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The 44-residue hypothalamic hormone that every GHRH analogue on this site — sermorelin, CJC-1295, tesamorelin — is a shortened or stabilised copy of.
Also known as: Growth hormone-releasing hormone · GHRH(1-44) · Human growth hormone-releasing factor · Somatorelin
Part of the Growth hormone & IGF peptides cluster
Overview
Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH, INN somatorelin) is the 44-amino-acid hypothalamic peptide that stimulates growth hormone release from the pituitary. It is the parent sequence of sermorelin (residues 1–29), CJC-1295 and tesamorelin, and its measurement underpins anti-doping tests for GHRH analogues. The full-length hormone is not itself a marketed medicine.
Source & context
Biological / chemical source: Hypothalamic neurons (human); synthetic full-length peptide available for research
Primary research or clinical context: Endogenous hormone; the 44-residue human sequence (INN somatorelin) is not itself an approved medicine — its truncated and modified analogues sermorelin, CJC-1295 and tesamorelin are the therapeutic forms
What GHRH is
Growth hormone-releasing hormone is the hypothalamic peptide that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone. The IUPHAR Guide to Pharmacology records the human hormone under its international non-proprietary name, somatorelin, as a 44-residue peptide with the one-line mechanism “stimulates the release of growth hormone from pituitary [somatotrophs]”; PubChem lists the full-length human peptide at about 5,040 Da. It sits at the top of the growth-hormone axis: GHRH pulses from the hypothalamus drive GH pulses from the pituitary, GH drives IGF-1 production in the liver, and somatostatin, the inhibitory hypothalamic peptide profiled separately, shapes the rhythm. Every “GHRH peptide” sold or prescribed is a derivative of this sequence.
From hormone to drug scaffold
The full 44-residue hormone is short-lived in blood and has never been the practical therapeutic form. Instead, three analogues on this site descend from it. Sermorelin is GHRH(1-29), the N-terminal fragment that retains full receptor activity, and was formerly an approved diagnostic and treatment for growth-hormone deficiency. CJC-1295 is a modified GHRH(1-29) with substitutions that resist enzymatic cleavage, with or without an albumin-binding “drug affinity complex”. Tesamorelin is GHRH(1-44) with a trans-3-hexenoyl group on the N-terminus and is an approved medicine for HIV-associated abdominal fat accumulation. The parent hormone is the reference against which each of those design choices — truncation, stabilisation, N-terminal modification — is understood.
| Peptide | Relation to GHRH | Length |
|---|---|---|
| GHRH (somatorelin) | The hormone itself | 44 aa |
| Sermorelin | GHRH(1-29), unmodified | 29 aa |
| CJC-1295 | GHRH(1-29) with four stabilising substitutions | 29 aa (+ optional DAC) |
| Tesamorelin | GHRH(1-44) with an N-terminal trans-3-hexenoyl group | 44 aa |
Receptor and signalling
GHRH acts on the GHRH receptor, a class B G-protein-coupled receptor on pituitary somatotroph cells, which raises cyclic AMP and triggers growth-hormone secretion. The receptor family is the same one that GLP-1, glucagon, secretin, VIP and PACAP use, which is why those hormones are grouped as the secretin/glucagon superfamily on this site. GHRH's effect is amplified by ghrelin acting through a separate receptor — the basis for combining a GHRH analogue with a ghrelin-receptor agonist such as ipamorelin in research protocols — and opposed by somatostatin. The GH secretagogue guide walks through how these three inputs interact.
What the literature in the evidence pack shows
The pack for the native hormone is small, and much of it is about detection rather than treatment, because GHRH analogues are prohibited in sport. A 2023 analytical paper describes cation-exchange solid-phase extraction coupled with triple-quadrupole UHPLC-MS/MS for detecting GHRHs in urine (Cristea et al., Analytical Biochemistry 2023), and a 2020 study examined the intra-individual stability of the GH biomarkers IGF-I and P-III-NP in relation to GHRH administration (Ericsson et al., Drug Testing and Analysis 2020). An unusual single-subject report described a GHRH gene therapy administered to muscle that raised plasma GHRH to a mean of 195 ng/mL, about 13 times normal, over more than five years, with the authors noting “some adverse events” (Hanley et al., Rejuvenation Research 2021). None of these is a treatment trial of the hormone.
Regulatory status
GHRH is an endogenous hormone. The full-length synthetic peptide is a research reagent and, under the name somatorelin, has an INN but no marketing authorisation in the evidence pack; ClinicalTrials.gov listed no registered studies with it as an intervention at the September 2026 snapshot. Its analogues have their own statuses: tesamorelin is approved, sermorelin was formerly approved and is discontinued in the United States, and CJC-1295 has never been approved. GHRH and all its analogues are prohibited in sport by WADA as peptide hormones and releasing factors.
