Sermorelin peptide: what it is, what's proven, and what it costs

By Peptide Care Index · Sources checked October 14–15, 2026

Sermorelin peptide is a lab-made copy of the first 29 amino acids of growth hormone–releasing hormone, so it signals your pituitary gland to release more of your own growth hormone. FDA once approved it as Geref, mainly for children, but those approvals ended in 2009. Today's compounded sermorelin products are not FDA-approved, and reliable adult wellness benefits aren't established. (FDA history, compounding, human evidence)

That doesn't mean nothing happened in the studies. Sermorelin reliably raised growth hormone. Older adults in small trials saw a modest drop in body fat and better scores on some thinking tests. But a reliable sleep benefit wasn't established, and the studies we checked don't show that it slows aging. Below you'll find every study we used, the full FDA record, and what real offers cost, so you can judge a plan yourself.

Sermorelin at a glance (each fact links to its source)

1. What it is: a 29-amino-acid piece of growth hormone–releasing hormone, also called GHRH (1-29). It tells the pituitary to release growth hormone. It is not growth hormone. (NCATS record)
2. FDA history: Geref was approved in 1990 (testing) and 1997 (treating children). FDA withdrew both approvals effective June 18, 2009, and found in 2013 that they weren't pulled for safety or effectiveness reasons. (Federal Register, March 4, 2013)
3. Today: compounded sermorelin is not FDA-approved. FDA's March 21, 2025 list for outsourcing facilities puts sermorelin acetate in Category 1 and marks it as a component of an FDA-approved drug. (FDA 503B nominations PDF)
4. Pediatric growth finding: a study with 86 children eligible for analysis reported growth rates of 4.1 cm/year before treatment and 7.2 cm/year at 12 months. It had no comparison group. (Thorner et al., 1996)
5. Sport: prohibited at all times under WADA S2.2.4 in the 2026 List. The published 2027 List keeps that rule and takes effect January 1, 2027. Our WADA reference explains the wider list.

On this page: What it is · Does it work? · FDA status · Study register · Claims vs evidence · Forms · Side effects · Cost · Compared with HGH · Checklist · How we checked · FAQ

What is sermorelin peptide?

Sermorelin peptide is a short, lab-made version of the hormone your brain uses to tell the pituitary gland to release growth hormone. It contains the first 29 of that hormone's 44 amino acids, with an amidated end—the shortest synthetic fragment with the full biological activity described in the clinical review. It doesn't contain growth hormone; it asks your body to release its own.

A quick vocabulary check helps here. An amino acid is a building block of protein. A peptide is a short chain of them. GHRH means growth hormone–releasing hormone, the brain's "release growth hormone now" signal. GH or HGH is growth hormone itself. IGF-1 (also written IGF-I) is a hormone your body makes in response to growth hormone, mostly in the liver. It's one of the numbers measured in the studies below.

Here's the simplest way to picture the difference. An HGH injection delivers the package straight to your door. Sermorelin rings the doorbell and waits for your own pituitary to answer. That doesn't guarantee a normal overnight rhythm: the older-adult program produced a large burst after injection, not a restored youthful nighttime pattern.

That design has a catch: sermorelin acts briefly. In one human study, the drug was rapidly eliminated after an intravenous dose even though growth hormone stayed elevated for about three hours (Wilton et al., 1993). The separate nightly-injection study did not restore youthful nighttime secretion (Vitiello et al., 2001). Neither finding establishes an all-night sleep benefit.

You'll see sermorelin under several names. Sermorelin acetate is the salt form used in products. GHRH(1-29)NH2 specifies the amidated peptide; GHRH (1-29) and GRF 1-29 are common shorthand. Check the exact sequence and modification in a study rather than treating every GHRH label as sermorelin. Geref and Geref Diagnostic were the old FDA-approved brand names.

Sermorelin is often confused with these. They are different.

Sources: product labels and FDA records linked in the table; the current Egrifta WR label; and the Khorram study for the modified analog. See Peptide Care Index's peptide comparison chart and FDA compounding cross-check for the wider reference. Source-check scope is recorded below.

Does sermorelin work? What the human evidence supports

Sermorelin reliably raises growth hormone, and in children with growth hormone deficiency it sped up growth, though growth hormone itself worked better. In healthy older adults, small studies found modest fat loss, a few strength and thinking-test gains, and no clear sleep benefit. None of this proves it's an effective anti-aging treatment for you.

Here's the verdict for each benefit people usually ask about. Each answer links to the exact study in the register below.

