Sermorelin Cost

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Sermorelin Cost:​

Because of low Sermorelin prices, the synthetic growth hormone-releasing hormone analogue has long been favored in research investigating the effects of enhanced human growth hormone (HGH) levels. It is also increasingly used in the clinical setting as alternative to HGH in the diagnosis and treatment of HGH deficiency. Sermorelin acetate costs, however, are not the only thing that make the peptide of interest to researchers and clinicians alike. Sermorelin has a favorable side effect profile and a number of proven benefits that are of interest to those investigating anti-aging, wound healing, metabolic processes, and sleep physiology.

How Sermorelin Works​

Sermorelin is a peptide hormone analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), which means it stimulates the release of GH from the anterior pituitary. Sermorelin is actually one of the earliest peptide hormone analogues produced and has been used in research and clinical settings for nearly thirty years.

Sermorelin is a shortened, synthetic version of GHRH, consisting of only the first twenty-nine amino acids of the larger protein. It retains most of the functions of GHRH and is capable of binding to the GHRH receptor, with equal affinity to native GHRH, after subcutaneous injection. It is thought to be the shortest fragment of GHRH that is still fully functional.

By stimulating the release of HGH (and in fact growth hormone in a number of animals), Sermorelin causes the same biochemical actions as GHRH. These include the production of insulin-like growth factor 1, increased long bone growth, muscle hypertrophy/hyperplasia, enhanced wound healing, improved energy metabolism, and changes in the immune system. Though Sermorelin has been found to stimulate growth in a reliable, reproducible manner, the peptide is of greater interest for its effects on wound healing, body composition, sleep, and the aging process.

Sermorelin Cost​

Before getting into the major research interests in Sermorelin, it is important to note that Sermorelin acetate costs far less than many other GHRH analogues. This is, in part, due to the fact that Sermorelin has been around for a very long time and has been the subject of a great deal of research. As a peptide hormone, Sermorelin is easy to produce and purify. The use of HGH to treat HGH deficiency in children costs approximately $1500-$2000 per month while Sermorelin, used in the exact same setting, costs just $200 per month. That means that Sermorelin prices are nearly eight times lower than HGH costs.

Now, it might be tempting to think that HGH deficiency would best be treated with HGH supplementation. This logic is often used to justify the high costs of HGH, but it isn’t accurate. Sometimes, direct HGH replacement is the right answer, but sometimes it can do just as much harm as good. This is as true in the research setting as it is in the clinical setting. The benefits of Sermorelin are discussed below and go far beyond the low cost of Sermorelin Acetate.

Sermorelin’s Biggest Benefit: Physiologic Growth Hormone Secretion​

One of the biggest challenges in HGH supplementation is maintaining normal physiologic secretion patterns of HGH. In all mammals, humans included, growth hormone is secreted in an ebbing and flowing pattern, with levels varying throughout the day and in response to various biochemical conditions within the body. This is referred to as a pulsatile secretion pattern. Preserving this pattern, even if different highs and lows of GH are desired, is beneficial in reducing side effects while maximizing benefits. In other words, the pattern of GH secretion is more important than absolute blood levels of the hormone in maximizing benefit and reducing side effects.

Exogenous administration of GH is well known to obliterate normal physiologic secretion patterns. This happens due to the standard negative feedback cycle. When GH is administered, levels of the hormone in the body skyrocket, signaling the brain to stop releasing GH. This results in what is known as a square-wave pattern of hormone release, with levels of GH getting very high and then very, very low. This square-wave pattern results in the enhancement of some of the side effects of GH (e.g. excessive long bone growth, edema, joint pain, and damaging effects on the liver, heart, and other organs). Research shows that preserving the normal pattern of GH ebb and flow can help to mitigate these effects, even as overall levels of the hormone increase[1].



The administration of drugs, hormones, and other products in a square-wave pattern tends to enhance a process known as tachyphylaxis. In tachyphylaxis, the body adapts to the high levels of a particular substance by reducing the number of receptors for that substance. For instance, if GH hormone levels are too high (or moderately high for too long) the body may respond by producing fewer GH receptors. This is essentially a physiologic mechanism for reduce the effects of a substance when the body cannot simply reduce the presence of the substance itself. In other words, the body is ignoring the high levels of GH by taking away the receptors that it needs to bind to. This leads to the same outcomes as lower levels of GH and can be exceptionally problematic during long-term administration.

