The growth hormone secretagogue that binds to your blood proteins and works for a week per injection—and why the company that made it no longer exists

CJC-1295 with DAC is a study in pharmaceutical ingenuity and pharmaceutical abandonment. The science behind it is genuinely clever: take a GHRH analog, attach a reactive chemical linker that covalently bonds to albumin in the bloodstream, and transform a 30-minute peptide into a week-long growth hormone stimulant. One injection per week instead of one or more per day. The human data confirms the concept works—growth hormone and IGF-1 rise substantially and stay elevated for days.

And then the story falls apart. A patient in a Phase II trial in Argentina died three hours after their eleventh injection. The attending physician attributed the death to pre-existing asymptomatic coronary artery disease, not to the drug itself. But the trial was terminated, never completed, and never published. ConjuChem Biotechnologies ran out of money and filed for bankruptcy in 2010. Patrick Soon-Shiong acquired the company's assets and did nothing with them.

The result is a compound that has real Phase I/II data, an elegant pharmacological mechanism, and zero active pharmaceutical development. The evidence is frozen at 2006. No academic group, no pharmaceutical company, no government agency has published a new human study on CJC-1295 with DAC in twenty years. It remains available through specialty peptide vendors, used by a community that is working from the same two published papers the rest of us are.

This article covers the with-DAC version specifically. For the no-DAC version (Mod GRF 1-29)—a pharmacologically different compound with a 30-minute half-life and no human clinical data—see the CJC-1295 (no DAC) article (forthcoming Platinum version).

Quick Facts: CJC-1295 with DAC at a Glance

What Is CJC-1295 (with DAC)?

Pronunciation: see-jay-see-twelve-ninety-five (with dack) (also known as CJC-1295-DAC, DAC:GRF, ConjuChem CJC-1295)

Albumin is the most abundant protein in your blood—a molecular workhorse that transports hormones, fatty acids, and drugs through the circulation. It has a half-life of approximately 19 days. If you could attach a peptide drug to albumin, the peptide would ride along for the duration—surviving for days instead of minutes. CJC-1295 with DAC is a compound designed to do exactly that.

The base molecule is the same tetrasubstituted GRF(1-29) found in CJC-1295 (no DAC)—a GHRH analog with four amino acid substitutions for enzymatic stability. The DAC modification adds a reactive maleimidopropionic acid linker at position 30 (lysine). Within minutes of subcutaneous injection, this linker forms a covalent thioether bond with cysteine-34 on circulating serum albumin. The bond is irreversible. Once attached, the peptide-albumin complex circulates for nearly a week, continuously presenting the GHRH analog to pituitary GHRH receptors.

The result: a single weekly injection that elevates growth hormone and IGF-1 for 6–11 days. This is not a sustained-release formulation—the peptide itself is not slowly released from a depot. It is actively bound to albumin and continuously stimulating the GHRH receptor for the entire duration of the albumin complex's circulation.

Origins and Discovery

ConjuChem Biotechnologies, founded in Montreal in 1996, specialized in Drug Affinity Complex technology—a platform for extending the half-life of therapeutic peptides by conjugating them to albumin-binding linkers. Their pipeline included DAC-modified versions of GLP-1 (for diabetes), interferon-alpha (for hepatitis C), and GRF(1-29) (for growth hormone deficiency).

CJC-1295 was ConjuChem's most advanced GRF program. The company conducted two Phase I studies published by Teichman et al. and Ionescu & Frohman in 2006, demonstrating the pharmacological proof of concept in healthy adults. They then launched a Phase II trial (NCT00267527) for HIV-associated visceral obesity—approximately 192 patients receiving weekly subcutaneous injections for 12 weeks.

In July 2006, a patient in the Argentina arm of the HIV trial died approximately three hours after receiving their eleventh weekly injection. The attending physician attributed the death to acute myocardial infarction secondary to pre-existing asymptomatic coronary artery disease—not to CJC-1295. However, the trial was terminated, the data were never published, and the FDA investigated.

