CJC-1295

Imagine two vials with the same shorthand on the label: CJC-1295. One supplier means the albumin-binding DAC form; another means CJC-1295 no DAC (Modified GRF(1-29)). A chromatogram with one dominant peak does not settle which vial is which. Before comparing purity claims, ask the seller to specify the molecular form and match its lot number to the report.

If a listing pairs CJC-1295 and ipamorelin, there is a third distinction: ipamorelin is a separate ghrelin-receptor peptide, not a version of CJC-1295. A blend needs evidence for both identities and their respective amounts. See our ipamorelin chemistry reference for the second molecule.

The name DAC refers to the Drug Affinity Complex: a maleimide-bearing linker on the modified GHRH backbone. It can react with albumin's free cysteine, creating a longer-lived albumin conjugate. No DAC means that albumin-binding linker is absent. The original research compound with DAC and material sold as “CJC-1295 no DAC” are therefore not the same analyte, even if marketplace listings blur the names.

Neither label tells you what is in a particular vial. The lot-specific analytical result does.

CJC-1295 (CAS 863288-34-0) is built from the 29-residue N-terminal fragment of human GHRH with four backbone substitutions — D-Ala2, Gln8, Ala15, Leu27 — that block the major protease cleavage sites. A 30th lysine residue at the C-terminus carries a maleimidopropionic acid (MPA) spacer, the so-called Drug Affinity Complex (DAC).

The maleimide can react with the free thiol on Cys34 of human serum albumin to form a covalent bioconjugate. Published research on DAC-linked CJC-1295 explores this longer-lived form; it does not establish the identity of any retail batch. The listed molecular formula for the DAC form is C165H269N47O46, with an approximate average mass of 3647.3 Da. The no-DAC form needs its own reference identity, not that number copied onto its COA.

CJC-1295 is produced by Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis followed by selective conjugation of the MPA linker to the C-terminal lysine. The main failure modes:

• Maleimide hydrolysis. The maleimide ring can open in aqueous conditions to a less reactive product. LC-MS may reveal a +18 Da shift, but the mass result alone does not measure how much intact linker remains functionally reactive. This is a plausible degradation pathway, not a claim about the frequency of failures in commercial batches.
• Incomplete linker attachment. Unlinked Modified GRF(1-29) can remain after synthesis. A method that separates and identifies both forms can reveal it; the DAC functional assay asks a different question about linker reactivity.
• Aspartimide and deamidation. The Asp-Ile and Asn residues in the GHRH backbone are susceptible to aspartimide formation and deamidation under repeated piperidine deprotection.

A well-designed analytical panel resolves these from the main peak. See common peptide impurities for the broader taxonomy.

A useful CJC-1295 certificate of analysis separates four questions that a single “purity” number cannot answer. This is an analytical checklist, not a claim that CertikLabs has already tested a public CJC-1295 lot:

• Identity: LC-HRMS compares the measured mass to the specified DAC or no-DAC molecule. Ask for an interpretable spectrum and the identity assigned to the lot.
• Purity: RP-HPLC separates major detectable components. Ask for the chromatogram and method; peak-area percentage is not the same as amount per vial.
• Content: A quantitative assay against a suitable reference answers how much target molecule the sample contains, which purity alone cannot tell you.
• DAC function, if claimed: A model-thiol reactivity assay can check whether the maleimide remains reactive. Mass confirmation of a linker is not proof of function.
• Other species: Review whether the method can resolve unlinked material, hydrolysis products, truncated chains and aggregates.

Start with the lot number and reporting lab. Ask for a dated, batch-matched report rather than a generic PDF or a certificate for a different batch. Our guide to reading a peptide COA walks through the pre-order check in detail. A peptide impurity guide explains the other peaks.

Identity, purity, content and linker reactivity answer questions about a tested sample. They do not show that every vial in a shipment is identical, that an unmeasured contaminant is absent, or that a substance is safe or effective for human use. “CJC-1295 benefits” and “CJC-1295 side effects” are clinical questions, not results one can read from an HPLC trace.

A public record should link the actual lot to the actual result. CertikLabs' blockchain anchoring is planned, not an active guarantee; do not mistake a showcase verification for an independently tested product.

Agonist at the GHRH receptor on pituitary somatotrophs. Stimulates pulsatile growth-hormone release. The DAC linker is the defining feature; without it the analog is conventionally called Modified GRF(1-29) or CJC-1295 without DAC and has a much shorter half-life.

Primary sources:

• Teichman S.L. et al., Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone and IGF-I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GHRH, in healthy adults.(PMID 16352683)
• Jetté L. et al., Human growth hormone-releasing factor (hGRF)1-29-albumin bioconjugates activate the GRF receptor and stimulate GH release.(PMID 15919748)

CertikLabs does not publish dosing, administration routes, or clinical recommendations for CJC-1295.

The maleimide group on the DAC linker is reactive: lyophilized material kept dry, cold, and protected from light is generally stable, but in aqueous solution above pH 7 the maleimide hydrolyzes to a non-reactive succinamic acid and the DAC activity is lost. Re-verification of any working solution is required.