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 Sermorelin — mechanism, 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.
Sermorelin is a synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) consisting of the first 29 amino acids of the 44-aa native hormone — the shortest fragment that retains full biological activity. It was FDA-approved in the 1990s as Geref (EMD Serono) for diagnostic testing of pituitary GH reserve and later for pediatric idiopathic GH deficiency, but was withdrawn from the US market in 2008–2009 at the manufacturer's request for commercial reasons (not safety or efficacy). It remains on the FDA Category 1 list of bulk substances nominated for use in 503A compounding, where it is now widely prescribed off-label for adult GH insufficiency and "anti-aging" indications.
CJC-1295 (no DAC)
Sermorelin
Category
Legal Status
Mechanism
Half-life
Side Effects
COA-verified vendors · trust score ≥70 required · single-vial price — bulk/bundle deals may be lower
CJC-1295 (no DAC)
Sermorelin
COA corpus from Disclosed Labs — independently tested batches only.
CJC-1295 (no DAC)
2
COAs
99.4%
Avg purity
2
Labs
Sermorelin
72
COAs
99.4%
Avg purity
10
Labs
Sermorelin 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 Sermorelin 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.
Contraindications
Lab Testing
Sermorelin was FDA-approved in the 1990s as Geref for the GHRH stimulation test of pituitary function and, at higher doses, for pediatric idiopathic GHD. The principal review of pediatric Geref data is Prakash & Goa (BioDrugs 1999; PMID 18031173). In adults, Vittone et al. (Metabolism 1997; PMID 9005976) showed nightly sermorelin in healthy elderly men raised IGF-1 and modestly increased lean mass, and Khorram, Laughlin & Yen (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997; PMID 9141536) demonstrated that 16 weeks of nightly [Nle27]GHRH(1-29) in 19 subjects aged 55-71 restored GH/IGF-1 toward young-adult levels with small gains in lean mass and skin thickness. Walker (Clin Interv Aging 2006; PMID 18046908) reviewed the rationale for sermorelin as a more physiologic alternative to rhGH in adult GH insufficiency. EMD Serono discontinued Geref in 2008; FDA withdrew NDA approvals in 2009 and affirmed in 2013 that this was for commercial — not safety or efficacy — reasons. Unlike exogenous GH, sermorelin has not been associated with reports of acromegaly because endogenous feedback limits peak GH.
Key references
Disclosed Labs