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Growth Hormone AxisTrial TimelineSep 2026

Sermorelin Before and After: Results Timeline Week by Week

Sermorelin before and after searches usually expect a dramatic photo, but the honest answer is that the human trials of this growth hormone releasing hormone fragment, GHRH(1-29), measured blood levels, body composition on DEXA scans and cognition, not appearance. The adult sermorelin evidence in this review is three small, old studies in older adults: Corpas 1992 in ten old men across two 14 day treatment periods,1 Vittone 1997 in eleven men over 6 weeks,2 and a University of Washington 6 month trial reported by Vitiello 2006 in 89 older adults, which reported cognitive gains (PMID 16399214). Its companion review also reports increased lean body mass and decreased body fat, particularly abdominal visceral fat. The study tested GHRH(1-29)NH2 alone or with supervised exercise conditioning, and this body composition summary does not separate their effects (Hersch and Merriam 2008, PMC2544358).17 No sermorelin or GHRH family trial in this review used before and after photographs at all. The larger visible fat loss people tie to these photos comes from recombinant growth hormone13 or from tesamorelin, a separate stabilized analog covered on its own page,1922 not from sermorelin. This page walks the timeline by study duration and tags every dose figure with its source, never as a recommendation.

This is general education, not medical advice, and not a dose to copy. Sermorelin is a growth hormone releasing hormone fragment, and the marketed US product was discontinued in 2008. Every dose figure below carries its source and is presented as study evidence or community practice, never as a recommendation. Nothing here is a protocol, a starting dose or an instruction to use any compound. Anyone weighing any of this belongs in a conversation with a licensed clinician who knows their history.

3

Adult sermorelin trials in this review, 1992 to 2006

6 months

Longest adult sermorelin trial here, with cognition results and body composition results not separated from supervised exercise; sermorelin tested alone or with supervised exercise

0

Trials in this review that used before and after photos

What the studies measured

Which studies count depends on exactly what sermorelin is. Sermorelin is a human growth hormone releasing hormone, the GHRH(1-29) fragment, described on its label as similar to the native hormone in its ability to stimulate GH secretion.12 The marketed form was described as the currently available GHRH(1-29), and because its clinical use is limited by a short half-life, longer acting analogs were later developed.7 The sermorelin profile covers the molecule itself in full. The point that matters for a before and after is this: most of the human literature people cite for sermorelin is not sermorelin.

Only three adult trials used sermorelin itself by subcutaneous injection: Corpas 1992, Vittone 1997, and the 6 month University of Washington trial reported by Vitiello 2006, whose molecule is identified as GHRH(1-29)NH2 by the companion review full text (PMC2544358).121517 Around them sits a cloud of near neighbors that are easy to mistake for sermorelin: a norleucine substituted analog used by Khorram,34 the full length GHRH 1-44 used by Corpas in 1993,5 a pegylated analog,7 tesamorelin,1922 several GHRH studies by intranasal or intravenous routes whose abstracts name only GHRH without printing the fragment,682021 and a subcutaneous GHRH trial in HIV associated lipodystrophy whose abstract also does not print the fragment.18 This page keeps them labeled so their results are never quietly relabeled as sermorelin.

And what did these trials actually record? Blood markers such as GH, IGF-1 and IGFBP-3, body composition on DEXA, skin thickness by caliper, muscle strength tests and cognitive test batteries,12315 plus sleep stages in overnight sleep studies.682021 Every one of those is an internal measurement. A before and after photo captures none of them directly, which is the honest frame for everything below.

The timeline by study duration

The trials did not run on a shared weekly schedule, so the honest week by week view is a set of checkpoints with real gaps between them, not a smooth curve. The checkpoints below mark the weeks where sermorelin and its close relatives were actually measured, and the full table lists every study by duration, from single night sleep studies to a 6 month cognition trial. The timing depends on the molecule and the marker. Khorram 1997 used nightly administration (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9141536). Its norleucine analog, not sermorelin, triggered growth hormone release within 10 minutes, lasting 2 hours (Khorram 1997, PMID 9141536). IGF-1, the slower, integrative marker, rose in some regimens and not others, which the checkpoints and the table record study by study.

