CJC-1295 (with DAC)
Long-acting GHRH analogue
A long-acting GHRH analogue (with Drug Affinity Complex) studied for sustained stimulation of the GH/IGF-1 axis.
Mechanism#
A GHRH analogue bound to a Drug Affinity Complex so it stays active for days, producing a sustained elevation of GH and IGF-1 — studied for prolonged GH-axis stimulation.
Areas of research#
- Sustained GH/IGF-1 axis stimulation
- Growth-hormone secretion dynamics
- GHRH-receptor pharmacology
- Metabolic research
Identity and specification#
| Also known as | CJC-1295 DAC; DAC:GRF |
|---|---|
| Sequence | Modified GRF(1-29) extended by Lys30 bearing an Nε-maleimidopropionyl group, C-terminally amidated |
| Length | 30 residues |
| Molecular formula | C165H269N47O46 |
| Molecular weight | 3647.25 g/mol |
| CAS number | 446262-90-4 |
| Class | GHRH analogue with albumin-binding Drug Affinity Complex |
| Appearance | White lyophilised powder |
| Solubility | Bacteriostatic or sterile water |
| Storage | 2–8°C, both sealed and once in solution |
What the DAC actually is. Drug Affinity Complex is a marketing name for one specific piece of chemistry: an Nε-maleimidopropionyl group attached to a lysine added at position 30. A maleimide reacts readily and selectively with free thiols, and human serum albumin carries exactly one unpaired cysteine — Cys34. So once in circulation the molecule forms a covalent bond to albumin and travels as a conjugate. Albumin is cleared slowly, and the peptide inherits that, which is the entire basis of the extended half-life reported for this compound.
The mass difference is the check. This molecule is 3647.25; the no-DAC version is 3367.90. The gap is 279.3, and it accounts for precisely what was added: a lysine residue (about 128) plus the maleimidopropionyl group (about 151). If a certificate for material sold as “with DAC” reports a mass near 3367, the DAC is not there and you have the other compound.
A caution on the CAS number. The registry is genuinely muddled for this pair, and several suppliers have the two numbers the wrong way round. 446262-90-4 is the DAC-bearing molecule; 863288-34-0 is the one without. Where a listing disagrees with itself, the molecular formula and mass are the reliable identifiers — they cannot be transposed the way a registry number can.
Handling and storage#
Supplied as a lyophilised cake. Add solvent slowly down the vial wall and swirl rather than shake. Keep the sealed vial at 2–8°C; once in solution, refrigerate at 2–8°C and avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. The maleimide is the reactive part of this molecule and it is worth treating as such: keep solutions away from thiol-containing buffers, which will consume it.
For what the mass column is telling you and where the two CJC-1295 forms diverge, see our guide to reading a certificate of analysis.
Sizes and pricing#
| Size | Price per vial | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 5mg | £42 | In stock |
Buying more than one? Mix and match any peptide vials: 3 vials 8%, 5 vials 12%, 10 or more 15% off the peptides in your basket. You get whichever is better, the bulk or the volume discount, never both — applied automatically at checkout. How it works.
Batch documentation. Ask about the documentation for the batch we would ship before you order.
Check your certificate#
- Molecular weight 3647.2 (monoisotopic 3645.02). On a mass spectrum, expect charged ions near 1216.0 and 912.3.
- Not the version without DAC. CJC-1295 without DAC is 3367.9, 279 lighter. A certificate for material sold “with DAC” that reports a mass near 3368 is describing the other compound.
- A spent maleimide reads 18 heavier. If the maleimide has reacted with water and ring-opened, the peak sits near 3665. The sequence is right, but the molecule can no longer bind albumin.
- The CAS numbers are often swapped. 446262-90-4 is the DAC-bearing molecule and 863288-34-0 the one without. The formula, C165H269N47O46, and the mass cannot be transposed the same way.
- Purity, with the method named, measured on that batch rather than quoted as a minimum.
Ask about the documentation for the batch we would ship before you order. How to check a certificate yourself: verifying a COA.