ConjuChem's financial position deteriorated through 2007–2009, and the company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2010. Patrick Soon-Shiong—the billionaire physician known for developing Abraxane and later acquiring the Los Angeles Times—acquired ConjuChem's assets in 2010–2011. No new CJC-1295 development has been initiated under any successor entity.

Mechanism of Action

The base peptide operates through identical GHRHR pharmacology as CJC-1295 (no DAC) and sermorelin: Gs → cAMP → PKA → calcium mobilization → GH granule exocytosis. The four amino acid substitutions (D-Ala², Gln⁸, Ala¹⁵, Nle²⁷) provide DPP-IV resistance.

The DAC modification fundamentally alters pharmacokinetics without changing pharmacodynamics at the receptor level:

Albumin binding kinetics: The maleimido linker reacts with cysteine-34 on serum albumin within 15 minutes of injection (Jetté 2005). The thioether bond is covalent and irreversible—the peptide cannot detach from albumin. The complex circulates with albumin's natural half-life (~19 days), but the peptide's biological activity degrades faster than albumin itself, yielding an effective half-life of 5.8–8.1 days (Teichman 2006).

Sustained GHRHR stimulation: The albumin-bound complex continuously presents the GHRH analog to pituitary somatotroph GHRH receptors. This is sustained stimulation—not pulsatile—yet the Ionescu 2006 study demonstrated that pulsatile GH secretion was preserved. The mechanism: GHRH receptor downregulation and somatostatin negative feedback create an oscillatory system even under continuous input. The somatostatin-mediated troughs still occur, though they are elevated above baseline (trough GH +7.5-fold, mean GH +46%).

The safety implication of irreversibility: Unlike short-acting peptides where adverse effects resolve within hours of discontinuation, the albumin-bound CJC-1295-DAC complex persists for days. If an adverse reaction occurs—injection site reaction, cardiovascular event, allergic response—the drug cannot be cleared, neutralized, or dialyzed out. The patient must wait for the complex to degrade naturally. This is the pharmacological trade-off for weekly dosing convenience.

Key Research Areas and Studies

GH and IGF-1 Stimulation (Teichman et al. 2006)

The Teichman study is the foundational efficacy dataset. In two double-blind, placebo-controlled, ascending-dose RCTs in healthy adults aged 21–61: - Single injection of 30–60 µg/kg SC produced GH increases of 2–10-fold lasting 6+ days - IGF-1 increased 1.5–3-fold with effects lasting 9–11 days - Cumulative effect observed with repeated weekly dosing - Well tolerated at therapeutic doses (30–60 µg/kg) - Dose-limiting toxicities at higher doses included injection site reactions

This is clean Phase I data demonstrating proof of concept: the DAC modification works as designed, and the GHRH analog remains biologically active when bound to albumin.

Pulsatile GH Preservation (Ionescu & Frohman 2006)

The Ionescu study addressed the most important mechanistic concern: does continuous GHRH receptor stimulation flatten GH pulsatility? Answer: no, at least in the short term. In healthy young males receiving CJC-1295-DAC at 60 or 90 µg/kg, overnight frequent blood sampling (every 20 minutes) showed that GH pulsatility was preserved. Trough GH increased 7.5-fold (meaning the "valleys" between pulses were substantially elevated above normal). Mean GH increased 46%. IGF-1 increased 45%.

The preservation of pulsatility under sustained GHRH input is consistent with the oscillatory nature of the somatostatin feedback system—somatostatin periodically inhibits GH release even when GHRH stimulation is continuous. However, the study was small and short-term—whether pulsatility is preserved during chronic weekly dosing over months is unknown.

The HIV Lipodystrophy Trial (NCT00267527)

ConjuChem's Phase II trial enrolled approximately 192 HIV patients with visceral obesity for 12 weeks of weekly subcutaneous CJC-1295-DAC. The trial was terminated in July 2006 after a patient in Argentina died approximately three hours after receiving their eleventh weekly injection. The attending physician attributed the death to acute myocardial infarction secondary to pre-existing asymptomatic coronary artery disease.

