Sermorelin
Anti Aging, Performance
In short
- A GHRH(1-29) analogue that was FDA-approved (as Geref) for diagnosing and treating GH deficiency in children, then withdrawn from the US market in 2008.
- The withdrawal was commercial, not a safety action — it is an unusual case of a compound here that genuinely passed regulatory review.
- Short half-life of roughly 10-20 minutes, producing a sharp physiological GH pulse.
- Widely prescribed through compounding pharmacies for anti-ageing purposes, which is outside any approved indication.
- Prohibited at all times in sport under WADA class S2.
Structure
How it works
Sermorelin is the first 29 amino acids of human GHRH — the shortest fragment retaining full biological activity. It binds the pituitary GHRH receptor and stimulates synthesis and release of endogenous growth hormone.
Because it acts upstream through the pituitary, negative feedback via somatostatin and IGF-1 remains intact. This is the standard argument for GHRH analogues over exogenous GH: the body retains some capacity to regulate the response.
What the research shows
Efficacy in stimulating GH release is established — it was approved on that basis and used diagnostically to distinguish pituitary from hypothalamic causes of GH deficiency.
In children with GH deficiency it increased growth velocity, which supported the therapeutic indication.
The anti-ageing and body-composition uses it is now mostly prescribed for were never the approved indication and are not supported by registrational evidence.
Dosing in the literature
Figures below are quoted from published studies, with the species or population they were measured in. They are records of what was studied, not recommendations.
| Studied in | Amount | Route | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human — approved diagnostic use (Geref), GH deficiency | 1 µg/kg as a single dose | intravenous | PubMed |
| Human — approved therapeutic use in children with GH deficiency | 30 µg/kg once daily at bedtime | subcutaneous | PubMed |
Commonly reported ranges
These are amounts people report using. They are not from any study, have not been evaluated for safety, and are reproduced here only because they circulate widely and are better seen alongside the evidence than instead of it.
| Reported by | Amount | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Commonly reported adult use, often compounded | 100–300 µg nightly | subcutaneous |
The approved paediatric dose was weight-based and for a diagnosed deficiency. Adult anti-ageing dosing has no approved schedule behind it, and the compound was never approved for that population or purpose.
Handling and storage
Supplied as a lyophilised powder requiring reconstitution with bacteriostatic water. The powder is comparatively stable; once reconstituted it is refrigerated and used within weeks. Track the date you reconstitute each vial — the Inventory section does this, and it is the difference between knowing a vial is three weeks old and guessing.
Subcutaneous injection, conventionally at bedtime to coincide with the natural nocturnal GH pulse. Dosing away from food follows the same reasoning as the rest of the class.
Side effects
The approved label reported injection-site reactions as most common, along with flushing, headache, and occasional dysphagia or dizziness.
Antibody formation to sermorelin was observed in a minority of paediatric patients on chronic use, occasionally reducing response.
Class-level GH effects — fluid retention, joint discomfort, carpal tunnel symptoms, reduced insulin sensitivity — apply. Approval means there is a real safety file, but that file concerns children with diagnosed deficiency, not healthy adults using it indefinitely.
Combinations
Frequently combined with ipamorelin or a GHRP for the two-receptor synergy, which is the standard compounding-pharmacy formulation.
Combining an approved-then-withdrawn medicine with unapproved research peptides means the known safety profile no longer describes what is being taken.
Research status
Developed and approved in the 1990s, with a genuine registrational file for diagnosis and paediatric GH deficiency. Withdrawn from the US market in 2008 for commercial reasons. Current use is dominated by compounding rather than by new research.
Legal status
No longer marketed as an FDA-approved product in the US. Available through compounding pharmacies by prescription, which is legal in that channel but places it outside the approved-product framework. Not approved for anti-ageing or body composition anywhere.
WADA status
PROHIBITED AT ALL TIMES under WADA class S2 — growth hormone secretagogues, their releasing factors and mimetics are explicitly named. Any tested athlete should treat this as an anti-doping violation.
Conclusion
Sermorelin is a rare thing in this library: a compound that actually went through approval and has a real label to read. The catch is that the label is for diagnosing and treating GH deficiency in children, and almost nobody buying it today is doing either.
If you want to understand what the class does, its approval documents are the best primary source available for any GHRH analogue except tesamorelin.
Sources
Track your own Sermorelin protocol
Peppers logs your doses, models your levels from this half-life, tracks your vials and tells you when you will run out. Free on iPhone.
Reference and educational information only. Not medical advice. Nothing here diagnoses, treats, or prescribes, and nothing here is a recommendation to use any compound. The compounds described are research chemicals and are not approved for human consumption. Legal and anti-doping status change — the review date above is when these claims were last checked. Talk to a qualified clinician about anything you intend to take.