported here below the trial evidence, as observed community practice, not derived from either published trial's own dose-finding data.
What is CJC-1295's current FDA compounding status?
Checked directly against FDA's own current 503A bulk-substance safety-risk page: CJC-1295 is not on the active Category 2 list. It appears in the "bulk drug substances nominated but withdrawn" table instead. Separately, FDA's own December 2024 evaluation document concluded that "a balancing of the criteria weighs against" all five CJC-1295-related substances (free base, acetate, DAC free base, DAC acetate, DAC TFA) being placed on the 503A Bulks List. This compound was not part of the July 2026 PCAC public meeting that covered BPC-157 and TB-500, and no committee vote result was found for it.

References

  1. Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, Gagnon C, Castaigne JP, Frohman LA. 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;91(3):799–805. PMID 16352683. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16352683/
  2. ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study to Evaluate CJC 1295 in HIV Patients With Visceral Obesity, NCT00267527. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00267527
  3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Briefing Document, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee Meeting, December 4, 2024 — Evaluation of CJC-1295-Related Bulk Drug Substances. https://www.fda.gov/media/183819/download
  4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding That May Present Significant Safety Risks. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/certain-bulk-drug-substances-use-compounding-may-present-significant-safety-risks

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