Week by week, where trials actually measured

  • Fastest signal, growth hormone: 24-hour GH rose on twice daily sermorelin at the higher dose (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 1379256), and nocturnal GH on nightly dosing (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9005976).
  • Around week 2: IGF-1 rose on twice daily sermorelin over 14 days, significantly only at the higher dose (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 1379256), and within about 2 weeks on the nightly analog (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9141536).
  • Week 6: Vittone 1997 used nightly sermorelin (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9005976) and reported increased nocturnal GH and 2 of 6 strength tests, but no IGF-1 change.
  • Week 12: Koutkia 2004 used twice daily subcutaneous GHRH (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 15249570) and reported higher IGF-1 and reduced trunk fat in HIV associated lipodystrophy.
  • Week 16: Khorram 1997 reported higher IGF-1 and GH with the nightly analog (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9360512), and greater skin thickness (Khorram 1997, PMID 9141536).
  • Month 6, about week 26: Vitiello 2006 used daily GHRH (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 16399214) and reported improved cognition in the longest adult sermorelin trial here. The companion review describes the injections (full text PMC2544358).
  • Every week not listed here, and anything past 6 months of adult dosing, has no measured sermorelin data in these trials.

Read this as history, not instruction. Every value in the Dose column is a dose a study assigned and measured, not a recommendation, and the Study column links each source. The Sigalos row combined sermorelin with other compounds, so it cannot be read as a sermorelin before and after result. Tesamorelin, the separate stabilized analog behind the larger fat loss and cognition numbers, has its own comparison page rather than a row here.

Study and populationPeptide and routeDurationDose (as reported)Key measured changeMeasured nulls
Marshall 1996 (healthy volunteers)PMID 8772566GHRH, form unstated, intravenousSingle nightMarshall 1996 administered 200 micrograms episodically as four 50 microgram boluses (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 8772566), or 57 micrograms per hour by continuous infusion (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 8772566)Episodic dosing raised slow wave and REM sleep versus placeboContinuous infusion had no significant sleep effect
Perras 1999 (12 young, 11 old men)PMID 10451909GHRH, form unstated, intranasalSingle nightPerras 1999 administered 300 micrograms before bedtime (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 10451909)REM and slow wave sleep up, cortisol nadir downSingle night endocrine study only
Guldner 1997 (13 healthy seniors)PMID 9390775GHRH, form unstated, intravenousSingle nightGuldner 1997 administered 4 x 50 micrograms intravenously (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9390775)Fewer nocturnal awakenings, longer first NREM periodPromotes sleep far less than in young subjects
Murck 1997 (2 elderly subjects)PMID 9271777GHRH, form unstated, intravenousPriming over about 12 daysMurck 1997 primed with 100 micrograms intravenously at 09:00 every second day for 12 days (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9271777), and tested 4 x 50 micrograms intravenously, hourly between 22:00 and 01:00 (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9271777)None for sleepNo sleep improving effect in the elderly