This trial was never completed and never published in peer-reviewed literature. The ClinicalTrials.gov record shows termination. The data that were collected—including any safety signals from 192 patients over up to 11 weeks—are proprietary and unpublished.

The editorial framing: this death did not prove CJC-1295-DAC caused the MI. Pre-existing CAD is a common cause of acute MI, and temporal proximity to an injection does not establish causation. However, the trial was terminated (not merely paused), the data were never published (raising questions about whether there were other signals), and the company ceased to exist within four years. The community cannot assess this event because the data are sealed.

The DAC Modification — How It Works

This compound-specific section provides the technical deep dive into the Drug Affinity Complex technology that defines this compound.

What DAC is: A maleimidopropionic acid (MPA) linker attached to lysine at position 30 of the GHRH(1-29) analog. The maleimido group is a thiol-reactive Michael acceptor—it forms a covalent thioether bond with the free sulfhydryl group of cysteine-34 on serum albumin.

Why Cys-34 specifically: Human serum albumin has a single free cysteine residue at position 34 (Cys³⁴). This is the only thiol on albumin that is accessible for conjugation. The DAC linker is engineered to react specifically with this site, creating a defined 1:1 peptide-albumin complex.

The binding timeline: Within 15 minutes of subcutaneous injection, the majority of CJC-1295-DAC molecules have bound to circulating albumin (Jetté 2005). Unbound peptide is rapidly cleared (as with the no-DAC version). Only the albumin-bound fraction persists.

Why this matters for understanding the compound: The CJC-1295-DAC you inject is not what stimulates your GHRH receptors. What stimulates your receptors is the CJC-1295-DAC-albumin complex—a ~70 kDa macromolecule. The pharmacological properties of this complex (tissue distribution, receptor access, half-life) are fundamentally different from the free peptide.

The irreversibility problem: The thioether bond between DAC and albumin is covalent and non-hydrolyzable under physiological conditions. There is no enzyme that cleaves it, no drug that reverses it, and dialysis does not remove it (the complex is too large and too tightly bound to albumin). Once injected, the compound is committed. This is the trade-off for the week-long half-life.

Claims vs. Evidence

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The Human Evidence Landscape

Teichman et al. 2006 — The Dose-Escalation Study

Design: Two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, ascending-dose studies. N: Healthy adults aged 21–61 (exact N not specified in abstract). Duration: Single-dose and multi-dose weekly injections. Key findings: Half-life 5.8–8.1 days. GH increased 2–10-fold for 6+ days. IGF-1 increased 1.5–3-fold for 9–11 days. Cumulative effect with weekly dosing. Well tolerated at 30–60 µg/kg. Limitations: Phase I—safety and PK focus, not efficacy. Healthy volunteers—not a disease population. Exact sample sizes not reported in abstract. PMID: 16352683

Ionescu & Frohman 2006 — The Pulsatility Study

Design: Clinical trial with overnight frequent blood sampling (q20 min). N: ~8–12 healthy males, aged 20–40. Duration: Single dose + overnight observation. Key findings: Pulsatile GH secretion preserved despite continuous GHRHR stimulation. Trough GH +7.5-fold. Mean GH +46%. IGF-1 +45%. No dose difference between 60 and 90 µg/kg (ceiling effect). Limitations: Very small sample. Single overnight observation—chronic pulsatility preservation unknown. Healthy young men only. PMID: 17018654

NCT00267527 — The Terminated HIV Trial (UNPUBLISHED)

Design: Phase II, weekly SC injection, 12 weeks. N: ~192 HIV patients with visceral obesity. Status: Terminated July 2006 after patient death (acute MI, Argentina, ~3 hours after 11th injection). Outcome: Never completed. Never published. Data proprietary. Editorial significance: The termination and non-publication create an evidence gap—the community cannot assess whether there were other safety signals in 192 patients over up to 11 weeks of treatment.

