# Sermorelin

The active first 29 amino acids of the hormone that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone. Once an FDA-approved medicine for children, it is now prescribed to adults by US clinics as a compounded drug.

Also called: Geref, GRF 1-29
Source page: https://peplogue.com/peptides/sermorelin/
Reviewed: 2026-10-12. Not medical advice.

## How it works

- Where it acts: Growth-hormone-releasing hormone receptors on the pituitary gland.
- What it changes: A short pulse of the body's own growth hormone, which raises IGF-1.
- What people notice: Claims about sleep and recovery are not well tested. Flushing and injection-site reactions occur.

## What the evidence shows

- **Muscle and body fat in adults**: Early. Small, short studies in older adults raised growth hormone and IGF-1. They did not establish clear muscle gain or fat loss.
- **Anti-aging**: Early. No study has shown that raising growth hormone helps healthy adults live longer or function better.
- **Growth-hormone deficiency in children**: Supported. FDA-approved from 1997. The maker stopped selling it in 2008 and the approval was withdrawn in 2009. FDA ruled this was not for safety or effectiveness reasons.

## Side effects and risks

- common: Flushing, headache and injection-site reactions.
- unknown: It raises IGF-1, a growth signal, so it is avoided in active cancer.
- unknown: FDA does not check compounded products for quality.

Who should avoid it: Active cancer, pregnancy, and competitive athletes.

## How it is used

The old label dosed children by body weight, as a nightly injection under the skin. No trial set the adult doses that wellness clinics use.

## Legal status

- United States: undefined. Generally treated as eligible for compounding because it was the active ingredient of an approved drug. We have not re-confirmed this with FDA.
- European Union: undefined
- Spain: undefined. No sermorelin medicine in CIMA. A fórmula magistral needs a substance legally recognised in Spain; we found no such use for sermorelin.
- Germany: undefined. Not approved in Germany. Named in the AntiDopG doping annex (GHRH); unapproved sale is a crime under the AMG. Rezeptur not confirmed.
- France: undefined. No French authorisation found, and no source shows a pharmacy preparing it. ANSM: peptides bought outside the official circuit are illegal.
- Italy: undefined. Not verified. An old Geref (Serono) AIC number appears in a database page, but class and marketing status are not shown. Banned in sport (WADA).
- Netherlands: undefined. Not registered in the Netherlands as far as found. Whether any pharmacy prepares it is not verified. Banned in sport (WADA S2).
- United Kingdom: undefined
- Canada: undefined. Named in a 2025 Health Canada advisory on unauthorized injectable peptides.
- Australia: undefined

## Questions people ask

**Is sermorelin FDA approved?**

Not any more. It was FDA-approved for growth-hormone deficiency in children from 1997; the maker stopped selling it in 2008 and the approval was withdrawn in 2009, which FDA ruled was not for safety or effectiveness reasons.

**Does sermorelin work for anti-aging?**

No study has shown that raising growth hormone helps healthy adults live longer or function better. Small, short studies in older adults raised growth hormone and IGF-1 without establishing clear muscle gain or fat loss.

**What are the side effects of sermorelin?**

Flushing, headache and injection-site reactions. It raises IGF-1, a growth signal, so it is avoided in active cancer, and FDA does not check compounded products for quality.

**Can sermorelin still be prescribed?**

In the US it is generally treated as eligible for compounding because it was the active ingredient of an approved drug, though this book has not re-confirmed that with FDA. In Canada it was named in a 2025 Health Canada advisory on unauthorized injectable peptides.

## Sources

- Federal Register: Geref was not withdrawn for safety or effectiveness reasons: https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2013-04827.pdf
- Health Canada: unauthorized injectable peptides (1 Aug 2025): https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/unauthorized-injectable-peptide-drugs-seized-and-sold-canada-peptide-may-pose-serious
- WADA Prohibited List: https://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list