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What is Sermorelin?

Sermorelin is a lab-made peptide that copies the first 29 amino acids of human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH).1 It prompts the pituitary gland to release the body's own growth hormone.2 FDA approved it as Geref, a test of pituitary growth hormone release and a treatment for growth hormone deficiency in children, but withdrew both approvals in 2009.3

This page summarizes published sources for information only. It is not medical advice and does not tell anyone to use a product. Questions about your own health belong with a licensed clinician. For questions about an order or a product, contact us.

Key facts

ClassSynthetic growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog: the 1-29 fragment of human GHRH with an amidated end1
Also known asSermorelin acetate, Geref, GRF(1-29)NH2, GHRH(1-29)NH2, groliberin34
Forms we sell10 mg vial of freeze-dried powder, for research use only
Regulatory statusNo FDA-approved sermorelin product is listed as marketed in the US; the Geref approvals were withdrawn effective June 18, 200935346
WADA statusProhibited at all times, in and out of competition (2026 list, S2.2.4)7

What sources report

What it is

As a drug, sermorelin is the acetate salt of a synthetic 29-amino-acid peptide, GRF(1-29)NH2.1 It matches the amino-terminal segment of natural human GHRH, which has 44 amino acids.1 This N-terminal sequence is identical in humans, pigs and cattle.1 Other names include sermorelin acetate and the brand name Geref,3 plus GHRH(1-29)NH2 and groliberin.4 It is the shortest synthetic piece of GHRH that keeps the hormone's full biological activity.15 PubChem lists the formula C149H246N44O42S, a molar mass of 3357.9 g/mol and CAS number 86168-78-7.2627

How it works

Sermorelin binds the GHRH receptor and mimics the natural hormone.8 Binding of GHRH to this receptor leads to the synthesis and release of growth hormone (GH).12 Given into a vein or under the skin, sermorelin stimulates GH secretion from the anterior pituitary about as well as the full 44-residue hormone.152

The peptide itself is short-lived: a 2026 review reports a disappearance half-time of about 4.3 minutes, followed by a rise in the body's own pulsed GH release and then a secondary rise in IGF-1.28 In 30 healthy men aged 19 to 43, GH stayed raised for about 3 hours after an IV dose.24

Other signals shape the response: in a small human study, atropine (a drug that blocks cholinergic nerve signals) significantly reduced the GH response to GRF 1-29.29 In a study of 14 obese and 9 normal-weight women, the obese group had about a third of the GH response (mean peak 8.9 versus 28 mU/L).30

How it differs from other growth hormone peptides

GH-releasing peptides such as GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 do not bind the GHRH receptor; they act on a separate secretagogue receptor.31 When GHRH and a GHRP were given together, they stimulated GH release synergistically.31 Tesamorelin is also a synthetic GHRH analog, but it is built on all 44 amino acids of GHRH plus a hexenoyl group.23 HGH drugs (somatropin) replace growth hormone itself.13 WADA's list names CJC-1295, sermorelin and tesamorelin together as GHRH analogues, and lists Ipamorelin separately among growth hormone secretagogues.7 The CJC-1295 profiles are CJC-1295 No DAC and CJC-1295 with DAC.

What human studies found

  • Children with GH deficiency: in a multicenter open-label trial of 110 previously untreated prepubertal children (86 analyzed for efficacy), mean height velocity rose from 4.1 cm per year to 8.0 at 6 months and 7.2 at 12 months.10
  • Against GH itself: in a randomized 6-month trial of 60 children, growth on GH was significantly better than on GHRH(1-29)-NH2.14
  • Diagnosis: a 1999 drug review described a single IV sermorelin test as rapid and relatively specific for GH deficiency.15
  • Older men, 14 days: in 10 men, the higher of two tested doses raised 24-hour GH and IGF-1 to young-adult levels; the lower dose did not reach significance.9
  • Older men, 6 weeks: in 11 men aged 64 to 76, nightly injections raised nighttime GH but not IGF-1, and weight and body composition did not change.11
  • A related analog: [Nle27]GHRH(1-29)-NH2, not sermorelin itself, increased skin thickness in both sexes and lean body mass in men only over 16 weeks in 19 adults aged 55 to 71.32

A 2026 review grades the human evidence as historical approval in children plus phase I/II studies in adult endocrine testing.28 Full summary with evidence levels: Sermorelin benefits and uses. The research vial (10 mg) is listed at Sermorelin for sale.

What has not been shown

No controlled trial in healthy adults in the sources reviewed here shows fat loss, muscle gain, better sleep or slower aging with sermorelin.28 The same 2026 review says benefits in healthy people remain uncertain because the human evidence is limited and largely indirect.28 In the 16-week trial of the related analog, sleep quality did not change in either sex.32 The goal pages give the detail: Sermorelin and weight loss and Sermorelin and muscle growth.

