Compare
Tesamorelin vs Sermorelin
Two GHRH analogues built for the same fundamental job — stimulating the pituitary's own pulsatile release of growth hormone — but at very different points in structure, half-life, and regulatory history. This page compares what the peer-reviewed literature and regulatory documentation currently support for each.
Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Peptide structure
Tesamorelin
Full-length GHRH(1-44) analogue with a trans-3-hexenoyl modification at the N-terminus that resists rapid enzymatic degradation.
Sermorelin
N-terminal 29-amino-acid fragment of GHRH — GHRH(1-29)NH2 — the shortest sequence that retains full receptor activity.
2 citations in this row
Half-life and GH pulse profile
Tesamorelin
~26–38 minutes. Produces a physiologic GH pulse with a somewhat sustained profile.
Sermorelin
~10–20 minutes. Produces a sharper, shorter discrete GH pulse.
2 citations in this row
Regulatory status
Tesamorelin
Carries an active FDA indication for visceral-fat reduction in a specific approved-drug population, supported by a modern phase-3 program. Not EMA-approved.
Sermorelin
Historically FDA-approved as Geref (1990) for pediatric GH deficiency. The NDA was withdrawn from the U.S. market by the sponsor in 2008 for commercial reasons (not a safety-related withdrawal). No currently marketed FDA-approved product; contemporary access is via compounding pharmacies.
2 citations in this row
Approved indications
Tesamorelin
Reduction of excess abdominal fat in a specific approved-drug population. No other approved indication in any jurisdiction.
Sermorelin
None currently. Historically approved for pediatric idiopathic GH deficiency; approval no longer active.
2 citations in this row
Headline evidence base
Tesamorelin
Falutz NEJM 2007: mean visceral fat reduction of approximately 15% at 26 weeks vs 5% loss with placebo. The 2010 follow-up extended the observation period. Stanley JAMA 2014 and the 2019 Lancet study demonstrated hepatic-fat reduction in the same research population.
Sermorelin
Thorner JCEM 1996: growth-velocity acceleration in the first year of therapy in pediatric GHD (historical pediatric indication). Walker JCEM 1994 in adult GHD. No modern phase-3 program.
4 citations in this row
Safety-data maturity
Tesamorelin
Well-characterised through the pivotal Falutz phase-3 program and post-marketing surveillance since 2010. Dominant signals: injection-site reactions and metabolic effects of IGF-1 elevation (fluid retention, hyperglycaemia, carpal tunnel-like symptoms).
Sermorelin
Historical marketed-period data from the Geref era (1990–2008). Class-typical GHRH profile: injection-site reactions, mild flushing, headache. Contemporary safety data specific to compounded product is limited.
2 citations in this row
Presentation and reconstitution
Tesamorelin
FDA-approved kit: lyophilized vial with matched sterile-water-for-injection diluent. Reconstitution volume specified on the label. Research-context RUO preparation follows the Healthy Mango convention: bacteriostatic water into the lyophilized vial.
Sermorelin
Compounded lyophilized vial. Reconstitution parameters — diluent (typically bacteriostatic water), volume, sterility, and beyond-use date — are set by the dispensing pharmacy, not a public FDA label.
1 citation in this row
Approved / studied dosing
Tesamorelin
FDA-approved dose: 2 mg subcutaneous, once daily. Studied continuously for up to 52 weeks in the Falutz extension.
Sermorelin
Historical pediatric dose: ~30 µg/kg subcutaneous at bedtime. Adult research doses reported in the 200–500 µg/day range in published trials.
2 citations in this row
Tesamorelin and sermorelin address the same receptor (GHRH-R) but at very different points in their commercial and evidentiary trajectories. Tesamorelin carries an active FDA indication and modern phase-3 data for visceral-fat reduction in a specific approved-drug population. Sermorelin carries a historical FDA legacy, well-characterised mechanism, and contemporary access only through compounding pharmacies. Neither compound is a substitute for a clinical decision informed by an individual's medical history.