Corpas 1992 (10 old, 9 young men)PMID 1379256GHRH(1-29), sermorelin, subcutaneous14 daysCorpas 1992 assigned 0.5 mg and 1 mg twice daily in separate 14 day periods, in random order, with 14 days without treatment between them (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 1379256)24 h GH and IGF-1 up at the high dose, with no significant difference from the young men after high dose treatmentGlucose, C-peptide, blood pressure, chemistry, blood counts unchanged
Corpas 1993 (old men)PMID 8421077GHRH 1-44, full length, subcutaneous infusion14 daysCorpas 1993 administered 1 and 2 mg continuous daily (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 8421077)24 h GH, area under the curve, peak number and IGF-1 upGHRH stimulation test response unchanged
Vittone 1997 (11 men aged 64 to 76)PMID 9005976GHRH(1-29), sermorelin, subcutaneous6 weeksVittone 1997 administered 2 mg nightly (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9005976)Nocturnal GH up, 2 of 6 strength tests and 1 endurance test upIGF-1, IGFBP-3, weight, BMI, DEXA fat and muscle, lipids unchanged
Koutkia 2004 (31 HIV men aged 18 to 60)PMID 15249570GHRH, form unstated, subcutaneous (HIV lipodystrophy)12 weeksKoutkia 2004 assigned 1 mg twice daily (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 15249570)IGF-1 up, lean mass up, trunk fat down (P = .03); visceral fat reduction not significant (P = .07)Glucose, insulin, lipids unchanged
Khorram 1997, endocrine (19 adults aged 55 to 71)PMID 9141536[Nle27]GHRH(1-29) analog, subcutaneous16 weeks (after 4 weeks placebo)Khorram 1997 administered 10 micrograms/kg nightly (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9141536)GH and IGF-1 up, skin thickness up in both sexes, lean mass up in menBody weight, blood pressure, bone density, sleep quality unchanged
Khorram 1997, immune (same cohort)PMID 9360512[norleucine27]GHRH(1-29) analog, subcutaneous16 weeks (after 4 weeks placebo)Khorram 1997 administered 10 micrograms/kg nightly (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9360512)12 h GH up 107% in men and 70% in women, IGF-1 up 28%; several immune markers up (Khorram 1997, PMID 9360512)T cell, CD4, CD8 and NK counts unchanged, no adverse effects
Vitiello 2006 (89 older adults, mean 68)PMID 16399214GHRH(1-29)NH2, sermorelin, subcutaneous (molecule and route per companion review full text PMC2544358)6 monthsVitiello 2006 gave GHRH daily (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 16399214); bedtime subcutaneous injections are described in the companion review full text PMC2544358; per-injection mg not printedSeveral cognitive tests improved; gains independent of gender, estrogen status, baseline cognition. Companion review full text PMC2544358 reports fluid intelligence gains, IGF-I up approximately 35%, lean body mass up and body fat down, particularly abdominal visceral fat. The study tested GHRH(1-29)NH2 alone or with supervised exercise conditioning; this body composition summary does not separate the effects of GHRH and exerciseNo improvement in crystallized intelligence; no strength or aerobic fitness gains associated with GHRH injections (companion review full text PMC2544358)
Munafo 2005 (12 young men, 20 elderly)PMID 16061831PEG-GHRH analog, subcutaneousSingle and repeated doseMunafo 2005 tested 0.25, 0.5, 2 or 4 mg (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 16061831)GH and IGF-1 up versus placeboAnti-GHRH antibodies not observed
Sigalos 2017 (confounded, 14 of 105 men, mean age 33)PMID 28830317Sermorelin plus GHRP-2, GHRP-6 and testosteroneAbout 134 daysSigalos 2017 recorded 100 micrograms of GHRP-6, GHRP-2 and sermorelin, three times daily (community practice, no trial)IGF-1 rose from about 159.5 to 239.0 ng/mL (Sigalos 2017, PMID 28830317)Cannot isolate any sermorelin effect

