CJC-1295 with DAC
Hormonal and Signaling
ABOUT
CJC-1295 is a long-acting growth-hormone-releasing hormone analogue. A small randomised, placebo-controlled study in healthy adults reported sustained increases in growth hormone and IGF-1 after administration of the study formulation.
EVIDENCE OVERVIEW
Early human findings, not yet confirmed
WHAT THIS MEANS
Potential. Review the research and limitations before relying on this record.
IDENTITY
HALF-LIFE
HOW IT IS THOUGHT TO WORK
CJC-1295 with DAC is a tetrasubstituted GHRH(1-29) analogue carrying an N-epsilon-3-maleimidopropionamide derivative of lysine at the C terminus. After subcutaneous injection that maleimide group forms a covalent bond with the free thiol at Cys34 of circulating serum albumin. The resulting bioconjugate is what produces the long half-life; the peptide alone would not.
PHARMACOKINETICS
Estimated half-life 5.8 to 8.1 days. A single dose produced dose-dependent increases in mean plasma GH of 2- to 10-fold for six days or more, and in IGF-1 of 1.5- to 3-fold for 9 to 11 days. After multiple doses, mean IGF-1 remained above baseline for up to 28 days. GH pulsatility was preserved rather than flattened.
REVIEW
PUBLISHED PAIR RECORDS
with GHRP-2
Growth-hormone-axis co-stimulationCJC-1295 with DAC is a long-acting GHRH analogue and GHRP-2 is a growth-hormone-releasing peptide. Related GHRH plus GHRP-2 research shows that co-stimulation can change acute GH responses, but no direct study of this exact pair was curated. This is a theoretical pathway overlap, not evidence of safety or efficacy.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with Hexarelin
Growth-hormone-axis co-stimulationCJC-1295 with DAC is a long-acting GHRH analogue and hexarelin is a growth-hormone-releasing peptide. Related GHRH and hexarelin research demonstrates acute endocrine interaction, but no direct study of this exact pair was curated. This remains a theoretical pathway overlap, not a safety or efficacy conclusion.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with Ipamorelin
Growth-hormone axis: documented synergistic releaseCJC-1295 with DAC acts at the GHRH receptor while Ipamorelin acts at the ghrelin/GH-secretagogue receptor. In healthy men, submaximal doses of a GH-releasing peptide combined with GHRH stimulated GH release synergistically rather than additively, and the combined area-under-curve response exceeded the arithmetic sum of each given alone. Combining these two classes therefore produces a larger GH and downstream IGF-1 response than either alone. Ipamorelin is the more receptor-selective secretagogue in this group and has comparatively little effect on prolactin, ACTH and cortisol. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with GHRP-6
Growth-hormone axis: documented synergistic releaseCJC-1295 with DAC acts at the GHRH receptor while GHRP-6 acts at the ghrelin/GH-secretagogue receptor. In healthy men, submaximal doses of a GH-releasing peptide combined with GHRH stimulated GH release synergistically rather than additively, and the combined area-under-curve response exceeded the arithmetic sum of each given alone. Combining these two classes therefore produces a larger GH and downstream IGF-1 response than either alone. GHRP-6 also raises prolactin, ACTH and cortisol; in a head-to-head human comparison the ACTH/cortisol-releasing activity of GHRP-2 and hexarelin was similar to that of CRH, while prolactin release was lower than that of TRH. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with MK-677
Growth-hormone axis: documented synergistic releaseCJC-1295 with DAC acts at the GHRH receptor while MK-677 acts at the ghrelin/GH-secretagogue receptor. In healthy men, submaximal doses of a GH-releasing peptide combined with GHRH stimulated GH release synergistically rather than additively, and the combined area-under-curve response exceeded the arithmetic sum of each given alone. Combining these two classes therefore produces a larger GH and downstream IGF-1 response than either alone. MK-677 is an orally active, long-acting ghrelin-receptor agonist, so the combined effect on the GH/IGF-1 axis is sustained rather than pulsatile, and trials of MK-677 report deterioration of glucose tolerance. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with CJC-1295 (without DAC)
Same receptor class: overlapping GHRH-receptor activityCJC-1295 (without DAC) and CJC-1295 with DAC are both growth-hormone-releasing-hormone receptor agonists, so they act on the same pituitary receptor population rather than on complementary pathways. Published human work characterises GHRH-receptor and ghrelin-receptor stimulation as the two distinct routes to GH release; two agents from the same route do not provide that documented synergy, and their effects on the GH/IGF-1 axis overlap. Duration differs across this class - DAC-modified and depot-style analogues sustain exposure far longer than short-acting ones. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with Sermorelin