Sermorelin benefits: what the human studies show, goal by goal

Source: Peptide Care Index summary of the studies in the sermorelin human-study register, checked October 14–15, 2026. "Verdict" is our reading of those records, not a clinical recommendation.

Fat loss and muscle: a real signal, not a transformation

Some older-adult research found less body fat and a bit more lean mass after months of nightly sermorelin. A shorter study found neither. That's enough to call it a signal worth studying, not enough to promise you a number.

In the University of Washington program, researchers reported a decrease of about 5% in percentage body fat in men and in women not taking estrogen, with a corresponding rise in lean mass. Women taking estrogen saw much smaller changes (Vitiello et al., 2001). The researchers called these results preliminary. They did not supply the before-and-after fat percentages needed to read that figure as a five-percentage-point change, and it is not 5% body-weight loss.

The 6-week Vittone study saw no change in weight, waist-to-hip ratio, or DEXA scans of fat and muscle (Vittone et al., 1997). DEXA is a low-dose X-ray scan that measures fat and lean tissue.

Keep one more thing in mind. "Lean body mass" includes water and organs, not just muscle. A rise in lean mass isn't the same as getting stronger. Tesamorelin's belly-fat results come from a different drug and can't be borrowed for sermorelin.

Sleep, energy and recovery: where the claim runs ahead of the data

The sermorelin sleep data we found don't support a "deeper sleep" promise. In older adults given nightly sermorelin for months, self-rated sleep didn't improve and got slightly worse. The selected studies did not establish a benefit for everyday energy or workout recovery.

The measure was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a questionnaire where higher scores mean worse sleep. In the sermorelin group (37 people), the average score went from 4.1 to 5.41. In the placebo group (38 people), it went from 4.51 to 4.61 (Vitiello et al., 2001). That's a rise of 1.31 points versus 0.10, our arithmetic from the reported averages. The paper reports a within-group test for the sermorelin change, not a formal treatment-versus-placebo test for this difference.

The researchers were careful here, and so are we. They said the change might be nonspecific and its meaning unclear. So the honest reading is "no sleep benefit was shown," not "sermorelin ruins sleep."

People's sleep reports can differ, but a personal report can't separate the drug from expectations, timing, or other changes. If "recovery" is what a clinic promises, ask what was actually measured: strength, soreness, time back to training, or just a hormone level.

Thinking and "anti-aging": keep the good result in its box

The strongest controlled adult result in this register is about thinking tests. The six-month study randomized 100 healthy older adults; 89 completed it—44 taking sermorelin and 45 taking placebo. Selected thinking-test measures improved relative to placebo, while others did not. That's encouraging, and it isn't evidence that sermorelin prevents dementia or slows aging. (Full report, Methods and Table 2)

The tests included a performance IQ measure, a picture-arrangement task, a letter-finding speed task, a verbal task, and a dual-task test. Table 2 reports clear between-group changes in performance IQ, picture arrangement, letter finding, and the difference between dual- and single-task performance. The letter-set result was a nonsignificant trend, not another proven gain. The dual-task analysis included 76 people, not all 89. The authors found no significant interaction with sex, estrogen use, or starting ability (Vitiello et al., 2006). They suggested further study in people with memory problems; the Baker trial in that population used tesamorelin, a different drug.

The selected sermorelin records did not test whether treatment reduces age-related illness or extends lifespan. "Anti-aging" is a marketing frame, not a tested result.

Is sermorelin FDA-approved? The record year by year

The FDA records we checked identify the former Geref products as discontinued, with their approvals withdrawn effective June 18, 2009; we identified no currently approved sermorelin product. FDA approved those two products in 1990 and 1997, and the maker reported discontinuing them in 2008. Today's compounded preparations are not FDA-approved or reviewed for safety, effectiveness and quality before marketing. (FDA history, diagnostic product record, treatment product record, compounding Q&A)

The sermorelin status timeline

Sermorelin's U.S. regulatory record, 1990–2026

Records rechecked October 15, 2026. The 2013 notice is FDA's own account of the earlier dates; the dates on later list documents are their update dates, not new product approvals.

Why "compounded" is the word that matters

Compounded drugs are prepared to meet medical needs, and they are not FDA-approved. Section 503A generally involves prescriptions for identified patients; 503B outsourcing facilities can compound without patient-specific prescriptions. FDA doesn't review compounded products' safety, effectiveness or quality before they're marketed. So a compounded sermorelin vial is not the Geref that was tested and approved, even though the active ingredient has the same name.

