Peptide Relay

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Compound library

Peptide analog

Synthetic growth hormone-releasing hormone 1-29 analog

Sermorelin

Historical FDA approval — narrow pediatric context

A growth-hormone-releasing peptide historically used for certain childhood growth problems and hormone testing.

5-minute readFull profile reviewed July 31, 2026

Evidence is explained by question. Dosing references show their own check dates.

60-second overview

Sermorelin at a glance

Why people look into it, what studies found, and what is still unknown.

Why people look into it: Growth-hormone deficiency and whether stimulating the body's own release improves growth.
What studies found: Older studies found faster growth in some children. Direct comparisons generally found more consistent growth with replacement growth hormone.
What is still unclear: Those findings do not establish healthy-adult benefits for sleep, body composition, or aging. Historical products and modern compounded products may differ.

About the evidence and review date

Educational information only. Evidence reviewed through July 31, 2026. Published studies, sponsor announcements, and trials without results are labeled separately. Evidence gaps apply to the specific finding beside them.

Research questions

Why people research it

Each label shows how much evidence supports that question.

Pediatric growth failure in selected GH-deficiency contextsSupported by human studies
Stimulating endogenous GH releaseSupported by human studies
Assessing pituitary GH reserveEarly human evidence
Adult anti-aging or longevityNot demonstrated
Body composition, fat loss, or muscle gain in healthy adultsNot demonstrated
Sleep or recovery improvementNot demonstrated

What studies show

What the evidence supports

The research behind the answer

The largest located pediatric program enrolled 110 children with growth hormone deficiency and reported increased mean height velocity during the first treatment year; comparative studies found somatropin generally produced greater or more consistent growth.

See each finding and its sources (7)

Mechanistic rationale

Sermorelin is synthetic GHRH(1-29)-NH2, corresponding to the biologically active N-terminal portion of human growth hormone-releasing hormone.

It stimulates the pituitary GHRH receptor and depends on functional pituitary somatotrophs to release endogenous growth hormone.

Sermorelin is not recombinant human growth hormone and should not be treated as interchangeable with somatropin, tesamorelin, CJC-1295, or ghrelin-receptor secretagogues.

Peer reviewedIdentity and GHRH pharmacology

Peer reviewedGHRH(1-29) identity and pharmacology

Controlled human study

FDA records a 1997 marketing approval for sermorelin acetate under the trade name Geref in a pediatric growth-hormone-deficiency context.

That historical approval is real but narrow. It does not create an FDA-approved anti-aging, wellness, recovery, bodybuilding, sleep, or adult body-composition indication.

The FDA orphan record does not establish that every currently compounded Sermorelin product matches the historical Geref formulation or labeling.

Regulatory sourceMarketing approval date and pediatric orphan context

Controlled human study

Historical pediatric studies found that GHRH(1-29)-NH2 could increase height velocity in some children with growth failure.

The largest located program reported a clear first-year increase in growth rate among eligible children.

Response was heterogeneous, final adult height was unresolved, and pediatric growth outcomes cannot be generalized to healthy adults.

Peer reviewedHeight-velocity outcomes at 6 and 12 months

Peer reviewedPediatric treatment summary

Controlled human study

Comparative pediatric studies generally found stronger or more consistent catch-up growth with somatropin than with GHRH(1-29)-NH2.

Sermorelin stimulates endogenous secretion, whereas somatropin directly replaces recombinant GH. Those are different interventions with different evidence records.

The comparisons were historical, relatively short, and involved selected pediatric GH-deficiency populations.

Peer reviewedSix-month height-velocity comparison

Peer reviewedGrowth after GHRH and after recombinant GH

Other human evidence

A stimulated GH response to Sermorelin can help characterize pituitary reserve, but GHRH testing alone cannot reliably define every form of growth hormone deficiency.

Some people with hypothalamic GHRH deficiency can still release GH when the pituitary is directly stimulated.

Modern diagnostic interpretation depends on clinical context, assay calibration, body composition, age, sex, and the complete stimulation-test strategy.

Peer reviewedGH response in short children

Peer reviewedDiagnostic limitations

No direct evidence located

No controlled human evidence located by Relay establishes Sermorelin for anti-aging, general wellness, bodybuilding, fat loss, sleep improvement, or recovery in healthy adults.

The direct evidence base is primarily historical pediatric growth and diagnostic research.

