Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Informational only. Not medical advice.INFORMATIONAL PLATFORM ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT
Head-to-head comparison of CJC-1295 (no DAC) and GHRP-6 — mechanism, dosing, side effects, legal status, and pricing.
CJC-1295 without Drug Affinity Complex (no DAC), also known as Modified GRF(1-29), is a synthetic analog of the first 29 amino acids of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). Four amino acid substitutions at positions 2, 8, 15, and 27 confer resistance to DPP-IV enzymatic degradation while maintaining GHRH-receptor binding activity. Unlike the DAC-conjugated variant (half-life 6–8 days via albumin binding), the no-DAC form has a short half-life of approximately 30 minutes, producing brief, pulsatile bursts of GH secretion. Not FDA-approved in any form.
GHRP-6 is a synthetic hexapeptide (His-D-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH2) growth hormone secretagogue and ghrelin receptor agonist. Developed by Bowers and Momany and first described in 1984, it was the first synthetic GHRP characterized and is defined by its pronounced appetite-stimulating effect — the strongest of any clinically studied GHRP. It has never been approved by the FDA or any regulatory agency and remains a research-only compound used off-label in the grey market.
CJC-1295 (no DAC)
GHRP-6
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Dose Range
Route
COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
CJC-1295 (no DAC)
GHRP-6
COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
CJC-1295 (no DAC)
2
COAs
99.4%
Avg purity
2
Labs
GHRP-6
13
COAs
99.4%
Avg purity
4
Labs
GHRP-6 is among peptides under FDA review for the Category 1 (503A) list; if added, it would require a prescription to be compounded by registered 503A/503B pharmacies — not yet authorized. CJC-1295 (no DAC) remains research-only. In April 2026 the FDA removed 12 peptides from Category 2, which does not place them on the Category 1 list or authorize compounding. The FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee is advisory and meets July 23–24, 2026 to review nominations and make recommendations to the FDA.
The parent molecule CJC-1295 (DAC form) was identified by Jetté et al. (Endocrinology, 2005; PMID 15817669) at ConjuChem as a tetrasubstituted GHRH(1-29) bioconjugate that covalently binds Cys34 of serum albumin via a maleimidopropionyl-lysine linker, extending half-life to roughly 5.8–8.1 days. In healthy adults, Teichman et al. (JCEM, 2006; PMID 16352683) showed single SubQ doses of the DAC form produced 2- to 10-fold GH elevations for ≥6 days and 1.5- to 3-fold IGF-1 elevations for 9–11 days, and Ionescu & Frohman (JCEM, 2006; PMID 17018654) demonstrated that pulsatile GH secretion was preserved (7.5-fold increase in trough GH, IGF-1 up 45%). ConjuChem halted Phase 2 lipodystrophy development around 2006–2007 after a participant death in an HIV-visceral-adiposity trial (deemed by the trial physician most likely due to pre-existing coronary artery disease rather than CJC-1295, but the program was not resumed; aidsmap news, July 2006). The no-DAC form described here ('Modified GRF 1-29') shares the same position-2/8/15/27 substitutions (which confer DPP-IV resistance; see Soule et al., JCEM 1994, PMID 7962295 for the foundational D-Ala2 half-life work) but omits the albumin-linker lysine, giving a short (~30 min) half-life similar to sermorelin. No form of CJC-1295 is FDA-approved for any indication. Grey-market compounding practice pairs the no-DAC form with ipamorelin; this combination is not clinically validated for anti-aging, body composition, or performance use, and peer-reviewed human trials of the no-DAC variant specifically are lacking — the 100–300 mcg dosing range reflects community practice, not clinical evidence.
Key references
CJC-1295 (no DAC) and GHRP-6 are both in the Performance category and may have overlapping mechanisms. Researchers should review both profiles carefully, understand the mechanisms of action, and monitor the relevant biomarkers when combining compounds in the same class. As always, consult a licensed healthcare provider before making any decisions about combining research compounds.
This platform provides informational tools only, not medical advice. This comparison is for educational purposes only. Consult a licensed provider.
Frequency
Dosing Notes
Half-life
Side Effects
Contraindications
Lab Testing
GHRP-6 was first characterized by Bowers, Momany, Reynolds, and Hong in Endocrinology (1984, PMID 6714155), establishing it as the first synthetic peptide to specifically release GH via a non-GHRH mechanism — a key tool in the later discovery of the ghrelin receptor. Ghigo et al. (European Journal of Endocrinology, 1997, PMID 9186261) reviewed the GHRP class and confirmed GH, ACTH/cortisol, and prolactin co-stimulation in humans. Berlanga et al. (Clinical Science, 2007, PMID 16989643) demonstrated ~78% infarct-mass reduction in a porcine myocardial infarction model via antioxidant mechanisms, and Berlanga-Acosta et al. (Clinical Medicine Insights: Cardiology, 2017, PMID 28469491) reviewed the cytoprotective GHRP literature across cardiac, neuronal, and hepatic tissues. GHRP-6 has never been approved for any clinical indication; its intense appetite stimulation and cortisol/prolactin co-release limit its clinical utility compared with ipamorelin.
Key references
Disclosed Labs