Sermorelin: what it is, what the studies show and where it stands
Sermorelin is a synthetic 29 amino acid peptide, GHRH(1-29): the shortest piece of human growth hormone-releasing hormone that keeps its full activity. It makes the pituitary release growth hormone.
At a glance
US No longer sold
Canada Not authorized
Group Growth hormone
Sources 14
Checked 10 Oct 2026What is Sermorelin?
Sermorelin is a synthetic 29 amino acid peptide, GHRH(1-29): the shortest piece of human growth hormone-releasing hormone that keeps its full activity. It makes the pituitary release growth hormone. [1]
Other names: sermorelin acetate, GHRH(1-29)NH2, GRF 1-29, Geref.
How it has been given to people: injection under the skin in treatment studies; intravenous injection for pituitary testing.
Looking for doses? Sermorelin dosage chart and vial math
Is Sermorelin approved in the US and Canada?
United States: Formerly FDA approved as Geref; the maker discontinued it in 2008, FDA withdrew the approvals effective June 18, 2009, and FDA later determined it was not withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness. [10]
Canada: No sermorelin product, current or cancelled, is in Health Canada's Drug Product Database, and Health Canada has listed sermorelin among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs sold online. [13]
Both were checked on 10 Oct 2026 against the regulators' own product databases.
Which approved products contain Sermorelin?
| Product | Country | Approved for | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geref (0.5 mg and 1.0 mg vials) | US | treatment of idiopathic growth hormone deficiency in children with growth failure (NDA 20-443, approved September 26, 1997) | Label |
| Geref (0.05 mg ampoule) | US | evaluating the ability of the somatotroph of the pituitary gland to secrete growth hormone (NDA 19-863, approved December 28, 1990) | Label |
What human studies of Sermorelin exist?
The 9 findings listed here: 1 from randomized human trials and 8 from smaller or observational human studies.
In a randomized 6-month comparison in children, growth was slowest on 30 mcg/kg a day of sermorelin; 60 mcg/kg a day gave height velocity comparable to growth hormone. [3]
In growth hormone-deficient children, mean height velocity rose from 4.1 cm a year at baseline to 8.0 cm a year at 6 months and 7.2 cm a year at 12 months. The study was open label with no control group. [2]
At 6 months, 74% of the children were counted as good responders, so about one in four were not. [2]
After an intravenous injection sermorelin itself was cleared quickly, but growth hormone stayed raised for about 3 hours. [4]
Very little is absorbed through the nose: bioavailability by that route was 3 to 5%. [4]
In 10 older men, 1 mg twice daily for 14 days raised 24-hour growth hormone and IGF-I to levels no different from those of young men; 0.5 mg twice daily did not produce significant changes. [6]
In 11 older men, 2 mg once nightly for 6 weeks increased night-time growth hormone release but did not change IGF-I. [7]
The same 6-week study found no change in weight, waist to hip ratio or DEXA measures of muscle and fat. Two of six strength measures improved. [7]
After an injection under the skin in one healthy volunteer, the plasma sample contained the breakdown product GHRH(3-29) rather than intact sermorelin. [8]
What are the side effects of Sermorelin?
Reported in human studies or on a label:
- A 1999 review of the clinical data found single intravenous doses and repeated once-daily injections under the skin well tolerated; facial flushing that passed and pain at the injection site were the most common complaints. [1]
- In the one-year study in children, fasting glucose did not change and IGF-I was not pushed too high. [2]
- In the 6-week study in 11 older men no significant adverse effects were seen. [7]
What is the half-life of Sermorelin?
Disappearance half-time of about 4.3 minutes after a 90-minute intravenous infusion in 10 healthy men. No human half-life after injection under the skin was found in the abstracts read. [5]
How does Sermorelin compare with others in its group?
These are the peptides filed under growth hormone. The last column says whether a randomized human trial is on record for each.
| Peptide | US | Canada | Half-life | Randomized human trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipamorelin | Not approved | Not authorized | Terminal half-life of about 2 hours after a 15-minute intravenous infusion in healthy men. No human figure after injection under the skin was found. | Yes |
| CJC-1295 without DAC | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| CJC-1295 with DAC | Not approved | Not authorized | Estimated at 5.8 to 8.1 days in healthy adults after injection under the skin. | Yes |
| Sermorelin | No longer sold | Not authorized | Disappearance half-time of about 4.3 minutes after a 90-minute intravenous infusion in 10 healthy men. No human half-life after injection under the skin was found in the abstracts read. | Yes |
| Tesamorelin | Approved for one use | No longer sold | About 8 minutes in healthy adults after one 1.4 mg dose of Egrifta SV under the skin. Other labels give other figures for other formulations and conditions (see also). | Yes |
| IGF-1 LR3 | Not approved | Not authorized | Not found | No |
| GHRP-2 | Not approved | Not authorized | About 0.55 hours (33 minutes) for the slower phase after a single dose into a vein in 10 children. No human half-life after injection under the skin was found in the abstracts read. | Yes |
| GHRP-6 | Not approved | Not authorized | After a single dose into a vein in nine healthy men: distribution half-life about 7.6 minutes, elimination half-life about 2.5 hours. No human half-life after injection under the skin was found. | No |
| HGH | Approved, prescription | Authorized, prescription | About 3.8 hours after an injection under the skin in healthy subjects. The label says this long figure reflects slow absorption from the injection site. | Yes |
What could not be found
These were searched for and did not turn up. They are listed so a missing number is not mistaken for a hidden one.