Absence of identified controlled evidence is not proof of no biological effect, but it prevents confident claims of benefit or safety for those uses.

Peer reviewedScope of established pediatric evidence

Trial registryCurrent registry search audit

No direct evidence located

Historical study schedules and Geref product information do not establish a current universal dose, reconstitution method, storage standard, or product equivalence for compounded Sermorelin.

Peptide identity, salt form, excipients, concentration, sterility, stability, and device instructions are formulation-specific.

Relay can describe how historical studies were conducted but cannot convert those descriptions into modern consumer instructions.

Peer reviewedShort plasma persistence and formulation-development context

Regulatory sourceHistorical product identity and approval context

Risks & unknowns

What needs caution

Reported side effects

Relay has not verified a clear pattern of side effects for this compound.

Evidence boundary

Human exposure is present, but the record is not detailed enough to characterize a reliable adverse-event pattern.

Missing reports do not establish safety. Findings apply to the product, route, amounts, population, comparison, and follow-up studied.

Side-effect frequency, study withdrawals, and gaps

How often side effects occurred

The available information does not reliably show how often particular side effects occur.

Evidence boundary

Under-detected or under-reported events must not be described as rare.

Why people stopped in studies

Relay has not verified which side effects led people to stop treatment in studies.

Evidence boundary

This is an evidence gap, not proof that discontinuations did not occur.

Warning information

Relay has not verified a compound-specific warning summary for this profile.

Evidence boundary

Historically FDA approved as Geref in a pediatric growth-hormone-deficiency context; no FDA-approved anti-aging, wellness, bodybuilding, recovery, sleep, or adult body-composition indication Whether any current compounded Sermorelin formulation is equivalent to historical Geref and whether repeated use in healthy adults has meaningful benefits or acceptable long-term metabolic, endocrine, cardiovascular, or neoplasia-related safety.

Emergency instructions

This profile does not contain verified, product-specific emergency instructions.

Evidence boundary

Relay does not infer emergency guidance from study discontinuations, mechanism, or incomplete adverse-event reporting.

Dosing references

Dosing & preparation

Each table labels its source and applies only to the named route, product, or study. An online example or community report is not an approved dose.

Route: SubQ · Under the skin

Human study · source-specific regimenWhat this means

Amounts reported in a human study. A studied amount is not automatically an approved dose or a recommendation for an individual.

Sermorelin · historical pediatric GHRH study

An open-label study enrolled previously untreated, prepubertal children with growth hormone deficiency.

Amount in this source: 30 micrograms/kg
Frequency: Once daily at bedtime
Treatment period: Up to 1 year

Sermorelin · historical pediatric GHRH study
Stage / period	Amount in source	Frequency
Up to 1 year	30 micrograms/kg	Once daily at bedtime

This is a historical pediatric deficiency study, not an adult anti-aging regimen. Its weight-based amount is not converted into an adult dose.

Geref study group · one-year GHRH-(1–29) study Primary article · Methods / interventionThis reference checked Oct 20, 2026. The full-profile review date is shown at the top.

Preparation & concentration · SubQ

This source does not establish a mixing volume or storage period for independently sourced powder. Use formulation-specific instructions; the study amount alone is not a reconstitution recipe.

Concentration = total mass ÷ final volume. The calculator performs user-entered math; it does not choose a dose or diluent.

Open concentration calculator

Starting dose, maintenance, and trial targets explained

Starting dose: the amount used at the beginning of the named label schedule or trial.

Maintenance: the ongoing amount described by that product label.

Trial target: the amount assigned to a study group. Different groups may stop increasing at different targets.

Other source records, populations, and limits · all routes

Direct human study

Historical GHRH(1-29) pediatric study material

Amount in this source: See the named dosing references above; this additional source record does not add a verified amount.
Frequency: Once daily under the historical study protocol
Route: Subcutaneous injection
Duration: 12 months

Population, study design, and limitations

A multicenter historical study evaluated sermorelin-related GHRH(1-29) material in children with growth-hormone deficiency.

Population: Children with growth hormone deficiency

Design: Multicenter first-year treatment study

The evidence is pediatric, historical, and focused on first-year growth speed rather than adult wellness outcomes.
Historical material and procedures do not establish equivalence, reconstitution, or storage for current compounded products.