The only way to overcome tachyphylaxis to a particular substance and restore its effects is to stop using it for a period of time. This is referred to as a drug holiday. Drug holidays are effective, but have two drawbacks. First, they reduce or eliminate the benefits of therapy while the substance in question is being withheld. So, not only does the tachyphylaxis itself reduce the benefits of treatment, but so too does the need to go without GH for a given period of time. This can slow the response to treatment and, in some cases, reduce overall benefit to something less than the potential maximum.

The other drawback to a drug holiday is that it can precipitate a withdrawal condition when there is no GH present. This happens because exogenous administration of GH can completely suppresses the body’s natural production of the hormone. It can take some time for levels to recover, which can result in a period of very low energy, poor wound healing, and increased risk of infection.

Research reveals that Sermorelin, by preserving normal GH secretory patterns, is not subject to tachyphylaxis in the same way that exogenous GH is[2]. Because of the way in which Sermorelin works, it is subject to normal physiologic feedback mechanisms and therefore has less effect on GHRH receptor density and overall numbers. Essentially, the administration of Sermorelin leads to higher levels of GH without affecting levels of GHRH and GH receptors in the body[1]. Thus, drug holidays are generally not needed.

NOTE: The benefits of Sermorelin are more relevant to adults than to children. This is because children are physiologically different than adults due to a number of factors. For instance, long bone growth that occurs after the closure of the growth plates can lead to deformity and other serious problems in adults. For children, careful supplementation with GH can take advantage of the fact that growth plates are still active. Research in this area suggests that Sermorelin may be a safer alternative for adults in a number of ways, though extensive clinical trials for this indication have yet to be conducted.

Sermorelin and Wound Healing Research​

Sermorelin has been shown to have a number of positive effects on wound healing. It not only increases the rate of tissue regeneration, but decreases scar formation, reduces inflammation, and helps to mitigate risk of infection. It may also have an antioxidant effect, helping to improve overall tissue health and shift the balance of cytokine production away from inflammatory pathways[3].

Of note, Sermorelin is beneficial for more than just cutaneous (skin) wound healing. Research shows that Sermorelin can help people recover following a heart attack and can reduce the long-term problems associated with scar formation in heart tissue. Rat models of heart attack reveal that Sermorelin can protect cells from death, increase the production of collagen and other extracellular matrix components, increase the rate of new blood vessel growth, and reduce levels of damaging inflammatory cytokines[4], [5]. The net results are reductions in scar extent and overall density of scar tissue. In the heart, this can mean the difference between heart failure and full recovery.

Of course, the other primary application for improved wound healing is in diabetes. Diabetic ulcers and wounds are slower to heal than average and more prone to infection. Sermorelin may help to shift this balance and, as explained in the next section, may even help to reverse some of the other sequelae of diabetes. In fact, Sermorelin may be beneficial in promoting wound healing in a number of immune compromised conditions (e.g. HIV).

As an added aside to the benefits that Sermorelin has on wound healing, there is good research to show that Sermorelin, via its effects on HGH, can increase collagen production and thus improve the structure of skin. Importantly, Sermorelin appears to be associated with increases in skin density. Skin tends to thin and become more fragile with age. By halting and even reversing this process, Sermorelin helps to fight yet another one of the effects of aging.

Sermorelin and Body Composition​

GH can be thought of as promoting lean body mass over fat mass. Higher levels of GH are associated with increased bone and muscle density as well as reduced adipose tissue. Researchers have, in recent years, been interested in how Sermorelin might be used to promote healthy body composition and fight the effects of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. Given the low cost of Sermorelin, it is an ideal candidate for these applications.

