# CJC-1295: GH Rises for Days, Yet the Natural Pulse Survives > CJC-1295 raised basal growth hormone roughly 7.5-fold one week after a single dose, and the natural GH pulse pattern was unchanged. A curated, cited digest of the GHRH-analog research. A curated front page of the peer-reviewed record: the GHRH-analog pharmacology, the DAC-versus-no-DAC half-life split, and the finding that pulsatility persists under sustained dosing. Every quantitative claim is cited. ## The CJC-1295 finding that organizes this digest CJC-1295 is a synthetic long-acting analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). In healthy young men, a single subcutaneous dose raised trough growth hormone roughly 7.5-fold and IGF-1 by about 45% one week later — and the frequency and magnitude of pulsatile GH secretion were unaltered [1]. That last clause is the lead of this curated digest. A drug can elevate a hormone for days without flattening the body's own rhythm, and CJC-1295 is one of the clearest demonstrations of it on the record. The rest of the page ranks the evidence the way a magazine ranks stories: the biggest card is the [GH pulsatility](/) result; the tall secondary card is the DAC-versus-no-DAC half-life split; the smaller tiles are the mechanism and the synergy rationale. Each card carries its study. None of it sells anything — the negative space here is editorial, not a checkout. The compound itself is built on the first 29 residues of human GH-releasing factor, hGRF(1-29), with four amino-acid substitutions that block enzymatic cleavage [2]. In the long-acting DAC variant, a chemical linker binds the peptide covalently to circulating serum albumin, stretching the plasma half-life to an estimated 5.8-8.1 days [3]. The short-acting no-DAC form, often labeled 'Modified GRF 1-29,' keeps the substitutions but drops the albumin handle. Conflating the two is the single most common error in how CJC-1295 is discussed — the [CJC-1295 DAC vs no-DAC](/dac-vs-no-dac) page is built to keep them apart. ## Does CJC-1295 preserve the natural pulse pattern of growth hormone? Yes, on the available human evidence. In healthy 20-to-40-year-old men, a single subcutaneous dose of CJC-1295 (60 or 90 micrograms/kg) raised basal GH approximately 7.5-fold and IGF-1 by about 45% one week later, while the frequency and amplitude of pulsatile GH secretion stayed unchanged [1]. The interpretation: pulsatility can persist even under continuous GHRH-analog stimulation. This matters because pulsatility is not cosmetic. Episodic GHRH delivery is more effective than continuous infusion at driving GH pulses in humans [7], so a long-acting analog that elevates baseline output *without* erasing the pulse pattern is a more biologically interesting result than a simple 'GH goes up' headline. A 2025 study mapping a neuroendocrine circuit for sleep-dependent GH release underscores how tightly the body gates its own pulses [15] — context for why a preserved rhythm is worth surfacing first. ## CJC-1295 as a GHRH-Analog Peptide CJC-1295 is a peptide, not a hormone replacement and not a steroid. As a GHRH-analog peptide it binds the GHRH receptor — a class-B G-protein-coupled receptor on anterior-pituitary somatotrophs — and activates Gs/cAMP/PKA signaling that drives GH synthesis and release [2]. The released GH then raises hepatic IGF-1 through the GH receptor and JAK2/STAT5 [3]. So CJC-1295 sits one step upstream of growth hormone: it tells the pituitary to make and release more of its own GH rather than supplying GH directly. The four substitutions on the hGRF(1-29) backbone — D-Ala at position 2, Gln at 8, Ala at 15, Leu at 27 — stabilize the helix and block dipeptidylpeptidase-IV cleavage, deamidation, and oxidation, the three routes that clear native GHRH within minutes [2]. That protease resistance is what makes a multi-day analog possible at all; the DAC albumin conjugation is what extends it from hours to days. The molecule's identity is well characterized: CAS 863288-34-0, PubChem CID 91971820, a molar mass near 3367.9 Da for the DAC peptide before it conjugates to albumin. Because CJC-1295 acts upstream, its effect is shaped by the pituitary it acts on rather than overriding it. That is the structural reason the body's own feedback and rhythm survive — the somatotroph still releases GH in pulses; the analog raises the baseline those pulses ride on. The result reads as 'more of your own GH, on your own schedule' rather than a flat exogenous flood. ## What does CJC-1295 do? It binds the GHRH receptor on pituitary somatotrophs, stimulating synthesis and pulsatile release of growth hormone, which in turn raises hepatic IGF-1 [2][3]. In healthy adults, a single DAC dose elevated GH and IGF-1 for days [3], and the natural GH pulse pattern was preserved [1]. In short: it amplifies the GH/IGF-1 axis the body already runs, rather than replacing it. ## What is CJC-1295? A synthetic long-acting analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone built on hGRF(1-29) with four protease-resistant substitutions [2]. The DAC variant adds covalent serum-albumin conjugation for a multi-day half-life [3], while the no-DAC form ('Modified GRF 1-29') is short-acting. It is a single research peptide, not a blend, and it is not approved for human use. ## What this site is, and what it is not This is a curated reading of published CJC-1295 research, arranged so the strongest findings sit largest. It is not a clinic, not a pharmacy, and not a storefront. CJC-1295 is an unapproved research chemical — not approved for human use by the FDA or any major regulator, and prohibited at all times in sport under WADA Section S2. It circulates outside the clinic: CJC-1295 was identified by LC-MS/MS as the active ingredient in an unknown 'GHRH' preparation seized in an anti-doping context [6]. We report what studies measured, in which species, at which doses; we make no human-use recommendation. From here, the digest fans out: the [GH/IGF-1 axis findings](/research) on the research page, the [doses used in the research](/dosage) on the dosage page, the [CJC-1295 and ipamorelin synergy](/ipamorelin-synergy) lens, the DAC-versus-no-DAC pharmacokinetics, the [reported concerns and safety](/faq) on the FAQ, the [regulatory status](/faq) summary, and the [full reference list](/references). --- A research desk that has ordered the CJC-1295 evidence into a hierarchy — leading with the finding, never the sale.