The longest sermorelin trial in the table is 6 months and reported cognitive gains (Vitiello 2006, PMID 16399214). Its companion review also reports body composition changes. The study tested GHRH(1-29)NH2 alone or with supervised exercise conditioning, and this body composition summary does not separate their effects (Hersch and Merriam 2008, PMC2544358).17 The longest analog trial is 16 weeks,34 and the longest GHRH family trial in this review, at 12 months, used tesamorelin, a different drug covered on its own page.22 So genuine long term sermorelin after data in adults, past 6 months, does not exist in the trials reviewed here, and anyone promising a one year sermorelin transformation is filling a gap the evidence leaves open.

GH and IGF-1 over time

The 14 day checkpoint is a blood result. Corpas 1992 assigned old men 0.5 mg and 1 mg twice daily in separate 14 day periods, in random order, with 14 days without treatment between them (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 1379256), and the response was dose related: mean 24 hour GH, peak area, peak amplitude and IGF-1 all rose significantly at the high dose, and after high dose treatment there was no significant difference between the old men and the young men on those measures.1 These two week results in ten old men do not measure a change in body composition.

Longer follow-up did not always mean higher IGF-1. Vittone 1997 assigned eleven elderly men 2 mg nightly for 6 weeks (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9005976), and nocturnal GH rose while IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and GH binding protein did not.2 Khorram 1997 used a close analog at 10 micrograms/kg nightly for 16 weeks (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9141536). IGF-1 rose within about 2 weeks,3 and the companion paper put numbers on it: 12 hour integrated GH up 107 percent in men and 70 percent in women, and IGF-1 up 28 percent, with the IGF-1 rise lasting 12 weeks and the GH rise 16 weeks.4

The subcutaneous GHRH trial in HIV associated lipodystrophy measured IGF-1 as well as body composition. In Koutkia 2004, men with HIV associated lipodystrophy received 1 mg twice daily for 12 weeks (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 15249570), and IGF-1 rose by 104 ng/mL against 6 ng/mL on placebo.18 A pegylated analog and full length GHRH 1-44 also raised GH and IGF-1,57 and at review level the summary is that GHRH, given repeatedly, lifts IGF-1 into younger adult normal ranges.16 Set side by side, the IGF-1 results were: up on twice daily sermorelin over 14 days, significantly only at the higher dose (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 1379256),1 up on twice daily subcutaneous GHRH over 12 weeks (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 15249570),18 up within about 2 weeks on the nightly analog over 16 weeks (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9141536),3 unchanged after 6 weeks of once nightly sermorelin (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9005976),2 and up approximately 35% in the 6 month GHRH(1-29)NH2 trial, according to Hersch and Merriam (2008 companion review, source 17, PMC2544358).

Body composition: what changed, what did not

The 6 week scan result and the 6 month review summary need to be read separately. Vittone 1997 found no change in weight, body mass index, waist to hip ratio, or DEXA measures of muscle and fat after 6 weeks of nightly dosing (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9005976).2 The companion review of the 6 month University of Washington trial reports increased lean body mass and decreased body fat, particularly abdominal visceral fat. The study tested GHRH(1-29)NH2 alone or with supervised exercise conditioning, and this body composition summary does not separate their effects. Hersch and Merriam reported no improvement in strength or aerobic fitness associated with GHRH injections (2008 review, source 17, PMC2544358).

Other body composition signals come from different molecules or populations. Khorram's 16 week analog increased lean body mass in men only, with no fat mass change reported in either sex.3 Koutkia's 12 week twice daily trial did show fat loss, lean mass up by 0.9 kg against a 0.3 kg loss on placebo and trunk fat down by 0.4 kg against a small gain, but the population was HIV associated lipodystrophy, not healthy aging, and the abstract names only GHRH without the fragment.18 The Merriam 2003 review reports increased lean mass and reduced body fat with GHRH treatment over several months.16

The biggest and most photogenic fat loss numbers belong to other drugs, and this is exactly where misattribution happens. A 2013 review of recombinant growth hormone replacement in adults with growth hormone deficiency reported a 9 percent fat mass reduction in visceral and trunk locations over 6 months, and this is not sermorelin evidence.13 The larger fat loss and visceral fat results in this drug family come from tesamorelin, a separate stabilized analog, and cannot be used as evidence for a sermorelin transformation.1922 The full comparison lives on the tesamorelin versus sermorelin guide. The bottom line for sermorelin is that no healthy adult trial has shown the dramatic fat loss those photos imply.

Skin, strength and sleep

On strength, the one signal is modest and single trial. Vittone 1997 found that 2 of 6 muscle strength tests, upright row and shoulder press, and one endurance test, the abdominal crunch, improved over 6 weeks, yet with no change in DEXA muscle mass or muscle histology.2 So the strength blip was not matched by measurable muscle growth, and the reviews are blunt that studies of physical function have been generally disappointing and inconsistent, at most stabilizing rather than improving function.1617

On skin, the only measured outcome in this whole literature is from the analog, not sermorelin: 16 weeks of the Khorram compound produced a significant increase in skin thickness in both sexes, measured with skin calipers at four sites.3 A review of growth hormone and IGF-1 physiology describes increased skin thickness through collagen synthesis and dry, thin skin with GH deficiency. This is mechanism context, not evidence of a sermorelin skin benefit.14 But caliper skin thickness is not the same as a visibly better complexion, and a phone photo taken under different lighting cannot show it.

