Side-by-side comparison of mechanisms, dosing, interactions, and stacking potential.
| CJC-1295 (with DAC) | Epitalon (Epithalon) | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Peptides | Peptides |
| Standard Dose | Research indicates 2 mg administered once weekly via subcutaneous injection. | Research indicates 5-10 mg daily via subcutaneous injection for 10-20 day cycles. |
| Timing | Evening administration preferred (aligns with natural GH pulsatility). Inject on an empty stomach — food (especially carbohydrates) blunts GH release. | Evening administration preferred (aligns with pineal/melatonin function). Some protocols split doses AM/PM. |
| Cycle Duration | 12-24 week cycles with 4-8 week breaks between cycles. | 10-20 day intensive cycles repeated every 4-6 months. Not used continuously. |
| Evidence Level | moderate_human | animal_plus_anecdotal |
CJC-1295 with DAC (Drug Affinity Complex) is a synthetic 30-amino acid GHRH analog with four amino acid substitutions rendering it resistant to DPP-IV proteolytic inactivation. The DAC moiety covalently binds to endogenous serum albumin via a disulfide bond after injection, extending half-life to 5.8-8.1 days. It stimulates pulsatile GH release from anterior pituitary somatotrophs through GHRH receptor activation, producing dose-dependent 2-10 fold increases in plasma GH for 6+ days and 1.5-3 fold IGF-1 elevations for 9-11 days per injection.
Research indicates 2 mg administered once weekly via subcutaneous injection.
Evening administration preferred (aligns with natural GH pulsatility). Inject on an empty stomach — food (especially carbohydrates) blunts GH release.
12-24 week cycles with 4-8 week breaks between cycles.
Epitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly / AEDG) is a synthetic tetrapeptide based on the natural pineal gland peptide epithalamin. It activates telomerase by inducing expression of the catalytic subunit hTERT, resulting in telomere elongation averaging 33.3% in human somatic cells. Epitalon restores pineal melatonin synthesis and circadian gene expression in aged organisms, increases BDNF, and upregulates CREB1. It also modulates the neuroendocrine system through its effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and antioxidant enzyme regulation.
Research indicates 5-10 mg daily via subcutaneous injection for 10-20 day cycles.
Evening administration preferred (aligns with pineal/melatonin function). Some protocols split doses AM/PM.
10-20 day intensive cycles repeated every 4-6 months. Not used continuously.
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