Theoretical · Grade C
Mod GRF 1-29
CJC-1295 Without DAC (Modified GRF 1-29)
Score
64 / 100
Half-life
~30 min
Class
GHRH analog (Mod GRF 1-29)
Status
Investigational
TL;DR
01
The short-acting version of CJC-1295 — Modified GRF (1-29) — a GHRH analog with four amino-acid substitutions that extend its half-life only to about 30 minutes, preserving the body's natural pulsatile GH release.
02
Unlike the DAC version, it has no dedicated human efficacy or PK trial; what's inferred comes from the broader GHRH-analog literature.
03
Because its effect is brief, it is almost always stacked with a ghrelin-pathway peptide (like ipamorelin) — a combination with no controlled human data.
04
It is not approved anywhere and circulates as a research chemical or compounded product, with no purity or dose guarantees.
05
As a GH secretagogue it raises IGF-1 and carries the associated glucose and mitogenic cautions; no long-term human safety data exist.
Human efficacy RCTs
None
no dedicated trial
GH pattern
Pulsatile
preserves physiologic rhythm
Half-life
~30 min
vs 6–8 days for the DAC form
Typical use
Stacked w/ GHRP
no controlled combo data
Approval
None
research/compounded only
Part 01 · How it works
Mechanism.
CJC-1295 without DAC — often called Modified GRF (1-29) — is a GHRH analog tweaked to resist rapid breakdown, stretching its half-life from a couple of minutes to roughly half an hour. That is long enough to produce a stronger GH pulse than plain GHRH, but short enough that the body's natural pulsing pattern is preserved (unlike the week-long DAC version). Because the pulse is brief, it is usually combined with a ghrelin-type peptide to amplify the release — a pairing that is popular but untested in controlled trials.
A firmer, slightly longer press on the growth-hormone accelerator than natural GHRH — but it lets off in time to keep the body's normal rhythm, rather than holding the pedal down for days.
GHRH-receptor agonism
Agonist at the pituitary GHRH receptor; four substitutions confer protease resistance.
Preserved pulsatility
~30-min half-life extends the GH pulse modestly while keeping release episodic, unlike the DAC form.
Synergy rationale
Usually combined with a GHRP/ghrelin agonist for additive GH release — untested in controlled human studies.
Evidence stage
No dedicated human PK or efficacy trial; inferences drawn from related GHRH-analog data.
Part 02 · Dosing & administration
How it's taken.
Community-reported · unregulatedValues below reflect commonly reported community protocols for Mod GRF 1-29. These are anecdotal and unregulated — not clinically validated and not a recommendation. Provided for educational purposes only — this is not medical advice and not instructions for self-administration. Consult your healthcare provider before making any health decision.
Standard dose
100-300 mcg
Subcutaneous injection · 1–3x daily, empty stomach / before bed (almost always stacked with a GHRP)
Duration
8–12 week cycle
·
Common convention centers on ~200 mcg PM (5-on/2-off) and ~250 mcg in the CJC+ipamorelin blend — inside the 100–300 mcg range.
·
Short half-life (~30 min) gives pulsatile, more physiologic GH release; this is why it is dosed multiple times daily and paired with a GHRP.
·
No controlled human data exist for the CJC-1295 no-DAC + ipamorelin combination; the GHRH mechanism is clinical (Teichman 2006), the exact regimen is community.
Need help with reconstitution?
Use the free peptide calculator for dilution, unit conversion, and injection volume.
Part 03 · Safety
Side effects, rare serious events, who shouldn't.
Common
Injection-site reactions
Anecdotal; no controlled incidence data.
Reported
Flushing / headache
Transient.
Reported
Water retention
A GH-axis effect if GH is meaningfully raised.
Possible
Serious · rare
IGF-1 / mitogenic caution
Raising GH raises IGF-1; short action may limit magnitude, but no human safety data exist.
Theoretical
Glucose/insulin effects
GH promotes insulin resistance; unquantified in humans for this agent.
Theoretical
Product-quality risk
Research-chemical/compounded supply may not match labeled purity or dose.
Source-dependent
Absolute · do not use
×
Active malignancy or history of cancer
×
Pituitary tumor or hypothalamic disorders
×
Diabetic retinopathy
×
Pregnancy or breastfeeding
×
Children under 18 (unless for diagnosed GH deficiency under specialist care)
×
Known hypersensitivity to CJC-1295 or any component
Relative · discuss first
!
Active or prior malignancy — GH/IGF-1 mitogenic caution
!
Pregnancy or breastfeeding — no data
!
Diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance — theoretical worsening
!