Side effects

A 1999 drug review reported brief facial flushing and injection-site pain as the most common adverse events with IV and daily under-the-skin use.15 In one 6-month trial, 39 of 40 children formed antibodies to GHRH; these did not track with growth and had almost disappeared 9 months after stopping.14 A 2026 review adds nausea, dizziness, headache, rare allergic reactions and a small, brief prolactin rise, and notes there are no long-term safety data.28 Full list: Sermorelin side effects.

Dosage information

No current human dose is established: the approved uses, a treatment in children and a one-time test, ended in 2009, and no approval covers adult body-composition or performance use.328 In a 1996 trial in 110 GH-deficient children, the dose was 30 mcg/kg once daily under the skin at bedtime.10 Studies in older men used 0.5 mg to 2 mg per injection under the skin, once or twice daily, for 2 to 6 weeks.911 These are study doses, not guidance for anyone. Full details: Sermorelin dosage.

Reconstitution and storage

The approved Geref diagnostic was a freeze-dried powder, 50 mcg per vial, and FDA accepted a 24-month shelf life for it when stored at 7 C.33 The research vial holds 10 mg of powder, which is dissolved in a diluent before lab use. In published human studies, sermorelin was injected under the skin or given into a vein.1015 Lab steps, supplies and concentration math: How to reconstitute Sermorelin.

Regulatory status

Approval and withdrawal

FDA first approved sermorelin acetate as Geref on December 28, 1990 (NDA 019863), as a diagnostic for evaluating the pituitary's ability to secrete GH.343 On September 26, 1997, a treatment product (NDA 020443) was approved with orphan status for idiopathic GH deficiency in children with growth failure.53 EMD Serono told FDA in 2008 that Geref was being discontinued, and FDA withdrew both approvals effective June 18, 2009.3

A 2013 FDA notice found that neither Geref product was withdrawn for reasons of safety or effectiveness.3 The notice gives no business reason.3 A 2006 editorial said Geref could not compete with recombinant HGH, and a 2026 review reads FDA's finding as pointing to a commercial or availability decision.3528 FDA said its finding would allow generic versions if all other requirements are met.3 Still, as of October 2026, Drugs@FDA lists both applications as discontinued and DailyMed returns no sermorelin labels.5346

Compounding

FDA's 503B bulk drug substances list (updated March 21, 2025) places sermorelin acetate in category 1, under evaluation, and marks it as a component of FDA-approved drugs.16 Under section 503A, a state-licensed pharmacy may compound with such a component when no USP or NF monograph exists, based on valid patient-specific prescriptions.1920 Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, and FDA does not verify their safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed.21 As of October 2026, sermorelin is not on FDA's list of bulk substances that may present significant safety risks, while GHRP-2, GHRP-6 and ipamorelin are.17

Quality failures have occurred: Talon Compounding Pharmacy recalled all in-date lots of lyophilized HCG and sermorelin on July 21, 2016 for lack of sterility assurance.36 In March 2022, Olympia Pharmacy recalled lots of compounded sermorelin acetate found to be out of specification.18

Research labels, supply chains and sport

FDA's December 10, 2024 warning letter to an online seller listed its SERMORELIN product among unapproved new drugs.22 The agency said research-only and not-for-human-use labels did not change that, since the seller's website showed the products were intended for people.22 Two 2026 reviews add context: product content, dose and stacking practices are uncertain in unregulated supply chains, and rigorous human safety data for unapproved peptides are scarce.3738 For athletes, WADA's 2026 Prohibited List places sermorelin under S2.2.4, growth hormone releasing factors, banned in and out of competition.7

More on Sermorelin

  • Sermorelin side effects

    Side effects of Sermorelin as reported in clinical trials and published studies, with links to the full profile. Reviewed by a qualified reviewer.

  • Sermorelin dosage

    Published dosing information for Sermorelin from clinical trials and published studies, with its source, and why it is not advice for you.

  • Sermorelin benefits and uses

    What published sources report about Sermorelin and its uses, with the evidence level of each finding. No promises.

  • How to reconstitute Sermorelin

    How Sermorelin is reconstituted, the supplies used, and the calculator, step by step. Sourced and reviewed.

Sermorelin in the store

Sermorelin for sale: strengths, stock and shipping are on the product page.

For research use only. Not for human or veterinary use. Read the research use policy.

Related reading

Related profiles

Sermorelin and research goals

Frequently asked questions

What will sermorelin do for my body?