On sleep, the honest statement is that sermorelin has not been shown to improve it. Hersch and Merriam report that GHRH failed to improve deep sleep and may even have impaired it in the 6 month sermorelin trial (2008 companion review, source 17, full text PMC2544358). Sleep quality was unchanged in the 16 week Khorram analog trial.3 In seniors specifically, intravenous GHRH produced fewer awakenings but far less sleep benefit than in young subjects,20 and a priming study concluded it had no sleep improving effect at all.21 Perras 1999 reported increased slow wave and REM sleep after intranasal GHRH in young and old men. Marshall 1996 reported these sleep changes after intravenous episodic dosing in healthy volunteers whose ages are not stated in the abstract,68 and Merriam 2003 reports no sleep improvement with chronic short-acting GHRH, while Hersch and Merriam 2008 report that most studies found no improvement in slow wave sleep in seniors.1617

Cognition, the longest sermorelin result

The 6 month trial also measured cognition, an outcome a camera cannot show. Vitiello 2006 gave daily GHRH or placebo for 6 months to 89 healthy older adults; its own abstract names only GHRH, and the companion review full text identifies the molecule and the daily bedtime subcutaneous route as GHRH(1-29)NH2 (PMC2544358).17 The per injection milligram dose is not printed in the available sources, so this page states none. The trial reported improved performance on several cognitive tests, including WAIS-R performance IQ, picture arrangement, finding A's, verbal sets and a single dual task, and those gains were independent of gender, estrogen status and baseline cognitive capacity.15 The companion review full text frames the same result as improvement in fluid, but not crystallized, intelligence (PMC2544358).17

Even here the researchers stop short of a recommendation. Merriam 2003 summarizes that GHRH improved certain tests of cognitive performance while cautioning that the results do not yet support routine use of GHRH in normal aging,16 and the 2008 review calls the cognition reports encouraging but the overall balance of benefits and risks uncertain.17 The strongest cognition trial in the GHRH family actually used tesamorelin, a separate drug,19 which again belongs to the tesamorelin page, not here.

What before and after photos can and cannot show

Put the pieces together and the photo problem is clear. No sermorelin or GHRH family trial in this review used photographs or any standardized appearance outcome. What the trials measured were blood levels, DEXA body composition, caliper skin thickness, muscle strength, cognitive tests12315 and sleep stages,682021 and a before and after photo captures none of them directly.

Worse, the visible change that does appear early can mislead. The most common effect of recombinant growth hormone in adults with growth hormone deficiency is fluid retention, with peripheral edema,13 and the same aging review full text notes that growth hormone releasing hormone side effects are similar in character to growth hormone but milder and less frequent (PMC2544358),17 so a fuller or puffier look early on can reflect water rather than muscle or fat loss, while genuine body composition change, when it happens, accrues over months. Skin change is at the collagen and caliper level, which lighting, posture, hydration and time of day swamp in a casual photo.314 And the longest adult sermorelin trial also reported cognitive gains, which a phone camera cannot show at all.15

This is also why the clinic data behind real world before and after galleries is so hard to read: it rarely isolates one compound. The clearest modern clinic dataset, Sigalos 2017, is a retrospective IGF-1 chart review in young men on testosterone, only 14 of 105 of whom met inclusion, who were prescribed 100 micrograms of GHRP-6, GHRP-2 and sermorelin three times daily (community practice, no trial); with two other peptides and testosterone in the mix, its IGF-1 rise cannot be pinned on sermorelin.23

The 2008 withdrawal, and why it matters

GEREF was discontinued in 2008 for reasons other than safety or effectiveness, a finding about withdrawal rather than a general assurance of safety.91011 For the full regulatory chronology, see the sermorelin profile.

Where people get sermorelin now

Since there is no FDA approved sermorelin product on the US market, the useful question is not brand or price, for which this review has no published figure, but what a batch specific certificate of analysis from an independent laboratory can and cannot tell you about a given vial. This site keeps a plain walkthrough of how to read a certificate of analysis and a certificate library for exactly this reason.

For sermorelin, this page links to our supply partner, Peptara Labs. Whatever the source, the same rule applies: prefer a published, batch specific certificate over a seller's word about identity or purity, and read it against the walkthrough and the certificate library linked above.

Disclosure: Some links on this page are referral links. Peptides Vietnam may earn a fee at no cost to you. Editorial content is never sold.

None of that changes the evidence picture on this page. A certificate of analysis describes the identity and purity a laboratory measured in one tested batch, not what a compound will do, and the measured effects of sermorelin remain the modest, mostly internal changes the trials recorded. For the molecule itself, its half-life and how it is described, the sermorelin profile covers the basics without repeating the trial timeline here.

