Sermorelin vs Tesamorelin
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
The short answer
Two copies of GHRH, the brain's growth hormone release signal, whose approval stories went opposite ways. Sermorelin was approved as Geref and is no longer sold in its first form, so it reaches patients through pharmacy mixing. Tesamorelin is currently FDA approved, for shifted body fat in people with HIV, on data from 806 patients in large final stage trials.
- Sermorelin people
- 139
- Sermorelin nulls
- 1
- Tesamorelin people
- 1,729
- Tesamorelin nulls
- 3
Dose
No human dose established
Amounts that circulate in forums and on vendor pages are not a human dose. Amounts that were given in studies sit in Human evidence on this page.
Commonly reported amounts, in mcg. The discontinued approved product was dosed by body weight, not as a fixed amount.
Amounts commonly reported by people buying Sermorelin, recorded for this archive's reconstitution calculator, are 100, 200, 300 and 500 mcg. They are self-reports rather than trial doses, and this archive does not recommend any of them. Sermorelin was an approved medicine and that label carried a dose; it is no longer marketed. These reported amounts are not that label's dose.
| Reported amount | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|
| 100 mcg | Commonly reported, no published human dosing trial |
| 200 mcg | Commonly reported, no published human dosing trial |
| 300 mcg | Commonly reported, no published human dosing trial |
| 500 mcg | Commonly reported, no published human dosing trial |
Dose
Approved medicine. No human dose established for unlabelled uses
Labeled amounts sit on the prescribing information. This page records what trials measured, not a personal dose.
FDA-approved (Egrifta) to cut extra belly fat in people with HIV who have lipodystrophy
First-hand reports are counted on each profile and never added together. This page sets two published records side by side. It does not pick a winner.
Column A
SermorelinSermorelin (GHRH 1-29 analogue)
A piece of the hormone that tells your body to make growth hormone. It was once approved for children short on growth hormone. Now it is made by compounding pharmacies and used for anti-aging.
Column B
TesamorelinTesamorelin (stabilized GHRH analogue)
An FDA-approved shot that shrinks belly fat, the deep fat around the organs. It is also being studied for memory and thinking in older adults at risk of Alzheimer's.
Side by side, on the facts we can check
| What we compare | Sermorelin | Tesamorelin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Growth Hormone | Growth Hormone |
| FDA status | Previously FDA-approved (Geref, now discontinued); available made up by compounding pharmacies | FDA-approved (Egrifta) to cut extra belly fat in people with HIV who have lipodystrophy |
| Half-life | ~10-20 minutes | ~26-38 minutes |
| Molecular weight | 3,357.9 Da | 5,135.9 Da |
| How it works | It switches on the GHRH receptor in the pituitary gland. That makes the gland release growth hormone the normal way. | It switches on GHRH receptors on the pituitary gland. That makes the gland release growth hormone in natural bursts, and leaves the brain's normal checks on it in place. |
| Studies in people | 3 | 8 |
| Evidence | Moderate: 3 completed trials, 139 people given it | Strong: 8 completed trials, 1,729 people given it |
| Legal status, US | Earlier approval discontinued; available from compounding pharmacies | FDA-approved for one specific use, prescription only |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Sermorelin and Tesamorelin?
Sermorelin: A piece of the hormone that tells your body to make growth hormone. It was once approved for children short on growth hormone. Now it is made by compounding pharmacies and used for anti-aging. Tesamorelin: An FDA-approved shot that shrinks belly fat, the deep fat around the organs. It is also being studied for memory and thinking in older adults at risk of Alzheimer's.
Which has stronger research evidence, Sermorelin or Tesamorelin?
Each compound gets a band worked out from facts we counted, with the math shown. Sermorelin is Moderate (3 completed trials, 139 people given it). Tesamorelin is Strong (8 completed trials, 1,729 people given it). That counts how much has been done in people. It does not rate whether either one works, and neither one is called the winner.
Are Sermorelin and Tesamorelin FDA-approved?
Sermorelin: Previously FDA-approved (Geref, now discontinued); available made up by compounding pharmacies. Tesamorelin: FDA-approved (Egrifta) to cut extra belly fat in people with HIV who have lipodystrophy.
Related posts
Blog articles that cover Sermorelin or Tesamorelin, newest first.
Reviewed Sep 2026. This page puts two published records side by side. It is for learning, and it is not medical advice. When this site shows a dose, it is the dose a trial or a clinic actually used, or what people say they did, with the source attached. None of it tells you what to take.