Sermorelin binds GHRH receptors and prompts the pituitary to release growth hormone (GH).82 Measured effects vary by study. In 10 older men, two weeks on the higher of two tested doses raised GH and IGF-1 to young-adult levels.9 In a trial of 110 GH-deficient children, it sped up growth.10 Yet a 6-week study in 11 older men found no change in weight or in DEXA fat and muscle.11 These are group results from small studies, not predictions for any one person.

Is sermorelin real HGH?

No. Sermorelin is a 29-amino-acid piece of growth hormone-releasing hormone, the signal that leads the pituitary to make and release growth hormone.1122 HGH drugs such as somatropin are growth hormone analogs that work by replacing the hormone itself.13 Sermorelin works through the pituitary instead, and FDA once approved it as a test of the pituitary's ability to secrete growth hormone.3

Which is better, Sermorelin or HGH?

They work differently and have different status. Somatropin (HGH) is used to treat growth failure from GH deficiency and some other conditions, while sermorelin's FDA approvals were withdrawn in 2009.133 In a randomized trial of 60 GH-deficient children, those given GH grew 14.6 cm per year, compared with 9.2 to 9.3 cm per year on GHRH(1-29).14 A 1999 drug review also reported smaller height gains with sermorelin, given by infusion or in 3 daily doses, than with daily somatropin, though the approved once-daily regimen was never compared directly.15

What are the differences between BPC-157 and sermorelin?

The sources here differ most on regulatory history. Sermorelin is a GHRH fragment that triggers growth hormone release, and it was once FDA-approved as Geref.83 FDA's 503B list marks sermorelin acetate as a component of FDA-approved drugs, still under evaluation.16 For BPC-157, FDA says compounded products may pose a risk of immunogenicity for certain routes of administration. It lists BPC-157 among substances once in its safety-risk category whose nominations were later withdrawn.17 More: What is BPC-157?

Will doctors prescribe sermorelin?

Some do, through compounding pharmacies. A 2022 recall notice listed sermorelin among one pharmacy's compounded products and said that group is typically prescribed for uses that include age management.18 Federal law lets a pharmacy compound with a bulk ingredient that is a component of an FDA-approved drug, when no USP or NF monograph exists.19 The compounding must rest on valid patient-specific prescriptions, and compounded sermorelin itself is not FDA-approved.2021

Is sermorelin legal in the US?

No FDA-approved sermorelin product is currently listed as marketed in the US.56 Patients can get it compounded: a state-licensed pharmacy may use sermorelin acetate, which FDA lists as a component of approved drugs, on a valid patient-specific prescription.161920 FDA has warned an online seller that its research use only sermorelin was an unapproved new drug, because the seller's website showed it was meant for people.22 Athletes face a separate rule: WADA bans sermorelin at all times.7

What is better than sermorelin?

That depends on the condition, and no ranking for personal use is possible from these studies. For growth failure from GH deficiency, somatropin injection replaces the missing hormone, and GH outperformed GHRH(1-29) for growth in a 60-child trial.1314 For excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV-associated lipodystrophy, the GHRH analog tesamorelin (Egrifta WR) is FDA-approved, though its label says it is not for weight loss management.23 See What is Tesamorelin?

Is Sermorelin better in pill or injection?

The approved Geref products were injections, and human studies used injections or a nasal spray.324 In healthy men, only 3 to 5% of a nasal dose reached the bloodstream.24 In a pilot study in 8 children, the nasal form lost effect over time and was judged unsuitable.25 The sources reviewed for this page include no human trial of sermorelin taken by mouth.

Written by D2C Peptides Editorial Team.

Pending qualified review.

Updated .