In FDA's words, "Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved" (FDA Q&A). That doesn't make every compounded product bad. It means you can't lean on the old approval to answer questions about the actual preparation and pharmacy. FDA oversight and inspections are separate from approval of a finished product.

This is also different from off-label use, which means using an FDA-approved drug for an unapproved use. A compounded sermorelin product does not become an approved medicine simply because someone calls its use “off-label.” (FDA explanation)

Watch for one easy red flag. In June 2026, FDA warning letters called claims that a product came from an "FDA-approved" or "FDA-licensed" compounding pharmacy false and misleading, because FDA doesn't grant pharmacies that status (FDA warning letter, June 8, 2026).

"Sermorelin is Category 1." True — but which list?

Sermorelin acetate's Category 1 entry is on FDA's 503B list, which covers FDA-registered outsourcing facilities. A telehealth prescription may instead be filled by a 503A compounding pharmacy, for which a different rule applies. So "Category 1" alone doesn't tell you whether a particular pharmacy's product is on solid ground.

Here's the 503A rule in plain words. For the bulk-ingredient requirement, section 503A uses this hierarchy; the other conditions for compounding must also be met (FDA, updated May 14, 2026):

1. The ingredient complies with an applicable USP or NF monograph, if one exists, and the applicable USP chapter on pharmacy compounding.
2. If not, the ingredient is a component of an FDA-approved drug.
3. If neither, the ingredient is on FDA's 503A bulks list.

FDA's own 503B document marks sermorelin acetate as a component of an FDA-approved drug. That is evidence worth asking a 503A pharmacy about, not a complete 503A access decision. This review did not establish the applicable monograph position or resolve how a specific pharmacy applies the approved-component condition after Geref's withdrawal. We label that offer-specific basis Unresolved rather than guess.

The two compounding routes, side by side

Sources: FDA 503A framework; FDA 503B framework; FDA 503B nominations PDF. Rechecked October 15, 2026. The 503B Category 1 heading and approved-component marker are on physical PDF page 3; sermorelin acetate is on page 6. The seven-page 503A document contains no sermorelin entry.

If you're already looking at a sermorelin plan, the question now is narrower than "is sermorelin legal?" It's which pharmacy would fill this order, in which form, under which rule, and what you'd pay before you know. Peptide Care Index's Find My Peptide Path tool lets you highlight sermorelin, read its dated access summary, and run through the provider questions before you pay. It's free and doesn't ask for an account or email.

Find My Peptide Path

Peptide Care Access Check: sermorelin, requirement by requirement

These findings use Peptide Care Index's published method. Each label applies only to its row, never to sermorelin as a whole.

A claim we couldn't trace to FDA

Some 2026 web pages describe a "January 2026 FDA guidance" that supposedly requires prescribers to attest to medical necessity before sermorelin can be compounded. We searched FDA and Federal Register records on October 15, 2026 and did not find a matching sermorelin-specific document. Until someone shows the actual document, we don't treat it as a rule. If you have it, send it to us.

The sermorelin human-study register

These are the human records we used, one row each, with who was studied, exactly what they got, and what changed. Eight rows describe original studies or investigators' reports involving GHRH(1-29)/sermorelin; one is a diagnostic-use review. Two more are included to show how evidence for other drugs gets confused with sermorelin. The 11 rows are not 11 independent sermorelin trials. This is a selected set of key records, not a complete review of every paper.

Amounts are shown only to describe what researchers tested. They are not doses to use, and a compounded product today is not the same preparation these studies used.

Sermorelin human studies: who, what, how long, and what changed

Source: original study records linked in each row, plus the clearly labeled diagnostic review. Full texts read for Vitiello 2001, Vitiello 2006 and Baker 2012; original abstracts read for Thorner, Smith & Brook, Corpas, Vittone, Khorram, Wilton and Hümmelink; diagnostic-review abstract read. Rechecked October 15, 2026. The two nasal records were added in this source review; we did not read every full article.

What we left out on purpose. A frequently cited 2006 article in Clinical Interventions in Aging argues that sermorelin is a better approach than HGH for adults. It's an editorial, not a study. The same article says the author's society would provide sermorelin free to practitioners willing to study it (Walker, 2006). That's useful history, not evidence.

Clinical trial registry check. Our October 15, 2026 ClinicalTrials.gov intervention search for “sermorelin” returned 27 records, many matched to broader GHRH terms or different drugs. The only record marked Recruiting in that result set tested tesamorelin, not sermorelin. We did not verify a currently recruiting exact-sermorelin study in this one-registry search; that is not a search of every trial worldwide.

