Sermorelin (GHRH 1–29 NH₂) corresponds to the biologically active N-terminal fragment of the 44-amino-acid human GHRH. It binds to GHRH receptors on somatotroph cells of the anterior pituitary, promoting the synthesis and pulsatile release of endogenous growth hormone through a mechanism distinct from direct GH administration. Because it acts upstream of the pituitary rather than supplying exogenous GH directly, its pharmacological profile and physiological feedback dynamics differ from recombinant human growth hormone products.
In Australia, sermorelin is not registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) as an approved therapeutic good for general supply. Under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 and the current Poisons Standard (the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons), supplying a prescription-only or unregistered biological peptide without appropriate authorisation is unlawful. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has identified unregistered peptides , including growth hormone secretagogues marketed outside the approved medicines pathway , as a regulatory enforcement priority. Supply of sermorelin outside a lawful approval or exemption framework is illegal in Australia.
Access to sermorelin in a clinical context, where it may be considered at all, would require navigation of the TGA's Special Access Scheme (SAS) or Authorised Prescriber framework, which impose strict patient-level and prescriber-level obligations. These pathways exist for unapproved therapeutic goods and do not constitute general availability. No therapeutic claims regarding sermorelin's effects on any condition or symptom are made or implied here.
Sermorelin has been the subject of published pharmacokinetic research examining its short plasma half-life (estimated at approximately 10–12 minutes in early studies), rapid enzymatic degradation, and dose-dependent GH response profiles. This research describes mechanism and pharmacokinetics only; study findings carry the standard limitations of small sample sizes and controlled research conditions that do not translate directly to clinical recommendations.
Sources:
- Peptides and related substances: regulatory information , Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
- Walker RF. Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency?; National Library of Medicine (PubMed)
- Poisons Standard (Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons), Federal Register of Legislation, Australian Government