Sermorelin is licensed as a diagnostic test for secretion of growth hormone. It is also used for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency in children. However, products containing sermorelin were withdrawn from the United States market by the manufacturer in November 2002.
Sermorelin is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor and a peptide hormone that stimulates release of the growth hormon. Sermorelin Acetate, was used for characterization of a growth hormone-releasing factor from a human pancreatic islet tumor. It is also used to diagnose and treat poor growth in children. It is sometimes used off-label to treat hGH deficiency in adults.
Sermorelin is an analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) primarily used for diagnostic purposes. It is a 29-amino acid-containing fragment of endogenous human GHRH, also represented as GHRH (1–29). Sermorelin is the shortest fully functional synthetic fragment of GHRH. It was marketed under the trade name of Geref by Serono Laboratories, but the FDA recently listed it as a “discontinued drug product.”
The benefits of sermorelin include: Improved body composition, muscle function, and strength; Faster and efficient healing of wounds; Reduced body fat, especially abdominal fat; Enhanced immune system, bone health, and cardiovascular function; Improved sleep quality, mood, and mental clarity.
The most common side effect of sermorelin is caused by its injection under your skin. You may experience any of the following at the site of injection:
irritation
itching
sensitivity
swelling
pain
redness
Sermorelin may interact with other medications. Drug interactions that may interfere with sermorelin include:
thyroid medications (levothyroxine)
cyclooxygenase inhibitors (aspirin)
glucocorticoids (prednisone)
insulin
muscarinic antagonists (atropine)
somatostatin-containing drugs or drugs that affect somatostatin (levodopa)