What’s in the vial#
| Fill | 5mg of peptide per vial |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White lyophilised powder |
| Purity and content | Purity is the share of what was detected that is this peptide. Net peptide content, how much of the powder’s weight is peptide rather than salt and water, is a separate number. How much is in the vial. |
Handling at a glance#
| Solvent | Bacteriostatic or sterile water |
|---|---|
| Sealed vial | 2–8°C, dry and dark. Let it reach room temperature before opening. |
| Once in solution | 2–8°C. Avoid thawing and refreezing the same volume. |
| Worth knowing | The maleimide is the reactive part of this molecule. Keep solutions away from thiol-containing buffers and additives, which react with it and use it up. |
Working out a concentration: the reconstitution calculator. Technique: the reconstitution guide and the storage guide.
What the research covers#
Almost all published research on CJC-1295 is on this, the DAC version, and it is a small literature: the developer’s 2005 work in rat pituitary cells and rats, two 2006 randomised, placebo-controlled studies in healthy adults that measured a half-life of 5.8 to 8.1 days alongside growth hormone and IGF-1 levels, a 2006 overnight sampling study in healthy men, and a 2006 study in mice lacking the GHRH gene. It did not go on to become a medicine and is not licensed anywhere. Read the full guide, with sources: CJC-1295 With and Without DAC: Two Molecules, One Name.
Published literature#
- Frohman LA, Downs TR, Williams TC, et al. (1986). J Clin Invest 78(4):906–13. Breakdown of natural GHRH in human plasma and in volunteers: removal of the first two residues by a plasma enzyme, and the activity of the shortened product. PubMed 3093533
- Jetté L, Léger R, Thibaudeau K, et al. (2005). Endocrinology 146(7):3052–8. The developer's description of three albumin-binding GRF(1-29) derivatives, and the selection of CJC-1295 from them, in rat pituitary cells and rats. PubMed 15817669
- Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, et al. (2006). J Clin Endocrinol Metab 91(3):799–805. Two randomised, placebo-controlled studies in healthy adults measuring the half-life of the DAC molecule and growth hormone and IGF-1 levels over several weeks. PubMed 16352683
- Ionescu M, Frohman LA. (2006). J Clin Endocrinol Metab 91(12):4792–7. Overnight sampling every 20 minutes in healthy men, before and one week after the DAC molecule, examining whether growth hormone pulses were preserved. PubMed 17018654
- Alba M, Fintini D, Sagazio A, et al. (2006). Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 291(6):E1290–4. Mice lacking the GHRH gene given the DAC molecule at three different intervals for five weeks, measuring growth and pituitary changes. PubMed 16822960
- Knoop A, Thomas A, Fichant E, et al. (2016). Anal Bioanal Chem 408(12):3145–53. A validated anti-doping method for detecting several GHRH analogues in plasma, including sermorelin and its shortened form GHRH(3-29). PubMed 26879649
Listed so the work can be read at source. A paper on this list is evidence of what was studied, not of what any product does.
Questions#
What is CJC-1295 with DAC?
Modified GRF(1-29), the first 29 residues of growth hormone-releasing hormone with four substitutions, extended by a lysine at position 30 that carries a maleimidopropionyl group. That group, the Drug Affinity Complex, bonds to the single free cysteine of serum albumin.
What molecular weight should the certificate show?
3647.2 (monoisotopic 3645.02), usually seen as ions near 1216.0 and 912.3. A mass near 3368 is CJC-1295 without DAC, and a peak near 3665 suggests the maleimide has ring-opened.
How should it be stored?
Sealed vial at 2-8°C, dry and dark. Once reconstituted with bacteriostatic or sterile water, keep it at 2-8°C, avoid thawing and refreezing the same volume, and keep it away from thiol-containing buffers.
Is there a batch certificate?
Yes. The certificate for the current batch is available on request: email orders@pioneerpeptides.co.uk with the product and size.
Is it for human use?
No. It is supplied for laboratory research only, and we do not give guidance on human or animal use.
A batch-specific Certificate of Analysis is available on request. New to handling lyophilised material? See our reconstitution guide, storage guide and how to read a COA.