Sermorelin vs tesamorelin

What each one is

Both are synthetic analogs of the hormone that tells the pituitary gland to release growth hormone. Sermorelin is a 29-amino-acid analog of human GHRH.¹ The label of Egrifta SV describes tesamorelin as a human growth-hormone-releasing factor analog produced synthetically.² A 2026 review classes both among GHRH analogs.³

Approval status

Tesamorelin is the active ingredient of an FDA-approved product, first approved in the United States in 2010. It is indicated for the reduction of excess abdominal fat in HIV-infected adults with lipodystrophy.²

The label sets limits on that use: long-term cardiovascular safety has not been established, and the product is not indicated for weight loss management.²

Sermorelin was approved as Geref, in 1990 as a diagnostic test and in 1997 for children with growth failure caused by idiopathic growth hormone deficiency. The manufacturer discontinued it in 2008, and the FDA determined that it had not been withdrawn for reasons of safety or effectiveness.⁴ Sermorelin sold online today is compounded, and compounded drugs are not FDA-approved.⁵

What the tesamorelin label says

For Egrifta SV, the label gives a dose of 1.4 mg injected under the skin once daily. The adverse reactions most commonly reported, in more than 5% of patients, were joint pain, redness and itching at the injection site, pain in a limb, swelling of the limbs and muscle pain.²

No comparable current label exists for sermorelin, because no approved sermorelin product is on the market.

FDA's list of substances with safety concerns

Neither sermorelin nor tesamorelin appears on the FDA page that lists bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks in compounding, as we read it on November 12, 2026.⁶

Price

Our comparison and our cost page cover sermorelin only. We do not track tesamorelin prices.

Sources

1. Prakash A, Goa KL. Sermorelin: a review of its use in the diagnosis and treatment of children with idiopathic growth hormone deficiency. BioDrugs. 1999;12(2):139-57. Read November 12, 2026.
2. Egrifta SV (tesamorelin) prescribing information, DailyMed, National Library of Medicine. Read November 12, 2026.
3. Dominikowski A, et al. The emerging landscape of performance-enhancing peptides modulating GH-IGF1 axis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2026;17:1822475. Read November 12, 2026.
4. FDA, Federal Register, March 4, 2013: Determination that Geref (sermorelin acetate) injection was not withdrawn from sale for reasons of safety or effectiveness. Read November 12, 2026.
5. FDA, Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers. Read November 12, 2026.
6. FDA, Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (content current as of April 22, 2026). Read November 12, 2026.