Sermorelin / Ipamorelin
Sermorelin with Ipamorelin for GH stimulation
In short
- Sermorelin plus ipamorelin — the same two-receptor logic as the CJC blend, with sermorelin supplying the GHRH half.
- Sermorelin is the more interesting component: it was genuinely FDA-approved (Geref) and withdrawn in 2008 for COMMERCIAL reasons, not safety.
- Its approved indication was diagnosing and treating GH deficiency in children, not adult body composition.
- Sermorelin has a shorter half-life than CJC-1295 no DAC — roughly 10-20 minutes — so the pulse is briefer still.
- The most common compounding-pharmacy formulation of this pairing, which means it is often prescribed rather than bought grey-market.
Structure
A blend of two peptides. See the Sermorelin and Ipamorelin entries for their individual structures.
How it works
Sermorelin is GHRH(1-29), the shortest fragment retaining full GHRH activity, acting on the pituitary GHRH receptor. Ipamorelin is a selective ghrelin receptor agonist.
The combination logic is identical to the CJC pairing: two different receptors, larger combined pulse than either alone.
The practical difference is that sermorelin is unmodified GHRH(1-29) rather than a stabilised analogue, so it clears faster. Whether that matters depends on whether you think a briefer, more physiological pulse is preferable — an argument made frequently and settled by nobody.
What the research shows
Sermorelin has genuine registrational evidence for stimulating GH release and increasing growth velocity in children with GH deficiency.
Ipamorelin's GH-releasing effect is documented in human studies.
The combination has not been trialled, and neither component has evidence for the adult anti-ageing and body-composition uses this blend is prescribed for.
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 — sermorelin approved label, GH deficiency in children | 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 compounded and prescribed for adults | 100–300 µg sermorelin with 200–300 µg ipamorelin, nightly | subcutaneous |
No study has tested this specific combination in humans. Whatever evidence exists belongs to the individual components, tested individually. A pre-mixed vial fixes the ratio between components at whatever the vendor chose. You can change the total volume you draw, but you cannot change the proportions — so if one component suits you at a different relative amount, a blend cannot express that. Buying components separately costs more vials and buys back that control. The one approved dose that exists here is weight-based, paediatric, and for a diagnosed deficiency — it does not transfer to adult use. Because this blend is frequently supplied by compounding pharmacies on prescription, it is worth knowing that a prescription does not imply the indication is evidenced.
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 at bedtime, coinciding with the natural nocturnal GH pulse, and away from food. Both components are short-acting, so timing carries more weight than in blends with long half-lives.
Side effects
Injection-site reactions are most common, along with flushing, headache, and water retention.
Sermorelin's approved label documented antibody formation in a minority of paediatric patients on chronic use, occasionally reducing response — genuine long-term data, though in a different population.
Class effects of raising GH apply.
Combinations
Running components together makes attribution impossible in both directions. If something improves you cannot tell which component did it, and if something goes wrong you cannot tell which one to stop. Blends are convenient and they are also the format that teaches you least about your own response.
As with the CJC pairing, the combination itself is the mechanism rather than a convenience, so separating the components would defeat the purpose.
Research status
Sermorelin has a real registrational file. Ipamorelin has real human GH-release studies and a failed clinical programme.
The combination has no trial, and the adult indication it is prescribed for has no supporting evidence from either component.
Legal status
Sermorelin is no longer marketed as an FDA-approved product in the US but is widely available through compounding pharmacies by prescription. Ipamorelin is not approved anywhere. Neither is approved for adult anti-ageing or body composition.
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
This blend pairs the only GH secretagogue here with a real approval history against a partner that never got one.
Sermorelin's label is genuinely worth reading — it is the best primary document available for what a GHRH analogue does. It is also about children with diagnosed deficiency, which is not who is buying this.
Sources
Track your own Sermorelin / Ipamorelin 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.