Once daily subcutaneous growth hormone-releasing hormone therapy accelerates growth in growth hormone-deficient children during the first year of therapySelected study record

Mechanisms

How it works

Sermorelin acetate is GHRH(1-29)-NH2, the bioactive N-terminal fragment of endogenous GHRH. It activates the pituitary GHRH receptor and therefore requires functional somatotroph reserve. Historical pediatric studies reported increased height velocity in some children with GH deficiency or idiopathic short stature, but responses were heterogeneous and comparative trials generally favored recombinant human growth hormone for stronger or more consistent catch-up growth. Diagnostic studies also showed that exogenous GHRH can reveal preserved pituitary reserve in people whose deficit may be hypothalamic. None of these findings establishes benefit, safety, pharmacokinetics, or product standards for modern compounded Sermorelin used for healthy aging or wellness.

Why this matters

A plausible mechanism can explain why a study was attempted. It does not prove that the compound improves a human outcome.

Signals and targets

Proposed biological steps

Pituitary GHRH receptor agonism
Stimulation of endogenous pulsatile growth hormone release
Downstream IGF-1 signaling when pituitary reserve is present

Research reference

How mature is the evidence?

A reference for the studies, populations, and routes behind this profile.

Research depthHistorical, narrow human program

Pediatric growth and diagnostic studies exist; modern healthy-adult wellness outcomes have not been established.

Why this matters

Research depth describes how large and mature the overall record is. It does not tell you whether the results were positive.

Evidence confidenceModerate in the historical pediatric context

Endogenous GH stimulation is documented, while popular adult anti-aging and body-composition claims remain unsupported.

Why this matters

Confidence describes how reliable and consistent the conclusions are. It can be high for one outcome and low for another.

Strongest evidenceHistorical pediatric controlled and treatment studies

Why this matters

The strongest evidence type shows what the best-supported conclusions are actually based on.

Human evidenceNarrow pediatric and diagnostic evidence; no modern anti-aging evidence

Why this matters

Human findings are more directly relevant than animal or laboratory results, but they still apply only to the populations and outcomes studied.

Route-specific record

Which product or study does this describe?

Historical GHRH(1-29) pediatric study materialAmounts and schedules below belong to this source record.Once daily subcutaneous growth hormone-releasing hormone therapy accelerates growth in growth hormone-deficient children during the first year of therapy Administration reference reviewed Aug 5, 2026

Route studiedSubcutaneous injection

Schedules studiedOnce daily under the historical study protocol; 12 months

Amounts studiedWithheld: this record provides research context without a transferable amount

Why this matters

These are exposures used in cited research for a specific route and population—not an instruction for an individual.

Half-lifeNot established for this exact editorial record

Why this matters

Half-life describes how long it takes the measured amount in the body to fall by half. It is not a dosing recommendation.

Route evidenceA multicenter historical study evaluated sermorelin-related GHRH(1-29) material in children with growth-hormone deficiency.

Why this matters

Evidence can change by administration method. Findings from one route should not automatically be applied to another.

Evidence boundary: The evidence is pediatric, historical, and focused on first-year growth speed rather than adult wellness outcomes. Historical material and procedures do not establish equivalence, reconstitution, or storage for current compounded products. Amounts shown describe cited research exposure—not a dosage recommendation.

Studies

Study-by-study record

Study arms are reported for transparency. They describe what researchers did in a defined record and do not transfer across identities, routes, formulations, or populations.

Why this matters

A later trial phase can ask a more mature question, but it does not guarantee a positive result, regulatory approval, or relevance outside the studied population.

Controlled human studyPeer reviewed

Once daily subcutaneous growth hormone-releasing hormone therapy accelerates growth in growth hormone-deficient children during the first year of therapy

Peer reviewed

PhaseHistorical pediatric Geref program

Population110 participants

Duration12 months

Design and population

Multicenter first-year treatment study

Children with growth hormone deficiency

Outcomes measured

Height velocity
Bone-age progression
Clinical chemistry
IGF-1
Tolerability

What was reported

Among 86 children eligible for efficacy analysis, mean height velocity increased from about 4.1 cm/year before treatment to 8.0 cm/year at six months and 7.2 cm/year at twelve months.

Study administration and important limits

Study administration: Historical once-daily subcutaneous GHRH(1-29)-NH2 protocol; descriptive research context only

Limitations: This historical pediatric program does not establish benefit for adults, healthy aging, body composition, sleep, recovery, or modern compounded products. Final adult-height outcomes were not established.

