Sermorelin
A larger vial, a smaller dose.
Sermorelin is often supplied in 5 or 15 mg vials while doses sit in the microgram range, so the ratio between vial and dose is wide and the water volume does a lot of work.
- Cost
- Free
- Syringe
- U-100
- Signup
- None
- Data
- Nothing stored
The science
Wide vials, narrow doses, and what that forces
01
Sermorelin is a synthetic fragment of growth hormone releasing hormone, the first 29 amino acids of it, supplied as a lyophilised powder. Vials are commonly 5 or 15 mg, while doses are usually discussed in hundreds of micrograms. A 15 mg vial therefore contains a large number of doses.
02
That ratio pushes the reconstitution volume up. At 15 mg in 1 ml the concentration is 15 mg per ml, and a 300 mcg dose is 2 units, which is at the very limit of what a U-100 barrel measures usefully. At 15 mg in 5 ml it is 3 mg per ml, and the same dose is 10 units, which is comfortable.
03
The constraint on the other side is time. A reconstituted vial has a usable window, and a vial holding fifty doses will not be finished inside a typical window if doses are infrequent. Diluting heavily to get readable marks can mean discarding solution, so the practical volume is a compromise rather than an optimum.
04
The vial expiry tool on this site takes the other half of that question, working out how many doses fit between a reconstitution date and the end of a storage window. Using the two together tells you whether a given water volume is workable or whether it produces more solution than you can use.
Lookup
5 mg and 15 mg vials, every water volume
A 15 mg vial holds fifty doses of 300 mcg, so the reconstitution volume has to balance measurable marks against how long the solution stays usable.
5 mg Sermorelin vial
Units on a U-100 syringe
| Dose | 1 ml | 1.5 ml | 2 ml | 2.5 ml | 3 ml |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 mcg | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 200 mcg | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 |
| 300 mcg | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 |
| 500 mcg | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 |
| 1 mg | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 |
15 mg Sermorelin vial
Units on a U-100 syringe
| Dose | 1 ml | 1.5 ml | 2 ml | 2.5 ml | 3 ml |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 mcg | · | · | · | · | 2 |
| 200 mcg | · | 2 | 2.67 | 3.33 | 4 |
| 300 mcg | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 500 mcg | 3.33 | 5 | 6.67 | 8.33 | 10 |
| 1 mg | 6.67 | 10 | 13.33 | 16.67 | 20 |
A dot marks a combination that falls under two units or overflows a 100-unit barrel. Both are hard to measure accurately, so they are worth avoiding rather than eyeballing.
Regulatory status
Approved once, discontinued, now compounded
Sermorelin has a more complicated history than most compounds covered here. It was approved in the United States and sold as Geref, then discontinued in the 2000s. The withdrawal was commercial rather than the result of a safety finding.
What that means in practice is that the original prescribing information is no longer the document that accompanies most material in circulation. Sermorelin is now largely supplied through compounding pharmacies on prescription, and separately sold as a research chemical with no oversight at all. Those two routes are not equivalent, and the second one provides no assurance that the label figure is accurate.
The arithmetic on this page assumes the milligram figure on your vial is correct. For a compounded prescription that assumption is reasonable. For research chemical supply it is an assumption rather than a fact, and no amount of careful division fixes a wrong starting number.
FAQ
Common questions
How many units is 300 mcg of sermorelin?
It depends on the concentration. A 15 mg vial in 5 ml gives 3 mg per ml, so 300 mcg is 0.1 ml, which is 10 units. The same vial in 2 ml gives 7.5 mg per ml, so 300 mcg is 4 units. The dose has not changed in either case, only the dilution has, which is why the water volume has to be recorded.
How much bacteriostatic water for a 15 mg sermorelin vial?
More than for a small vial, because the doses are small relative to the contents. Three to five millilitres keeps typical microgram doses in the 6 to 15 unit range where a U-100 barrel is readable. The tradeoff is that a heavily diluted vial contains more solution than a short storage window may allow you to use.
Was sermorelin ever an approved drug?
Yes, which distinguishes it from most compounds in this category. It was approved and marketed in the United States under the brand name Geref, and was discontinued there in the 2000s for commercial rather than safety reasons. Supply now comes largely through compounding, which means the label that once existed is no longer the document accompanying what people actually obtain.
Is sermorelin the same as ipamorelin?
No. Sermorelin is an analogue of growth hormone releasing hormone, while ipamorelin is a growth hormone secretagogue acting through a different receptor. They are sometimes discussed as alternatives but they are different molecules with different vial presentations, so each needs its own conversion. Ipamorelin has never been approved for human use.
Does a reconstituted sermorelin vial expire?
Yes. A solution has a much shorter usable life than dry powder, and bacteriostatic water contains benzyl alcohol precisely to make repeated entry into a vial safer over that period. Storage windows depend on the product and the source, and the vial expiry calculator on this site converts a window into a dose count so you can see whether your dilution fits inside it.
VialClock
This page calculates. Your notes app forgets.
Every tool here is stateless by design. What it cannot do is remember that your vial was mixed eleven days ago, or that a step-up is due this week.
Browse all calculatorsThis tool performs arithmetic on figures you enter, or presents a manufacturer-published schedule. It does not know your protocol, will never suggest a dose, and is not medical advice. Dosing decisions belong with a qualified prescriber.