CJC-1295 with DAC Dosing Guide: Schedule, Half-Life & Safety (2026)

CJC-1295 with DAC is a 30-amino acid GHRH analog with a Drug Affinity Complex (DAC) modification at position 30 that lets the peptide attach to circulating albumin. That albumin binding shields it from breakdown and stretches its half-life from minutes (the No DAC version) to about 6-8 days. In plain English: one injection keeps signaling the pituitary to release growth hormone for nearly a week.

It is also called DAC:GRF and was developed by ConjuChem Biotechnologies. It reached Phase 2 development for HIV lipodystrophy in 2006 before that trial was halted. As of May 2026, CJC-1295 with DAC is not FDA-approved and has no active approval pathway.

Use this protocol for dosing, vial mixing, and schedule planning. For the full background, read the CJC-1295 peptide guide on how it works, research, side effects, and legal status.

Common research-planning ranges land between 1-2 mg subcutaneously once weekly. Because the half-life is 6-8 days, the compound takes roughly 3-4 weeks to reach steady state. Conservative starting doses give time to assess tolerance before any escalation.

Practical timing notes. Once-weekly dosing is pharmacokinetically sufficient given the 6-8 day half-life, so timing is less sensitive than with No DAC. Evening dosing remains common in research planning. If a dose is missed, common community practice is to dose as soon as remembered unless the next scheduled dose is within about two to three days.

The table below assumes a 10 mg vial and shows BAC water volumes up to 3.0 mL, with the resulting concentration and U-100 syringe units at typical weekly doses. 'Units' refers to the markings on a U-100 insulin syringe, where 100 units equals 1.0 mL.

CJC-1295 with DAC tells the pituitary gland to release more growth hormone, and the DAC modification keeps that signal active for days instead of minutes. The peptide shares the same 29-amino acid GHRH-analog core as CJC-1295 No DAC, with stabilizing substitutions at positions 2, 8, 15, and 27. The DAC version adds a maleimidopropionyl group at position 30 that latches onto albumin in the blood. Albumin then acts as a carrier protein that shields the peptide from breakdown and kidney filtration.

CJC-1295 with DAC binds to GHRH receptors on somatotroph cells in the pituitary, triggering a cAMP signaling cascade that drives growth hormone production and release. Receptor-binding activity is identical to CJC-1295 No DAC. The DAC modification only changes how long the peptide stays in circulation, not how strongly it stimulates the receptor.

Once injected, the DAC component reacts with albumin in the bloodstream and binds covalently. That albumin tether is the entire reason the half-life stretches from about 30 minutes (No DAC) to roughly 5.8-8.1 days, as reported in the Phase 1 PK data from Teichman et al. (2006). I verified that half-life range against the JCEM paper directly.

In Phase 1 data, a single CJC-1295 with DAC injection raised growth hormone roughly 2-10 fold for at least 6 days and IGF-1 about 1.5-3 fold for 9-11 days. With repeated weekly dosing, IGF-1 elevation accumulated and lasted up to 28 days. A companion analysis (Ionescu and Frohman, 2006) reported that the body's natural pulsatile GH rhythm was preserved even with DAC on board, which suggests sustained exposure does not completely flatten the natural release pattern.

When growth hormone stays elevated, the liver produces more IGF-1, which is the main mediator of GH's effects on tissues. Sustained IGF-1 supports protein synthesis, collagen turnover, lipolysis, and tissue repair signaling. The steady IGF-1 envelope from DAC differs from the shorter pulse profile produced by No DAC.

CJC-1295 with DAC is investigational. Even in research planning, common screening protocols exclude several groups based on the known biology of GHRH analogs and the cardiovascular signal that ended Phase 2 development.

Phase 1 data described CJC-1295 with DAC as relatively well tolerated at lower dose ranges, with adverse events increasing at higher exposure. The most important safety signal in the published record came from the halted Phase 2 trial.

Higher dose cohorts showed more frequent tolerability issues. Lower 30-60 mcg/kg ranges were reported as better tolerated in Phase 1. Phase 1 studies reported no discontinuations for adverse events and no serious adverse events in those cohorts.

Because the half-life is 6-8 days, side effects can persist for days rather than minutes. That is the most important practical difference from shorter-acting GHRH analogs.

A 2006 Phase 2 HIV lipodystrophy trial (NCT00267527) was halted after one participant died from a myocardial infarction. The attending physician attributed the death to pre-existing coronary disease rather than the study drug. ConjuChem discontinued development as a precaution. As of May 2026, there is no active FDA approval pathway.

Because the half-life is 6-8 days, exposure builds gradually. Steady state takes roughly 3-4 weeks. The Phase 1 record gives the clearest picture of when measurable changes appear.

Community reports over 8-12 week cycles often describe better recovery between sessions, deeper sleep, gradual changes in body composition, and skin or connective tissue feel. None of those endpoints were tested in controlled long-term trials, so they should be treated as anecdotal context, not expected results.

If unwanted effects appear, common research-planning practice is to pause and re-evaluate before continuing, especially because the long half-life means effects can persist for days.

Direct human evidence on CJC-1295 with DAC comes from a small cluster of Phase 1 trials, a halted Phase 2 trial, and supporting preclinical work, all published between 2005 and 2009. I verified the Phase 1 PK numbers cited below against the Teichman et al. JCEM paper directly.

Most practical issues with weekly DAC protocols come from the long half-life, the relatively small once-weekly draw volume, and reconstitution math that differs from daily peptides.

As of May 2026, CJC-1295 with DAC is not FDA-approved for any indication. Phase 2 development for HIV lipodystrophy was discontinued in 2006 after the trial was halted, and no active modern Phase 2 or Phase 3 trials are registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.

All product references on this page are research-use-only and are not for human consumption.

The biggest practical differences between CJC-1295 with DAC and its closest comparators are half-life and dosing cadence. Tesamorelin is the only FDA-approved compound in the table below, with an indication for HIV lipodystrophy.

Common research-planning pairings combine CJC-1295 with DAC with a GHRP for a fuller GH-pulse profile, or with tissue-repair compounds in recovery-focused stacks. Stacking is covered on the dedicated stack pages below.

CJC-1295 DAC is discussed as a longer-acting GH-axis research peptide. Monitoring centers on IGF-1, glucose handling, lipids, thyroid context, and fluid-retention symptoms.