In this article
What sermorelin is
Your brain makes a hormone called growth hormone-releasing hormone, or GHRH. It tells the pituitary gland to release growth hormone, which in turn raises another hormone, IGF-1 [5]. Sermorelin is a lab-made, 29-amino-acid version of GHRH, the shortest synthetic piece that keeps GHRH's full activity, and it acts on the pituitary in the same way [9]. In studies it is often written GHRH(1-29).
The idea behind sermorelin for adults is that the growth hormone system winds down with age, and that this may play a part in age-related changes in body composition and metabolism [5]. Rather than injecting growth hormone itself, sermorelin asks your own pituitary to release more. Researchers have suggested this could be an alternative to growth hormone, whose side effects have limited its use in older adults [5].
Our catalog describes our sermorelin injection as a longevity-focused peptide meant to support your own growth hormone production, recovery and body composition. It's 0.9 mg/mL in a 10 mL vial (9 mg per vial), injected under the skin once a week. Below is what research can and can't tell you about those goals.
Sermorelin's FDA history
Sermorelin isn't a new or untested molecule. It was once an FDA-approved drug. The FDA's drug database lists sermorelin acetate injection, approved in December 1990 as a new molecular entity, listed under EMD Serono [2]. Two further strengths were approved in September 1997 [3].
All of those products are now listed as discontinued [2, 3]. Each entry carries a note that the FDA determined, in the Federal Register, that the product was not discontinued or withdrawn for safety or effectiveness reasons [2, 3]. In other words, the FDA-approved version left the market, but not because the agency found it unsafe. A 2006 editorial, written in favor of sermorelin for aging, said the manufacturer withdrew it because it couldn't compete with growth hormone as a treatment for children [10].
What you can get today is different. Sermorelin prescribed now, including ours, is made by a licensed compounding pharmacy. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, which means the FDA does not verify their safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are sold [1].
What the studies measured
Here is the research on sermorelin and closely related GHRH drugs that we could find, and who was in it.
| Study | Who | Dose and length | What they found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children with growth hormone deficiency [4] | 110 children who hadn't been treated before | GHRH(1-29) 30 mcg/kg under the skin every night, up to 1 year | Growth rate roughly doubled, from 4.1 to 8.0 cm a year at 6 months; generally well tolerated |
| Older men [6] | 11 healthy men aged 64 to 76 with low IGF-1 | GHRH(1-29) 2 mg every night, 6 weeks | Nighttime growth hormone rose; IGF-1 didn't; 2 of 6 strength measures and 1 endurance test improved; no change in weight, muscle or fat |
| Older men and women [5] | 10 women and 9 men aged 55 to 71 | A close sermorelin analog, 10 mcg/kg every night, 16 weeks | Growth hormone and IGF-1 rose in both; benefits beyond skin thickness seen in men only |
The pediatric study shows why sermorelin was used in children: in children whose bodies don't make enough growth hormone, a nightly shot increased how fast they grew [4, 9]. That says the drug does what it's designed to do in the pituitary. It says nothing about energy, recovery or body shape in adults.
The evidence in midlife women
This is the part that matters most if you're a woman in your 40s, 50s or 60s, and it's thin. The only randomized study we found that tested sermorelin or a close copy in older women enrolled 10 women aged 55 to 71, alongside 9 men [5].
Everyone injected a placebo nightly for 4 weeks, then the GHRH analog nightly for 16 weeks [5]. In women, it raised overnight growth hormone, and IGF-1 rose within 2 weeks, though IGF-1 drifted back toward baseline by the end [5]. Skin thickness increased in both women and men [5].
But the outcomes most women hope for didn't change in women. Lean body mass rose in men only [5]. Insulin sensitivity improved in men only [5]. General well-being and libido improved in men only, and sleep quality didn't change in anyone [5]. Body weight, blood pressure and bone density didn't change either [5]. The researchers concluded that the treatment's body-building effects favored men over women, and that more research was needed to understand why [5].
A larger trial tested a different, more stable GHRH drug called tesamorelin in 152 adults aged 55 to 87, with and without mild memory problems [7]. After 20 weeks of daily injections, thinking scores, especially for executive function (skills like planning and switching between tasks), were better than on placebo, and body fat fell by 7.4% [7]. Side effects, all mild, were reported by 68% of people on tesamorelin vs 36% on placebo [7]. Tesamorelin isn't sermorelin, so these results don't transfer directly, but they show this hormone pathway can produce measurable changes in older adults [7].
Every study above used nightly or daily injections. GHRH(1-29) works quickly and briefly: in one study, growth hormone rose within 10 minutes of a dose and the rise lasted about 2 hours [5]. The authors of the men's study suggested even a single nightly dose may be less effective than several doses a day [6]. Our sermorelin is a weekly injection, and we found no published trial of weekly dosing.
