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MK-677 vs Sermorelin: What the Research Shows

MK-677 and Sermorelin side by side: what they are, how they are regulated and what is still unknown.

Medically reviewed by Juan Pablo Frías, MD · · DisclosureUpdated
Oral ghrelin agonist (not a peptide)Not FDA approved · research chemicalMK-677Oral growth hormone secretagogue (not a peptide); in a randomized trial in obese men it raised IGF-I about 40% versus placebo.[11]
GHRH analogCompounded by prescriptionSermorelinGHRH analog once FDA-approved as Geref and since discontinued; in an uncontrolled pediatric study mean height velocity rose from 4.1 to 8.0 cm/yr after 6 months.[12]Growth hormoneFlat YoY
Quick verdict

Where the research points

Summary of studies, not a recommendation

Consider MK-677 if…

  • you want an oral option with randomized human data: in obese men, MK-677 25 mg daily raised serum IGF-I by about 40% versus placebo over 8 weeks (a hormone outcome)[11]
  • you are weighing trade-offs: in that trial an oral glucose tolerance test showed impairment of glucose homeostasis at 2 and 8 weeks[11]
  • you want to see a negative human trial: in Alzheimer disease, MK-677 raised serum IGF-1 but was ineffective at slowing disease progression[13]

Consider Sermorelin if…

  • you want human data in growth-hormone-deficient children, though uncontrolled: Mean height velocity rose from 4.1 cm/yr at baseline to 8.0 cm/yr at 6 months and 7.2 cm/yr at 12 months (open-label, no control group).[12]

What they have in common

  • Sermorelin's only FDA record is Geref, listed with marketing status Discontinued[14]
Sermorelin is not FDA approved. Sermorelin is prohibited in tested sport (WADA). Status labels come from public FDA and WADA records; see the sources below.
Side by side

Spec comparison

Showing 9 of 10 fields where the two differ. PCAC vote, Jul 2026 are the same or both unknown.

FieldMK-677Sermorelin
ClassOral ghrelin agonist (not a peptide)GHRH analog
Also calledibutamoren—
FDA statusNot FDA approved · research chemicalCompounded by prescription
WADANo WADA record in our dataProhibited by WADA (S2.2.4)Sermorelin is named as a GHRH analogue in S2.2.4 (growth hormone releasing factors), prohibited at all times.
Anti-doping detectionNone reportedanti-doping literature, as of 2 Oct 2026
  • A urine assay detects CJC-1295 and other GHRH analogues at very low concentrations.PMID 35298973
  • Labs expect GHRH analogues like CJC-1295 to be hard to find because of tiny urine concentrations; the study reports no detections in routine anti-doping samples.PMID 34665524
Half-life[half-life by route]No published half-life foundPubMed search, 2 Oct 2026
Evidence strength[evidence grade]Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4Strongest: The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 1992, PMID 1379256
Human studies we summarised[n]4 human (1 randomized or controlled) of 7 summarised
Typical study doses[dose range]

Bracketed values are pending a sourced figure. Legal data reflects the regulatory events in our tracker.

Sources

  1. 1World Anti-Doping Code International Standard Prohibited List 2026World Anti-Doping Agency · 2026wada-ama.orgAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  2. 2An antibody-free, ultrafiltration-based assay for the detection of growth hormone-releasing hormones in urine at low pg/mL concentrations using nanoLC-HRMS/MS.Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis · 2022PMID 35298973Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  3. 3Advances in the detection of growth hormone releasing hormone synthetic analogs.Drug testing and analysis · 2021PMID 34665524Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  4. 4Growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone-(1-29) twice daily reverses the decreased GH and insulin-like growth factor-I levels in old men.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 1992PMID 1379256Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  5. 5Growth Hormone Secretagogue Treatment in Hypogonadal Men Raises Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Levels.American journal of men's health · 2017PMID 28830317Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  6. 6Effects of single nightly injections of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH 1-29) in healthy elderly men.Metabolism: clinical and experimental · 1997PMID 9005976Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  7. 7PubMed search: (sermorelin[tiab] OR Geref[tiab]) (34 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  8. 8PubMed search: (sermorelin[tiab] OR "GHRH(1-29)"[tiab] OR "GRF(1-29)"[tiab] OR "GHRH 1-29"[tiab]) AND (elderly[tiab] OR aging[tiab] OR "older adults"[tiab] OR adults[tiab]) AND (treatment[tiab] OR therapy[tiab] OR administration[tiab]) (15 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  9. 9PubMed search: (sermorelin[tiab] OR Geref[tiab]) AND (half-life[tiab] OR pharmacokinetic*[tiab]) (2 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  10. 10PubMed search: (ibutamoren[tiab] OR "MK-677"[tiab] OR MK0677[tiab]) AND (sermorelin[tiab] OR Geref[tiab])PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  11. 11Two-month treatment of obese subjects with the oral growth hormone (GH) secretagogue MK-677 increases GH secretion, fat-free mass, and energy expenditure.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 1998PMID 9467542Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  12. 12Once daily subcutaneous growth hormone-releasing hormone therapy accelerates growth in growth hormone-deficient children during the first year of therapy. Geref International Study Group.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 1996PMID 8772599Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  13. 13Growth hormone secretagogue MK-677: no clinical effect on AD progression in a randomized trial.Neurology · 2008PMID 19015485Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  14. 14Drugs@FDA (openFDA) search: active ingredient "sermorelin"U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2026api.fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026

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