Sermorelin
Research OnlyModerate EvidenceSermorelin (GHRH 1-29)
The original GHRH analog — FDA-approved in the 1990s for pediatric GH deficiency diagnosis, commercially withdrawn in 2008 for business reasons, and now widely used off-label as a GH secretagogue with a real but modest human evidence base.
The original GHRH-based GH stimulator — a direct copy of the first 29 amino acids of the brain's own "release GH" signal. It was actually FDA-approved for kids in the 1990s, then the manufacturer pulled it from the market in 2008 for business reasons (not safety). Doctors still prescribe it from compounding pharmacies. It works fast and clears fast (10 minutes), so each injection produces a single natural-looking GH pulse rather than a constant flood. The body's normal checks and balances still operate, which is the main argument for using it instead of injecting GH directly. Human evidence for adult anti-aging use exists but is small and old. Compare to CJC-1295 without DAC: effectively the same mechanism with similar half-life but CJC has four amino acid changes that make it marginally more protease-resistant, while sermorelin is the unmodified natural sequence.
Half-Life
~10–12 minutes (subcutaneous); DPP-IV sensitive — rapid enzymatic degradation, hence short but physiological pulse
Molecular Weight
3357.93 g/mol
Sermorelin is a synthetic 29-amino-acid peptide corresponding to the first 29 amino acids of native human GHRH(1-44). Unlike CJC-1295 (which has four amino acid substitutions that confer protease resistance), sermorelin has an unmodified sequence and is rapidly degraded by DPP-IV, producing a half-life of 10–12 minutes after subcutaneous injection. This brevity is not a flaw — it produces a single, physiologically brief GH pulse that mimics the natural GHRH-stimulated secretion rhythm. Sermorelin acetate was FDA-approved in the 1990s as Geref for two indications: pediatric GH deficiency testing (diagnostic), and GH insufficiency treatment in children. The brand was commercially withdrawn from the US market in 2008 — this withdrawal was driven by the manufacturer (Serono) exiting the market, not by safety findings or FDA action. Sermorelin itself remains an approved drug substance still available from compounding pharmacies under prescription. The community uses it for adult anti-aging/body composition purposes — this is off-label and has more modest evidence support than the original pediatric GH deficiency indication.
Also Known As
Amino Acid Sequence
Tyr-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Asn-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Val-Leu-Gly-Gln-Leu-Ser-Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-Gln-Asp-Ile-Met-Ser-Arg-NH₂ (first 29 amino acids of native human GHRH)
Reconstitution
Reconstitute with bacteriostatic water. Typical concentration: 1 mg/mL.
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