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PeptideHormone

Sermorelin

The GHRH(1-29) fragment once approved to assess and treat GH deficiency.

AnalogClinicalWithdrawnBased on Growth-hormone-releasing hormoneCompare with GHRH Compare lineage

The shortest fragment of GHRH that still carries the whole instruction, and a clean demonstration that most of a peptide is scaffolding.

Identity

Class
GHRH(1-29) analog — the shortest fully active GHRH fragment
Source
Synthetic analog of GHRH
Receptor
GHRH receptor (GHRHR), a class B GPCR

Key properties

Evidence floorClinicalREF1CLIN1
Molecular weight
≈ 3,358 Da
REF
Half-life (native)
~11-12 min
CLIN
Model dosing

Approximate values for the native hormone; engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting. Each figure carries its own provenance tier, and the floor is the weakest of them - the Standard.

Mechanism

Sermorelin is GHRH(1-29), the minimal N-terminal fragment that retains full GHRH activity, stimulating pituitary GH release. Formerly approved (as Geref) for assessing and treating growth hormone deficiency, it drives endogenous, feedback-regulated GH rather than supplying it directly; it was later withdrawn from the US market for commercial rather than safety reasons.

Reference notes

  • GHRH(1-29) is the shortest fragment that keeps full GH-releasing potency — the basis of sermorelin's design.
  • It was FDA-approved for pediatric GH-deficiency diagnosis and therapy before being commercially withdrawn (~2008).
  • Its very short half-life produces a brief, physiologic GH pulse.

Regulatory status

United States · reviewed September 2026
WithdrawnSermorelin is a formerly approved product that is no longer marketed.
Basis
Geref was approved as a diagnostic and for paediatric GH deficiency, then discontinued in 2008; now compounded under 503A nomination.

Status describes the molecule as a drug substance under US law and is an editorial reading of the public record — approvals, trial registrations, and the FDA 503A bulk-substances list. It is not legal advice and it changes; the review date above is the last time the table was checked. Other jurisdictions are noted only where they differ materially.

Common questions

What is Sermorelin?
The GHRH(1-29) fragment once approved to assess and treat GH deficiency. Structurally it is GHRH(1-29) analog — the shortest fully active GHRH fragment.
How does Sermorelin work?
Sermorelin is GHRH(1-29), the minimal N-terminal fragment that retains full GHRH activity, stimulating pituitary GH release. Formerly approved (as Geref) for assessing and treating growth hormone deficiency, it drives endogenous, feedback-regulated GH rather than supplying it directly; it was later withdrawn from the US market for commercial rather than safety reasons.
How strong is the evidence for Sermorelin?
PeptideHormone grades Sermorelin at the "Clinical" evidence tier — it is supported by human clinical trials, though still maturing or narrower in scope. It is catalogued as an engineered analog built on an endogenous hormone, and the tier is an editorial judgment about the public literature that can change as the science does.
What is the half-life of Sermorelin?
The reported circulating half-life of Sermorelin is ~11-12 min.
Is Sermorelin FDA-approved?
No — as of September 2026, Sermorelin is a formerly approved product that is no longer marketed. Geref was approved as a diagnostic and for paediatric GH deficiency, then discontinued in 2008; now compounded under 503A nomination. Status is US-centric and can change; check the FDA record for the current position.

In the literature

Live registry counts · retrieved
Registered trialsREF
0
  • Ph 10
  • Ph 20
  • Ph 30
  • Ph 40
Open on ClinicalTrials.gov
PubMed recordsREF
24
Since 202212 · 50%
Open on PubMed

Searched as Sermorelin. Counts are search hits from the primary registries, not a curated set and not a grade – a measure of how much work exists on Sermorelin, not how it turned out.

Selected literature

Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.

  1. 1.Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency? · Clinical interventions in aging, 2006 · PMID 18046908
  2. 2.Sermorelin: a review of its use in the diagnosis and treatment of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency · BioDrugs, 1999 · PMID 18031173
  3. 3.Beyond the androgen receptor: the role of growth hormone secretagogues in the modern management of body composition in hypogonadal males · Translational andrology and urology, 2020 · PMID 32257855

External references

Sermorelin in the public knowledge graph — the same entity resolved across the authoritative chemistry and protein databases.