GHRH analog
Sermorelin
ClinicalAlso known as GHRH(1-29), Geref
The once-approved GHRH analog that lives on in compounding.
- Cited sources
- 1
- Human-tested claims
- 2 of 2
- Best evidence
- Tier 2 · Clinical
- Status
- Withdrawn
The shortest fragment of growth-hormone-releasing hormone that keeps full activity. It was an FDA-approved diagnostic and pediatric treatment (Geref) until the manufacturer discontinued it in 2008, and it is now widely compounded for adult use that was never on the label. The pediatric evidence is real; the adult anti-aging use is not studied.
How it works
Sermorelin is the first 29 residues of native GHRH(1-44). It binds the GHRH receptor on pituitary somatotrophs and triggers a physiological pulse of growth hormone, subject to the body's own feedback – which is the argument made for it over injecting GH directly.
Sequence: YADAIFTNSYRKVLGQLSARKLLQDIMSR-NH₂Human GHRH(1-29) amide, unmodified. Tesamorelin and CJC-1295 are both built on this backbone.
What it's studied for
One claim per card, each with its own tier and source. Tiers 1 and 2 are human data. Tiers 3 and 4 are not yet.
- [1]Prakash & Goa, 1999 (BioDrugs review)(opens in a new tab)
Increased height velocity over 12 months in prepubertal children with idiopathic GH deficiency, with limited data suggesting the effect persists to 36 months.
Clinical - [1]Prakash & Goa, 1999 (BioDrugs review)(opens in a new tab)
Produces a rapid, relatively specific GH response used diagnostically for GH deficiency.
Clinical
Safety & limitations
In the pediatric program the main adverse effects were injection-site reactions and transient flushing; no serious drug-related harm emerged in the trials reviewed. Adult, long-term, or anti-aging use has no controlled safety data.
[1]Prakash & Goa, 1999 (BioDrugs review)(opens in a new tab)Regulatory & legal status
Approved in the US as Geref for diagnosis and then treatment of pediatric growth hormone deficiency; the manufacturer discontinued it in 2008 for reasons unrelated to safety or effectiveness. No approved product exists today, and compounded sermorelin is unapproved.
[1]Prakash & Goa, 1999 (BioDrugs review)(opens in a new tab)Frequently asked
Is sermorelin FDA-approved?
It was. The approved product was withdrawn from the market in 2008 for commercial reasons, so what is prescribed today is compounded and unapproved. The approval covered children with growth hormone deficiency, not adults.
Does it work for anti-aging in adults?
That has not been tested in a controlled trial. It reliably raises growth hormone, which is a different thing from improving an outcome.
References
Written by Twenty Residues editorial. Medical review: pending; a named reviewer is being assigned.
Last updated October 1, 2026.
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Update history
- 2026-10-01 — Entry added.