- The Geref prescribing information (label dose, contraindications, warnings, storage): Drugs@FDA says 'Label is not available on this site', and openFDA and DailyMed hold no sermorelin label. No label dose is recorded here for that reason.
- An FDA statement on whether sermorelin acetate may be used in compounding under section 503A: none found. It is absent from the 503A nomination categories [12] and from FDA's page on bulk substances with safety risks.
- Human half-life after injection under the skin. The 4.3 minute figure is from an intravenous infusion [5].
- Effect of long-term treatment on final adult height: the 1999 review says it 'is yet to be determined' [1].
- Any controlled trial in adults lasting longer than 6 weeks that used sermorelin itself. A 16-week study in older adults (PMID 9141536) used a different analog, [Nle27]GHRH(1-29)-NH2, and is not counted here.
- A registered treatment trial of sermorelin on ClinicalTrials.gov: the search returns 27 studies through the GHRH synonym; only two name sermorelin or Geref (NCT00324064, NCT03018886), both studies of the GHRH plus arginine diagnostic test.
- Any Health Canada authorization, past or present [9].
Sermorelin questions
Is Sermorelin approved in the US?
Formerly FDA approved as Geref; the maker discontinued it in 2008, FDA withdrew the approvals effective June 18, 2009, and FDA later determined it was not withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness.
Is Sermorelin authorized in Canada?
No sermorelin product, current or cancelled, is in Health Canada's Drug Product Database, and Health Canada has listed sermorelin among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs sold online.
What is the half-life of Sermorelin?
Disappearance half-time of about 4.3 minutes after a 90-minute intravenous infusion in 10 healthy men. No human half-life after injection under the skin was found in the abstracts read.
Has Sermorelin been tested in a randomized human trial?
Yes. At least one randomized human trial is listed on this page.
Sources
Each one was opened on 10 Oct 2026 and matched to the line it supports.
- Prakash A et al. Sermorelin: a review of its use in the diagnosis and treatment of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency. BioDrugs 1999. PubMed 18031173.
- Thorner M et al. 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. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996. PubMed 8772599.
- Neyzi O et al. Growth response to growth hormone-releasing hormone(1-29)-NH2 compared with growth hormone. Acta Paediatr Suppl 1993. PubMed 8329826.
- Wilton P et al. Pharmacokinetics of growth hormone-releasing hormone(1-29)-NH2 and stimulation of growth hormone secretion in healthy subjects after intravenous or intranasal administration. Acta Paediatr Suppl 1993. PubMed 8329825.
- Soule S et al. Incorporation of D-Ala2 in growth hormone-releasing hormone-(1-29)-NH2 increases the half-life and decreases metabolic clearance in normal men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1994. PubMed 7962295.
- Corpas E et al. Growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone-(1-29) twice daily reverses the decreased GH and insulin-like growth factor-I levels in old men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1992. PubMed 1379256.
- Vittone J et al. Effects of single nightly injections of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH 1-29) in healthy elderly men. Metabolism 1997. PubMed 9005976.
- Knoop A et al. Qualitative identification of growth hormone-releasing hormones in human plasma by means of immunoaffinity purification and LC-HRMS/MS. Anal Bioanal Chem 2016. PubMed 26879649.
- Health Canada Drug Product Database: active ingredient search for sermorelin (0 records) Health Canada. health-products.canada.ca.
- 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 Effectiveness US Food and Drug Administration, Federal Register 78 FR 14095 2013-03-04. federalregister.gov.
- Drugs@FDA application records for GEREF: NDA 019863 and NDA 020443 (via openFDA) US Food and Drug Administration. api.fda.gov.
- Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act US Food and Drug Administration 2026-05-14. fda.gov.
- Unauthorized injectable peptide drugs seized and sold by Canada Peptide may pose serious health risks Health Canada 2025-08-01. recalls-rappels.canada.ca.
- The Prohibited List (2026 list as shown on the WADA website) World Anti-Doping Agency. wada-ama.org.
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Sermorelin dosage10 mg vialGrowth hormoneStatus in Canada
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