Same receptor class: overlapping GHRH-receptor activityCJC-1295 with DAC and Sermorelin are both growth-hormone-releasing-hormone receptor agonists, so they act on the same pituitary receptor population rather than on complementary pathways. Published human work characterises GHRH-receptor and ghrelin-receptor stimulation as the two distinct routes to GH release; two agents from the same route do not provide that documented synergy, and their effects on the GH/IGF-1 axis overlap. Duration differs across this class - DAC-modified and depot-style analogues sustain exposure far longer than short-acting ones. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with Tesamorelin
Same receptor class: overlapping GHRH-receptor activityCJC-1295 with DAC and Tesamorelin are both growth-hormone-releasing-hormone receptor agonists, so they act on the same pituitary receptor population rather than on complementary pathways. Published human work characterises GHRH-receptor and ghrelin-receptor stimulation as the two distinct routes to GH release; two agents from the same route do not provide that documented synergy, and their effects on the GH/IGF-1 axis overlap. Duration differs across this class - DAC-modified and depot-style analogues sustain exposure far longer than short-acting ones. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with IGF-1 LR3
Additive IGF-1 receptor signallingCJC-1295 with DAC raises IGF-1 indirectly by stimulating growth-hormone release, while IGF-1 LR3 is an IGF-1 analogue that acts directly at the IGF-1 receptor. The two therefore converge on the same downstream signalling. Regulatory labelling for recombinant IGF-1 records that the IGF-1 receptor is homologous to the insulin receptor, that IGF-1 has insulin-like hypoglycaemic effects, and that hypoglycaemia is among its most common adverse effects; doses of insulin or other hypoglycaemic products may need reducing. Growth hormone itself moves blood glucose in the opposite direction, so the net glycaemic effect of the pair is not predictable from either agent alone. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with IGF-1 DES
Additive IGF-1 receptor signallingCJC-1295 with DAC raises IGF-1 indirectly by stimulating growth-hormone release, while IGF-1 DES is an IGF-1 analogue that acts directly at the IGF-1 receptor. The two therefore converge on the same downstream signalling. Regulatory labelling for recombinant IGF-1 records that the IGF-1 receptor is homologous to the insulin receptor, that IGF-1 has insulin-like hypoglycaemic effects, and that hypoglycaemia is among its most common adverse effects; doses of insulin or other hypoglycaemic products may need reducing. Growth hormone itself moves blood glucose in the opposite direction, so the net glycaemic effect of the pair is not predictable from either agent alone. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with Semaglutide
Opposing effects on glucose regulationCJC-1295 with DAC raises growth-hormone exposure, and growth hormone is a counter-regulatory hormone: controlled human studies show GH administration impairs insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and deteriorates glucose tolerance through increased lipolysis, with chronic GH excess producing insulin resistance. Semaglutide acts in the opposite direction on glycaemic control. Trials of the oral secretagogue MK-677 specifically report raised fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance. The combined effect on blood glucose is therefore not predictable from either agent alone and warrants monitoring rather than assumption. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with Tirzepatide
Opposing effects on glucose regulationCJC-1295 with DAC raises growth-hormone exposure, and growth hormone is a counter-regulatory hormone: controlled human studies show GH administration impairs insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and deteriorates glucose tolerance through increased lipolysis, with chronic GH excess producing insulin resistance. Tirzepatide acts in the opposite direction on glycaemic control. Trials of the oral secretagogue MK-677 specifically report raised fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance. The combined effect on blood glucose is therefore not predictable from either agent alone and warrants monitoring rather than assumption. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with Retatrutide
Opposing effects on glucose regulationCJC-1295 with DAC raises growth-hormone exposure, and growth hormone is a counter-regulatory hormone: controlled human studies show GH administration impairs insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and deteriorates glucose tolerance through increased lipolysis, with chronic GH excess producing insulin resistance. Retatrutide acts in the opposite direction on glycaemic control. Trials of the oral secretagogue MK-677 specifically report raised fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance. The combined effect on blood glucose is therefore not predictable from either agent alone and warrants monitoring rather than assumption. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with Survodutide