How to read GHRH claims
Marketing for “GHRH peptides” often blurs the hormone, its approved analogue and its unapproved analogues into one category. The useful distinctions are structural — which residues, which modifications — and regulatory. A claim that a product “is GHRH” can be checked against this profile's 44-residue reference; a claim about effects can be checked against the analogue profiles, where the human trials actually live. This page is educational and is not guidance on obtaining or using any product.
Sequence of the selected reference form
Sequence backbone for the reference form: Somatorelin, human GHRH(1–44)-amide free peptide. Termini, stereochemistry and modifications are described below.
YADAIFTNSYRKVLGQLSARKLLQDIMSRQQGESNQERGARARL
Analyze sequences in the playground →Structure & chemistry
Molecular identity & reference confidence
Source-supported reference
Reviewed human UniProt specifies the44-residue mature chain and Leu75-amide in the precursor, independently matching GSRS somatorelin and the all-L PubChem16132353 peptide. No acetate or trifluoroacetate counterion is selected. Structure-derived notation is a29-residue amidated chain plus three acetic-acid components, H-YADAIFTNSYRKVLGQLSARKLLQDIMSR-NH2.3CH3CO2H. ItsC155H258N44O48S/3538.0 describes a sermorelin-related acetate preparation, not human GHRH44. This estimated formula retains an extra oxygen inconsistent with the explicitly defined terminal leucinamide. PubChemC215H358N72O66S matches independent atom accounting and is selected. Generic family CAS9034-39-3 and salt UNIIs are not carried into selected identifiers.
- Molecular form
- Somatorelin, human GHRH(1–44)-amide free peptide
- Species
- Homo sapiens
- Termini (N / C)
- Free Tyr amino terminus / Leu carboxamide
Average reference mass · Molecular identity assessment: 2026-10-05
Reference policy updated: 2026-10-05
- PubChem PUG molecular properties, CID 16132353 · 2026-10-05
- PubChem structure-derived biologic notation, CID 16132353 · 2026-10-05
- Reviewed UniProtKB P01286 · 2026-10-05
- NIH NCATS/FDA GSRS, UNII 4UR7N9Z9MM · 2026-10-05
- PubChem structure-derived biologic notation, CID 172966663 · 2026-10-05
H-Tyr-Ala-Asp-Ala-Ile-Phe-Thr-Asn-Ser-Tyr-Arg-Lys-Val-Leu-Gly-Gln-Leu-Ser-Ala-Arg-Lys-Leu-Leu-Gln-Asp-Ile-Met-Ser-Arg-Gln-Gln-Gly-Glu-Ser-Asn-Gln-Glu-Arg-Gly-Ala-Arg-Ala-Arg-Leu-NH2
- Molecular formula
- C215H358N72O66S
- Average reference mass
- ≈ 5,040
- Receptors
- GHRH receptor (GHRHR), a class B G-protein-coupled receptor on pituitary somatotrophs
- Backbone
- Somatorelin, human GHRH(1–44)-amide free peptide
- C-terminus
- Leu carboxamide
- Status
- Endogenous hormone; not an approved medicine in full-length form as of September 2026
- PubChem CID: 16132353
- CAS RN: 83930-13-6
- UNII: 4UR7N9Z9MM
Chemistry values: curated profile, PubChem.
Clinical development snapshot
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 39 registered studies with “GHRH” as an intervention (snapshot 2026-09-08). A registry footprint is not evidence of efficacy or approval.
| NCT | Title | Phase | Status | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT03226821 | Body Composition and Adipose Tissue in HIV | Phase 4 | terminated | 2026-05-19 |
| NCT06554717 | Tesamorelin as an Adjunct to Exercise for Improving Physical Function in HIV | Phase 2 | recruiting | 2026-05-19 |
| NCT07481734 | Tesamorelin for Reduction of Liver Fat in Adults With Fatty Liver Disease (Mock Study) | Phase 2 | recruiting | 2026-03-19 |
| NCT03375788 | Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone Analog to Improve Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Associated Cardiovascu | Phase 2 | completed | 2025-11-20 |
| NCT03847207 | A Study in Healthy Subjects to Assess the Safety, Tolerability, PK and PD of HTL0030310 | Phase 1 | completed | 2025-02-19 |
| NCT00720902 | Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency and Cardiovascular Risk | Phase 4 | terminated | 2022-11-16 |
GHRH (somatorelin) — reconstitution calculator
Enter how much peptide is in the vial and how much diluent (e.g. bacteriostatic water) is added. The tool returns the resulting solution concentration — and, for any amount you type, the volume it corresponds to. This is educational arithmetic, not a dosing recommendation.