The short version

  • Sermorelin is the growth hormone releasing hormone fragment GHRH(1-29). The adult sermorelin evidence in this review is three small, old trials in older adults, spanning 1992 to 2006 (trials, PMID 1379256, PMID 9005976, PMID 16399214).
  • No sermorelin or GHRH family trial in this review used before and after photographs. The measured outcomes were blood markers, DEXA body composition, skin thickness, strength, sleep stages and cognition.
  • The Khorram 1997 norleucine analog triggered GH release within 10 minutes, lasting 2 hours (PMID 9141536). IGF-1 rose on twice daily sermorelin over 14 days, significantly only at the higher dose (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 1379256), on twice daily subcutaneous GHRH over 12 weeks (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 15249570) and within about 2 weeks on the nightly analog over 16 weeks (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9141536), but not after 6 weeks of once nightly sermorelin (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9005976). The companion review reports an approximately 35% IGF-I rise in the 6 month GHRH(1-29)NH2 trial (PMC2544358).
  • Vittone 1997 saw no change in weight or DEXA fat over 6 weeks of once nightly dosing (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9005976). The companion review of the 6 month trial reports lean body mass up and body fat down, particularly abdominal visceral fat. The study tested GHRH(1-29)NH2 alone or with supervised exercise conditioning, and this body composition summary does not separate their effects. No strength or aerobic fitness gains were associated with GHRH injections (PMC2544358). Other body composition signals come from twice daily GHRH in HIV associated lipodystrophy (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 15249570), a lean mass gain in men only with an analog given nightly (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9141536), and from recombinant growth hormone and tesamorelin, separate drugs.
  • Vitiello 2006, the longest adult sermorelin trial in this review, gave daily injections for 6 months (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 16399214) and reported improvement on several cognitive tests. Its companion review identifies the molecule as GHRH(1-29)NH2, tested alone or with supervised exercise conditioning, and also reports IGF-I and body composition changes. That body composition summary does not separate the effects of GHRH and exercise (PMC2544358). Reviewers still stop short of endorsing routine use (review, PMID 14610297).
  • For approval status and the withdrawal chronology, see the sermorelin profile at /peptides/sermorelin. The timeline here records study outcomes; it does not establish that a product sold now matches what a trial tested.
  • Every dose figure here is tagged as a trial, label or community practice value, never a recommendation. Sermorelin decisions belong with a clinician, not a before and after gallery.

Frequently asked questions

What does sermorelin before and after actually look like in studies?+

In studies, sermorelin before and after is measured in blood and on scans, not in photographs. Two of the small human trials of sermorelin itself, the GHRH(1-29) fragment, tracked growth hormone and IGF-1 levels (PMID 1379256, PMID 9005976), with DEXA body composition and muscle strength measured in Vittone 1997 (PMID 9005976), and the longest of the adult sermorelin trials measured cognition over 6 months (PMID 16399214). Its companion review identifies the molecule as GHRH(1-29)NH2, tested alone or with supervised exercise conditioning, and reports an approximately 35% IGF-I rise. It also reports increased lean body mass and decreased body fat, particularly abdominal visceral fat, but this summary does not separate the effects of GHRH and exercise. No strength or aerobic fitness gains were associated with GHRH injections (PMC2544358). None of them, and no growth hormone releasing hormone trial in this review, used before and after images. So the honest before and after is a set of internal numbers a camera cannot capture, not a visible transformation.

How long did sermorelin take to show measurable changes in trials?+

It depends on what is measured and how often the dose is given. Khorram 1997 reported GH release within 10 minutes, lasting 2 hours, with a norleucine analog rather than sermorelin (PMID 9141536). IGF-1, the slower marker, rose within about 2 weeks in a 16 week trial of a close analog given nightly (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9141536), and over 14 days when sermorelin was given twice daily, significantly only at the higher of the two doses (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 1379256), but it did not rise after 6 weeks of once nightly sermorelin (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9005976). A small strength signal appeared at 6 weeks of once nightly sermorelin (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9005976), and cognitive test gains at 6 months of daily injections (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 16399214). Each of these was a different molecule, population and regimen, so the results are reported study by study rather than as a single calendar.