Opposing effects on glucose regulationCJC-1295 with DAC raises growth-hormone exposure, and growth hormone is a counter-regulatory hormone: controlled human studies show GH administration impairs insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and deteriorates glucose tolerance through increased lipolysis, with chronic GH excess producing insulin resistance. Survodutide acts in the opposite direction on glycaemic control. Trials of the oral secretagogue MK-677 specifically report raised fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance. The combined effect on blood glucose is therefore not predictable from either agent alone and warrants monitoring rather than assumption. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with Mazdutide
Opposing effects on glucose regulationCJC-1295 with DAC raises growth-hormone exposure, and growth hormone is a counter-regulatory hormone: controlled human studies show GH administration impairs insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and deteriorates glucose tolerance through increased lipolysis, with chronic GH excess producing insulin resistance. Mazdutide acts in the opposite direction on glycaemic control. Trials of the oral secretagogue MK-677 specifically report raised fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance. The combined effect on blood glucose is therefore not predictable from either agent alone and warrants monitoring rather than assumption. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with Cagrilintide
Opposing effects on glucose regulationCJC-1295 with DAC raises growth-hormone exposure, and growth hormone is a counter-regulatory hormone: controlled human studies show GH administration impairs insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and deteriorates glucose tolerance through increased lipolysis, with chronic GH excess producing insulin resistance. Cagrilintide acts in the opposite direction on glycaemic control. Trials of the oral secretagogue MK-677 specifically report raised fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance. The combined effect on blood glucose is therefore not predictable from either agent alone and warrants monitoring rather than assumption. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with Native GIP
Opposing effects on glucose regulationCJC-1295 with DAC raises growth-hormone exposure, and growth hormone is a counter-regulatory hormone: controlled human studies show GH administration impairs insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and deteriorates glucose tolerance through increased lipolysis, with chronic GH excess producing insulin resistance. Native GIP acts in the opposite direction on glycaemic control. Trials of the oral secretagogue MK-677 specifically report raised fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance. The combined effect on blood glucose is therefore not predictable from either agent alone and warrants monitoring rather than assumption. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 19 Aug 2026with Liraglutide
Opposing effects on glucose regulationCJC-1295 with DAC raises growth-hormone exposure, and growth hormone is a counter-regulatory hormone: controlled human studies show GH administration impairs insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and deteriorates glucose tolerance through increased lipolysis, with chronic GH excess producing insulin resistance. Liraglutide acts in the opposite direction on glycaemic control. The combined effect on blood glucose is not predictable from either agent alone and warrants monitoring rather than assumption. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 21 Aug 2026with Exenatide
Opposing effects on glucose regulationCJC-1295 with DAC raises growth-hormone exposure, and growth hormone is a counter-regulatory hormone: controlled human studies show GH administration impairs insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and deteriorates glucose tolerance through increased lipolysis, with chronic GH excess producing insulin resistance. Exenatide acts in the opposite direction on glycaemic control. The combined effect on blood glucose is not predictable from either agent alone and warrants monitoring rather than assumption. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 21 Aug 2026with Dulaglutide
Opposing effects on glucose regulationCJC-1295 with DAC raises growth-hormone exposure, and growth hormone is a counter-regulatory hormone: controlled human studies show GH administration impairs insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and deteriorates glucose tolerance through increased lipolysis, with chronic GH excess producing insulin resistance. Dulaglutide acts in the opposite direction on glycaemic control. The combined effect on blood glucose is not predictable from either agent alone and warrants monitoring rather than assumption. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 21 Aug 2026with Pramlintide