The ability of Sermorelin to burn fat is of particular benefit in the aging process because GH levels tend to decrease with age and the risk of developing conditions like diabetes or metabolic syndrome increases. By promoting lean body mass, Sermorelin may not only be able to help ward off disease, it may, as research indicates, help to support health and promote well-being[6]. This is due in part to the fact that Sermorelin shifts energy balance and food preference, helping not only to promote the formation of lean body structure (e.g. muscle) but also shifting food preferences away from fatty options toward those foods that are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals necessary for supporting bone and muscle growth.

Sermorelin, Sleep, and Longevity.​

Sleep and longevity are inextricably linked, though the exact nature of that link has not been fully elucidated. Suffice it to say that quality sleep is associated with improved mood, better health, superior brain function, and reduced effects of aging. Believe it or not, sleep and body composition are also linked. While it is often stated that sleep apnea is caused by obesity, the opposite is also true. It is becoming increasingly clear that sleep apnea may, in fact, be a primary driver of certain behavioral changes that lead to obesity.

Unraveling the links between sleep and good health has presented a challenge to researchers for decades. Some progress has been made in our understanding the mechanics of how sleep happens, but very little is known about how quality sleep happens. What we know for certain is that orexin, a potent chemical produced by highly specialized neurons in the brain, is required for proper sleep cycle transitions. Sermorelin, it turns out, boosts orexin secretion and helps to promote proper sleep biochemistry[7], [8]. Thus, even without understanding the nuances of the sleep cycle, scientists can confidently say that Sermorelin improves sleep parameters and leads to better outcomes in the metrics associated with good sleep.

In terms of longevity and aging, sleep is crucial. During sleep, the brain’s waste clearance system (called the glymphatic system) is orders of magnitude more effective. In fact, without sleep, metabolic byproducts and other toxins accumulate in the brain and eventually lead to dysfunction and even cell death. There is even some evidence that a defective glymphatic system (perhaps as a result of sleep disorder) may be one of the underlying causes of degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s Disease. The decline in neurogenesis, which is associated with age, may ultimately be a consequence of poor sleep. Research suggests that Sermorelin may help to preserve neurogenesis, a function that may be a result of its benefits on sleep in addition to its GH stimulating properties.

Another thing that happens during sleep and is associated with aging is tissue and DNA repair. As with waste clearance in the brain, these processes are much more efficient during sleep than they are when we are awake. Adequate sleep helps to ward off cancer and infection, improve scarring, and accelerate wound healing. In short, good sleep is an important component of maintaining good health and thus longevity.

In summary, sleep is clearly linked to mood, longevity, and good health. Mood changes are clearly linked to eating behavior and sleep appears to be directly linked not only to eating behavior, but to food preference and energy homeostasis. Research has shown time and time again that adequate sleep is necessary in the maintenance of a healthy body mass and a robust immune system. At least some of Sermorelin’s impact on body mass, longevity, and overall health is attributable to its influence on the sleep cycle.

A Summary of Sermorelin Costs​

HGH treatment has been used for everything from HGH deficiency to warding off the effects of aging. It suffers from two major problems however: cost and serious side effects. Sermorelin is under active research, in part, because it solves both of these problems. Sermorelin costs nearly eight times less than HGH to produce and its side effect profile is substantially better. Scientists are investigating this peptide, which is already used in the clinical setting, to better understand how to harness its benefits. Increased production of sermorelin in the future may help to reduce costs every further, helping to widen the gap between sermorelin prices and prices for other GHRH analogues as well as HGH.

Resources​

[1] R. F. Walker, “Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency?” Clin. Interv. Aging, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 307–308, 2006, doi: 10.2147/ciia.2006.1.4.307.

[2] S. T. Wahid, P. Marbach, B. Stolz, M. Miller, R. A. James, and S. G. Ball, “Partial tachyphylaxis to somatostatin (SST) analogues in a patient with acromegaly: the role of SST receptor desensitization and circulating antibodies to SST analogues,” Eur. J. Endocrinol., vol. 146, no. 3, pp. 295–302, Mar. 2002, doi: 10.1530/eje.0.1460295.

[3] L. Recinella et al., “Anti-Inflammatory, antioxidant, and behavioral effects induced by administration of growth hormone-releasing hormone analogs in mice,” Sci. Rep., vol. 10, no. 1, p. 732, Jan. 2020, doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-57292-z.