What the Landscape Reveals

The human evidence for CJC-1295 with DAC is thin but genuine. Two published studies demonstrate pharmacological proof of concept. A Phase II trial existed but was terminated and never published. The total published human experience amounts to perhaps 30–50 subjects in short-term studies. No clinical outcome endpoints (body composition, strength, sleep, quality of life) were measured. The evidence base has been frozen since 2006—twenty years without new data.

Safety, Risks, and Limitations

Irreversibility

The most important safety consideration unique to this compound. Once injected, CJC-1295-DAC binds irreversibly to albumin. If an adverse reaction occurs, the drug persists for 5.8–8.1 days. No antidote. No reversal agent. No removal mechanism. For short-acting peptides, "stop dosing and wait a few hours" is a viable safety response. For CJC-1295-DAC, "stop dosing and wait a week" is the only option.

The HIV Trial Death

A patient died approximately 3 hours after their 11th weekly injection. The attending physician attributed the death to pre-existing asymptomatic coronary artery disease. Without published trial data, the community cannot independently assess: how many other adverse cardiovascular events occurred in the trial; whether there was a pattern of cardiovascular signals; what the overall safety profile looked like in 192 patients. The termination and non-publication are themselves concerning—not because they prove the drug caused the death, but because the data needed to make that assessment is sealed.

Antibody Formation

The DAC linker is a non-endogenous chemical modification. The albumin-peptide complex presents non-native epitopes to the immune system. Immunogenicity rates were presumably measured in ConjuChem's trials but were never published. Antibody formation could neutralize the compound's activity over repeated dosing cycles.

Sustained Insulin/Glucose Effects

GH is a counter-regulatory hormone. Sustained GH elevation over a week may produce more persistent insulin resistance than pulsatile stimulation. No published metabolic data exist for CJC-1295-DAC.

Compounding and Quality

CJC-1295-DAC is more complex to synthesize than the no-DAC version because of the DAC linker conjugation step. Manufacturing variability—incorrect conjugation, free linker contamination, incomplete binding—adds quality risk beyond what exists for simpler peptides.

What Is NOT Known

• Long-term safety at any dose
• Cardiovascular safety (the only relevant data is sealed in an unpublished terminated trial)
• Metabolic effects (glucose, insulin) during chronic weekly dosing
• Immunogenicity rates (antibody formation)
• Effects in populations with renal, hepatic, or cardiac compromise
• Drug interactions
• Cancer risk from sustained IGF-1 elevation

Legal and Regulatory Status

• FDA status: Not FDA-approved. Never completed Phase II. Category 2 (placed 2023–2024, removed September 2024 following nominator withdrawal). Regulatory status in flux (2026). HHS announced intent to lift peptide bans.
• DEA: Not a controlled substance.
• WADA: Prohibited under S2. Banned in- and out-of-competition.
• Commercial status: ConjuChem bankrupt. No manufacturer holds an IND. No pharmaceutical-grade product exists. Available through specialty peptide vendors.

Research Protocols and Formulation Considerations

CJC-1295-DAC is available from specialty peptide vendors as lyophilized powder for reconstitution. The DAC modification makes it more complex to manufacture and more expensive than the no-DAC version.

Storage: Lyophilized powder should be stored refrigerated or frozen. Reconstituted solution should be refrigerated (2–8°C / 36–46°F). The maleimido linker may be reactive with other thiol-containing compounds in solution—reconstitution and storage conditions matter more than for simple peptides.

Dosing in Published Research

Research dose summary: 30–60 µg/kg subcutaneous, once weekly. For a 75 kg adult, this translates to approximately 2.25–4.5 mg per weekly injection. The Ionescu study found no additional benefit at 90 µg/kg vs. 60 µg/kg, suggesting a ceiling effect.