References
- Effects of tesamorelin (TH9507), a growth hormone–releasing factor analog, in HIV-infected patients with excess abdominal fat· Falutz J, Allas S, Blot K, et al. · 2007
- Long-term safety and effects of tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing factor analogue, in HIV patients with abdominal fat accumulation· Falutz J, Potvin D, Mamputu JC, et al. · 2010
- Effects of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation: a randomized clinical trial· Stanley TL, Feldpausch MN, Oh J, et al. · 2014
- Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial· Stanley TL, Fourman LT, Feldpausch MN, et al. · 2019
- FDA Prescribing Information — EGRIFTA / EGRIFTA SV (tesamorelin) for injection· U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2010
- Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH)(1-29)NH2 for treatment of GH deficiency in adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial· Walker RF, Codd EE, Barone FC, et al. · 1994
- Once daily subcutaneous growth hormone-releasing hormone therapy accelerates growth in growth hormone-deficient children during the first year of therapy· Thorner MO, Rochiccioli P, Colle M, et al. · 1996
- Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency?· Prakash A, Goa KL · 1999
- FDA history — GEREF (sermorelin acetate) for injection (approval 1990, withdrawn 2008)· U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2008
Continue exploring
Editorial paths through the library. Pick one and follow the trail.
Compare
Semaglutide vs Tirzepatide
Two of the most extensively studied incretin-based therapies — approved and marketed in the same therapeutic areas, but with different receptor profiles, different phase-3 programs, and different published outcomes. This page compares what the peer-reviewed literature and regulatory documentation currently support for each.
→
Compare
Tirzepatide vs Retatrutide
Two incretin-based peptides in the same broad family, but at very different stages of development. This page compares what the peer-reviewed literature currently supports on each — regulatory status, receptor targets, evidence tier, and headline efficacy from published phase-3 trials.
→
Compare
BPC-157 vs TB-500
These two peptides are the most-discussed pair in the tissue-repair conversation, and they are also the most-conflated. In practice they share none of what usually justifies grouping compounds: their origins are unrelated, their mechanisms are unrelated, and the shape of the evidence supporting each is structurally different. This page walks through those distinctions.
→
Compare
KPV vs GHK-Cu
Two small, endogenously-derived peptides that get grouped in discussions about anti-inflammatory and skin peptides. They share molecular scale — both are tripeptides — and their mechanisms are both proposed to be intracellular rather than classical receptor-mediated. Everything else about their evidence structures, use cases, and regulatory status differs, in ways that are worth reading precisely.
→
Compare
CJC-1295 (No DAC) vs Sermorelin
Two GHRH(1-29)-based signals. Sermorelin is the native sequence; CJC-1295 No DAC is the same sequence with four amino acid substitutions that resist enzymatic degradation. This page compares what the peer-reviewed literature currently supports on each.
→
Compare
CJC-1295 No DAC vs CJC-1295 DAC
The two forms share an identical GHRH(1-29) backbone with the same four amino acid substitutions. The Drug Affinity Complex (DAC) — a single maleimidopropionic acid linker that covalently binds serum albumin — is the only chemical difference. Every downstream pharmacologic property flows from that one addition. This page reads out those differences precisely.
→
Compare
AOD-9604 vs Semaglutide
Two compounds pursued as pharmacological approaches to weight loss, from opposite starting points and with opposite clinical results. AOD-9604 was designed as a lipolytic fragment of human growth hormone; its 2007 phase 2b did not meet its primary endpoint and its pharmaceutical program was discontinued. Semaglutide came from the incretin research tradition, obtained FDA approval for chronic weight management in 2021, and produced a large clinical evidence base. This page presents the two side by side to make each visible in the other's context.
→
Categories
Fat Loss & Metabolism
Compounds studied for body-composition, glycaemic control, and metabolic health.
→
Categories
Repair & Regeneration
Compounds studied for wound healing, tissue repair, and musculoskeletal recovery.
→