Opposing effects on glucose regulationCJC-1295 with DAC raises growth-hormone exposure, and growth hormone is a counter-regulatory hormone: controlled human studies show GH administration impairs insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and deteriorates glucose tolerance through increased lipolysis, with chronic GH excess producing insulin resistance. Pramlintide acts in the opposite direction on glycaemic control. Pramlintide is the sharper case: its labelling carries a boxed warning for severe hypoglycaemia in the insulin-treated setting, so an agent pushing glucose the other way makes the net effect harder to anticipate rather than conveniently cancelling out. The combined effect on blood glucose is not predictable from either agent alone and warrants monitoring rather than assumption. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 21 Aug 2026with follistatin-344
Converging on muscle growth from two different directionsFollistatin-344 antagonises myostatin and activin A, removing a brake on skeletal-muscle growth through the SMAD2/3 pathway. CJC-1295 with DAC pushes the accelerator instead, raising growth-hormone exposure and downstream IGF-1. These are genuinely distinct pathways converging on the same tissue outcome, which is why the combination is attractive in principle and why its size cannot be predicted from either alone. The evidence does not support treating it as characterised: human follistatin data comes from AAV-delivered gene therapy in open-label muscular-dystrophy trials of a handful of patients, not from injected follistatin protein, and a case series reported central serous chorioretinopathy in bodybuilders using subcutaneous FS-344. Growth factors affecting muscle regeneration are prohibited at all times in sport. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 21 Aug 2026with AOD-9604
Growth-hormone fragment that does not act through the growth-hormone receptorAOD-9604 is the C-terminal fragment of human growth hormone (residues 177-191), and it is commonly scheduled alongside growth-hormone secretagogues on the assumption that it adds to the same axis. It does not: the fragment was designed to reproduce the lipolytic action of growth hormone without its diabetogenic effects, and published work shows its lipolytic action is not mediated directly through the growth hormone receptor. CJC-1295 with DAC raises endogenous growth hormone and downstream IGF-1; AOD-9604 does not add to that signal. The more relevant fact is efficacy: FDA's review describes a 502-person obesity trial in which AOD-9604 showed no significant difference from placebo on its primary endpoint, and development did not proceed to approval. AOD-9604 is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 21 Aug 2026with CJC-1295 with DAC / Ipamorelin blend
Same substance taken twice: blend already contains this compoundCJC-1295 with DAC / Ipamorelin blend already contains CJC-1295 with DAC. Scheduling the standalone compound alongside the blend means taking it twice from two sources, and the blend's other components come with it whether or not they are wanted at that moment. This is the one exposure risk a blend creates that its individual parts do not, and it is arithmetic rather than pharmacology - the combined amount is whatever the two products add up to. Where a blend's ratio is fixed by the manufacturer, the only way to change one component's dose is to add or remove the whole vial. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 25 Aug 2026with CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin blend
Inherited from a component of this blendCJC-1295 / Ipamorelin blend contains Ipamorelin and CJC-1295 (without DAC), and the catalogue holds a curated pair record between those components and CJC-1295 with DAC: Ipamorelin (growth-hormone axis: documented synergistic release); CJC-1295 (without DAC) (same receptor class: overlapping ghrh-receptor activity). Taking the blend therefore carries the same consideration as taking that component on its own, with the difference that a fixed-ratio vial cannot be adjusted independently of the rest of its contents. The evidence and citations here are the component record's; nothing has been studied about the blend itself. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 25 Aug 2026with Sermorelin / Ipamorelin blend
Inherited from a component of this blendSermorelin / Ipamorelin blend contains Ipamorelin and Sermorelin, and the catalogue holds a curated pair record between those components and CJC-1295 with DAC: Ipamorelin (growth-hormone axis: documented synergistic release); Sermorelin (same receptor class: overlapping ghrh-receptor activity). Taking the blend therefore carries the same consideration as taking that component on its own, with the difference that a fixed-ratio vial cannot be adjusted independently of the rest of its contents. The evidence and citations here are the component record's; nothing has been studied about the blend itself. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 25 Aug 2026with CJC-1295 / GHRP-2 blend
