RESEARCH MONOGRAPH · KDC-MN-005

CJC-1295 (No DAC)

May 9, 2026 Kodiac biolabs Research Revised May 30, 2026 3 min read

Our opinion on this compound

75/100

The GHRH analog that actually behaves like GHRH. Pair it with ipamorelin and you've got a real tool

CJC-1295 no-DAC (also called mod-GRF 1-29, or just modified GRF) is one of those compounds where the naming alone tells you something is off in how the industry talks about it. The DAC version is a totally different beast, with the drug-affinity-complex linker giving it a multi-day half-life via albumin binding. The no-DAC version doesn't have that linker and behaves like a short-acting GHRH analog with about a 30-minute half-life. People treat them as variants of the same thing, theyre not, theyre pharmacologically very different molecules.

Whats good about no-DAC: it's basically tetrasubstituted GHRH(1-29). Four amino acid substitutions (D-Ala2, Gln8, Ala15, Leu27) to resist DPP-4 cleavage and improve stability without locking you into the sustained elevation that the DAC version produces. So you get pulsatile GHRH stimulation. That matters because GH biology is pulsatile by design, and chronically elevated GHRH tone produces tachyphylaxis at the somatotroph level.

Mechanism is textbook. Binds GHRH receptor on anterior pituitary somatotrophs, drives cAMP, drives GH synthesis and release. Synergizes meaningfully with ghrelin receptor agonists like ipamorelin (the two-receptor combination produces supra-additive GH pulses because they're acting on different signaling pathways converging on the same cell type). The Sassolas and Lengyel groups have characterized this synergy well in human research settings.

Sourcing is mostly fine. Short peptide (29 residues), well-defined sequence. Watch for vendors that mislabel DAC and no-DAC, this happens more than it should, and the COA needs to specify which version. HPLC purity is achievable. Lyophilized stability is solid.

What we don't love is how often it gets confused with the DAC version online, and how often the marketing materials conflate the two compounds. They behave differently, they should be used differently in research, and the relevant literature is mostly on the parent compound (sermorelin and GHRH(1-29)) rather than the modified version itself.

Solid tool, well-paired with ipamorelin for endocrine work.

Evidence: 65
Mechanism: 82
Reliability: 80
Safety: 80
Sourcing: 75
Value: 75
Signal: 72
Staying power: 70

Plain-language summary Intrigue 65 / 100

CJC-1295 (no DAC) is a modified version of growth hormone releasing hormone. It tells the pituitary to release growth hormone in pulses similar to the natural daily rhythm. The no-DAC version has a short half-life of about 30 minutes, suited for matching natural pulsatile patterns rather than producing a constant elevation. Stocked in the Kodiac catalog as a research-only powder for laboratory work; not a medicine, not for human consumption.

Intrigue 0–100 blends mechanism novelty, evidence strength, and translational potential. Kodiac editorial, not peer-reviewed.

Synthetic 29-residue analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone

A 29-amino-acid GHRH analog with four point substitutions that confer enzymatic stability against dipeptidyl peptidase 4, the principal degradation pathway for native GHRH.

Abstract

CJC-1295 (No DAC), often abbreviated CJC-1295 nDAC and known in the literature as modified GRF(1-29) or simply Mod-GRF, is a synthetic 29-residue analog of human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) bearing four point mutations relative to the native sequence (CAS 863288-34-0; molecular weight 3367.94). The substitutions are tyrosine-1 to D-alanine (DPP-4 resistance), alanine-8 to glutamine (improved chemical stability), arginine-15 to glutamine (DPP-4 resistance and stability), and asparagine-27 to leucine (improved hydrophobicity and resistance to deamidation). The result is a GHRH analog with substantially extended biological half-life relative to native GHRH (which has a serum half-life under 10 minutes due to rapid DPP-4 cleavage at the N-terminal tyrosine). CJC-1295 nDAC retains the receptor specificity of native GHRH and stimulates pituitary somatotrophs through the GHRH receptor, producing a pulsatile GH release pattern. The "DAC" suffix in the related compound CJC-1295 with DAC refers to a drug affinity complex (a maleimidopropionic acid linker that covalently attaches to serum albumin) that further extends the half-life from approximately 30 minutes to multiple days; the No DAC version omits the linker and the prolonged albumin binding. The two compounds have different pharmacokinetic profiles and different appropriate use cases. CJC-1295 nDAC was originally developed at ConjuChem, Inc., as the parent platform for the DAC-modified version that progressed to Phase 2 trials. The compound is not approved by any regulatory authority for human or veterinary use.

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The full reference document covers compound identification, discovery and developmental history, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, reported research dose ranges, sourcing and quality verification, reconstitution and handling, stack interaction considerations, and a curated reference list. Available as a research-use-only PDF download.

KDC-MN-005

The full reference document is provided strictly for research use only. It reports research dose ranges from the published literature, not instructions for use in humans or animals.

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FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY. Not for medical, diagnostic, or therapeutic purposes. Not for human consumption. All information is provided for research and educational purposes only.

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CJC-1295 (No DAC)

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