We read the complete records for the three entries discussed below, not just their search labels.

Sources: complete Penn record, Johns Hopkins record and tesamorelin record, read October 15, 2026. We did not contact study sites or independently confirm recruitment. The older GHRH records also contain dose-unit and timing questions we could not resolve; no dosing guidance or efficacy conclusion is drawn from them.

How to read these studies without overstating them

A hormone level, a body scan and a benefit you notice in daily life are three different things. A study can show the first without showing the other two. That's the single most useful filter for sermorelin marketing.

A few terms make the register easier to read:

• Randomized means people were put into groups by chance. This reduces selection bias; it does not guarantee identical groups.
• Placebo means a look-alike treatment without the active drug. It shows what happens without the drug.
• Open-label means people knew what they were getting, so expectations can influence reports or assessments.
• Biomarker means a body measurement, like IGF-1. A higher number isn't automatically something you'll feel.

Two more cautions. First, the Vitiello 2001 and 2006 reports come from the same research program, so treat them as related work, not as two independent confirmations. Second, we don't add up participants or results across these rows. Different people, drugs, lengths and measures can't be pooled into one success rate.

Do clinic claims about sermorelin match the evidence?

Some do. "Helps your body make its own growth hormone" is well supported. "Deeper sleep," "more muscle and strength," and "safer than HGH" are not established by the studies we found, and any claim that today's product is FDA-approved is wrong.

We checked one current telehealth offer's wording against the register, plus claims that show up across many sermorelin pages. The labels follow our Access Check method: each one answers only the requirement in its row.

Sermorelin marketing claims checked against the human evidence

Sources: AgelessRx sermorelin page (checked October 15, 2026), provider-published and not confirmed with AgelessRx; Mayo Clinic monograph (updated February 1, 2026); studies as linked. AgelessRx is used because it publishes a specific sermorelin offer; inclusion is not a ranking or endorsement.

Do sermorelin injections, tablets, troches and nasal sprays work the same?

No. The register includes injection studies and older intranasal human studies. Nasal treatment produced a hormone response in healthy men, but one small pediatric pilot did not improve six-month height velocity. Neither finding establishes that a current tablet, troche (a lozenge that dissolves in your mouth) or nasal product will reproduce an injection study's benefits. A non-injection form needs its own evidence. (Wilton, Hümmelink)

Swallowing a product and absorbing it through the lining of the mouth or nose are different routes. That's why the form question isn't a technicality. A clinic offering a dissolving tablet should be able to show human data for that exact product and route. A tablet that disintegrates in the mouth is not, by that label alone, proven to deliver sermorelin through the mouth lining.

Sermorelin forms: what the evidence covers

Sources: the Wilton study, Hümmelink study, the other register records and Belmar's formulation descriptions, rechecked October 15, 2026. A form being listed or sold is not evidence that it works; a bioavailability percentage is not a dose-conversion instruction.

What this page can and can't tell you about dosing and timing

The studies don't give you a personal dose or a date when you'll feel different. Study amounts describe experiments in specific people. They aren't instructions for a different, compounded product.

Three numbers often get mixed up on a vial or quote: the total amount in the vial (for example 15 mg), the concentration (for example 3 mg per mL) and the prescribed amount per use. A vial price tells you none of them on its own, and none of them tells you how long the vial lasts.

Some studies recorded a prompt growth-hormone response, while IGF-1 changes differed across study regimens and participants. Clinic estimates like "give it 3–6 months" aren't trial results. If you already have a prescription, your prescriber and the dispensing pharmacist are the right people for questions about use, storage and missed doses.

Sermorelin side effects and who should check first

The most common problem reported for sermorelin was pain, redness or swelling where it was injected. Less common effects included flushing, headache, dizziness, sleepiness and itching. Trouble swallowing or other signs of an allergic reaction need urgent care. Long-term safety for adult wellness use has not been established by these records.

Here's what Mayo Clinic's monograph, which names the old Geref products, lists (Mayo Clinic, updated February 1, 2026):

Mayo also notes that an underactive thyroid can interfere with sermorelin's effect. In the University of Washington studies, swelling and joint pain were very uncommon and injection-site redness was rare (Vitiello et al., 2001).

Get urgent help: trouble breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat after any injection, can be a severe allergic reaction. In the U.S., call 911. Belmar's patient information also identifies these allergic-reaction warning signs.

Compounded quality is its own risk

The side-effect list above comes from a monograph naming the former Geref products, not a measured safety profile of a current compounded vial. A compounded vial adds questions the old label can't answer: Is it sterile? Is the strength right? Is it really sermorelin? FDA warns that compounded drugs aren't reviewed before they're sold (FDA Q&A).

