INDEX 02 / DOSING / DAC vs MODIFIED GRF 1-29
CJC-1295 Dosage in the Research Literature
What doses were administered in the published clinical and preclinical studies — by variant, by route, by frequency, by half-life. Research context only; no human dosing recommendations.
Doses reported in published protocols
Doses reported in published protocols
CJC-1295 dosage in the published human record clusters around two reference points: the Teichman 2006 Phase 1 ascending-dose study and the terminated ConjuChem Phase 2 lipodystrophy trial.
Teichman 2006 administered single subcutaneous doses across an ascending range up to 60-250 µg/kg in healthy adults, with additional cohorts receiving repeated weekly or biweekly doses [3]. The pharmacokinetic readout was 2-10x mean GH elevation for six days or more and 1.5-3x IGF-1 elevation for nine to eleven days; under repeated dosing IGF-1 remained elevated for up to 28 days [3].
The ConjuChem Phase 2 trial (NCT00267527) used two dose-escalation arms: low-dose 60, 90, 120 µg/kg and high-dose 60, 120, 240 µg/kg, once weekly subcutaneous [9]. The trial terminated before efficacy data were collected [5][9].
Preclinical: the Alba 2006 GHRH knockout mouse study used 2 µg per injection at 24-, 48-, or 72-hour intervals for five weeks subcutaneous, with daily dosing producing the strongest normalization of growth [8]. No human dosing recommendation is supported by the published clinical record.
Reported injection frequency
Reported injection frequency
Frequency is variant-dependent. CJC-1295-DAC: once or twice weekly in published Phase 1 and Phase 2 protocols, because the 5.8-8.1 day plasma half-life sustains GH and IGF-1 elevation across the dosing interval [3][9]. Less frequent dosing has not been formally evaluated in completed clinical trials.
Modified GRF 1-29 (CJC-1295 without DAC): research protocols typically describe daily or pre-bedtime subcutaneous administration, because the ~30 minute plasma half-life produces a pulsatile rather than sustained pattern [10]. Some protocols describe two or three doses per day to approximate the natural pulsatile rhythm of endogenous GH release.
The Alba 2006 preclinical frequency-response study in mice found once-daily 2 µg dosing normalized body weight and length, while extending the interval to 48 or 72 hours was less effective [8]. The mouse model does not translate directly to human dosing.
CJC-1295 half-life
Approximately 5.8-8.1 days for CJC-1295-DAC in healthy adults (Teichman 2006) [3]. Approximately 30 minutes for the non-DAC modified GRF 1-29 variant [10]. The DAC-conjugated peptide-albumin complex (~67 kDa) is too large for glomerular filtration and is shielded from proteolytic degradation, accounting for the multi-day half-life [1].
Reported injection frequency
DAC version: typically reported as once or twice weekly in protocols because of the long half-life [3][9]. Non-DAC modified GRF 1-29: typically reported as daily or pre-bedtime injections to mimic native pulsatility [10]. Frequency is matched to half-life — the editorial principle the data supports.
Fig. 04 / Dosing frequency by variant
Top row: DAC twice-weekly cadence (cobalt). Bottom row: modified GRF 1-29 daily cadence (black).
CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin Stacked Dosing in the Literature
CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin Stacked Dosing in the Literature
The CJC-1295 + ipamorelin pair is the most-discussed stacked protocol in the research-peptide literature, and the receptor-mediated rationale is clear: CJC-1295 acts on the GHRH receptor, ipamorelin acts on the GHS-R1a (ghrelin) receptor, and co-stimulation of the two distinct receptors produces a supra-additive GH response [12].
The doses reported in observational research protocols pair CJC-1295 (DAC or non-DAC) with ipamorelin in the 100-300 µg per dose range, typically delivered subcutaneously and timed to coincide [12]. No completed Phase 2 or Phase 3 trial has formally evaluated the paired protocol in humans with placebo control; the pairing is observational and preclinical. The Raun 1998 preclinical work established ipamorelin's selectivity profile (>200x GH-over-ACTH ratio) and is the foundational citation for the pairing rationale [12].
Routes of administration in research
Routes of administration in research
Subcutaneous injection is the only validated route of administration in published clinical CJC-1295 studies [13]. All Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials, and the principal preclinical PK studies, used the subcutaneous route. The peptide is not orally bioavailable — gastric proteases cleave the GHRH backbone before absorption. Intranasal delivery has been explored experimentally for related GHRH analogs but has not been validated for CJC-1295 in peer-reviewed clinical literature [13].
Intravenous administration appears only in limited preclinical pharmacokinetic work [3]. The DAC linker chemistry depends on covalent thioether formation with circulating albumin Cys34 after the peptide reaches systemic circulation; subcutaneous administration provides the absorption window the albumin-conjugation reaction requires [1].
Reconstitution methodology described in the literature
Reconstitution methodology described in the literature
Reconstitution of lyophilized CJC-1295 (with or without ipamorelin co-formulation) for research use is described in clinical-pharmacy SOPs as the aseptic addition of bacteriostatic water — typically 1-3 mL — to the lyophilized vial, followed by gentle swirling without shaking (to avoid peptide denaturation), then refrigerated storage at 2-8 °C [14]. Single-use insulin syringes are used for aliquoting. Specific reconstitution volumes vary by vial concentration; no human reconstitution standard has been published in a peer-reviewed clinical guideline for either compound [14].
Reconstituted CJC-1295 in bacteriostatic water is reported stable under refrigeration for up to roughly 30 days; lyophilized CJC-1295 is stored at -20 °C [14]. The peptide is not orally bioavailable. Research-use product literature is the principal source for reconstitution methodology; no FDA-approved package insert exists for CJC-1295.