Home / Growth hormone / Sermorelin
SrHuman trials

Sermorelin protocol

Sermorelin is the first 29 building blocks of the body's growth-hormone-releasing hormone. It was a US-approved medicine for children with slow growth (Geref) until the maker stopped selling it.

Was FDA-approved for children with growth hormone deficiency (Geref, 1997)Not sold or approved in the US now: the maker stopped selling it in 2008, and approval was withdrawn in 2009 at its request. FDA said this was not for safety or effectiveness reasons.
ProtocolMixingResultsSide effectsHow it worksSources

The protocol at a glance

In the main Geref study, children got 30 mcg per kg of body weight once a day at bedtime under the skin, for up to a year. I found no label or trial amount for adults.

StudyAmount and schedule
AdultsNot established (no label or trial found)
Children with GH deficiency, Geref study (110 children)30 mcg per kg, once a day at bedtime, under the skin, up to 1 year
Children, earlier comparison (43 children)30 or 60 mcg per kg a day, split into 3 injections, 6 months

Sources: Geref International Study Group 1996 (PMID 8772599) and Federal Register notice 78 FR 14095 (2013-04827). I could not open the original Geref label, so the label-style amount comes from the Geref study.

Community reports

Community reports commonly describe 200-500 mcg nightly under the skin in adults.

What people say they do, collected from community discussions. Not tested in a trial; shown so you can compare it with the evidence above.

Mixing

No mixing table here: this one is used as a capsule, nasal spray or skin product, or has no human amount to calculate from. The general mixing calculator works for any vial.

What the trials found

110 children with growth hormone deficiency who had not been treated before, open-label, up to 12 months, 30 mcg per kg at bedtime. Measured: growth speed:

4.1 cm/yrGrowth speed before treatment
8.0 cm/yrAfter 6 months
7.2 cm/yrAfter 12 months
74%Good responders at 6 months

Geref International Study Group, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996 (PMID 8772599); 86 of 110 children were in the efficacy analysis. In a separate 6-month comparison, growth hormone itself worked better than GHRH (about 14.6 vs 9.2-9.3 cm/yr; PMID 8329830).

Side effects

  • In the Geref study the treatment was well tolerated, with no adverse changes in blood sugar or excess IGF-1.
  • In a different 6-month study of GHRH(1-29) given as a continuous infusion, three children had mild injection site irritation, and almost all made antibodies to GHRH. The antibodies faded after treatment stopped and did not relate to growth (PMID 8329830).
  • Adult safety and dosing are not covered by the sources I found.

How it works

GHRH receptor

It copies the start of the natural growth-hormone-releasing hormone, so the pituitary gland releases your own growth hormone.

Sources

  • Thorner M et al. (Geref International Study Group). J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996, PMID 8772599
  • Thorner M et al. 1996 (see above); Acta Paediatr Suppl 1993, GHRH(1-29)-NH2 vs GH, PMID 8329830 and PMID 8329826
  • Federal Register 78 FR 14095, 4 March 2013 (FDA determination on Geref, Docket FDA-2012-P-1071)