Does sermorelin cause fat loss or weight loss?+

No healthy adult sermorelin trial has shown the dramatic fat loss that before and after photos imply. Vittone 1997 saw no change in weight, BMI or DEXA fat mass after 6 weeks of once nightly dosing (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9005976). The companion review of the 6 month trial reports increased lean body mass and decreased body fat, particularly abdominal visceral fat. The study tested GHRH(1-29)NH2 alone or with supervised exercise conditioning, and this body composition summary does not separate their effects. No strength or aerobic fitness gains were associated with GHRH injections (PMC2544358). Other body composition signals in the wider growth hormone releasing hormone literature come from twice daily subcutaneous GHRH in HIV associated lipodystrophy over 12 weeks (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 15249570), from a lean mass gain in men only with an analog given nightly (trial dose, not a recommendation, PMID 9141536), and above all from recombinant growth hormone and from tesamorelin, a separate stabilized analog. Those stronger fat loss numbers are not sermorelin results, and the tesamorelin comparison has its own page.

Are sermorelin before and after photos online reliable?+

Treat them with caution. No trial in this review used photographs, so there is no measured link between sermorelin and a visible change. Early visible change can reflect fluid rather than fat: recombinant growth hormone commonly causes fluid retention with peripheral edema (2013 review of GH replacement in growth hormone deficient adults), and the same aging review full text describes growth hormone releasing hormone side effects as similar in character but milder and less frequent (PMC2544358). The non-sermorelin studies of recombinant growth hormone and tesamorelin cannot be used as evidence for a sermorelin transformation. One retrospective clinic review of 105 men (PMID 28830317) gave sermorelin together with the peptides GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 and with testosterone, and IGF-1 rose from about 159.5 to 239.0 ng/mL, but the design cannot isolate any sermorelin effect. And casual before and after photos vary in lighting, posture, hydration and time of day, so appearance alone cannot reliably show a change in one hormone marker.

Is sermorelin still FDA approved or available?+

There is no FDA approved sermorelin product on the US market in the records checked on 2026-09-29. The withdrawal section above cites the FDA records; the sermorelin profile at /peptides/sermorelin covers the full regulatory chronology.

Sources and references

Every figure on this page traces to one of these sources, fetched on 2026-09-29. Numbers match the citation markers in the text. Peptide identity is flagged where a source used an analog, a different fragment, or tesamorelin rather than sermorelin.

