Overview
In plain English
CJC-1295 with DAC is a modified analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone, the hypothalamic signal that prompts the pituitary to release growth hormone.
Its defining feature is duration. In circulation it forms a covalent bond with serum albumin and remains active for days rather than minutes, which is why it is studied as a sustained GHRH receptor stimulus rather than a pulsed one. Strictly for laboratory research use. Not for human or veterinary consumption.
- What it isA long-acting analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone
- Mainly studied forSustained GHRH receptor stimulation and somatotropic axis pharmacology
- Supplied asLyophilised powder, 5mg vial, independently assayed
How it works
What it actually does
The pituitary releases growth hormone in pulses. CJC-1295 acts on that existing system through the GHRH receptor rather than replacing it, so the axis's own feedback controls remain in place in the published models.
Native GHRH is inactivated in plasma within minutes. Four substitutions in the molecule close the enzymatic routes that break it down.
The DAC component is the distinctive part: it forms a covalent bond with albumin, the most abundant protein in blood. The conjugate is too large for the kidneys to filter, which extends its circulating life from minutes to days.
The science in detail
CJC-1295 with DAC is built on GRF(1-29), the N-terminal fragment of human growth hormone-releasing hormone that retains the full receptor activity of the 44-residue native peptide. Four positions are substituted — D-Ala at 2, Gln at 8, Ala at 15 and Leu at 27 — each closing a route of degradation. The D-Ala2 substitution matters most: native GHRH is cleaved between residues 2 and 3 by dipeptidyl peptidase-IV within minutes of entering plasma, and the D-amino acid renders that bond unrecognisable. The other substitutions reduce trypsin cleavage and asparagine deamidation.
The Drug Affinity Complex is the more distinctive modification. A lysine is appended at position 30 and its side chain carries a maleimidopropionyl group. Maleimide reacts selectively with free thiols, and the only abundant free thiol in plasma is Cys34 of serum albumin. The peptide therefore forms a covalent thioether bond with albumin in situ, producing a conjugate too large for glomerular filtration and largely shielded from peptidase access. Circulating half-life is measured in days rather than minutes.
Receptor engagement is conventional. The peptide binds GHRHR, a class B G protein-coupled receptor on anterior pituitary somatotrophs, coupling through Gs to adenylyl cyclase. The cAMP rise activates protein kinase A, which phosphorylates CREB and drives Pit-1-dependent GH gene transcription alongside calcium-mediated release of stored granules. Hepatic GH receptor signalling then raises IGF-1.
Two contrasts define its position. Against CJC-1295 without DAC, which shares the substitutions but lacks the linker, the difference is purely pharmacokinetic — a discrete pulse against a sustained elevation of baseline. Against ghrelin mimetics such as Ipamorelin, acting at GHS-R1a, the receptor and pathway differ entirely. Teichman et al. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2006) reported sustained GH and IGF-1 elevation after single subcutaneous doses in healthy adults; Ionescu and Frohman (J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2006) found endogenous pulsatility persisted despite continuous receptor stimulation.
Evidence
What the research shows
Half-life measured in days
Covalent binding to serum albumin extends its circulating half-life to roughly 6 to 8 days in the published pharmacokinetic work.
Acts through endogenous GH pulses
It amplifies the pituitary's own pulsatile release rather than imposing a flat, constant level.
Sustained GH and IGF-1 rise reported
A published clinical pharmacology study reported sustained growth hormone and IGF-1 elevation after single doses.
Pulsatility is preserved
Human pharmacology work found the natural pulse pattern persisted rather than flattening under continuous receptor stimulation.
Reconstitution & handling
Reconstitution and handling in the laboratory
These are general handling notes for the lyophilised peptide supplied by Purist Peptides. They describe the preparation of a stock solution for laboratory work. They are not a dosing protocol, and they describe no administration to a person or an animal.
A 3ml vial of bacteriostatic water is included free with every peptide vial you order, so the material can be reconstituted on arrival.