Anyone expecting evidence-based benefit — no dedicated human trial exists
Interactions
Insulin
GH secretagogues can increase insulin resistance; may require insulin dose adjustment
Major
Oral hypoglycemics
GH elevation may counteract glucose-lowering effects; monitor blood glucose
Moderate
Corticosteroids
Chronic corticosteroid use blunts GH release and may reduce efficacy
Moderate
Thyroid hormone replacement
GH can increase T4 to T3 conversion; thyroid levels may need reassessment
Moderate
Labs to monitor
IGF-1
Baseline, 4 weeks, then every 3 months
Monitor growth hormone axis stimulation
Fasting Glucose & Insulin
Baseline and monthly
GH can impair insulin sensitivity
CMP (Comprehensive Metabolic Panel)
Baseline and every 3 months
Liver and kidney function
HbA1c
Baseline and every 3 months
Track glycemic effects over time
Part 04 · Evidence
How strong is the evidence?
64
Grade C
Grade C, downgraded from the library's earlier 'Emerging' rating. The pulsatile design is theoretically preferable to the DAC version, but the human evidence is weaker still — there is no dedicated trial — and its typical stacked use is entirely uncontrolled.
Mechanistic plausibility
Sound GHRH pharmacology; preserving pulsatility is a reasonable design choice.
78
Human evidence
No dedicated human PK/efficacy trial; relies on extrapolation from related analogs.
42
Safety & tolerability
Short action likely limits sustained IGF-1 elevation, but there is no human safety dataset.
62
Durability
No outcome data; brief action means frequent dosing.
55
Independence
Marketed use rests on community protocols, not controlled evidence.
60
Part 05 · Research log
Every study we cite.
We list each study with its methodology, funding source, and our quality grade. Flagged studies aren't dismissed — they're tagged so you can weigh them.
01
2005
J Clin Endocrinol Metab Flagged
GH/IGF-1 stimulation by the CJC-1295 GHRH analog (parent PK study)
Establishes that the CJC-1295 GHRH-analog scaffold raises GH and IGF-1; the no-DAC (short-acting) form is inferred from this and related GHRH-analog pharmacology rather than a dedicated trial.
Randomized PK/PD study of the CJC-1295 analog in healthy adults · The published human data is for the DAC-bearing analog; no-DAC efficacy is extrapolated.
PMID 16352683 ↗
Low-Moderate (indirect)
Evidence against
What didn't work, and where the evidence is thin.
Every publication is incentivized to tell you a peptide works. We catalogue the null results, failed trials, and mechanism limits we found in the same literature — so you can weigh them against the upside, with your provider.
01
No dedicated human trial — weaker evidence than even the DAC version
Mechanism limit JCEM · 2005
There is no published human PK or efficacy trial specific to the no-DAC (Modified GRF 1-29) form. What's claimed is extrapolated from the DAC study and general GHRH-analog pharmacology.
What this means: The short-acting form is often presented as the 'safer, more physiologic' choice, but it actually has less direct human evidence behind it, not more.
PMID 16352683 ↗
02
The standard stacked-with-a-GHRP use is entirely uncontrolled
Mechanism limit Usage pattern · 2026
Because its effect is brief, no-DAC CJC-1295 is almost always combined with a ghrelin-pathway peptide such as ipamorelin. No controlled human trial has evaluated that combination for efficacy or safety.
What this means: The way it is actually used — as half of a two-peptide stack — has never been studied, so both the benefits and the interaction risks are unknown.
Part 06 · Cost & access
Where it's available, at what price.
United States
Not approved
No approved product; sold as a research chemical or compounded. No legal consumer medicine.
Grey-market/compounded; unregulated
European Union
Not approved
No approved product.
N/A
United Kingdom
Not approved
No approved product.
N/A
Canada
Not approved
No approved product.
N/A
The Peptide Column takes no affiliate commission from any source. CJC-1295 (no DAC) is not approved as a medicine anywhere; material sold to individuals is research-grade or compounded and unregulated for human use, and its marketed benefits are unproven. We link only to clinician-directed care, never to sellers.
Part 07 · Your appointment
Questions to bring.
01
What are my current IGF-1 and GH levels, and would GH stimulation be appropriate?
02
How does Modified GRF 1-29 differ from direct GH replacement in terms of safety?
03
Should this be combined with a GHRP like ipamorelin, and what are the pros and cons?
04
What monitoring (IGF-1, glucose, cancer screening) should I have while using GH secretagogues?
References
Every citation, numbered.
Citation list. For our editorial read of each study — including bias flags and quality grades — see the Research log above.
- 01. GH/IGF-1 stimulation by the CJC-1295 GHRH analog (parent PK study) · J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2005 · PMID 16352683 ↗
- 02. JCEM. Teichman 2005 CJC-1295 analog PK study (DAC form; parent scaffold)