Sources

  1. PubChem Compound CID 16132413 (Sermorelin): record description from DrugBank. PubChem, NCBI, U.S. National Library of Medicine (source: DrugBank DB00010), 2026.
  2. PubChem Compound CID 16132413 (Sermorelin): pharmacology. PubChem, NCBI, U.S. National Library of Medicine (source: DrugBank DB00010), 2026.
  3. Determination That GEREF (Sermorelin Acetate) Injection Products Were Not Withdrawn From Sale for Reasons of Safety or Effectiveness (78 FR 14095, Docket FDA-2012-P-1071). U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Federal Register (GovInfo), 2013.
  4. PubChem Compound CID 16132413 (Sermorelin): synonyms. PubChem, NCBI, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2026.
  5. Drugs@FDA: GEREF, NDA 020443. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026.
  6. DailyMed search results for sermorelin. U.S. National Library of Medicine (DailyMed), 2026.
  7. The 2026 Prohibited List, World Anti-Doping Code (published in the Austrian Federal Law Gazette, BGBl. III Nr. 219/2025). World Anti-Doping Agency list, reproduced by the Austrian Federal Law Gazette (RIS), 2025.
  8. PubChem Compound CID 16132413 (Sermorelin): mechanism of action. PubChem, NCBI, U.S. National Library of Medicine (source: DrugBank DB00010), 2026.
  9. Growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone-(1-29) twice daily reverses the decreased GH and insulin-like growth factor-I levels in old men (Corpas et al.), design. J Clin Endocrinol Metab (PubMed abstract PMID 1379256, via NCBI E-utilities), 1992.
  10. Once daily subcutaneous growth hormone-releasing hormone therapy accelerates growth in growth hormone-deficient children during the first year of therapy. Geref International Study Group (Thorner et al.). J Clin Endocrinol Metab (PubMed abstract PMID 8772599, via NCBI E-utilities), 1996.
  11. Effects of single nightly injections of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH 1-29) in healthy elderly men (Vittone et al.), design. Metabolism (PubMed abstract PMID 9005976, via NCBI E-utilities), 1997.
  12. Gene ID 2692: GHRHR growth hormone releasing hormone receptor (Homo sapiens), summary. NCBI Gene (RefSeq summary), U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2026.
  13. Somatropin Injection. MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2026.
  14. A comparative study of growth hormone (GH) and GH-releasing hormone(1-29)-NH2 for stimulation of growth in children with GH deficiency (Chen et al.), design. Acta Paediatr Suppl (PubMed abstract PMID 8329830, via NCBI E-utilities), 1993.
  15. Sermorelin: a review of its use in the diagnosis and treatment of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency (Prakash and Goa), diagnostic test. BioDrugs (PubMed abstract PMID 18031173, via NCBI E-utilities), 1999.
  16. Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503B of the FD&C Act (updated March 21, 2025). U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025.
  17. Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (GHRP-2 and GHRP-6). U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026.
  18. Olympia Pharmacy Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Seven Compounded Products Due to Being Out-of-Specification (company announcement posted by FDA, March 10, 2022). U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2022.
  19. Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding Under Section 503A of the FD&C Act. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026.
  20. Human Drug Compounding Laws. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2024.
  21. Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025.
  22. Warning Letter: Xcel Research LLC (MARCS-CMS 694608), December 10, 2024. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2024.
  23. EGRIFTA WR (tesamorelin) prescribing information, indication and limitations of use. DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine (Theratechnologies label, revised 3/2025), 2025.
  24. Pharmacokinetics of growth hormone-releasing hormone(1-29)-NH2 and stimulation of growth hormone secretion in healthy subjects after intravenous or intranasal administration (Wilton et al.), intranasal. Acta Paediatr Suppl (PubMed abstract PMID 8329825, via NCBI E-utilities), 1993.
  25. Same source as 24: Intranasal administration of growth hormone-releasing hormone(1-29)-NH2 in children with growth hormone deficiency (Hummelink et al.), conclusion.
  26. PubChem Compound CID 16132413 (Sermorelin): computed properties. PubChem, NCBI, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2026.
  27. PubChem Compound CID 16132413 (Sermorelin): CAS. PubChem, NCBI, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2026.
  28. The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis: bridging the gap between clinical evidence and patient self-administration (Dominikowski et al.), evidence tier. Front Endocrinol (PMC full text PMC13322892), 2026.
  29. Influence of dopaminergic, adrenergic and cholinergic blockade and TRH administration on GH responses to GRF 1-29 (Jordan et al.). Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) (PubMed abstract PMID 2871952, via NCBI E-utilities), 1986.
  30. Impaired growth hormone response to growth hormone releasing factor and insulin-hypoglycaemia in obesity (Kopelman et al.). Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) (PubMed abstract PMID 2863016, via NCBI E-utilities), 1985.
  31. The Safety and Efficacy of Growth Hormone Secretagogues (Sigalos and Pastuszak). Sex Med Rev (PMC full text PMC5632578), 2018.
  32. Endocrine and metabolic effects of long-term administration of [Nle27]growth hormone-releasing hormone-(1-29)-NH2 in age-advanced men and women (Khorram et al.), design. J Clin Endocrinol Metab (PubMed abstract PMID 9141536, via NCBI E-utilities), 1997.
  33. Approval Package for NDA 19-863/S001: Geref (sermorelin acetate for injection), approval letter and chemistry review. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, 1991.
  34. Drugs@FDA: GEREF, NDA 019863. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026.
  35. Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency? (Walker, editorial). Clin Interv Aging (PMC full text PMC2699646), 2006.
  36. Warning Letter: Talon Compounding Pharmacy (MARCS-CMS 522630), October 3, 2017. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2017.
  37. The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis (Dominikowski et al.), abstract: supply chains. Front Endocrinol (PubMed abstract PMID 42395176, via NCBI E-utilities), 2026.
  38. Same source as 37: Safety and Efficacy of Approved and Unapproved Peptide Therapies for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Athletic Performance (Mendias and Awan).