Home / Growth hormone / Sermorelin
SrHuman trials

Sermorelin

Sermorelin is the first 29 building blocks of the body's growth-hormone-releasing hormone. It was a US-approved medicine for children with slow growth (Geref) until the maker stopped selling it.

Was FDA-approved for children with growth hormone deficiency (Geref, 1997)Not sold or approved in the US now: the maker stopped selling it in 2008, and approval was withdrawn in 2009 at its request. FDA said this was not for safety or effectiveness reasons.
OverviewDosingMixingResearchCommunitySafetyFAQSources

Sermorelin quick reference

TypeGHRH analog (first 29 amino acids)
Studied forChild growth failure, age-related GH decline
EvidenceFormer US drug; small adult studies
RouteInjection under the skin
Half-lifeAbout 4 min (vein infusion)

What is Sermorelin?

The first 29 building blocks of the body's GH-releasing hormone.

People use it for sleep, recovery and age-related GH decline.

Was a US drug for short-stature children; no longer sold.

How Sermorelin works

GHRH receptor

Binds the pituitary and releases your own GH.

Normal brakes stay on

GH release stays pulsed and self-limiting.

IGF-1 rise

In old men, GH and IGF-1 rose to young levels.

Very short half-life

Cleared in about 4 minutes in men.

What Sermorelin is studied for

PeopleShort stature in GH-deficient children

Growth speed rose from 4.1 to 8.0 cm/yr at 6 months.

PeopleOlder men

1 mg twice daily lifted GH and IGF-1 to young-adult levels.

PeopleGH vs GHRH in children

GH itself grew children faster: 14.6 vs 9.3 cm/yr.

PeopleAntibodies

Nearly all children on infusion made GHRH antibodies; they faded.

Sermorelin dosing protocol

StudyAmount and schedule
Older men (Corpas 1992, 10 men), 14 days0.5 or 1 mg twice a day under the skin
Children with GH deficiency, Geref study (110 children)30 mcg per kg, once a day at bedtime, under the skin, up to 1 year
Children, earlier comparison (43 children)30 or 60 mcg per kg a day, split into 3 injections, 6 months

Sources: Geref International Study Group 1996 (PMID 8772599) and Federal Register notice 78 FR 14095 (2013-04827). I could not open the original Geref label, so the label-style amount comes from the Geref study.

GEREF STUDY (CHILDREN)30 mcg/kg once daily at bedtimeTrial
OLD MEN, 14 DAYS0.5 or 1 mg twice dailyTrial
CHILDREN, SPLIT DOSE30 or 60 mcg/kg/day in 3 shotsTrial
TIMINGBedtimeTrial
COMMUNITY RANGE200-500 mcg nightlyCommunity

Label and trial amounts come from the sources below. Community amounts are what people report; they have not been tested.

Mixing

Vial5 mg
+
BAC water2 mL
=
Strength2.5 mg per mL

Example only. Follow the vial sheet for storage.

Open the peptide calculator

What the research found

110 children with growth hormone deficiency who had not been treated before, open-label, up to 12 months, 30 mcg per kg at bedtime. Measured: growth speed:

4.1 cm/yrGrowth speed before treatment
8.0 cm/yrAfter 6 months
7.2 cm/yrAfter 12 months
74%Good responders at 6 months

Geref International Study Group, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996 (PMID 8772599); 86 of 110 children were in the efficacy analysis. In a separate 6-month comparison, growth hormone itself worked better than GHRH (about 14.6 vs 9.2-9.3 cm/yr; PMID 8329830).

Sermorelin community experience

What users report. Not tested in trials.

Positive reports

  • Deeper sleep Most consistent early effect people report.
  • Recovery Some feel less sore after several weeks.
  • Slow body change Gains, when seen, build over months.

Negative & mixed

  • Little change Some notice nothing after months.
  • Site irritation Redness, flushing, headache or hunger reported.
  • Daily shots Nightly injections feel like a lot for subtle results.

Sermorelin stacking

Sermorelin + ipamorelin

Two GH signals. A bigger pulse is not proof of better results.

Sermorelin + BPC-157 or TB-500

Different aims. Not studied together.

Sermorelin + GLP-1 drug

Weight changes can hide sermorelin's effect. Not studied together.

Sermorelin side effects & safety

Common

  • Well tolerated in the Geref children's study.
  • Mild injection-site irritation in 3 children on infusion.
  • No adverse blood-sugar or IGF-1 changes in the Geref study.
  • Flushing, headache or hunger (community).

Less common

  • Nearly all children on infusion made GHRH antibodies.
  • Adult safety program: none found.
  • Tingling or swelling in user reports.

Precautions

  • GH-raising drugs: tesamorelin label bars use with active cancer.
  • Needs a working pituitary to respond.
  • GH and IGF-1 rise: watch glucose and swelling.
  • Geref is no longer sold; other products are unapproved.

Our verdict on Sermorelin

Real history and a clear mechanism. Adult data are old and small, and results are slow.

Sermorelin FAQ

Is sermorelin FDA approved?

It was, as Geref, for children. It is no longer sold.

Was Geref pulled for safety?

No. FDA ruled it was not withdrawn for safety or effectiveness.

Is sermorelin the same as HGH?

No. It prompts your pituitary to release GH.

Does it beat growth hormone?

Not in children: GH grew them faster.

Sources

  • Thorner M et al. (Geref International Study Group). J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996, PMID 8772599
  • Thorner M et al. 1996 (see above); Acta Paediatr Suppl 1993, GHRH(1-29)-NH2 vs GH, PMID 8329830 and PMID 8329826
  • Federal Register 78 FR 14095, 4 March 2013 (FDA determination on Geref, Docket FDA-2012-P-1071)
  • Corpas E et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1992 (GHRH-(1-29) twice daily in old men), PMID 1379256
  • D-Ala2 GHRH-(1-29)-NH2 half-life vs GHRH-(1-29)-NH2 in men, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1994, PMID 7962295
  • Federal Register 2013-04827 (4 March 2013), Geref determination