Controlled human studyPeer reviewed

A comparative study of growth hormone and GH-releasing hormone(1-29)-NH2 for stimulation of growth in children with GH deficiency

Peer reviewed

PhaseRandomized comparative pediatric study

Population60 participants

Duration6 months

Design and population

Randomized three-arm comparison of two GHRH regimens and somatropin

60 children with hypothalamic growth hormone deficiency

Outcomes measured

Height velocity
IGF-1
Treatment response

What was reported

Growth increased in all groups, but the somatropin group had substantially greater mean height velocity than either GHRH group.

Study administration and important limits

Study administration: Two historical GHRH(1-29)-NH2 regimens or recombinant human growth hormone

Limitations: The study was short, pediatric, and used historical regimens. It supports a comparison boundary rather than a modern treatment recommendation.

Other human evidencePeer reviewed

Treatment with GHRH(1-29)NH2 in children with idiopathic short stature induces a sustained increase in growth velocity

Peer reviewed

PhaseIdiopathic short stature study

Population18 participants

Duration12 months plus follow-up after cessation

Design and population

Open-label one-year treatment study

18 prepubertal children with idiopathic short stature

Outcomes measured

Height velocity
Predicted final height
GH profiles
Glucose
Insulin
IGF-1

What was reported

Height velocity increased during treatment, followed by catch-down growth after treatment stopped. Fasting glucose, insulin, and IGF-1 increased during therapy.

Study administration and important limits

Study administration: Historical twice-daily subcutaneous GHRH(1-29)-NH2 protocol

Limitations: Small uncontrolled pediatric study in children without classic GH deficiency. It cannot support adult wellness or anti-aging claims.

Other human evidencePeer reviewed

Comparison of growth hormone releasing hormone therapy and growth hormone therapy in growth hormone deficiency

Peer reviewed

PhaseSmall pediatric comparison

Population7 participants

DurationAt least 6 months of GHRH before switching

Design and population

Sequential GHRH treatment followed by recombinant GH

Seven children with hypothalamic growth hormone deficiency

Outcomes measured

Growth rate
GH response

What was reported

Most children had little or inconsistent growth response during GHRH treatment, while growth improved after switching to recombinant GH.

Study administration and important limits

Study administration: Historical twice-daily subcutaneous GHRH(1-29)-NH2 followed by recombinant human growth hormone

Limitations: Very small, nonparallel comparison with historical formulations and schedules.

Other human evidencePeer reviewed

Growth hormone releasing hormone in the assessment and long-term treatment of growth hormone deficiency

Peer reviewed

PhaseDiagnostic and treatment cohort

Population49 participants

DurationVariable longer-term treatment in selected participants

Design and population

GH-response testing followed by longer-term GHRH treatment in selected children

Eight normal adults and 41 short children

Outcomes measured

Stimulated GH response
Growth response

What was reported

Many children classified as GH deficient by conventional testing still released GH after GHRH, supporting a hypothalamic-versus-pituitary distinction in some cases.

Study administration and important limits

Study administration: Intravenous GHRH testing and historical subcutaneous GHRH therapy

Limitations: Provocative-test interpretation is assay-, population-, and context-dependent. A response to GHRH does not establish a general indication for chronic use.

Registered trial — no resultsTrial registry

ClinicalTrials.gov search for Sermorelin

Trial registry

PhaseCurrent registry search audit

PopulationNot disclosed

DurationNot stated

Design and population

ClinicalTrials.gov term search

Population not stated.

Outcomes measured

Current direct Sermorelin interventional evidence

What was reported

Relay did not identify a modern registered Sermorelin program establishing adult anti-aging, body-composition, sleep, recovery, or general-wellness outcomes.

Study administration and important limits

Study administration: Not stated in the current record.

Limitations: A registry search cannot prove that no unregistered or non-U.S. study exists, but it prevents historical pediatric evidence from being presented as a current adult development program.