Dosing in Self-Experimentation Communities

Community dosing for CJC-1295-DAC is less standardized than for the no-DAC version, partly because the compound is less commonly available and partly because the long half-life makes dosing adjustments slow:

• Common community dose: 2 mg subcutaneous, once or twice weekly
• Some protocols: 1 mg twice weekly (spreading the dose for more even levels)
• Cycle length: 8–12 weeks. Some users report longer cycles given the weekly dosing convenience.
• Combination stacks: Less commonly combined with ipamorelin than the no-DAC version (because the sustained DAC profile is already "always on"—adding a daily GHS-R1a agonist produces continuous dual-pathway stimulation rather than timed pulses)
• Key community concern: The irreversibility. Experienced community members note that adverse effects from CJC-1295-DAC persist for days, making dose titration difficult and "starting low" particularly important.

No published clinical data validates any community dosing protocol for CJC-1295-DAC. The published research doses (30–60 µg/kg weekly) translate to approximately 2.25–4.5 mg weekly for a 75 kg adult, which is broadly consistent with community protocols.

Combination Stacks

Research into CJC-1295 with DAC combination protocols is limited. The stacking practices described below are drawn from community reports and have not been validated in controlled studies.

If you are considering combining CJC-1295 with DAC with other compounds, consult a qualified healthcare provider. Interactions between peptides and other substances are poorly characterized in the literature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary of Key Findings

CJC-1295 with DAC represents both the promise and the fragility of pharmaceutical development. The science is genuinely clever—a covalent albumin-binding strategy that transforms a 30-minute peptide into a week-long growth hormone stimulant. The human data confirms the concept works: GH increases 2–10-fold, IGF-1 increases 1.5–3-fold, and pulsatile GH secretion is preserved despite continuous stimulation.

And then the story stops. A patient death in a Phase II trial—attributed to pre-existing coronary artery disease, not to the drug—terminated the largest clinical study. The data were never published. The company went bankrupt. The assets were acquired and shelved. No new human data has been published in twenty years.

What remains is a compound with genuine Phase I/II data, an elegant pharmacological mechanism, and complete pharmaceutical abandonment. The community uses it based on two published papers from 2006. The safety profile beyond those papers is unknown—the sealed trial data that might answer the most important safety questions may never be released.

Verdict Recapitulation

CJC-1295 with DAC earns Reasonable Bet because the published human data is genuine and the pharmacological mechanism is well-characterized. But the "Bet" qualifier is heavy. The irreversible albumin binding means adverse effects persist for days. The largest trial was terminated after a patient death and never published. The developer went bankrupt. No new data in twenty years. Users should understand that they are working from a thin evidence base and that the convenience of weekly dosing comes with the irreversibility of weekly commitment.

For readers considering CJC-1295 with DAC, the evidence above represents the current state of knowledge. As always, consult a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions about peptide use.

Where to Source CJC-1295 with DAC

Further Reading and Resources

If you want to go deeper on CJC-1295 with DAC, the evidence landscape for growth hormone secretagogues peptides, or the methodology behind how we evaluate this research, these are the places worth your time.

ON PEPTIDINGS

• Growth Hormone Secretagogues Research Hub — Overview of all compounds in this cluster
• Reconstitution Guide — How to properly prepare injectable peptides
• Storage and Handling Guide — Proper storage to maintain peptide stability
• About Peptidings — Our editorial methodology and evidence framework

EXTERNAL RESOURCES

• PubMed: CJC-1295 with DAC — All indexed publications
• ClinicalTrials.gov — Active and completed trials

Selected References and Key Studies

1. Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, et al. 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
2. Ionescu M, Frohman LA. Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(12):4792–4797. PMID 17018654
3. Jetté L, Léger R, Thibaudeau K, et al. Human growth hormone-releasing factor (hGRF)1-29-albumin bioconjugates activate the GRF receptor on the anterior pituitary in rats: identification of CJC-1295 as a long-lasting GRF analog. Endocrinology. 2005;146(7):3052–3058. PMID 15817669

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