A purity certificate or lab result shown in an ad doesn't prove a product is sterile, safe or effective. At most it shows what one test measured on one sample. A “research use only” label does not establish authorization for human treatment, identity, sterility or suitability. Such goods are not a patient-care route.

For how to read side-effect evidence across peptides, see our peptide side effects chart.

Situations that change the question

Some situations aren't shopping questions at all. Bring them up with a clinician before comparing offers.

• A child with growth problems. The FDA-approved pediatric Geref product is discontinued. A child with possible growth hormone deficiency needs pediatric endocrine assessment and discussion of established treatments.
• An adult who thinks they have growth hormone deficiency. That's a medical diagnosis made with specific testing, not something a wellness quiz can settle. An endocrinologist can explain approved options.
• Cancer history, diabetes, pregnancy or breastfeeding, or thyroid problems. Anything that raises growth hormone and IGF-1 deserves a direct conversation about these first. This page doesn't establish a cancer risk; it just can't rule one out for long-term use.
• Athletes in tested sport. Sermorelin is prohibited at all times under WADA S2.2.4. USADA says a Therapeutic Use Exemption is highly unlikely because sermorelin isn't a first-line treatment and alternatives exist (USADA, checked October 15, 2026). A prescription alone does not provide a sport-rule exemption. Use Global DRO and your anti-doping organization, not a clinic.

How much does sermorelin cost?

Published sermorelin offers we checked start at $80 for one vial or $99 for a first month, but those are headline prices, not totals. Visit fees, shipping, prepaid terms, renewals and labs change the real bill, and some charges aren't published. A charge that isn't listed is unknown, not $0.

Think of a listed price as one line on a receipt. Before you compare offers, you need the whole receipt: what you pay today, what renews, and what you get back if no prescription is written.

Three published sermorelin offers, broken into known and missing charges

Sermorelin offers: what the price buys, what we know, and what's missing (rechecked October 15, 2026)

Sources: AgelessRx offer and FAQ; Love My Peptides prices and fees; Rx Peps Direct's sermorelin offer and fee page. Rechecked October 15, 2026. These are provider-published terms; we didn't buy anything or confirm terms with providers. The offers buy different services, and they're listed alphabetically, not ranked. Our broader peptide price list records the two vial listings as C08 and C09.

What the arithmetic shows: for vials with the same labeled strength and quantity, the two vial offers' known first-order charges differ by $100 ($234 − $134). Most of that gap is the visit fee, not the medicine: $99 − $39 = $60, versus $120 − $80 = $40. Matching label amounts do not establish identical preparations or care.

About the AgelessRx total. Here's a hypothetical reading, not a checkout amount: if the three-month plan charged $99 for month one and $149 for each of the next two months, the upfront bill would be $99 + $149 + $149 = $397. The page doesn't state that figure, so confirm the actual amount at checkout. Either way, a prepaid plan advertised at "$99 a month" isn't the same as paying $99 today.

If no prescription is written or filled. AgelessRx's FAQ says you aren't charged for the prescription until you're approved. It also says refunds aren't guaranteed once the pharmacy partner has your order, and prescription products cannot be returned or refunded once shipped. You can cancel before your next refill date; at least 48 hours' notice is requested if possible. The exact initial bill and treatment-specific exceptions still need confirmation. (AgelessRx FAQ, checked October 15, 2026.)

Rx Peps Direct separates the consultation from the medication. Its review fee is nonrefundable once the review starts, even if nothing is prescribed; before review starts, a refund may be approved. No prescription means no medication purchase, but it does not automatically mean the $39 comes back. Pharmacy charges and pharmacy refund rules are separate. (Refund policy, checked October 15, 2026.)

Love My Peptides offers a visit refund for cancellation at least 24 hours ahead. A late cancellation allows one reschedule within 30 days; once the visit starts, the visit fee is nonrefundable even if no medication is prescribed. Medication is not charged if nothing is prescribed, or while required labs are pending; once the prescription order is placed, its policy says it cannot be canceled or refunded. Loss, damage or a warm delivery should be reported within 48 hours under the policy's replacement process. (Refund and cancellation policy, checked October 15, 2026.)

For later orders, Rx Peps Direct's $39 review and $15 shipping repeat per order; optional automatic refills can be stopped. Love My Peptides lists $15 per shipment and the separate $99 annual follow-up, rather than a membership. We have not treated that annual visit as an extra first-order charge. (Rx fees; Love My Peptides fees.)

