Sermorelin
also known as GHRH 1-29, GRF 1-29, sermorelin acetate
29-amino-acid synthetic analogue of the bioactive N-terminal fragment of human GHRH. Was FDA-approved (1990s) under the brand Geref for diagnosis of GH deficiency in children but withdrawn from the market for commercial reasons (not safety). Acts at the same GHRH receptor as native GHRH and tesamorelin but with shorter half-life (~12 min) and unmodified backbone, making it the simplest GHRH analogue.
At a glance
SQ · Pre-sleep · 1×/day
Mechanism
Primary target — Pituitary GHRH receptor [walker-1994].
Pathway — GHRH-R → Gαs → cAMP → PKA → GH vesicle exocytosis [walker-1994].
Downstream effect — Pulsatile GH release; subsequent IGF-1 elevation [molteno-2013].
Origin — Unmodified active 29-AA fragment of human GHRH (1-44) [walker-1994].
Feedback intact — Yes — short pulse preserves feedback.
Dosage
Protocols described in the cited literature; not medical advice.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Standard dose | 100–500 mcg per injection [molteno-2013] |
| Frequency | Once daily, pre-sleep |
| Lower / starter dose | 100 mcg per dose |
| Evidence basis | Phase 3 (Geref pediatric); clinical practice [walker-1994][molteno-2013] |
| Duration | 8–12 weeks per cycle |
| Reconstitution | Bacteriostatic water |
| Timing | Pre-sleep, fasted preferred |
| Half-life | ~12 min (plasma) [molteno-2013]Shorter than tesamorelin (~26 min) — simpler GHRH analogue. |
Reconstitution
A pure mass-to-volume utility. Enter what you have in the vial; the atlas computes the volume per dose. No prescription information.
Adverse events
Severities follow the FDA / CTCAE convention.
- — Active malignancy
- — Pregnancy / breastfeeding
- — Disrupted hypothalamic-pituitary axis
- — Untreated diabetes
Administration
- 01Reconstitution
Add 2 mL bacteriostatic water to 5 mg vial → 2.5 mg/mL = 250 mcg per 0.1 mL.
- 02Injection site
SQ — abdomen or thigh. Rotate sites.
- 03Timing
Pre-sleep, fasted.
- 04Storage
Lyophilised: room temp, light-protected. Reconstituted: refrigerate ≤30 days.
- 05Needle
29–31G, 4–8 mm insulin syringe.
Synergies
Sources
of 43 rendered claims carry a resolvable citation.
- [molteno-2013]Molteno 2013 — Sermorelin GHRH 1-29 acetate — review
Endocr Rev, 2013 - [raun-1998]Raun 1998 — Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue
Eur J Endocrinol, 1998 - [walker-1994]Walker 1994 — Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency
Clin Interv Aging, 1994