Side effects and safety
In the published studies, sermorelin-type drugs were generally well tolerated. Children on nightly GHRH(1-29) for a year had no harmful changes in their blood tests [4], and in children, brief facial flushing and pain where the shot went in were the most common side effects [9]. The older men on nightly injections had no significant side effects [6]. In the study that included women, the only side effect was a short-lived rise in blood fats, which resolved by the end of the study [5].
Those were small studies run under close medical supervision, though. A 2026 review of peptides marketed directly to patients, which included sermorelin, warned that solid human safety data for unapproved peptides are scarce, and that there's potential for serious harm [8].
Our catalog lists these possible side effects: redness, bruising, swelling or itching where you inject, trouble swallowing, dizziness, flushing, headache, sleepiness, and trouble sitting still. Tell your provider about any medical conditions and medicines before starting, and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Decide what you'd want to change, and write it down
- Keep strength training, protein and sleep in place: they do the heavy lifting
- Report injection-site reactions, dizziness or trouble swallowing
- Reviews your history and medicines first
- Decides whether to check labs such as IGF-1
- Sets a time to judge whether it's worth continuing
Is sermorelin worth trying?
Sermorelin is a once-approved drug with a clear effect on the growth hormone system [2, 4]. What's missing is evidence that it improves energy, recovery or body composition in midlife women. The single trial that included older women found hormone and skin changes, but not the strength, metabolism or well-being benefits seen in men [5]. And no trial we found tested once-a-week dosing.
If you decide to try it, treat it as an experiment with a clinician, with a clear goal and a set time to judge it. You can see our other options on the metabolism and recovery and sleep pages.
Frequently asked questions
Is sermorelin FDA-approved?
Sermorelin acetate was FDA-approved in 1990 and 1997, but every approved product is now listed as discontinued, and the FDA determined they weren't withdrawn for safety or effectiveness reasons [2, 3]. Sermorelin prescribed today is compounded, and compounded drugs are not FDA-approved [1].
Does sermorelin work for women?
We don't know. In the one trial we found that included older women, a close sermorelin analog raised growth hormone and skin thickness in women, but lean mass, insulin sensitivity, well-being and libido improved only in men [5].
Will sermorelin help me lose weight?
The studies we found didn't show that. Body weight didn't change in the trial of older men and women or in the trial of older men [5, 6].
Is sermorelin the same as growth hormone?
No. Sermorelin is a 29-amino-acid version of GHRH, the signal that tells your pituitary to release its own growth hormone [9]. It isn't growth hormone itself.
What are the side effects of sermorelin?
In small studies, it was generally well tolerated; one study saw a short-lived rise in blood fats [5]. Our catalog lists injection-site redness, bruising, swelling or itching, trouble swallowing, dizziness, flushing, headache, sleepiness and trouble sitting still.
References
- US Food and Drug Administration. Compounding and the FDA: questions and answers. Content current as of September 16, 2025. www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/compounding-and-fda-questions-and-answers
- US Food and Drug Administration. Drugs@FDA: NDA 019863, sermorelin acetate injection (EMD Serono). www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/index.cfm?event=overview.process&ApplNo=019863
- US Food and Drug Administration. Drugs@FDA: NDA 020443, sermorelin acetate injection (EMD Serono). www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/index.cfm?event=overview.process&ApplNo=020443
- Thorner M, Rochiccioli P, Colle M, et al. Once daily subcutaneous growth hormone-releasing hormone therapy accelerates growth in growth hormone-deficient children during the first year of therapy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996;81(3):1189-1196. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8772599/
- Khorram O, Laughlin GA, Yen SS. Endocrine and metabolic effects of long-term administration of [Nle27]growth hormone-releasing hormone-(1-29)-NH2 in age-advanced men and women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997;82(5):1472-1479. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9141536/
- Vittone J, Blackman MR, Busby-Whitehead J, et al. Effects of single nightly injections of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH 1-29) in healthy elderly men. Metabolism. 1997;46(1):89-96. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9005976/
- Baker LD, Barsness SM, Borson S, et al. Effects of growth hormone-releasing hormone on cognitive function in adults with mild cognitive impairment and healthy older adults: results of a controlled trial. Arch Neurol. 2012;69(11):1420-1429. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22869065/
- Mendias CL, Awan TM. Safety and efficacy of approved and unapproved peptide therapies for musculoskeletal injuries and athletic performance. Sports Med. 2026;56(8):1921-1935. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41966639/
- 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. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18031173/
- Walker RF. Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency? Clin Interv Aging. 2006;1(4):307-308. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18046908/
This article is for general information. It is not medical advice and does not replace a visit with a licensed clinician who knows your history. Do not start, stop or change a medication without talking to your clinician. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911.