  1. 1.Corpas E, Harman SM, Pineyro 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. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1992;75(2):530-5. PMID 1379256. PubMed PMID 1379256
  2. 2.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. PMID 9005976. PubMed PMID 9005976
  3. 3.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):1472-9. PMID 9141536. PubMed PMID 9141536
  4. 4.Khorram O, Yeung M, Vu L, Yen SS. Effects of [norleucine27]growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) (1-29)-NH2 administration on the immune system of aging men and women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997;82(11):3590-6. PMID 9360512. PubMed PMID 9360512
  5. 5.Corpas E, Harman SM, Pineyro MA, Roberson R, Blackman MR. Continuous subcutaneous infusions of growth hormone (GH) releasing hormone 1-44 for 14 days increase GH and insulin-like growth factor-I levels in old men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1993;76(1):134-8. PMID 8421077. PubMed PMID 8421077
  6. 6.Perras B, Marshall L, Kohler G, Born J, Fehm HL. Sleep and endocrine changes after intranasal administration of growth hormone-releasing hormone in young and aged humans. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1999;24(7):743-57. PMID 10451909. PubMed PMID 10451909
  7. 7.Munafo A, Nguyen TX, Papasouliotis O, Lecuelle H, Priestley A, Thorner MO. Polyethylene glycol-conjugated growth hormone-releasing hormone is long acting and stimulates GH in healthy young and elderly subjects. Eur J Endocrinol. 2005;153(2):249-56. PMID 16061831. PubMed PMID 16061831
  8. 8.Marshall L, Molle M, Boschen G, Steiger A, Fehm HL, Born J. Greater efficacy of episodic than continuous growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) administration in promoting slow-wave sleep. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996;81(3):1009-13. PMID 8772566. PubMed PMID 8772566
  9. 9.US Food and Drug Administration. Determination that GEREF (sermorelin acetate) injections were not withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness (shortened title). Federal Register, 78 FR 14095, March 4, 2013. Docket FDA-2012-P-1071. govinfo.gov / Federal Register 78 FR 14095
  10. 10.Drugs@FDA overview, GEREF (Sermorelin Acetate), Application NDA 020443 (the per vial treatment product). Marketing Status Discontinued. Fetched 2026-09-29. accessdata.fda.gov / NDA 020443
  11. 11.Drugs@FDA overview, GEREF (Sermorelin Acetate), Application NDA 019863 (the per amp diagnostic product). Marketing Status Discontinued. Fetched 2026-09-29. accessdata.fda.gov / NDA 019863
  12. 12.RxList. Sermorelin Acetate (Sermorelin): Side Effects, Uses, Dosage. Reproduced FDA prescribing information (label revision 10/2/2001). Fetched 2026-09-29. rxlist.com / sermorelin acetate label
  13. 13.Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency: Benefits, Side Effects, and Risks of Growth Hormone Replacement. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2013. Growth hormone physiology context, not sermorelin. frontiersin.org / GH replacement 2013
  14. 14.Skin lesions in patients treated with growth hormone and those with growth hormone excess: a current overview. Frontiers in Medicine, 2026. Growth hormone and IGF-1 skin physiology, not sermorelin. frontiersin.org / GH and skin 2026
  15. 15.Vitiello MV, Moe KE, Merriam GR, Mazzoni G, Buchner DH, Schwartz RS. Growth hormone releasing hormone improves the cognition of healthy older adults. Neurobiol Aging. 2006;27(2):318-23. PMID 16399214. PubMed PMID 16399214
  16. 16.Merriam GR, Schwartz RS, Vitiello MV. Growth hormone-releasing hormone and growth hormone secretagogues in normal aging. Endocrine. 2003;22(1):41-8. PMID 14610297. PubMed PMID 14610297
  17. 17.Hersch EC, Merriam GR. Growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone and GH secretagogues in normal aging: Fountain of Youth or Pool of Tantalus? Clin Interv Aging. 2008;3(1):121-9. PMID 18488883. Full text PMC2544358 (Europe PMC) is the basis for the molecule identity, the daily bedtime subcutaneous route, the fluid intelligence framing and the GHRH side effect comparison cited from this review; those details are not in the PubMed abstract. PubMed PMID 18488883 / full text PMC2544358
  18. 18.Koutkia P, Canavan B, Breu J, Torriani M, Kissko J, Grinspoon S. Growth hormone-releasing hormone in HIV-infected men with lipodystrophy: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2004;292(2):210-8. PMID 15249570. PubMed PMID 15249570
  19. 19.Baker LD, Barsness SM, Borson S, Merriam GR, Friedman SD, Craft S, Vitiello MV. Effects of growth hormone-releasing hormone on cognitive function in adults with mild cognitive impairment and healthy older adults. Arch Neurol. 2012;69(11):1420-9. PMID 22869065. Tesamorelin, a separate drug. PubMed PMID 22869065
  20. 20.Guldner J, Schier T, Friess E, Colla M, Holsboer F, Steiger A. Reduced efficacy of growth hormone-releasing hormone in modulating sleep endocrine activity in the elderly. Neurobiol Aging. 1997;18(5):491-5. PMID 9390775. PubMed PMID 9390775
  21. 21.Murck H, Frieboes RM, Schier T, Steiger A. Longtime administration of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) does not restore the reduced efficiency of GHRH on sleep endocrine activity in 2 old-aged subjects, a preliminary study. Pharmacopsychiatry. 1997;30(4):122-4. PMID 9271777. PubMed PMID 9271777
  22. 22.Makimura H, Feldpausch MN, Rope AM, Hemphill LC, Torriani M, Lee H, Grinspoon SK. Metabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in obese subjects with reduced growth hormone secretion: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012;97(12):4769-79. PMID 23015655. Tesamorelin, a separate drug. PubMed PMID 23015655
  23. 23.Sigalos JT, Pastuszak AW, Allison A, et al. Growth Hormone Secretagogue Treatment in Hypogonadal Men Raises Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Levels. Am J Mens Health. 2017;11(6):1752-1757. PMID 28830317. Sermorelin combined with GHRP-2, GHRP-6 and testosterone. PubMed PMID 28830317

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This guide is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It describes what published clinical trials, FDA records and drug labels reported about what they measured; it is not an endorsement, a recommendation, or an instruction to use any compound, and it does not recommend any dose. Sermorelin is not an approved medicine in the United States. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any decision about your health.