Community

Experience reports stay separate from published evidence

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Sources

Trace every major statement

Trial registry

ClinicalTrials.gov search for Sermorelin

2026-07-31

Trial registry

Peer reviewed

PEGylation of growth hormone-releasing hormone analogues

2003-01-01 · PMID 14499707 · DOI 10.1016/S0169-409X(03)00109-1

Peer reviewed

Peer reviewed

Sermorelin: a review of its use in the diagnosis and treatment of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency

1999-01-01 · PMID 18031173

Peer reviewed

Regulatory source

FDA Orphan Drug designation and approval record for sermorelin acetate (Geref)

1997-09-26

Regulatory source

Peer reviewed

Once daily subcutaneous growth hormone-releasing hormone therapy accelerates growth in growth hormone-deficient children during the first year of therapy

1996-06-01 · PMID 8772599

Peer reviewed

Peer reviewed

Treatment with GHRH(1-29)NH2 in children with idiopathic short stature induces a sustained increase in growth velocity

1994-01-01 · PMID 7955460 · DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1994.tb02580.x

Peer reviewed

Peer reviewed

A comparative study of growth hormone and GH-releasing hormone(1-29)-NH2 for stimulation of growth in children with GH deficiency

1993-01-01 · PMID 8329830 · DOI 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1993.tb12834.x

Peer reviewed

Peer reviewed

Comparison of growth hormone releasing hormone therapy and growth hormone therapy in growth hormone deficiency

1989-01-01 · PMID 2537727 · DOI 10.1007/BF00595894

Peer reviewed

Peer reviewed

Growth hormone releasing hormone in the assessment and long-term treatment of growth hormone deficiency

1987-01-01 · PMID 3111168

Peer reviewed

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Sermorelin

Sermorelin at a glance

Why people research it

What the evidence supports

Sermorelin is synthetic GHRH(1-29)-NH2, corresponding to the biologically active N-terminal portion of human growth hormone-releasing hormone.

FDA records a 1997 marketing approval for sermorelin acetate under the trade name Geref in a pediatric growth-hormone-deficiency context.

Historical pediatric studies found that GHRH(1-29)-NH2 could increase height velocity in some children with growth failure.

Comparative pediatric studies generally found stronger or more consistent catch-up growth with somatropin than with GHRH(1-29)-NH2.

A stimulated GH response to Sermorelin can help characterize pituitary reserve, but GHRH testing alone cannot reliably define every form of growth hormone deficiency.

No controlled human evidence located by Relay establishes Sermorelin for anti-aging, general wellness, bodybuilding, fat loss, sleep improvement, or recovery in healthy adults.

Historical study schedules and Geref product information do not establish a current universal dose, reconstitution method, storage standard, or product equivalence for compounded Sermorelin.

What needs caution

Dosing & preparation

Sermorelin · historical pediatric GHRH study

Preparation & concentration · SubQ

Historical GHRH(1-29) pediatric study material

How it works

Signals and targets

Proposed biological steps

How mature is the evidence?

Which product or study does this describe?

Study-by-study record

Once daily subcutaneous growth hormone-releasing hormone therapy accelerates growth in growth hormone-deficient children during the first year of therapy

Design and population

Outcomes measured

A comparative study of growth hormone and GH-releasing hormone(1-29)-NH2 for stimulation of growth in children with GH deficiency

Design and population

Outcomes measured

Treatment with GHRH(1-29)NH2 in children with idiopathic short stature induces a sustained increase in growth velocity

Design and population

Outcomes measured

Comparison of growth hormone releasing hormone therapy and growth hormone therapy in growth hormone deficiency

Design and population

Outcomes measured

Growth hormone releasing hormone in the assessment and long-term treatment of growth hormone deficiency

Design and population

Outcomes measured

ClinicalTrials.gov search for Sermorelin

Design and population

Outcomes measured

Experience reports stay separate from published evidence

Help strengthen the Sermorelin experience record

Keep the question moving

Trace every major statement

ClinicalTrials.gov search for Sermorelin

PEGylation of growth hormone-releasing hormone analogues

Sermorelin: a review of its use in the diagnosis and treatment of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency

FDA Orphan Drug designation and approval record for sermorelin acetate (Geref)

Once daily subcutaneous growth hormone-releasing hormone therapy accelerates growth in growth hormone-deficient children during the first year of therapy

Treatment with GHRH(1-29)NH2 in children with idiopathic short stature induces a sustained increase in growth velocity

A comparative study of growth hormone and GH-releasing hormone(1-29)-NH2 for stimulation of growth in children with GH deficiency

Comparison of growth hormone releasing hormone therapy and growth hormone therapy in growth hormone deficiency

Growth hormone releasing hormone in the assessment and long-term treatment of growth hormone deficiency