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Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH 1-29) analog

Sermorelin

Sermorelin is a lab-made copy of the first 29 amino acids of growth hormone-releasing hormone, once FDA-approved as Geref and discontinued in 2008.

Medical review in progressLast reviewed

US regulatory status

Approved product discontinued

No FDA-approved sermorelin product is marketed in the US. Geref (EMD Serono) was discontinued in 2008 and its approvals were withdrawn effective June 18, 2009; in 2013 the FDA determined it was not withdrawn for safety or effectiveness reasons. Sermorelin acetate is under evaluation (category 1) for outsourcing-facility compounding, which is not FDA approval, and WADA prohibits it at all times.

As of

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On this page
  1. US regulatory status
  2. At a glance
  3. What the research shows
  4. Side effects and safety
  5. Vial math
  6. Questions people ask
  7. Sources
  8. Related compounds

At a glance

Also known as
Sermorelin acetate, Geref, GRF 1-29, GHRH (1-29)
Supplied as
Freeze-dried powder, mixed before use
Research
Limited human evidence
US status
US status: Discontinuedchecked

What the research shows

Evidence grade

Limited human evidence

Some studies in people, but they are small, short, early-phase or uncontrolled.

Sermorelin signals the pituitary gland to release the body’s own growth hormone; a review calls it the shortest synthetic peptide with the full activity of natural GHRH. The FDA approved it twice as Geref: in 1990 as a 0.05 mg ampule to test whether the pituitary can release growth hormone, and in 1997 as 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg vials to treat children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency and growth failure. In those children, limited data showed it worked in some, but height gains were smaller than with daily injections of growth hormone itself (somatropin). In adults, the evidence is thin: a 16-week placebo-controlled study of a closely related analog, not sermorelin itself, in 19 people aged 55 to 71 raised nighttime growth hormone and IGF-1, and lean mass rose in men only. A 2026 review concluded that clinically meaningful benefits in healthy people remain uncertain because the human evidence is limited and largely indirect.

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How we grade evidence

  1. Strong human evidence

    Consistent results from large randomized controlled trials in people.

  2. Limited human evidence · this page

    Some studies in people, but they are small, short, early-phase or uncontrolled.

  3. Mixed evidence

    Studies in people disagree, or strong evidence for one use sits beside weak evidence for another.

  4. Animal or lab studies only

    Studied in cells or animals, not properly in people. Animal results may not apply to humans.

The grade describes how much research exists and in whom. It is not a judgment that a compound works or is safe.

Side effects and safety

In studies in children, the most commonly reported side effects were brief facial flushing and pain at the injection site. In the small adult study of a related analog, the only adverse effect reported was a temporary rise in blood fats. No current FDA label lists sermorelin’s warnings; for context, the label of tesamorelin, an approved GHRH analog, warns about fluid retention, higher blood sugar and raised IGF-1 levels, and rules it out with active cancer. Higher IGF-1 levels are linked in population studies to some cancers, which does not show that any peptide causes cancer. A 2026 review flagged unknown quality and variable contents in products from unregulated sources.

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Vial math

Pre-filled calculators turn your vial, water and prescribed dose into syringe units.

Pre-filled for your vial size

These pages do the arithmetic for a vial you already have. They don’t suggest a dose.

This is arithmetic, not medical advice. Confirm with your prescriber or pharmacist.

Questions people ask

Is sermorelin FDA-approved?

Not anymore. As of October 16, 2026, no FDA-approved sermorelin product is sold in the US. It was approved as Geref, in 1990 for a growth hormone test and in 1997 for children with growth hormone deficiency, and the FDA withdrew those approvals effective June 18, 2009, after the maker stopped selling it. Compounded sermorelin is not FDA-approved.

Source

Why was Geref discontinued?

The FDA has not published the maker’s reason. EMD Serono told the FDA in July and December 2008 that it had stopped selling Geref. After a 2012 citizen petition, the FDA determined in 2013 that Geref was not withdrawn for reasons of safety or effectiveness, which means the FDA could approve generic versions that reference it if they meet the other requirements. No sermorelin product is marketed in the US today.

Source

Is sermorelin the same as HGH?

No. HGH (somatropin) is growth hormone itself. Sermorelin is a 29-amino-acid signal that prompts your pituitary gland to release its own growth hormone. In children with growth hormone deficiency, height gains on sermorelin were smaller than on daily somatropin. A 2026 review found that clinically meaningful benefits in healthy people remain uncertain because the human evidence is limited and largely indirect.

Sources

What are the side effects of sermorelin?

In studies in children, the most common were brief facial flushing and pain at the injection site. Human safety data in adults are limited, and no current FDA label lists its warnings. Products from unregulated sources may differ in purity and strength from what the vial says. Talk to your prescriber about any new symptoms.

Sources

Can pharmacies compound sermorelin?

Sermorelin acetate is in category 1 of the FDA’s list for outsourcing facilities (503B): bulk substances under evaluation. The FDA says it does not intend to take action against an outsourcing facility compounding with a category 1 substance if the conditions in its guidance are met. That is not approval: the FDA has not reviewed compounded sermorelin for safety, effectiveness or quality. If you have a vial, the sermorelin 5 mg calculator turns the dose your prescriber gave you into syringe units.

Sources

What is the half-life of sermorelin?

No current FDA label states one, because no sermorelin product is marketed. For context, the labels of tesamorelin, a related GHRH analog, report an average elimination half-life of 8 minutes (Egrifta SV) and 11 minutes (Egrifta WR) in healthy people. CJC-1295 with DAC, a GHRH analog built to last longer, had an estimated half-life of 5.8 to 8.1 days in healthy adults.

Sources

Sources

  1. Determination That GEREF (Sermorelin Acetate) Injection, 0.5 Milligrams Base/Vial and 1.0 Milligrams Base/Vial, and GEREF (Sermorelin Acetate) Injection, 0.05 Milligrams Base/Amp, Were Not Withdrawn From Sale for Reasons of Safety or EffectivenessFederal Register (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), 2013 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  2. Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic ActU.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  3. Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding Under Section 503B of the FD&C ActU.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  4. World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026World Anti-Doping Agency, 2026 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  5. Sermorelin: a review of its use in the diagnosis and treatment of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiencyBioDrugs, 1999 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  6. Endocrine and metabolic effects of long-term administration of [Nle27]growth hormone-releasing hormone-(1-29)-NH2 in age-advanced men and womenJ Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1997 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  7. The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis: bridging the gap between clinical evidence and patient self-administrationFront Endocrinol (Lausanne), 2026 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  8. EGRIFTA WR (tesamorelin) for injection, prescribing informationDailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  9. EGRIFTA SV (tesamorelin) for injection, prescribing informationDailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2024 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  10. Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adultsJ Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2006 · Accessed Oct 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Related compounds

Guides

Medical review in progressLast reviewed

Every medical and regulatory statement on this page links to a checkable source, listed above. Peptinote does arithmetic and education, not medical advice, and never sells or links to sellers of peptides.

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