Insurance. AgelessRx says it doesn't take insurance. We did not verify reimbursement for a particular reader or insurer. Ask in writing whether any part, such as labs, can be billed to insurance or paid with an HSA or FSA.

Why there's no honest "monthly price" for sermorelin

A vial isn't a month. How long 15 mg lasts depends on the amount your prescriber orders, which we won't assume. A subscription price, a prepaid plan and a single vial are different units, so dividing one by another to rank "cheapest per month" would invent a number.

Use the price list for broader offer records, including other peptides and package sizes, but compare like with like: the same product, strength, quantity and required services.

Once you know which charges are missing, the next step is getting them in writing for the exact offer in front of you: the amount due today, what renews and when, required labs, and what happens to your money if nothing is prescribed. Peptide Care Index's Find My Peptide Path tool turns that into a fee checklist and questions you can copy or print and send to the clinic.

Find My Peptide Path

Sermorelin vs HGH, tesamorelin and ipamorelin

Sermorelin, tesamorelin and ipamorelin all push your body to release its own growth hormone, while HGH is growth hormone itself. Among these four, the approved finished-product examples are somatropin medicines and Egrifta products for HIV-related lipodystrophy. The checked FDA evaluation identifies no approved ipamorelin product, and Geref's approvals were withdrawn. All four are prohibited under the current WADA List.

Sermorelin compared with three related treatments

Sources: 78 FR 14095; Egrifta WR label, corroborated by its current DailyMed record; FDA ipamorelin evaluation; FDA safety-risk entries; official 2026 WADA List; Peptide Care Index's FDA compounding cross-check, FDA-approved peptides list, comparison chart and WADA reference. Primary records rechecked October 15, 2026; older FDA evaluations keep their original 2024 date.

One legal difference explains a lot of sermorelin marketing. Federal law makes it a crime to knowingly distribute HGH for uses that aren't treatment of a disease or recognized condition authorized by HHS and ordered by a physician (21 U.S.C. 333(e)). Sermorelin is a GH-releasing peptide, not somatropin itself. That distinction is not permission to bypass drug-approval, compounding or marketing rules, and this review does not give a legal opinion on a particular transaction. It isn't evidence that sermorelin works as well as HGH or is safer. (FDA compounding framework)

Blends and "stacks" need their own evidence too. A product that mixes sermorelin with ipamorelin or another peptide can't borrow results from a study of sermorelin alone.

Before you pay: the sermorelin offer checklist

Use these questions with any sermorelin offer, including one from a clinic you already trust. Get the answers in writing before you pay. A missing answer is a reason to pause, not a detail to assume is fine.

Your next step depends on what's still unanswered

You don't need to buy anything to make progress. Pick the gap that matters most for you.

If you were mainly curious, the register and benefit verdicts may be enough: sermorelin raises growth hormone, and the wellness benefits are modest, mixed or untested. If you think you might have a hormone problem, the right next step is an assessment by a clinician, not a peptide plan. If you're an athlete, start with the anti-doping rules.

If you already bought a product, take questions about use, storage, cancellation and any reaction to your prescriber or the dispensing pharmacy first. We can't verify a vial from a photo or adjust a prescription.

And if you have a specific offer in front of you, bring its product name, pharmacy details and quoted charges to Peptide Care Index's Find My Peptide Path tool. It walks you through its dated sermorelin access notes and provider-and-fee questions, and provides controls to copy the questions or print the guide for the clinic. It doesn't recommend a treatment or promise a prescription.

Find My Peptide Path

What we actually checked

We matched the drug, route, people studied and measured outcome before using any study to discuss a benefit. We checked FDA records separately from provider pages and prices, because they answer different questions. Every date below is a source-check date, not a publication date.

Peptide Care Index is the independent decision and access index for peptide care—helping you understand the route, the cost, the evidence, and the next step before you pay.

What we actually checked

Read our methodology, editorial standards and how we make money. Providers named on this page didn't pay to appear. To report an error or a newer source, use contact and corrections.

Sermorelin questions people also ask

Is sermorelin a steroid?

No. Sermorelin is a peptide that signals the pituitary gland to release growth hormone. Anabolic steroids are a different class of hormones related to testosterone.

Is it legal to buy sermorelin online?

The patient-care route is a prescription from a licensed clinician, filled by a licensed pharmacy. A “research use only” label does not authorize a product for human treatment; those goods are not a patient-care route. Whether a specific pharmacy can fill a specific order depends on which compounding rule it relies on, so ask.

