Last updated 11 October 2026 · SARMs Store editorial team. Products on this site are supplied strictly for laboratory research and are not for human consumption. This guide summarises published research; it is not medical advice and contains no instructions for use. 18+ only.
Sermorelin at a glance
| Class | GHRH analogue: the first 29 amino acids of growth hormone releasing hormone |
|---|---|
| History | Licensed in the US as Geref (diagnostic and paediatric growth hormone deficiency), withdrawn 2008 for commercial reasons |
| Highest evidence | Licensed-medicine data in children; small adult studies in the 1990s |
| Studied for | Growth hormone release, sleep and body composition in older adults (small studies) |
| Format | Lyophilised vial (5mg) |
| Storage | 2 to 8°C unopened, frozen long term, away from light |
| UK status 2026 | Research chemical; not a UK-licensed medicine; WADA S2 |
What Sermorelin is
Sermorelin is the synthetic form of the first 29 amino acids of human growth hormone releasing hormone, the shortest fragment that keeps the full activity of the 44-amino-acid parent hormone. It acts on the GHRH receptor in the pituitary and prompts a pulse of growth hormone that follows the body's normal feedback. It is unusual among research peptides in having been a licensed medicine: under the brand Geref it was approved in the United States in the 1990s as a diagnostic test for growth hormone deficiency and as a treatment for children with the condition, and it was withdrawn in 2008 for commercial rather than safety reasons.
Sermorelin UK: what buyers should know
Most UK searches for sermorelin come from its history as a licensed growth hormone releasing medicine in the United States, and from comparisons with CJC-1295 and tesamorelin. It has never been licensed in the UK and is supplied here only as a research peptide. Our Origin Peptides Sermorelin 5mg is a sealed, batch-numbered lyophilised vial dispatched from our UK warehouse at £49.99.
Sermorelin names you will see
Sermorelin appears as sermorelin acetate, GHRH (1-29), GRF 1-29 NH2 and under its former US brand name, Geref. Modified GRF 1-29 is a different molecule: it is CJC-1295 without DAC, which carries four amino acid substitutions, and should be labelled as such.
Sermorelin, CJC-1295 and tesamorelin compared
| Compound | Structure | Licence history | In our range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sermorelin | GHRH 1-29, unmodified | Licensed in the US as Geref, withdrawn 2008 | Sermorelin 5mg, £49.99 |
| CJC-1295 without DAC | GHRH 1-29 with four amino acid substitutions | Never licensed | CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin 10mg, £49.99 |
| Tesamorelin | Full GHRH 1-44 with a stabilising trans-3-hexenoyl group | Licensed in the US as Egrifta for abdominal fat in HIV lipodystrophy; not licensed in the UK | Tesamorelin 10mg, £64.99 |
All three act on the GHRH receptor in the pituitary. The tesamorelin research guide covers the phase III evidence that applies to tesamorelin itself.
What the research found
Children. The licensing studies showed that daily sermorelin increased growth velocity in children with growth hormone deficiency who still had a functioning pituitary, with fewer of the side effects of direct growth hormone because release stayed under physiological control.
Older adults. Small studies in the 1990s, including work by Vittone, Corpas and colleagues at the National Institute on Aging, gave sermorelin to healthy older men for several weeks to months. They reported raised growth hormone and IGF-1, small increases in lean mass and skin thickness, and some improvement in deep sleep, in groups of roughly 10 to 20 subjects. These are pilot studies; none was large or long enough to show functional benefit.
HIV lipodystrophy. Sermorelin's longer relative tesamorelin (Egrifta) later completed phase III trials and was licensed for abdominal fat in HIV lipodystrophy; that evidence is often quoted as if it applied to sermorelin, which it does not directly.
What is missing. No modern controlled trial of sermorelin in healthy adults for any performance or ageing endpoint.
Sermorelin compared with CJC-1295 and MK-677
Sermorelin and CJC-1295 without DAC are close relatives: both are GHRH 1-29 based, and CJC-1295 no-DAC adds four amino acid substitutions that slow breakdown. Both act on the GHRH receptor. MK-677 and ipamorelin act on the separate ghrelin receptor. Sermorelin has the only licensed-medicine history of the four.
Stability, storage and handling
Sermorelin is supplied lyophilised in a sealed vial. Keep unopened vials at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius or frozen for long storage, away from light. Reconstituted solutions degrade over days to weeks. The certificate should show HPLC purity and mass spectrometry identity.
Legal status in the UK, 2026
Sermorelin is not a controlled substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It has never held a UK marketing authorisation, so in the UK it is not a licensed medicine and cannot be sold or advertised for human use; it is supplied strictly for laboratory research. In sport it is prohibited at all times under WADA section S2, where growth hormone releasing hormone and its analogues are named.
What to check before buying
Milligrams per vial, HPLC purity, mass spectrometry identity, a batch number matching the certificate, and cold-chain shipping. Every Origin Peptides batch is independently tested and its certificate of analysis is published on the product page and the Lab Testing page.
Frequently asked questions
Was sermorelin ever a licensed medicine?
Yes, in the United States as Geref, for diagnosis and treatment of growth hormone deficiency in children. It was withdrawn in 2008 for commercial reasons. It has never been licensed in the UK.
What is the difference between sermorelin and CJC-1295?
Both are GHRH 1-29 analogues acting on the same receptor. CJC-1295 no-DAC carries substitutions that slow its breakdown; sermorelin is the unmodified fragment.
Is sermorelin the same as tesamorelin?
No. Tesamorelin is a longer, stabilised GHRH analogue with its own phase III evidence in HIV lipodystrophy.
Is sermorelin legal in the UK?
Legal to buy and possess as a research compound; not lawful to sell or advertise for human consumption; banned in sport.
Can you buy sermorelin in the UK?
Yes, as a research peptide. Our Sermorelin 5mg vial is stocked and dispatched from the UK.
Is sermorelin the same as Modified GRF 1-29?
No. Modified GRF 1-29 is CJC-1295 without DAC, a sermorelin analogue with four amino acid substitutions that slow its breakdown.
Is Geref still available?
No. Geref was withdrawn in 2008, and there is no licensed sermorelin medicine in the UK.
Key references
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. Corpas E, Harman SM, Piñeyro MA, Roberson R, Blackman MR. Growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone-(1-29) twice daily reverses the decreased GH and insulin-like growth factor-I levels in old men. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 1992;75(2):530-535. 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. World Anti-Doping Agency. Prohibited List 2026, section S2.
Related guides
- CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin research guide
- MK-677 (Ibutamoren): the research guide
- SARMs vs peptides: what the research compares
- How to read a certificate of analysis
- SARMs 101 hub
Research products: Origin Peptides Sermorelin 5mg · CJC-1295 with Ipamorelin 10mg · Ipamorelin 5mg · Full Origin Peptides range · Lab Testing