CJC-1295 DAC

Mechanism

CJC-1295 DAC is a synthetic GHRH analog carrying a Drug Affinity Complex (DAC) linker — a lysine residue modified to bind covalently to circulating serum albumin. That albumin bond is what extends the otherwise short half-life of GHRH fragments from minutes to roughly 7–8 days. The practical result is a persistent, low-amplitude elevation of baseline GH across the entire week from a single injection, rather than the brief spike you get from non-DAC GHRH analogs.

That sustained baseline is important context for dosing logic: CJC-1295 DAC raises the ceiling on GH pulses but does not trigger them. The pituitary still needs a GHRP signal — ipamorelin, GHRP-6, or similar — to fire an actual pulsatile release. Running CJC-1295 DAC alone produces a slow, blunted GH bleed. Pairing it with a GHRP is what converts that elevated ceiling into meaningful, physiologically patterned pulses. Most protocols treat the CJC as the background and the GHRP as the trigger.

Because the DAC linker keeps the peptide active for days, the pituitary GHRH receptor is under sustained stimulation — which carries a small downregulation risk on very long cycles. This is the main trade-off versus short-acting GHRH analogs like sermorelin: the once-a-week convenience comes with a longer receptor recovery requirement during the off period.

Typical protocol

• Starter: 1 mg SC once weekly. Run alongside ipamorelin 200–300 mcg 2×/day (pre-bed and post-workout).
• Advanced: 2 × 500 mcg/week split Mon/Thu. Paired with ipamorelin 250 mcg 3×/day (fasted AM, post-workout, pre-bed).
• Cycle length: 8–12 weeks on / 4 weeks off. Do NOT stack with a non-DAC CJC (Mod GRF 1-29) — redundant, same mechanism.
• Reconstitution: 2 mg vial + 1 mL BAC water → 2 mg/mL. 50 IU on a U-100 insulin syringe = 0.5 mL = 1 mg.

Who it's for

Muscle growth (recomposition) and recovery users who want a sustained GH baseline without daily injections — the once-a-week schedule is the main practical advantage over non-DAC analogs. Also fits longevity stacks where a low continuous GH elevation is the goal rather than peak pulses. Best suited to experienced users who already understand GHRP stacking and can recognize early side effects while the peptide is still clearing.

Stacks well with

• ipamorelin 5mg — mandatory GHRP pairing. CJC raises the pulse ceiling, ipamorelin triggers clean pulses against it.
• ghrp 6 5mg — alternative GHRP with appetite stimulation, better for bulking phases.
• recomp stack cjc ipamorelin aod — pre-bundled stack combining CJC + ipamorelin + AOD-9604 for body recomposition.

Watch-outs

• Any side effect (lethargy, numb extremities, water retention) persists for days because of the week-long half-life. Start conservative and give the first dose time to reveal tolerability before escalating.
• Fasting insulin can creep during long cycles; monitor if running alongside aggressive carb protocols.
• Do NOT stack with Mod GRF 1-29 or other non-DAC GHRH analogs — redundant mechanism, wastes the second product.