Does sermorelin raise testosterone?

The studies in this register do not establish a testosterone-raising benefit. The Corpas study noted that older men had lower testosterone than young men at the start, which is a different finding.

Does sermorelin work for women?

Women were included, but the findings do not establish a general wellness benefit. The 2001 preliminary report found smaller IGF-1 and body-composition responses in women taking estrogen. The 2006 final cognitive report instead reported similar IGF-1 increases across its groups and no significant estrogen interaction for the cognitive outcomes. Don't use the preliminary estrogen finding to predict an individual's response. In the modified-analog study, lean mass rose only in men—but that was a different molecule.

Do I need blood work for sermorelin?

The studies measured IGF-1 and other laboratory values; that does not establish which tests every clinic requires. Ask which tests are required, who orders and pays for them, and what result would change your plan. The studies we reviewed don't set a target IGF-1 number for wellness use.

What dose of sermorelin is used?

We don't give dosing. The register shows amounts researchers tested only to describe the studies. Your prescriber decides what, if anything, is right for you.

Is sermorelin banned in sports?

Yes. It's prohibited at all times under WADA's 2026 List, S2.2.4. The published 2027 List keeps that rule and takes effect January 1, 2027. USADA considers an exemption highly unlikely; a prescription alone is not an exemption.

Sources and check dates

1. Federal Register, 78 FR 14095 (March 4, 2013). Determination that GEREF (sermorelin acetate) products were not withdrawn for safety or effectiveness. NDA numbers, approval dates, discontinuance and withdrawal dates. Rechecked October 15, 2026.
2. FDA. Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503B (updated March 21, 2025). Category 1 heading and approved-component marker on physical PDF page 3; sermorelin acetate entry on page 6. Both pages visually inspected. Rechecked October 15, 2026.
3. FDA. Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A (updated May 14, 2026). No sermorelin entry in the full seven-page parsed document; relevant pages inspected. Our compounding cross-check provides the wider reference. Rechecked October 15, 2026.
4. FDA. Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding Under Section 503A (updated May 14, 2026). Three bulk-ingredient conditions. Rechecked October 15, 2026.
5. FDA. Bulk Drug Substances Used in Compounding Under Section 503B. 503B framework and interim policy. Rechecked October 15, 2026.
6. FDA. Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved. Rechecked October 15, 2026.
7. FDA. Warning letter, Momentum Health 360, June 8, 2026. "FDA-licensed" compounding claims. Rechecked October 15, 2026.
8. Thorner M, et al. Once daily subcutaneous growth hormone-releasing hormone therapy accelerates growth in growth hormone-deficient children. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996;81:1189–1196. Abstract. Checked October 15, 2026.
9. Smith PJ, Brook CG. Growth hormone releasing hormone or growth hormone treatment in growth hormone insufficiency? Arch Dis Child. 1988;63:629–634. Abstract. Checked October 15, 2026.
10. Corpas E, et al. GHRH-(1-29) twice daily reverses the decreased GH and IGF-I levels in old men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1992;75:530–535. Abstract. Rechecked October 15, 2026.
11. Vittone J, et al. Effects of single nightly injections of GHRH (1-29) in healthy elderly men. Metabolism. 1997;46:89–96. Abstract. Checked October 15, 2026.
12. Vitiello MV, et al. Treating age-related changes in somatotrophic hormones, sleep, and cognition. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2001;3:229–236. Full text. Checked October 15, 2026.
13. Vitiello MV, et al. Growth hormone releasing hormone improves the cognition of healthy older adults. Neurobiol Aging. 2006;27:318–323. Full original paper, Methods and Table 2 read; physical PDF pages 2 and 4 visually inspected. Checked October 15, 2026.
14. Khorram O, et al. Endocrine and metabolic effects of long-term administration of [Nle27]GHRH-(1-29)-NH2 in age-advanced men and women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997;82:1472–1479. Abstract. Rechecked October 15, 2026.
15. Baker LD, et al. Effects of growth hormone–releasing hormone on cognitive function in adults with mild cognitive impairment and healthy older adults. Arch Neurol. 2012;69(11):1420–1429. Full original report: 152 randomized, 66 with mild cognitive impairment, 137 completed; tesamorelin, 20 weeks. Listed to prevent transfer of evidence to sermorelin. Checked October 15, 2026.
16. Prakash A, Goa KL. Sermorelin: a review of its use in the diagnosis and treatment of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency. BioDrugs. 1999;12(2):139–157. Review abstract read through PubMed/Europe PMC, not a new primary trial. Checked October 15, 2026.