CJC-1295 with DAC 5mg — preparing a stock solution
Choice of diluent
Bacteriostatic water (water for injection with 0.9% benzyl alcohol) is the usual diluent where a stock will be drawn from repeatedly, because the preservative permits several septum entries across a working period. Sterile water for injection and sterile 0.9% sodium chloride are both used where a single-use preparation is wanted instead. The diluent volume sets the concentration of the stock, so record it.
Sterile technique
- Allow the sealed vial to reach room temperature before opening the carton — reconstituting a cold lyophilised cake slows dissolution
- Work in a clean area or a laminar flow cabinet, and wipe the rubber septum with 70% isopropyl alcohol, letting it dry fully
- Draw the chosen volume of diluent using a sterile single-use syringe and needle
- Angle the needle so the diluent runs down the inside wall of the vial — do not direct the stream onto the lyophilised cake
- Roll the vial gently between the palms until the cake has dissolved completely. Do not shake and do not vortex: peptides are surface-active, and agitation drives foaming and aggregation
- Let the vial stand for 5 to 10 minutes. A correctly reconstituted solution is clear and free of visible particles
Working out the concentration
Concentration follows from the mass in the vial and the volume of diluent added, nothing else. Adding 2ml of diluent to the 5mg vial gives a 2.5mg/ml stock; adding 1ml gives 5mg/ml. Label every reconstituted vial with its concentration and the date it was prepared.
Storage and stability
Before reconstitution
The lyophilised powder is the stable form. Sealed vials are best held at −20°C, protected from light and from moisture; the short periods at 2 to 6°C that occur in transit and on arrival are expected and are accounted for in the supply chain. Keep the vial in its carton — light and humid air are the two ordinary causes of loss on storage.
After reconstitution
Hold reconstituted solution at 2 to 6°C and protect it from light. Do not freeze a working stock: freeze-thaw cycling is the main avoidable cause of degradation and of visible precipitate. Where material must be held beyond a short working period, aliquot the stock into sterile low-binding tubes and freeze the aliquots once at −20°C or below, thawing each aliquot only once.
Checks before use
Inspect every vial against a light source. Discard any solution that is hazy, discoloured or contains particles, and any vial whose septum integrity is in doubt. The independent HPLC assay report for the batch supplied is available on request.
The DAC maleimide group reacts with free thiols. Keep the stock away from thiol-containing reagents and buffers such as DTT or 2-mercaptoethanol, which would consume the linker.
Strictly for laboratory research use. Not for human or veterinary consumption.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the DAC in CJC-1295 with DAC?
DAC stands for Drug Affinity Complex — a maleimidopropionyl group on a C-terminal lysine that reacts with the free thiol of Cys34 on serum albumin. The resulting covalent conjugate is too large for renal filtration, which is why the compound persists for days rather than minutes.
How does it differ from CJC-1295 without DAC?
Both share the same four amino acid substitutions on the GRF(1-29) backbone. Only the DAC version carries the albumin-binding linker. Without it, the peptide is cleared rapidly and produces a discrete pulse of GH release; with it, receptor stimulation is continuous and baseline GH and IGF-1 are elevated across days.
How does it differ from Ipamorelin?
Different receptor entirely. CJC-1295 acts at the GHRH receptor on pituitary somatotrophs. Ipamorelin is a ghrelin mimetic acting at GHS-R1a, which stimulates GH release through a separate pathway and reduces somatostatin tone. The two are studied together in research models precisely because the mechanisms are independent.
What has it been studied for?
Published human pharmacology is limited to the 2006 JCEM papers, which examined GH and IGF-1 secretion kinetics in healthy adults. Later research interest has centred on the somatotropic axis, body composition and sleep architecture in preclinical settings.
How is purity verified?
Every batch is assayed by Bioindustrial Services in Boksburg, an independent biotechnology laboratory, using HPLC. We do not self-certify. The signed certificate of analysis for each batch — lab number, method and assayed result — is published on our quality standards page.
How long does delivery take?
Orders are dispatched from within South Africa with tracking. Timelines by region and courier are set out on our delivery process page.
What is the returns policy?
Unopened vials in original condition may be returned within the stated window; full terms are in our refund policy.
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