Cagrilintide vs CJC-1295 (No DAC)
Cagrilintide and CJC-1295 (No DAC) are studied in overlapping research areas, which is why they are frequently compared. This is a neutral side-by-side reference drawn from published preclinical literature and laboratory handling data.
How they actually differ
Comparing the two: Cagrilintide is lipidated 37-residue amylin analogue, cys2–cys7 disulfide, c-terminal prolinamide, while CJC-1295 (No DAC) is ghrh(1-29) tetra-substituted analogue (dac-free) — different molecular classes with different handling consequences; their leading degradation routes differ (fibrillation for Cagrilintide, deamidation at asn/gln residues over long solution storage. for CJC-1295 (No DAC)), so the storage precautions that matter are not the same; their practical working windows differ once reconstituted. The sections below set out each in full.
Cagrilintide — origin
Cagrilintide is an engineered analogue of human amylin (IAPP), the 37-residue hormone co-secreted with insulin from pancreatic beta cells. Its design problem was unusually specific: native amylin is strongly amyloidogenic, readily collapsing from helix into the beta-sheet conformation that seeds fibrils, which is what made a long-acting amylin drug difficult for decades. Cagrilintide carries six substitutions relative to human amylin (14E, 17R, 25P, 28P, 29P, 37P) — roughly 84% sequence homology — plus N-terminal acylation with a C20 fatty diacid through a gamma-glutamate linker.
CJC-1295 (No DAC) — origin
CJC-1295 without DAC is the first 29 residues of growth-hormone-releasing hormone carrying four stabilising substitutions (D-Ala2, Gln8, Ala15, Leu27) that resist DPP-4 cleavage. Omitting the Drug Affinity Complex — the albumin-binding element of the DAC version — gives it a short half-life, which is the property researchers study it for.
Cagrilintide research themes
Cagrilintide binds the calcitonin receptor and all three amylin receptors (AMY1, AMY2, AMY3), which is why the literature sometimes classes it as a dual amylin and calcitonin receptor agonist.
A worked example of engineering a fibril-prone hormone into a stable long-acting analogue — salt-bridge helix stabilisation plus beta-sheet-breaking prolines.
The C20 diacid extends the half-life from minutes, for the short-acting analogue pramlintide, to roughly a week.
The most-studied context: co-administration with semaglutide, investigated in the REDEFINE trial programme.
CJC-1295 (No DAC) research themes
Studied for prompting growth-hormone release in short, physiological pulses via the GHRH receptor.
The four substitutions are studied for extending the molecule beyond the minutes-long survival of native GHRH.
Frequently studied alongside ghrelin-receptor secretagogues such as Ipamorelin, which recruit a second GH-release pathway.
Cagrilintide handling
- Never shake. Swirl gently and allow the cake to dissolve in its own time.
- Do not freeze reconstituted solution.
- Add diluent down the vial wall rather than directly onto the cake.
- Treat visible particulate or a settling precipitate as a rejected vial — for an amylin analogue this is the observable end of the fibrillation pathway, not a cosmetic issue.
CJC-1295 (No DAC) handling
- Reach room temperature before opening.
- Swirl to dissolve; do not shake or vortex — foam indicates interfacial stress on the helix.
- Aliquot and refrigerate; never re-freeze reconstituted solution.
Both third-party tested
Every Popular Peptides batch of Cagrilintide and CJC-1295 (No DAC) is independently tested by HPLC and LC-MS with a published Certificate of Analysis. Enter a lot number to pull the COA for a specific vial.
Cagrilintide reference
Related comparisons
Cagrilintide and CJC-1295 (No DAC) are supplied strictly as research chemicals for in-vitro laboratory and research use only. They are not intended for human or animal consumption, diagnostic, or therapeutic use. This comparison summarizes published preclinical literature and laboratory handling data; it is not medical advice, not a claim of efficacy, and not usage guidance.