17. Walker RF. Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency? Clin Interv Aging. 2006;1(4):307–308. Editorial. Rechecked October 15, 2026.
18. NCATS Inxight Drugs. Sermorelin (UNII 89243S03TE). The supplied research records a check on October 14, 2026; not independently refreshed in this audit. The identity explanation was cross-checked against the diagnostic review and exact-drug study methods; this link is not used to establish current approval.
19. ClinicalTrials.gov. Intervention query sermorelin returned 27 records; names/statuses screened and the three complete records discussed above read: NCT01410799, NCT00807365, NCT06554717. Rechecked October 15, 2026.
20. Mayo Clinic. Sermorelin (injection route): description and side effects. Updated February 1, 2026. Rechecked October 15, 2026.
21. USADA. What should athletes know about sermorelin? Prohibition and TUE discussion read October 15, 2026; no claim of independent review of every sport federation's rules.
22. WADA. 2026 Prohibited List and 2027 Prohibited List, S2.2.4, physical page 8. Official text read; 2027 page visually inspected. The 2027 rules take effect January 1, 2027. Checked October 15, 2026. Peptide Care Index's WADA reference remains the related internal resource.
23. FDA. Egrifta WR (tesamorelin) prescribing information. Rechecked October 15, 2026.
24. Legal Information Institute. 21 U.S.C. 333(e). Human growth hormone distribution. Checked October 15, 2026.
25. AgelessRx. Sermorelin Injection and FAQ. Provider-published. Rechecked October 15, 2026.
26. Peptide Care Index. Peptide price list, C08 (Rx Peps Direct) and C09. These shared rows retain their own October 14, 2026 check date; the direct provider sources below were read for this article on October 15, 2026. No neighboring page was changed.
27. Wilton P, et al. Pharmacokinetics of GHRH(1-29)-NH2 and stimulation of GH secretion after intravenous or intranasal administration. Acta Paediatr Suppl. 1993;388:10–15. DOI 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1993.tb12827.x. Original abstract read via Europe PMC; 30 men, nasal bioavailability and hormone response, not current-product clinical equivalence. Checked October 15, 2026.
28. Hümmelink R, et al. Intranasal GHRH(1-29)-NH2 in children with GH deficiency. Acta Paediatr Suppl. 1993;388:23–26; discussion 27. DOI 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1993.tb12830.x. Original abstract read via Europe PMC; eight-child pilot, no increased mean six-month height velocity. Checked October 15, 2026.
29. Rx Peps Direct. Sermorelin listing, prices and fees, and refund policy. Direct provider-published pages read, including separation of the $39 review from pharmacy charges and the nonrefundable review condition. Checked October 15, 2026.
30. Love My Peptides. Pricing, sermorelin offer, and refund and cancellation policy. Direct provider-published pages read, including initial visit/check-in, annual visit, per-shipment fee and no-prescription/refund conditions. Checked October 15, 2026.
31. FDA. Drugs@FDA NDA 019863 and NDA 020443. Current Geref product records list discontinued products. The former treatment product's original label was not available on its record, so Mayo's monograph is not presented as a personally verified original FDA label. Checked October 15, 2026.
32. FDA. Understanding unapproved use of approved drugs: off label. Read for the approved-product versus unapproved-compound distinction. Checked October 15, 2026.
33. Belmar Pharma Solutions. Sermorelin acetate patient information, published March 1, 2026. Read for the named sublingual/tablet/troche forms, disclosure questions and allergic-reaction warning signs—not proof of efficacy, nationwide availability or regulatory compliance. Checked October 15, 2026.
34. FDA. CJC-1295-related bulk substances, 2024 evaluation. Introduction and identity discussion distinguish DAC and non-DAC entities and state their approval record; physical page 7 visually inspected. This is a dated advisory evaluation, not a new 2026 approval census. Checked October 15, 2026.
35. FDA. Ipamorelin-related bulk substances, 2024 evaluation. Exact-form discussion, approval statement and postoperative trial summary; physical pages 26–27 read, page 27 visually inspected. Trial summary, not a full new review of every primary ipamorelin paper. Checked October 15, 2026.
36. FDA. Certain bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks. Exact ipamorelin acetate entries, separated by 503A withdrawn nomination and 503B Category 2 context. Checked October 15, 2026.
37. DailyMed. Current Egrifta WR prescribing information. Indication and limitations read alongside the original FDA label; not a sermorelin efficacy source. Checked October 15, 2026.