Machine-assisted translation — the German original version is authoritative.
Growth Hormone System
Sermorelin
Geref · GHRH (1-29) · Sermorelin-Acetat
Sermorelin is a synthetic analogue of the first 29 amino acids of the body's own growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH 1-29) — the shortest fully active GHRH fragment. It stimulates the pituitary gland to release the body's own growth hormone. As Geref it was approved in the USA (from 1997) for the assessment and treatment of growth hormone deficiency in children; in 2008 the manufacturer withdrew it from the market for commercial reasons — according to the FDA not because of safety or efficacy concerns. Today no approved finished medicinal product exists; "sermorelin" comes from compounding pharmacies or the gray market.
Regulatory status
Not approved for humans
Was approved as Geref 1997–2008 — today no longer an approved finished medicinal product; only compounding or gray market.
Drug class
Synthetic GHRH analogue (GHRH 1-29)
Half-life (informative)
Very short (in the range of minutes) — GHRH analogues are broken down enzymatically rapidly.
Studied in the literature
In the approved applications subcutaneously or as an intravenous GH stimulation test, medically supervised.
Mechanism of action
Sermorelin binds GHRH receptors on the somatotropic cells of the pituitary and stimulates the pulsatile release of the body's own growth hormone. Unlike administered growth hormone, the regulatory loop (including somatostatin counter-regulation) is preserved — so GH release continues to follow the body's own rhythm.
The short duration of action is part of the concept: a trigger for the body's own GH pulses, not a permanent replacement.
Research history
GHRH was characterized in the early 1980s; sermorelin (1-29) was developed as the shortest fully active fragment and approved as Geref — both diagnostically (GH stimulation test) and for the treatment of pediatric GH deficiency. In 2008 it was withdrawn from the market for commercial reasons.
Regulatory status by region
Geref was approved in 1997 and withdrawn from the market in 2008. The FDA stated that the withdrawal did not occur for safety or efficacy reasons. Today sermorelin is produced in the USA only in compounding pharmacies — without regular approval as a finished product.
No broadly approved finished sermorelin medicinal product.
Research areas
- Diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (historical indication)
- Pediatric GH deficiency (historical indication)
- "Anti-aging" and body-composition marketing (without a sound regulatory basis)
Documented effects (from the literature)
- Injection-site reactions, flushing, headache.
- In studies mostly described as well tolerated.
Safety concerns & caution
- Stimulation of the GH axis, when a deficiency is suspected, belongs in endocrinological hands.
- Uncontrolled elevation of GH can promote, among other things, insulin resistance and fluid retention.
- Problematic in active tumor disease (GH/IGF-1 axis).
Risks of gray-market purchase
- Vials sold as "research" sermorelin are not subject to medicinal-product control — purity and content are unknown.
- Self-administration for "rejuvenation" is not covered by any approval.
Frequently asked questions
Is sermorelin FDA-approved?
It was: as Geref from 1997 until its market withdrawal in 2008. Since then there has been no approved finished medicinal product. In the USA, sermorelin today is produced exclusively in compounding pharmacies and carries no regular FDA approval as a finished product.
Is sermorelin the same as growth hormone?
No. Sermorelin does not replace growth hormone but stimulates the pituitary to release its own GH — within the body's own regulatory loops.
Sources
Primary and reference sources for your own reading.
Related substances
Unfamiliar terms? Look them up in the glossary or read the fundamentals.
This profile is for information and education only. It is not medical advice and deliberately contains no dosing or usage details. Decisions about use belong in a doctor’s hands.