Reference form: Somatorelin, human GHRH(1–44)-amide free peptideAverage reference mass: 5,040 Da
Enter an amount to see the volume it corresponds to.
Educational concentration mathematics only. This tool does not recommend a dose, amount, or protocol, and nothing here is medical advice. Many peptides are not authorized by Health Canada for human use — see our reconstitution and bacteriostatic-water guides for context.
Change log
Dated observations from the data pipeline (registry flags, trial footprints, identifiers) and editorial reviews of this profile.
- ChemistryPubChem formula updated to C155H258N44O48S.
- IdentifiersCross-linked to IUPHAR ligand 2270 and PubChem CID 16132353.
- TrialsClinicalTrials.gov snapshot added: 39 registered studies, highest phase 4.
- EditorialProfile content reviewed and updated by the editorial team.
FAQ about GHRH (somatorelin)
What is GHRH (somatorelin)?+
Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH, INN somatorelin) is the 44-amino-acid hypothalamic peptide that stimulates growth hormone release from the pituitary. It is the parent sequence of sermorelin (residues 1–29), CJC-1295 and tesamorelin, and its measurement underpins anti-doping tests for GHRH analogues. The full-length hormone is not itself a marketed medicine.
What Canadian product status is recorded for GHRH (somatorelin)?+
Canadian product status for GHRH (somatorelin) has not been verified in this profile. No verified record here does not mean no authorization exists. Status depends on the product, formulation and use; consult Health Canada's product records.
What is the length of the selected reference form for GHRH (somatorelin)?+
The selected reference form (Somatorelin, human GHRH(1–44)-amide free peptide) has 44 residues or residue-derived units in its backbone. Other forms in this family may have a different length.
What is GHRH?+
Growth hormone-releasing hormone, a 44-amino-acid hypothalamic peptide (INN somatorelin) that stimulates the pituitary to release growth hormone. It is the parent of sermorelin, CJC-1295 and tesamorelin.
Is GHRH the same as sermorelin?+
No. Sermorelin is the first 29 residues of GHRH, which retain full activity. Tesamorelin is the full 44 residues with an N-terminal modification; CJC-1295 is a stabilised 29-residue version.
Is GHRH an approved medicine?+
The full-length hormone is not. Tesamorelin, a modified GHRH(1-44), is approved; sermorelin was formerly approved and is discontinued in the US.
What receptor does GHRH act on?+
The GHRH receptor, a class B G-protein-coupled receptor on pituitary somatotrophs — the same receptor family as GLP-1, glucagon, secretin, VIP and PACAP.
Is GHRH banned in sport?+
Yes. GHRH and its analogues are prohibited by WADA, and anti-doping laboratories have published methods for detecting them in urine.
Further reading
- Hormone axisGH Secretagogue Peptides Explained: CJC-1295, Ipamorelin, GHRPsEducational overview of growth hormone secretagogue peptides—GHRH analogs vs GHRPs, DAC vs no DAC, receptors, and research context.
- ComparisonCJC-1295 vs Sermorelin: Comparing GHRH AnalogsAn educational comparison of CJC-1295 and sermorelin—two GHRH-analog research compounds—covering DAC vs no-DAC design, half-life concepts, and framing. Not medical advice.
- GH secretagoguesTesamorelin vs CJC-1295: Two GHRH Analogs, ComparedTesamorelin and CJC-1295 are both GHRH analogs, but one is an approved medicine and the other a research compound. Compare their design, half-life, and how the literature treats them. Educational only.
- Not a peptideIs MK-677 (Ibutamoren) a Peptide? No — It Is an Oral Small-Molecule Ghrelin Mimetic. What the Trials ShowedMK-677 (ibutamoren) is sold next to peptides and stacked with them, but it is a small synthetic molecule that activates the ghrelin receptor by mouth. This guide explains what it is, how it differs from GHRH and GHRP peptides, what its clinical trials showed — including the safety signal that stopped one — and its regulatory status.
Related peptides
References & further reading
- 1.Cristea et al. (2023). Cationic exchange SPE combined with triple quadrupole UHPLC-MS/MS for detection of GHRHs in urine samples. Analytical Biochemistry
- 2.Ericsson et al. (2020). The intra-individual stability of GH biomarkers IGF-I and P-III-NP in relation to GHRH administration, menstrual cycle, and hematological parameters. Drug Testing and Analysis
- 3.Hanley et al. (2021). Results of a 5-Year N-of-1 Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone Gene Therapy Experiment. Rejuvenation Research
- 4.IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology — GHRH (somatorelin), ligand 2270
- 5.PubChem — Somatorelin (CID 16132353)