Inherited from a component of this blendCJC-1295 / GHRP-2 blend contains GHRP-2 and CJC-1295 (without DAC), and the catalogue holds a curated pair record between those components and CJC-1295 with DAC: GHRP-2 (growth-hormone-axis co-stimulation); CJC-1295 (without DAC) (same receptor class: overlapping ghrh-receptor activity). Taking the blend therefore carries the same consideration as taking that component on its own, with the difference that a fixed-ratio vial cannot be adjusted independently of the rest of its contents. The evidence and citations here are the component record's; nothing has been studied about the blend itself. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 25 Aug 2026with CJC-1295 / GHRP-6 blend
Inherited from a component of this blendCJC-1295 / GHRP-6 blend contains GHRP-6 and CJC-1295 (without DAC), and the catalogue holds a curated pair record between those components and CJC-1295 with DAC: GHRP-6 (growth-hormone axis: documented synergistic release); CJC-1295 (without DAC) (same receptor class: overlapping ghrh-receptor activity). Taking the blend therefore carries the same consideration as taking that component on its own, with the difference that a fixed-ratio vial cannot be adjusted independently of the rest of its contents. The evidence and citations here are the component record's; nothing has been studied about the blend itself. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 25 Aug 2026with CJC-1295 / Hexarelin blend
Inherited from a component of this blendCJC-1295 / Hexarelin blend contains Hexarelin and CJC-1295 (without DAC), and the catalogue holds a curated pair record between those components and CJC-1295 with DAC: Hexarelin (growth-hormone-axis co-stimulation); CJC-1295 (without DAC) (same receptor class: overlapping ghrh-receptor activity). Taking the blend therefore carries the same consideration as taking that component on its own, with the difference that a fixed-ratio vial cannot be adjusted independently of the rest of its contents. The evidence and citations here are the component record's; nothing has been studied about the blend itself. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 25 Aug 2026with Kyinsu
Inherited from a component of this blendKyinsu contains Semaglutide, and the catalogue holds a curated pair record between that component and CJC-1295 with DAC: Semaglutide (opposing effects on glucose regulation). Taking the blend therefore carries the same consideration as taking that component on its own, with the difference that a fixed-ratio vial cannot be adjusted independently of the rest of its contents. The evidence and citations here are the component record's; nothing has been studied about the blend itself. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 25 Aug 2026with CagriSema
Inherited from a component of this blendCagriSema contains Semaglutide and Cagrilintide, and the catalogue holds a curated pair record between those components and CJC-1295 with DAC: Semaglutide (opposing effects on glucose regulation); Cagrilintide (opposing effects on glucose regulation). Taking the blend therefore carries the same consideration as taking that component on its own, with the difference that a fixed-ratio vial cannot be adjusted independently of the rest of its contents. The evidence and citations here are the component record's; nothing has been studied about the blend itself. Peppy reports curated pharmacology, not a safety verdict. A prescriber or pharmacist should review any intended combination.
Reviewed 25 Aug 2026HUMAN EVIDENCE
Two randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind ascending-dose trials in healthy adults aged 21-61 (Teichman 2006, 28 and 49 days) established the pharmacodynamics above and reported acceptable tolerability, particularly at 30 and 60 micrograms per kilogram. These are phase 1 pharmacodynamic studies in healthy volunteers. No trial has tested a clinical outcome - body composition, function, or disease endpoint - and development did not proceed to approval.
REPORTED EFFECTS
No serious adverse reactions were reported in the ascending single- and multiple-dose trials. What those trials cannot speak to is sustained supraphysiological IGF-1 exposure over months or years, which is the pattern of actual use. FDA removed CJC-1295 from the Category 2 interim compounding list in September 2024 after the nomination was withdrawn - a procedural change, not a safety clearance. GHRH analogues are prohibited at all times in sport.
RESEARCH LIMITATIONS
This biomarker study does not establish clinical benefit or long-term safety. It should not be applied to products with a different formulation or used as dosing guidance.
CURATED SOURCES · 3